Catholic Disfranchisement
Archived: 13 October 2026
In 1728, Irish legislation disfranchised Roman Catholics, excluding the Catholic majority from parliamentary elections and legal employment while reinforcing Protestant Ascendancy within a constitutionally dependent kingdom. Parliament also contemplated replacing dilapidated Chichester House. A severe harvest failure intensified the 1727–29 subsistence crisis, raising grain prices and exposing tenants, labourers and smallholders to hunger despite local charitable relief. Efforts to promote tillage reflected tensions between grazing exports and food security. Emigration from Belfast to America signalled economic pressure. Brooking’s Dublin map portrayed civic confidence amid poverty. Esther Johnson’s death, Swift’s political writing, and Matthew Dubourg’s appointment marked cultural life that year.