Gilbert McIlveen facts for kids
Gilbert McIlveen (born around 17? – died 1833) was an important businessman in Belfast, Ireland. He sold linen, which is a type of cloth made from flax. He was also one of the first members of a group called the Society of the United Irishmen. This group wanted big changes in Ireland in the late 1700s. Even though he helped start this group, he didn't take part in the big rebellion in 1798. Later, in 1803, when there were rumors of another uprising, he actually joined a group that supported the government, called the yeomanry.
A Successful Belfast Businessman
Gilbert McIlveen was known as a very rich linen draper in Belfast. He was a key person among the city's successful business owners and factory owners. In 1782, he gave a large sum of money, £100, to help build a new White Linen Hall. This building was meant to be a busy center for Belfast's growing linen industry. Another important person who helped fund the hall was Thomas McCabe, who also later became a United Irishman.
The United Irishmen: A New Idea
The United Irishmen started as a group of liberal Protestant and Presbyterian men. They were interested in making changes to how the Irish Parliament worked. Over time, they became a revolutionary movement, meaning they wanted big, fast changes. Their ideas were influenced by thinkers like Thomas Paine and his famous book, 'The Rights of Man'.
In 1791, a man named Theobald Wolfe Tone wrote a pamphlet called ‘Argument on Behalf of the Catholics of Ireland’. In it, he explained that religious differences were being used to keep people apart and control them. He believed that Catholics, Protestants, and Dissenters (another group of Protestants) should unite.
McIlveen and eight other important Presbyterian men in Belfast read this pamphlet. They were all interested in reforming the Irish Parliament. They invited Tone and his friend Thomas Russell to Belfast. On October 14, 1791, this group met and formed the Society of the United Irishmen. Gilbert McIlveen was one of the founding members of this new society.
After the 1798 Rebellion
In March 1798, many leaders of the United Irishmen were arrested in Dublin. This made it very hard for the group to plan anything. Many leaders were already in prison or out of the country.
Even so, a rebellion finally began in May. It started in Kildare and spread to other parts of Ireland, including Ulster. In the end, the rebellion failed, and many people lost their lives.
Gilbert McIlveen did not seem to be involved in planning or fighting in the 1798 rebellion. Unlike some of his fellow founders, like Henry Haslett and Thomas Russell, he was never put in prison.
On April 5, 1803, there were rumors of another rebellion. In response, people in Belfast said they were ready to defend their city from any enemies. Two new groups were formed to help. McIlveen became one of the lieutenants (a type of officer) in these groups, along with another former United Irishman, Robert Getty.
By 1809, Gilbert McIlveen was even shown in a painting by Thomas Robinson called 'A Military Procession in Belfast in honour of Lord Nelson'. In the painting, he appears as someone loyal to the British crown. It's possible that, like some other early members of the United Irishmen such as William Drennan, McIlveen became less interested as the group's ideas became more extreme. He passed away in Belfast in 1833.
