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Ireland and the Union, c1774–1923

The Penal Laws and the Catholic Relief Acts

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 3

Overview

Recall questions on what the Penal Laws prohibited, their effect on landholding, how far they were enforced, why they were relaxed, and the Acts of 1778 and 1793.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Who and when

What did the 1793 Relief Act grant, and what did it withhold?

Key term

What were the Penal Laws?

Numbers

What did the Catholic Relief Acts of 1774–93 achieve?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What were the Penal Laws?

    Model answer

    Laws excluding Catholics (and some dissenters) from political rights, land ownership, public office and education.

  2. 2

    What did the Catholic Relief Acts of 1774–93 achieve?

    Model answer

    A series of measures easing the Penal Laws; the 1793 Act gave Catholics the county vote (as 40-shilling freeholders) but not the right to sit in parliament.

  3. 3

    What was the Catholic Convention of 1792?

    Model answer

    An elected assembly of Catholic delegates meeting in Back Lane, Dublin, with Wolfe Tone as assistant secretary, which petitioned George III directly and helped secure the 1793 Relief Act.

  4. 4

    How did the Penal Laws affect Catholic landholding?

    Model answer

    Catholic ownership fell from around 14 per cent in 1703 to about 5 per cent by 1778, since estates had to be divided among all sons unless one conformed.

  5. 5

    How were the Penal Laws enforced in practice?

    Model answer

    Unevenly: the mass was tolerated in most places and priests operated openly by mid-century, so the laws' main effect was on property and status.

  6. 6

    Why were the Penal Laws relaxed from 1774?

    Model answer

    The American war made Catholic recruits and Irish loyalty valuable, and Enlightenment opinion made religious disability harder to defend.

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