Archived: 12 October 2026
Abstract
In 1757, Protestant-ruled Ireland remained politically restricted under Poynings’ Law and the penal code, while Dublin witnessed significant institutional beginnings. Lord Lieutenant Bedford’s dispute with John Ponsonby exposed rivalries within the governing Protestant elite, against the background of the Seven Years’ War. Charles O’Conor, John Curry and Thomas Wyse initiated cautious Catholic political organisation, later associated with the Catholic Committee. St Patrick’s Hospital, funded through Jonathan Swift’s bequest, admitted its first patients, while Bartholomew Mosse opened his purpose-built lying-in hospital at Rutland Square. Parliament also authorised the Wide Streets project, initiating statutory urban redevelopment and reshaping access to Dublin Castle.
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Archived: 13 October 2026
Abstract
In 1746, Ireland experienced the repercussions of Culloden rather than battle, as Irish exiles in French service fought for the Jacobites while Dublin Castle guarded against recruitment and disorder. Chesterfield’s administration ended amid continuing Catholic exclusion and official caution. Poor harvests, wartime demand and trade disruption prompted embargoes on provisions and salted meat, alongside grain imports and quarantine changes. Government proclamations targeted outlaws, organised fasts, and extended authority through local institutions. Westminster restricted Irish glass exports, while linen remained encouraged. John Cennick began Moravian work in Dublin, and Jonathan Swift’s bequest secured St Patrick’s Hospital’s legal foundation, illustrating charitable change.
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