The 18th century in Ireland was shaped by two things: the harsh treatment of Catholics under the Penal Laws, and the rebellion that finally pushed Britain to take direct control.

The Penal Laws (1695-1829)

After the Battle of the Boyne, the British passed a series of Penal Laws designed to keep Catholic Ireland weak:

Catholics could not vote, become MPs, lawyers or judges.
They could not buy land - and if a Catholic landowner died, his land had to be split between all his sons (instead of going to the eldest, like Protestant land), weakening Catholic estates over generations.
They could not own a horse worth more than £5.
They were taxed to pay for the Protestant Church of Ireland.

By 1778 only about 5% of Irish land was owned by Catholics. Historians call this period the Protestant Ascendancy.

The United Irishmen

Inspired by the American Revolution (1776) and the French Revolution (1789), the United Irishmen were founded in Belfast in 1791. Their leader was a young Protestant lawyer called Wolfe Tone. Unusually, they brought together Catholics and Presbyterian Protestants in a common cause: an Irish republic.

1798 Rebellion

The rebellion broke out in 1798. Wolfe Tone tried to bring a French invasion force but was captured. Some 30,000 people died in the fighting; British forces won.

The Act of Union (1801)

To prevent further uprisings, Prime Minister William Pitt pushed through the Act of Union in 1801, closing Ireland's parliament. Ireland was now ruled directly from London.

Year 8 Power & Protest

Ireland 1690-1800: Penal Laws to Union