Ireland in the Coalition Wars

British officials in Ireland had been suspicious of the intentions of the United Irishmen since the founding of the organisation.[4] When, in 1794, dealings between Tone and the French government were discovered, the group was broken up. It soon reorganised, becoming more secretive and even more determined to overthrow the British government in Dublin.

In late 1796, a large French invasion armada, carrying as many as 14,000[4] soldiers, arrived off Ireland's south coast. Dangerous weather forced the fleet to return to France, though, and a rebellion, seemingly imminent, failed to materialise.

By 1798, the British had succeeded in attempts to jail leaders of the United Irishmen and had even infiltrated the organisation. British excesses against the Catholic population were often ignored[4] by the authorities.

Despite these British measures, and the lack of French assistance, the long-expected Irish revolt broke out in late May 1798. Rebels seized mail coaches near Dublin, giving the signal that the revolt was to begin.[4] A blow was handed to the United Irishmen, spearheading the revolt, when Dubliners did not rise up against the British, but the uprising was rejuvenated by an unexpected turn of events in County Wexford, where a detachment of North Cork Militia had been attacked.[4]

Loyal forces in Wexford managed to hold several key towns,[5] and the rebels in this area were defeated in the Battle of Vinegar Hill in June. When a small French force landed in Ireland that month, they achieved an initial victory but were soon defeated and forced to surrender.

Other revolts across Ireland, including one in Ulster, were also suppressed.

The rebellion was soon completely suppressed, in part because of the efforts of Lord Cornwallis, the British lord-lieutenant. In the aftermath of the uprising, the Irish Parliament was dissolved and the island fell under the complete jurisdiction of the British Parliament at Westminster.[5]

Along with fellow nationalists, Robert Emmet and his elder brother Thomas, both members of the weakened United Irishmen, planned a second Irish rebellion for 1803, this time with French aid expected. When, in July of that year, an arsenal of the rebel group exploded, Robert Emmet advanced the uprising, now ruling out any chance of French involvement.[6] A crowd of about 200 Dubliners began to march on Dublin Castle, the British seat of government, under the command of Robert (Thomas was in France, negotiating with Napoleon).

The major event of this revolt was the death of Viscount Kilwarden, the British chief justice of Ireland. As the rebels approached, Kilwarden, fearing for his safety, fled his home with his daughter and a nephew, Reverend Wolfe. The rebels surrounded the chief justice's carriage, killing his nephew and nearly killing Kilwarden.

Robert Emmet had not authorised the attack (Kilwarden died later) and, seeing that rebels in the countryside had not risen, fired a flare, the signal to call off the uprising. A few of his men refused to obey orders and attacked British soldiers, who retreated to their barracks.[6] The revolt was over quickly. Robert Emmet was arrested and later executed.

After Emmet's abortive rising, there were no instances of unrest in Ireland until after 1815, when the Napoleonic Wars ended with Bonaparte's final defeat, the Battle of Waterloo. Some Irishmen, including Robert Emmet's brother Thomas, had by then become hostile[6] to the French, embittered toward them for failing to offer greater assistance in the revolts and for refusing to plan any more invasions after 1803.