Armagh disturbances facts for kids

Map of Ireland, with Northern Ireland in light red and County Armagh in red

The Armagh disturbances were a time of serious fighting in the 1780s and 1790s. This conflict happened in County Armagh, Kingdom of Ireland. It was between two main groups: the Ulster Protestant Peep o' Day Boys and the Roman Catholic Defenders. The fighting reached its peak with the Battle of the Diamond in 1795.

Why the Fighting Started

In County Armagh, the number of Protestants and Catholics was almost equal. This was unusual for Ireland at the time. While there were small fights in Armagh Town, most of the county was peaceful. However, tensions were growing. Catholics felt unfairly treated by Protestants, who had more power and special rights. Protestants worried that Catholics might turn against them.

These tensions grew throughout the 1780s. Some strict laws against Catholics, called the Penal Laws, were made less strict in 1778 and 1782. This made many Protestants want to keep their traditional power over Catholics. For example, one Penal Law said Catholics could not own guns. But some local groups, called Volunteers, started letting Catholics join and have weapons.

Another change in the Penal Laws allowed Catholics to vote. This meant they could now compete with Protestants for land. When Catholics started bidding for land, prices went up. Many Protestants felt angry when Catholics offered more money for land when their leases ended. Some Catholics even moved from other parts of Ireland, like Connacht, to get land. This, along with less land near linen markets, made renting land very competitive. At the same time, Protestants working in the linen industry saw their wages drop. This was because of new machines and more Catholics also becoming weavers.

A person named Dr. William Richardson explained the situation in 1797. He said that "much offence had lately been taken because the Catholics in the general increase in wealth had raised the price of land by bidding high when it became vacant. This was the real cause of our ill-humour."

Also, big changes like the revolutions in America and France played a part. The British government worried that Irish Catholics might side with France if there was an invasion. So, they eased some anti-Catholic laws. But the government in Dublin was slower to help Catholics. This made Catholics feel even more frustrated with how they were treated.

Early Gangs and Clashes

In 1784, a fight between two Presbyterians in Portnorris led to the creation of new gangs. One gang was called the Nappach Fleet. This led to other groups like the Bawn Fleet and the Bunker's Hill Defenders.

The Nappach Fleet was the strongest and started the sectarian trouble. The Bunker's Hill Defenders were mostly Catholic but led by a Presbyterian. In 1785, a big fight was planned between the Nappach Fleet and the other two groups on Bunker's Hill. The Nappach Fleet had about 700 members and better weapons. However, a local leader, Richardson of Richhill, arrived and convinced both sides to go home peacefully.

After this event, the Presbyterians and Catholics in these gangs began to separate. The Nappach Fleet started raiding Catholic homes. This is when they became known as the Peep o' Day Boys.

The Peep o' Day Boys

The name Peep o' Day Boys came from their habit of raiding Catholic homes early in the morning. At first, they claimed to be taking away weapons. Catholics were not allowed to have guns under the Penal Laws. However, some Catholic groups had managed to get weapons. The leader of the Volunteers, Lord Charlemont, did not want Catholics to have guns. This might have made the Peep o' Day Boys feel justified. But many believed taking weapons was just an excuse. Protestants feared losing their power over Catholics if Catholics also had guns.

The Peep o' Day Boys' raids soon became more than just taking weapons. They started looting, causing trouble, and seeking revenge. They often broke and destroyed weaving equipment. This destruction of homes was called "wrecking."

A person named James Christie described "wrecking" in 1835. He said, "It was termed 'wrecking' when the parties broke open the door and smashed everything that was capable of being broken in the house... they threw the furniture out of the house smashed; and in other cases they set fire to the house and burnt it." Christie said this started in 1784.

Some people believed the attacks were also about money and land. The best farms were often attacked first. Lord Gosford described the Peep o' Day Boys as "low set of fellows who with guns and bayonets, and other weapons break open the houses of the Roman Catholicks, and as I am informed treat many of them with cruelty." Some Protestant landowners even gave weapons to Catholics so they could protect themselves. But soon, guns were also given to "Protestant Boys" to defend against Catholic attacks. The Catholics' resistance made Protestants even angrier.

The Defenders Form

Most of the local officials in County Armagh were against Catholics. The police could only stop fights during the day. Night-time attacks often went unpunished. Because of this, Catholics had to protect themselves. They formed night-time neighbourhood watch groups to look out for the Peep o' Day Boys.

After seeing the early gang fights go unpunished, Catholics felt they needed their own group. In Granemore, near Ballymacnab, an area attacked by the Peep o' Day Boys, Catholics formed the Defenders. At first, they bought guns from a Protestant shopkeeper. Later, they started raiding the homes of wealthy people for weapons. They guarded their areas at night. Soon, this group spread across the county. By 1786, the Defenders and the Peep o' Day Boys were direct enemies.

