Abstract
The success of the Catholic Emancipation campaign aroused a lot of hopes in Ireland. Six seventh of the Irish population was catholic, and hence, it was possible for them to "hold all civil and military offices except the offices of Regent, Lord Chancellor and Lord Lieutenant" . Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847), lawyer and leader of the Catholic Association was largely responsible for this first victory. Strictly speaking, in the long term, he strove for the repeal of the Act of Union because it did not represent the reality but maintained an oligarchy led by the Protestants. Indeed, the Protestant population represented one seventh of the Irish inhabitants (most of them lived in the province of Ulster) and "by the terms of the Union, twenty-eight Protestant peers and four Protestant bishops represented Ireland in the British House of Lords, and 100 Protestants MPs represented Ireland in the House of Commons" . He was truthfully convinced that only a native Irish parliament could achieve the political, civil and religious rights for all Irishmen. As a result, no sooner was the Catholic Emancipation Act passed in April 1829 than Daniel O'Connell began his campaign for the Repeal of the Act of Union, and continued to struggle until his death in 1847.The campaign for the Repeal of the Act of Union was as controversial and inextricable an issue in the English politics as the Catholic Emancipation campaign. Nevertheless, this second campaign failed. Thus it is necessary to cast light on this breakdown which raises some issues. What were the proceeds and the political strategy of O'Connell for this campaign? What was the ideology of the movement? Who were the supporters of the Repeal? What was the cohesion within the Repealers? Which political party had the majority in Westminster at that time? It is also necessary to underline the success of the movement of the Catholic Emancipation. Thus this essay will try to draw parallels between both campaigns in order to explain why O'Connell campaign to achieve Catholic Emancipation was a success, while his campaign to achieve Repeal of the Act of Union, a failure? Using this approach, it might be possible to give an answer to this complex question. To begin the essay, I will present the role of Daniel O'Connell in both campaigns, and with respect to his aims, before analyzing his strategy and the underlying tensions within his own movement. Finally I will investigate the contemporary British politician who helped or opposed both campaigns.
