O’Connell’s Campaign for Repeal of The Union – Dungannon’s Opposition. Thur 12th March 2015.The Library, Market Square, Dungannon. 8.00pm

O’Connell’s Campaign for Repeal of The Union – Dungannon’s Opposition

Following the granting of Catholic emancipation in 1829, Daniel O’Connell  turned his attention to the repeal of the Union. The early years of the 1840s saw a nationwide re-invigoration of the tactics that had been successful in the pursuit of Catholic emancipation, namely the formation of associations and the raising of funds. However, outside of Belfast the Repeal Association gained little support in Ulster. The lecture by Dr Daragh Curran from School of History and Archives, University College Dublin explores the violent opposition to the Repeal of the Union around Dungannon.

One of the few areas in which Catholics did organise themselves in support of repeal was Dungannon. This talk will trace this organisation and the opposition it faced through the violent 1841 election in the town and the attack by Orangemen on the village of Carland in May 1843. Through these and other incidents the determination of the Protestant community, in particular the ‘Killyman Wreckers’,  to face down any attempts by O’Connell and his repeal supporters to infiltrate Protestant Ulster will be examined.

Dr Curran completed his PhD thesis in 2010 in NUIM on the subject of the Protestant community in County Tyrone from 1836-42. Since then he has taught as an occasional lecturer on ‘The Orange Order 1795-2011’ and on ‘The State of Northern Ireland 1921-2011’  with the Department of History at the UCD. In June 2014 Four Courts Press published his book The Protestant Community in Ulster 1825-45, an adaptation of his PhD  thesis. Currently he is researching the Famine in Ulster  with a view of publishing a book on the effect this catastrophe had on the newly revived Orange Order.

O’Connell’s Campaign for Repeal of The Union – Dungannon’s Opposition first of the ONeill Country Historical Society’s  Spring Programme of Lectures

Thursday 12th March  At 8.00pm  The Library, Market Square, Dungannon.

Refreshments Served & All are Welcome