The parliamentary tradition was the constitutional campaign to win civil rights and self-government for Ireland using peaceful, legal methods rather than armed rebellion. The exam asks about the role and significance of two leaders of this tradition — what they did, and why it mattered.
The Parliamentary Tradition
The parliamentary tradition sought political reform through elections, parliamentary debate, and passing legislation at Westminster (the British parliament in London).
- The Act of Union (1801) abolished the Irish Parliament in Dublin and transferred direct rule to Westminster.
- Irish Members of Parliament (MPs) represented Irish constituencies in the British House of Commons.
- The constitutional tradition relied strictly on peaceful, legal political agitation.
You must be able to write about two leaders of this tradition. This note covers Daniel O'Connell and Charles Stewart Parnell.
Daniel O'Connell: The Liberator
Daniel O'Connell (1775–1847) was the first Irish leader to organise huge numbers of ordinary people into a peaceful political campaign for Catholic rights.
Catholic Emancipation — won
- In 1823, O'Connell founded the Catholic Association to campaign peacefully for political equality.
- The Catholic Rent cost one penny a month, enabling ordinary tenant farmers to fund and join the campaign.
- O'Connell won the 1828 County Clare by-election but could not take his seat because MPs had to swear an oath against the Catholic religion.
- Fearing widespread rebellion, the British government passed the Catholic Relief Act of 1829, granting Catholics the right to sit as MPs.
Repeal of the Union — failed
- In 1840, he founded the Repeal Association to restore an Irish parliament in Dublin.
- He organised peaceful monster meetings at historic sites like the Hill of Tara.
- When the British government banned the 1843 Clontarf meeting, O'Connell cancelled it to avoid bloodshed, causing the campaign to lose momentum.
Charles Stewart Parnell: The Uncrowned King
Charles Stewart Parnell (1846–1891) combined parliamentary pressure at Westminster with tenant farmer protests in Ireland.
- He used obstructionism in the House of Commons, delivering speeches for hours to delay British legislation.
- In 1879, Parnell became president of the Land League, campaigning for the Three Fs: fair rent, fixity of tenure, and free sale.
- During the Land War (1879–82) Parnell was imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol.
- Gladstone's Land Act of 1881 gave tenants much of the Three Fs; the Kilmainham Treaty (1882) then freed Parnell in return for ending the Land War.
- In 1885, the Irish Parliamentary Party won 86 seats and held the balance of power at Westminster.
- Prime Minister William Gladstone introduced the First Home Rule Bill in 1886, but it was defeated.
- The O'Shea divorce case (1890) split the Irish Parliamentary Party; Parnell led the smaller pro-Parnell side until his death in 1891.
Comparing Leaders and Judging Significance
Historical significance means judging how much a person changed things, and why they are still remembered.
| Feature | Daniel O'Connell | Charles Stewart Parnell |
|---|---|---|
| Primary aims | Catholic Emancipation; Repeal of the Union | Land reform; Home Rule |
| Key methods | Catholic Rent, mass mobilisation, monster meetings | Obstruction in parliament, party pledge, land protests |
| Major reform achieved | Catholic Relief Act of 1829 | Land Act of 1881 |
| Turning point | Cancelled the Clontarf meeting (1843) to avoid violence | Party split over the O'Shea divorce scandal (1890) |
To evaluate significance, historians apply criteria such as the 5 Rs:
- Resulting in change: O'Connell forced civil rights legislation, while Parnell secured tenant rights.
- Remembered: Both are commemorated nationally through public monuments and street names.
Key terms
- Parliamentary tradition
- The pursuit of political change and self-government through peaceful, constitutional, and legal methods rather than violence.
- Catholic Emancipation
- The legal right for Catholics to sit as Members of Parliament and hold high public office, achieved in 1829.
- Catholic Rent
- A subscription of one penny per month that financed the Catholic Association and mobilised ordinary people.
- Monster meeting
- A massive, peaceful open-air rally organised by Daniel O'Connell to demonstrate popular support for Repeal of the Union.
- Home Rule
- A system where a Dublin parliament would manage domestic Irish affairs while Ireland remained within the United Kingdom.
- Obstructionism
- A tactic of delivering extremely long speeches in the House of Commons to deliberately delay parliamentary business.
- Balance of power
- A parliamentary situation where a smaller party holds enough seats to decide which major party forms a governing majority.
- Significant
- A person, issue, or event considered important in effecting historical change.
Check yourself
What was the purpose of the Catholic Rent introduced in 1823?
It funded the Catholic Association and allowed ordinary people to participate in politics for a penny a month.
Why could Daniel O'Connell not take his seat after winning the 1828 County Clare by-election?
MPs had to swear an oath against the Catholic religion.
What were the 'Three Fs' demanded by the Land League?
Fair rent, fixity of tenure (protection against eviction), and free sale of tenancy rights.
Which came first — the Land Act of 1881 or the Kilmainham Treaty?
The Land Act of 1881; the Kilmainham Treaty followed in 1882.
Why did Daniel O'Connell cancel the monster meeting at Clontarf in 1843?
The British government banned it, and O'Connell refused to risk confrontation or bloodshed.