The article highlights the tension between the Treaty of Limerick’s conditional protections and restrictive measures imposed upon Catholics during 1692. This suggests that peace was not a single settlement but a contested process, shaped by administration, security fears and a Protestant parliament’s interpretation of victory. The simultaneous recognition of William and Mary, disputes over financial authority, and competing memories represented by Charles O’Kelly further complicate any simple narrative of restoration. How should we assess the relationship between treaty obligations, executive security policies and parliamentary language when considering whether the Williamite settlement created stability, exclusion, or both for Ireland’s different communities?