STRATEGY OF UNITED IRISHMEN POST-1794

• Infiltrate Militia, ally with Defenders

• Propaganda campaign

UNITED IRISHMEN AND ‘PUBLIC OPINION’• Growth of newspapers

• 1780s - 10 in Dublin, 20+ outside Dublin

• Printers and booksellers in Dublin United Irishmen

PRINT IN FIRST PHASE OF UNITED IRISHMEN• Northern Star (Belfast)

PRINT IN FIRST PHASE OF UNITED IRISHMEN• Northern Star (Belfast)

• Rights of Man (Paine)

PRINT IN FIRST PHASE OF UNITED IRISHMEN• Northern Star (Belfast)

• Rights of Man (Paine)

• Argument on behalf of Irish Catholics (Tone)

PRINT IN 2ND PHASE OF UNITED IRISHMEN• Aiming for mass membership

• Newspapers, pamphlets restricted to well-off

• Massive propaganda campaign• Single sheet handbills, posters, short pamphlets, songbooks

PRINT IN 2ND PHASE OF UNITED IRISHMEN• Democratic message - democratic

medium

• Publications cheap or free

• Written in simple style

Denis Browne, Westport 1793: political unrest ‘produced by the circulation… of seditious newspapers, and by shopkeepers who having been in Dublin to buy goods have formed connections with some of the United Irishmen’1795 – chief constable of Athlone: ‘the press is destroying the minds of the people in this country for they wish for nothing else’

TYPES OF PUBLICATION

TYPES OF PUBLICATION

• Newspapers - Northern Star

• Circulation peak of 4,000

• Mainly in East Ulster – Presbyterians – 200 subscribers in Dublin

State prosecutor 1797: The Northern Star is the principal and most powerful of all the instruments used for agitating and deluding the minds of the people. Unless you see that infernal paper, you can have no idea of the length to which it goes, of the innumerable falsehoods which it circulates among the credulous populace, of the style of its paragraphs, exquisitely adapted to the taste and understanding of the northerners, of the ability, in short, with which it is conducted, nor of the pernicious effects of its circulation. That circulation is great beyond example. The lowest of the people get it. It is read to them in clusters. A whole neighbourhood subscribes to it.

TYPES OF PUBLICATION

• Prophecies• Gaelic - Colmcille• Presbyterian - Thomas the Rhymer, Alexander Peden (17th century)

United Irish meeting in Co. Antrim:‘We behold plainly that not everyone knows the prophecies of Thomas the Rhymer and the prophecies of Alexander Peden, all useful to the people in the making of our laws, and many of our brethren cannot read them… resolved, that Donald O’Kennedy will read to the county of Derry, and that Archy Woods will read to the county of Antrim, and dispute will all who dare to contradict them’

The vision of St. Malachy – Belfast

When eighteen centuries from Christ

Are near complete and fullAnd Britain’s crown shall

imitateThat of the Great MoghulImposing slavery on allWho its dominion own

Then shall it stand a hazard great

On ground to tumble down

DISTRIBUTION• No bookshops in countryside - Pedlars• Pedlar arrested in Tyrone 1797 - carrying 8-page booklet- Christ in Triumph coming to Judgement

• ‘great wars and commotions’ after which ‘happy times will succeed to many people, and the poor will be had in equal (or perhaps superior) estimation to the rich’.

LIMITS OF CAMPAIGN

• Literacy

• High levels in North-east

• Lower elsewhere

LIMITS OF CAMPAIGN

• Reading aloud

• ‘The United Irishmen reached the limits of contemporary literacy by using public readings’ [Whelan]

LIMITS OF CAMPAIGN

• Reading aloud

• West Galway 1796 – magistrate complains about a William Hamilton – ‘a great politician who spends his time reading newspapers to the common people’

LIMITS OF CAMPAIGN

• Reading aloud

• Carlow 1797 ‘every Sunday two fellows comes after mass is over and reads what they plase to the ignorant country people’

LIMITS OF CAMPAIGN

• Oral genres• ‘calculated exploitation of a vibrant oral cultural tradition’ [Curtin]

LIMITS OF CAMPAIGN

• Oral genres• Children’s Catechism• Q. What is a parliament?• A. A collection of animals – some to play cards, some to sleep… and other are plotting schemes of taxation to reduce the poor man’s daily pay.

LIMITS OF CAMPAIGN

• Oral genres• Paddy’s Resource - United Irish songbook - 4 editions

• The Irish Harp (Attun’d to Freedom)

LIMITS OF CAMPAIGN

• Language

LIMITS OF CAMPAIGN

• Language• All United Irish publications in English

• Organisation strongest in English-speaking areas

LIMITS OF CAMPAIGN

• Language• Reading aloud with simultaneous translation

Bualadh Ros Mhic Treoin

Tá Bonaparte ins an Éigipt is a fhórsaí tréanAn tImpire go lagbhríoch agus a dhlí gan réimTá buaite air mar do chualas ins an news dá léamh…

LIMITS OF CAMPAIGN

• Language• Little evidence of United Irish impact on Gaelic culture - poetry, songs

LIMITS OF CAMPAIGN

• Main areas of activity, main areas of rebellion - most English-speaking, most literate

CONSERVATIVE COUNTER-CAMPAIGN

CONSERVATIVE COUNTER-CAMPAIGN• Through 1790s - anti-revolutionary

propaganda

CONSERVATIVE COUNTER-CAMPAIGN• Through 1790s - anti-revolutionary

propaganda

• The Association for Discountenancing Vice

CONSERVATIVE COUNTER-CAMPAIGN• Through 1790s - anti-revolutionary

propaganda

• The Association for Discountenancing Vice

• Tracts distributed by landlords, clergy, pedlars

CONSERVATIVE COUNTER-CAMPAIGN• Village Politics -an answer to The

Rights of Man

CONSERVATIVE COUNTER-CAMPAIGN• Village Politics -an answer to The

Rights of Man

• Simple dialogue - revolutionary won over by argument

CONSERVATIVE COUNTER-CAMPAIGN• Village Politics -an answer to The

Rights of Man

• Simple dialogue - revolutionary won over by argument

• Use of popular genres not intrinsically radical

CONSERVATIVE COUNTER-CAMPAIGN• Village Politics -an answer to The

Rights of Man

• Simple dialogue - revolutionary won over by argument

• Use of popular genres not intrinsically radical

• Same limits - literacy, language