By John Joe McGinley

While the 1798 United Irishmen Rebellion was a military failure, it had long-term global effects.

The uprising became a symbol for future Irish nationalist movements, including the Young Irelander rebellion of 1848, the Easter Rising of 1916, and the eventual battle for Irish independence.

It also influenced other anti-colonial and revolutionary movements around the world, demonstrating that revolutionary ideas could spread beyond France and America.

This spirit of a yearning for freedom even spread to Newfoundland, which had its own Irish Rebellion in 1800.

Newfoundland, an island off the eastern coast of Canada, was an important fishing hub during the 17th and 18th centuries. It became a significant destination for Irish immigrants, particularly from Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, and other parts of southeastern Ireland.

By 1800, the Irish population in Newfoundland had grown substantially. Many worked as seasonal labourers in the fishery industry, while others settled permanently in areas such as St. John’s, Harbour Grace, and Placentia. 

Despite their contributions to the economy, the Irish faced discrimination, economic exploitation, and political exclusion under the British colonial system.

Several issues were fermenting unrest within the Irish population.

The fishing industry was controlled by British merchants, who often paid Irish labourers in credit rather than currency, trapping them in debt. Harsh working conditions, coupled with declining fish stocks, made life increasingly difficult.

The Irish were predominantly Roman Catholic, while the British ruling class was Protestant. Catholics faced restrictions on religious expression, political participation, and land ownership.

Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own