Repeal Association

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Repeal Association
Leader Daniel O'Connell
Founded1830
Dissolved1848
Preceded by Catholic Association
Ideology Irish nationalism
Irish autonomy
National liberalism
Catholic emancipation
Political position Centre-left
"Daniel O'Connell: The Champion of Liberty" poster published in Pennsylvania, 1847. Daniel O'Connell2.jpg
"Daniel O'Connell: The Champion of Liberty" poster published in Pennsylvania, 1847.

The Repeal Association was an Irish mass membership political movement set up by Daniel O'Connell in 1830 to campaign for a repeal of the Acts of Union of 1800 between Great Britain and Ireland.

Contents

The Association's aim was to revert Ireland to the constitutional position briefly achieved by Henry Grattan and his patriots in the 1780s—that is, legislative independence under the British Crown—but this time with a full Catholic involvement that was now possible following the Act of Emancipation in 1829, supported by the electorate approved under the Irish Reform Act 1832. On its failure by the late 1840s the Young Ireland movement developed.

Repealer candidates contested the 1832 United Kingdom general election in Ireland. Between 1835 and 1841, they formed a pact with the Whigs. Repealer candidates, unaffiliated with the Whig Party, contested the 1841 and 1847 general elections.

Electoral statistics

The seats figure in brackets is the position after election petitions and by-elections consequent upon election petitions, had been decided. There were 105 Irish MPs in the period.

Votes in 1835 and 1837 are included in the Liberal totals in Rallings and Thrasher's tables.

Sources: Walker and Rallings & Thrasher.

ElectionCandidatesUnopposedVotes % Irish votesMPs
1832 511431,77334.642 (39)
1835 4312......34 (32)
1837 3415......30 (31)
1841 221212,53724.820 (18)
1847 511814,12843.636 (35)

See also

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