Above: The Leading Spirit This great rebellion was brought about by the measures taken to extirpate the Catholic religion; by the plantations of Chichester and Stratford; and by the non-confirmation of the graces, which made the people despair of redress. There were complaints from every side about religious hardships. As to the. plantations, no one could tell where they might stop; and there was a widespread fear that the people of the whole country ... Read More

Confederation of Kilkenny Hitherto the old Irish and the old Anglo-Irish Catholics had acted without concert. Rut the Catholic clergy exerted themselves to bring about union; and on the 24th of October, 1642, a general assembly or parliament-delegates of the most distinguished persons from both sides-met in Kilkenny: this is known as the " Confederation of Kilkenny." They earnestly repudiated the appellation of rebels, maintaining that they were loyal subjects, standing up for the ... Read More