How Significant Was the Role of Individual Irish Catholic and Nationalist Leaders in the Advancement of Their Cause in the Years 1801-1922

How significant was the role of individual Irish Catholic and Nationalist leaders in the advancement of their cause in the years 1801-1922?

The significance of Irish Catholic and Nationalist individuals in the advancement of the Irish cause in the years 1801-1922 can be measured by looking at what changed and what caused the change. It has to be said that the role of individuals were of significance, however other factors also had significant contributions to the changes.

The significance of Daniel O’Connell in the passing of the Emancipation Act in 1829 is clearly highlighted by Wendy Hinde as she states, ‘Emancipation was carried by an unreformed Parliament against the wishes not only of the crown, but of a majority of the country’. The evidence to support the significance of O’Connell is apparent; it was O’Connell that had successfully overcome the difficult obstacles of the House of Lords and the Monarchy through his creation of a mass movement. The fact that O’Connell’s mass movement and brinkmanship had put enough pressure on the government to force them to accept emancipation shows the significance of O’Connell as an individual Irish leader. However, O’Connell’s significance in gaining support for emancipation can be doubted as in 1821, before the Catholic Association was established, an Emancipation bill had been passed through the House of Commons highlighting that there was already support for emancipation without any movement from O’Connell. It could be said that the political situation was of greater significance as it was already in O’Connell’s favour; the Tories were divided over emancipation and consequently, the government was already weak. Furthermore, the Prime Minister was a pragmatist. Having said this, the emancipation campaign prior to 1823 was weak; if O’Connell hadn’t been a significant individual through his creation of a mass movement and taken advantage of the political situation, there would have been no advancement of the cause at...