Some of the protestants did not want catholics to gain more rights. This resulted in a
battle in 1795 in Diamond, a village in Country Antrim, Northern Ireland. The battle of
Diamond led to the protestants forming the Orange Order, an organization dedicated at
driving a wedge between catholics and presbyterians. Presbyterians had often taken the
side of the catholics to go against protestants.
Even though there were some differences among smaller groups the Society of
United Irishmen continued their work toward breaking away from England. To try to
enlist military support for a rising, in 1798 Irish emissaries traveled to Paris. The results
of going to Paris led to "promises being made and plans being drawn up ("Kelley" 11).
The United Irishmen staged in 1798 an unsuccessful rebellion. When the time came for
the rising, french troops however had not arrived in sufficient numbers because of
miscalculations, broken promises and English harassments. The rising proceeded
anyway with thousands of brave peasants and republicans being crushed to death.
Approximately 50,000 Irish people were killed in the actual fighting or in the reprisals
which followed. Wolfe Tone had been captured and was sentenced to hang as a traitor.
Following the rebellion the British prime minster encouraged British and Irish
parliaments to pass the Act of Union, which went into effect in 1801. This act made
Ireland officially part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain ("Ireland" World Book
426). The 500 year old Dublin parliament was abolished: Ireland was directly bound to
Great Britain in a United Kingdom ("Kelley" 11).