Thomas Davis, Selections from his Prose and Poetry Part 28

1689. March 12--James II. landed at Kinsale.

---- May 7 } The Irish Parliament summoned by him: met at the ---- July 20 } Inns of Court.

1690. June 14--William III. landed at Carrickfergus Bay.

---- July 1--Battle of the Boyne.

---- Aug 30--The first siege of Limerick under William III. raised by Sarsfield.

1691. June 30--Athlone taken after a gallant defence.

1691. July 12--Battle of Aughrim.

---- Oct. 3--Capitulation and Treaty of Limerick.

1692. April 5--The articles agreed upon by the Treaty confirmed by William III.

---- Nov. 3--Lord Sydney's protest against the claim of the Irish House of Commons to the right of "preparing heads of bills for raising money"--the beginning of the struggle between the Protestant ascendency and the English Government, which bore national fruit in 1782, but which was crushed in 1800.

1695. August--Parliament violated the Treaty of Limerick--

7 William III., c. 67--Prohibits Catholic education at home or abroad.

7 William III., c. 5--Disarms Papists.

1697. 9 William III., c. 1--Banishes Popish archbishops, bishops, vicars-general, and all regular clergy, on pain of death. 9 William III., c. 2--An Act "to confirm the Treaty of Limerick," which directly and grossly violates its letter and spirit. It is fit to remember that in the Irish House of Lords, from which Catholics were excluded, seven spiritual and five temporal peers protested against this infamous legislation.

1698. The 9 and 10 William III., c. 40--An Act aimed at the Irish woollen manufacture. Molyneux published his famous _Case of Ireland being bound by Acts of Parliament pa.s.sed in England_. This book, by order of the English House of Commons, was burned by the hangman.

1704. March 4--The "Act to prevent the further growth of Popery," one of the most noted links in the penal chain.

1719. October 17--Representation of the Irish House of Lords against appeals to England.

1720. 6 Geo. I.--Act pa.s.sed by the English Legislature to secure the dependency of Ireland.

---- Swift's first Irish pamphlet--"A proposal for the universal use of Irish manufactures." Prosecuted by Government.

1724. Wood's patent to coin half-pence for Ireland, and Swift's successful opposition to the scheme by the "Letters of M. B. Drapier."

The first time all Irish sects and parties were unanimous upon national grounds.

1728. 1 Geo. II., c. 9, s. 8.--The Act disfranchising Roman Catholics.

1737. The t.i.the of agistment got rid of by the Irish gentry, and the chief burden of the t.i.the thereby thrown on the farmers and peasantry.

1743. Lucas rises into notice in the Dublin Corporation.

1745. April 30--Battle of Fontenoy.

1749. Dr. Lucas is obliged to leave Ireland.

1753. Dec. 17--The House of Commons a.s.serts its control successfully over the surplus revenue, in opposition to Government.

1756. The first public effort by Mr. O'Connor and Dr. Curry to inspire the Catholics with the spirit of freedom. They succeed with the mercantile body, but are opposed by many of the gentry and clergy.

1760. March and April--Mr. Wyse and Dr. Curry revive the scheme of an a.s.sociation to manage Catholic affairs.

1761. Dr. Lucas returned as representative of Dublin to the first parliament of George III.

1763. Establishment of the _Freeman's Journal_ by Dr. Lucas--the first independent Irish newspaper.

1768. The duration of parliament limited to eight years.

1778. First relaxation of the Penal Code, Catholics allowed long tenures of land, etc.

---- The Volunteers first formed. Flood the foremost popular leader.

1779. The achievement of Free Trade [_i.e._, Ireland's right to trade with the colonies, etc.].

1782. Ireland's legislative independence won. Grattan's prime.

1785. Orde's Commercial Propositions.

1789. Debates upon the Regency question.

1790. The formation of the Society of United Irishmen at Belfast.

Theobald Wolfe Tone its founder.

1792.} The Franchise restored to the Roman Catholics; the Bar opened 1793.} to them, etc.

1795. Sept. 21--First Orange Lodge formed.

1796. Dec. 24--The remnant of the French expedition arrives in Bantry Bay without General Hoche, the commander.

1798. May 23--Breaking out of the insurrection.

---- June 21--Battle of Vinegar Hill.

---- August 22--General Humbert lands with a small force at Killala.

---- Dec. 9--Meeting of the Bar to oppose the projected Union. Saurin moves the resolution, which is carried.

1799. Jan. 22--The Union proposed.

---- June 1--Parliament prorogued, Government having been defeated by small majorities.

1800. Feb. 10--The House of Lords divided, 75 for and 26 against the Union.

---- Feb. 15--The House of Commons divided, 158 for, 115 against the Union.