The Defenders started as small, local groups focused on defense. But by 1790, they became a large, secret organization. It had local groups and a main leader. The Defenders were mostly working-class Catholics. Each member had to swear an oath. This oath included loyalty to the King, even though Catholics faced harsh laws.

Fighting Spreads

The two groups, Peep o' Day Boys and Defenders, started fighting whenever they met. This happened at fairs, markets, and races. Fights between gangs were common in Ireland, but the violence between these two groups was much more intense. From 1786 onwards, there were constant disturbances. Fierce fights broke out in Tandragee in 1786 and Newtownhamilton in 1787. Night raids by the Peep o' Day Boys continued. Many people were hurt, some were killed, and countless homes were damaged.

When Peep o' Day Boys went to court, they were often found innocent because the juries were made up of Protestants. But Defenders were usually found guilty and punished. In 1786, the leader of the Nappach Fleet was tried and found innocent.

The government sent soldiers to stop the trouble. But they were only useful for stopping daytime fights in easy-to-reach places. By 1788, more troops were sent to the worst areas like Armagh and Tandragee. However, these troops were soon removed.

The Volunteers Get Involved

Lord Charlemont was the leader of the Volunteers. By 1788, the Volunteers were not as strong as they used to be. There were disagreements about changes and about giving more rights to Catholics. The County Armagh Volunteers stayed loyal to Charlemont. It was suggested they could help the local officials deal with the trouble. Charlemont reorganized the County Armagh Volunteer groups. He formed "new" groups made up only of Protestants, hoping to unite Anglicans and Presbyterians.

These new Volunteers were supposed to stop disorder fairly. However, some Peep o' Day Boys joined them. These Volunteers then focused on taking weapons from Catholics. Even though Charlemont asked for peace in July 1788, the new Volunteers did not listen. Catholics and Defenders feared these new Volunteers, seeing them as legal Peep o' Day Boys.

Fights between Volunteers and Defenders soon started. In 1788, some Volunteers were attacked by women throwing stones. The most violent event was at Tullysaran in November 1788. A Volunteer group was marching to a church service. As they passed a Catholic chapel, trouble started. The Volunteers, who were disliked by the Catholics there, marched past playing Protestant songs. Some Catholics shouted insults and threw stones. After their service, the Volunteers got weapons and marched back the same way. Local Catholics, including some Defenders, blocked their path. A riot broke out, and the Volunteers fired at the Catholics. Even though some Volunteers were arrested, they were found innocent. Later, Defenders attacked the homes of two important Volunteers.

The unfair and violent actions of these new Volunteers made some Protestants believe they were making peace harder. Instead of stopping the trouble, the new Volunteers made things worse. Day-time fights and night raids continued.

By 1789, the Peep o' Day Boys and sometimes the Volunteers started attacking the Catholic religion itself. A Catholic church in Portadown was burned down. Catholics celebrating a religious holiday were shot at. The Defenders fought back, and both sides tried to outdo each other in their attacks.

Some people responsible for the violence were put on trial. Those found guilty were either executed or whipped. Most of those punished were Catholics. This did lead to less activity from both sides for a while. A few officials tried to bring troublemakers to justice fairly. But most did not. Some even thought the fighting was good for the government because it kept Protestants and Catholics in County Armagh divided.

The Forkhill Incident

In south Armagh, where Catholics were the majority, they became very violent towards Protestants. A terrible event happened on January 28, 1791. This incident involved a schoolmaster, his wife, and her young brother. This event caused violence to spread to nearby counties.

Rising Tensions

In July 1795, a Reverend Devine gave a sermon at Drumcree Church, Portadown. He spoke about the "Battle of the Boyne." The historian Francis Plowden wrote in 1809 that Reverend Devine's sermon made his audience so angry that they attacked every Catholic they met. They beat them, broke their windows, and even killed two Catholics. This unfair attack by Protestants made the religious hatred much worse. The conflict grew and threatened to become a war of total destruction.

Battle of the Diamond

In September 1795, the Peep o' Day Boys, including a group called the Orange Boys, fought the Defenders. This short battle happened near Loughgall in County Armagh and is known as the Battle of the Diamond. Six Defenders were killed. After the battle, the Peep o' Day Boys went to an inn in Loughgall. There, they founded the Orange Order. Their first local group was set up in Dyan, County Tyrone.

The United Irishmen

The United Irish societies wanted to unite all Irish people, no matter their religion. They reached out to the Defenders. They offered help like legal advice, support, and a safe place to stay. Families who had lost their homes were given shelter by Presbyterian farmers. This kindness helped the United Irishmen gain the trust of the Defenders.

People like James Hope and Henry Joy McCracken worked hard to connect with the Defenders in Armagh. They knew there were strong religious tensions. The leaders of the United Irishmen chose Catholic members to be their messengers. Two important ones were Charles Hamilton Teeling, whose family owned a linen business, and Father James Coigly, whose family home had been attacked by the Peep o' Day Boys.

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