The British decided to get rid of the Irish Parliament following the 1798 Rebellion. The Act of Union was passed in 1800 through the use of bribery and corruption. It was directed through the House of Commons by the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Lord Castlereagh. It came into effect in January of 1801, when United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was created.
The King, George III, refused to grant Catholic Emancipation following the Act of Union, declaring, 'I shall reckon any man my personal enemy who proposes any such measure.' Prime Minister William Pitt and other leading politicians resigned in protest, because they thought the future success of the union depended on the granting of Catholic Emancipation. Throughout the nineteenth century, both Catholic Emancipation and repeal of the Act of Union were burning issues in Ireland.
Due to the efforts of Daniel O'Connell and his supporters, a limited version of Catholic Emancipation was achieved in 1829, though many Catholics were still prevented from voting, with the qualifications for voting even more restrictive than before the Act of Union. The union itself, however, proved to be more long lasting. It was not until Irish independence was achieved in 1922 that the Act of Union ceased to apply in the Republic of Ireland.