Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the momentum behind rebellion in Ireland in 1798, the people behind the rebellion and the impact over the next few years and after. Amid wider unrest, the United Irishmen set the rebellion on its way, inspired by the French and American revolutionaries and their pursuit of liberty. When it broke out in May the United Irishmen had an estimated two hundred thousand members, Catholic and Protestant, and the prospect of a French invasion fleet to back them. Crucially for the prospects of success, some of those members were British spies who exposed the plans and the military were largely ready - though not in Wexford where the scale of rebellion was much greater. The fighting was initially fierce and brutal and marked with sectarianism but had largely been suppressed by the time the French arrived in August to declare a short-lived republic. The consequences of the rebellion were to be far reaching, not least in the passing of Acts of Union in 1800. The image above is of Theobald Wolfe Tone (1763 - 1798), prominent member of the United Irishmen With Ian McBride Foster Professor of Irish History at Hertford College, University of Oxford Catriona Kennedy Senior Lecturer in Modern History at the University of York And Liam Chambers Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in History at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick Producer: Simon Tillotson
This was an impregnable fortress.
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Prisoner is the escape the IRA inmates who found a way.
I'm Carlo Gabler, and I'll be navigating a path through the disturbing inside story of the biggest jailbreak in british and irish history.
The narrative that they want is that this is a big achievement by then.
Escape from the maze.
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In 1798, in Ireland, the momentum behind rebellion was so great that it was a question of when it would happen, not if the United Irishmen, led by Protestants and Catholics, had an estimated 200,000 members and the support of the french invasion fleets.
Crucially, though, some of those members were british spies who exposed the plans.
And the French arrived too late.
And when rebellion broke out, it was fierce, brutal, but brief, though its consequences were immense.
With me to discuss the irish rebellion of 1798, Ian Macbride Foster, professor of irish history at Hartford College, University of Oxford, Katrina Kennedy, senior lecturer in modern history at the University of York, and Liam Chambers, head of department and senior lecturer in history at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.