9) counter terror
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
STATE COUNTER-INSURGENCY
STATE COUNTER-TERROR
DOUBLE THREAT TO STATE1796-7
• United Irishmen and Defenders
• Organised over wide area
• Claimed 150,000 members
• Infiltrating militia
DOUBLE THREAT TO STATE1796-7
• United Irishmen and Defenders
• Organised over wide area
• Claimed 150,000 members
• Infiltrating militia
DOUBLE THREAT TO STATE1796-7
• French invasion - Bantry Bay
• Surprise
• Response inefficient, chaotic
DILEMNA
Internal threat
• forces should be spread out
External threat
• forces should be concentrated
STATE FORCES
• Militia - not dependable
• Sorted out by courts martial, executions
STATE FORCES
• Regular army - depleted
• Fencibles - too young, old, unfit for regular army
STATE FORCES
• Need for a new loyal force
• Yeomanry - Autumn 1796
• Locally organised, volunteers
• End 1796 20,000 members
STATE FORCES
• Need for a new loyal force
• Yeomanry - Autumn 1796
• Locally organised, volunteers
• End 1796 20,000 members
• Loyal, Protestant, often Orange
• Allied state with Orange Order
COUNTER-TERROR
• Insurrection Act in Antrim and Down - curfew, no habeas corpus
• March 1797 - ‘disarming of Ulster’ by General Lake
• Houseburning, torture, execution - state terrorism
COUNTER-TERROR
• Insurrection Act in Antrim and Down - curfew, no habeas corpus
• March 1797 - ‘disarming of Ulster’ by General Lake
• Houseburning, torture, execution - state terrorism
• Spring, summer 1797
COUNTER-TERROR
• Took United Irishmen by surprise
• 000s of guns seized
• Destroyed organisation
COUNTER-TERROR
• Partly counter-productive - alienated as well as intimidated
COUNTER-TERROR
• Partly counter-productive - alienated as well as intimidated
• William Orr, Presbyterian farmer executed - ballads - martyr
COUNTER-TERROR
• Partly counter-productive - alienated as well as intimidated
• William Orr, Presbyterian farmer executed - ballads - martyr
• Refugees - spread fear
INTELLIGENCE
• State had spy network
• Well informed on all proceedings
• Letters read
INTELLIGENCE
Informers• Leonard McNally - barrister,
playwright• In Dublin Society from beginning• Charged 1794 - released• Supplied information 1794-1820• Defended United Irishmen in court -
gave info to prosecution
FRANCIS HIGGINS
Editor of Freeman’s JournalRan a spy ring for government
INTELLIGENCE
How effective?
• Emphasised in 19th-century histories
• Anti-Fenian propaganda
INTELLIGENCE
How effective?
• Money for information - unreliable
• Loyal observers - magistrates - in panic
• Difficult for Dublin Castle to evaluate
INTELLIGENCE
How effective?
• Some failures
• Didn’t know Tone was in Paris
• Surprised by Bantry Bay
• Surprised by Wexford rebellion
INTELLIGENCE
How effective?
• No information on Defenders
• Less structured organisation
• Unsuccessful attempts at infiltration
INTELLIGENCE
How effective?
• Informers would not testify
• Collapse of high-profile cases