The United Irishmen formed in 1791. The members wanted everyone in Ireland to be treated equally. At first the United Irishmen looked for changes in Parliament. Later they demanded that a separate republic should be set up in Ireland.
Crest of the United Irishmen
The United Irishmen designed a crest incorporating the harp to represent Ireland. The motto read as follows: Equality: it is new strung and shall be heard. This gave a clear warning to the authorities. The red cap of liberty, presented to freed Roman slaves, is included in the crest.
Courtesy of Merlin/Wolfhound Press.Crest of the United Irishmen
The United Irishmen designed a crest incorporating the harp to represent Ireland. The motto read as follows: Equality: it is new strung and shall be heard. This gave a clear warning to the authorities. The red cap of liberty, presented to freed Roman slaves, is included in the crest.
Courtesy of Merlin/Wolfhound Press.Seal of the United Irishmen
This is a photograph of the seal of the United Irishmen, which was designed by Robert Emmet.
Copyright South Dublin LibrariesSeal of the United Irishmen
This is a photograph of the seal of the United Irishmen, which was designed by Robert Emmet.
Copyright South Dublin LibrariesOne of the leaders of the United Irishmen was a man named Wolfe Tone. He was a Church of Ireland lawyer from Dublin. Wolfe Tone was impressed by the French Revolution and looked for help from France and America to start a similar revolution in Ireland. However in 1793, a war broke out between England and France. This meant that anybody looking for help from France was seen as a traitor by the British government. In 1793, the United Irishmen was banned by the government and it was against the law to have anything to do with the United Irishmen. In 1794, many of the members of the United Irishmen were arrested.