Peter's dad and catholic rights
Various Lawler, O'Lalor, Lalor Coats of Arms
Lalor was born into a political catholic family. The O'Lawlers were one of the main local septs, or leading clans, which fought unsuccessfully against the 16th century protestant English invasion, and large-scale importing of protestant settlers, often from Scotland.
Peter's father, Patrick, known as Patt, or "Honest" Patt, like the rest of the family a roman catholic, was a strong opponent of the "tithe", a tax he was required to pay for the upkeep of the local church of the church of england (known in Ireland, for probably obvious reasons, as the quite mis-named "united church of england and ireland").
Patt's refusal to pay the tithe led to the authorities pinching 20 or so of his sheep, which by that time had "tithe" painted on their fleeces. Goodness knows how that happened! His sons made sure they couldn't be sold at a couple of sales, then the well-travelled sheep, poor things, were handed over to the local English anglican preacher who had dobbed the Lalors in, and he wasted his money shipping them to sales in England, where apparently they still didn't sell! We don't know what happened to the poor woolly creatures in the end.
After catholics were given the right to vote for the British parliament, Patt became the local member of Britain's House of Commons from 1832 to 1835, the first Catholic MP from the then Queen's County for a couple of centuries.
England, being the land of the free and the brave, pretty much banned catholics and catholicism after King Hank 8 closed down the catholic church in England so he could leave his first wife and marry Ann Boleyn.
To be fair on Hank, not that we really want to be, as he was an awful, cruel man, it wasn't just his penis driving him, as seems to be the common perception, although we understand it did a fair bit of driving, but his perceived need for children, or more specifically a son, as his first wife gave him a daughter who was to become known as Bloody Mary, Mary I of England.
Sadly for Hank, as if we really care, Ann also only gave him a daughter, Elizabeth I of England. Mind you, Ann was sadder, and so was her brother when he was accused of having sex with his sister, and they both had their heads cut off.
Of course, later on the more extreme protestants of the English Civil War, cut off Charlie 1's bonce Please bear with us here, this is a brief run through some very major history. Charlie was the fifth ruler after Hank 8, and was not a direct Tudor descendant, because Hank's only son, who ruled briefly as Edward 6, died very young, without children.
Neither of Hank's daughters, who ruled after Edward, had children. Mary 1 (of England) because she had all sorts of hassles, and for which one would feel great sympathy if she wasn't such a godawful cow. And Elizabeth because she chose not to have children, principally because she didn't want to have a husband who would probably destabilise her "kingdom". And, of course, she also was a bit of a cow.
So, after Elizabeth died, they had to bring in the very unpleasantly protestant Jimbo 6 of Scotland and 1 of England. He was a Stuart descendant of the rulers of Scotland, one of whose wives had the great misfortune to be related to Hank. Jimbo was the son of the catholic Mary 1 of Scotland, who he hardly ever saw as she was locked up in England, and who was executed by the protestant Elizabeth 1, partly because Elizabeth discovered Mary was plotting to have her killed and take over in her place.
Of course, Mary 1 of Scotland should not be confused with Mary 1 of England, known as Bloody Mary for her burning and massacre of protestants because she had been brought up a "good" catholic by her mother, who had been Hank's first and divorced, wife.
Okay, now Charlie 1 was Jimbo's son, and Mary 1 of Scotland's grandson, and he was quite rightly suspected of wanting to "convert" to catholicism. He was a terrible king and was overthrown by a crew ultimately led by a bloke called Cromwell, who in some respects was great and others was downright appalling. The latter is a significant understatement of what he did in Ireland because he feared the Stuarts would use the Irish catholics to attack England and overthrow his government.
When Cromwell carked it, and his son couldn't keep things going, the Stuarts came back, led by Charlie 1's son, Charlie 2. Now, he pretended to be protestant so the English wouldn't chuck him out again, but at heart he was catholic, and is thought to have possibly "converted" on his deathbed.
Don't worry, we're getting there. Charlie 2 was succeeded by his brother, James 7 of Scotland and 2 of England and Ireland. He was openly catholic, and tried to reintroduce catholicism to his entire kingdom, including, of course, England. He was consequently overthrown by a protestant Dutch invasion in 1668/69. This was largely peaceful, and was welcomed by the nobs of London.
The Dutch were under the command of William of Orange, who became William III of England and I of Scotland and Ireland, who was married to James's protestant daughter Mary II of England, Scotland, and Ireland (phew!).
William and Mary were forced to introduce a series ofd reforms as a condition of being allowed to take things over. Sadly, these didn't include giving any rights back to the catholics, including, of course, most Irish.
However, around the end of the eighteenth century, catholics in Ireland were given the right to vote for things that could be voted for, but only if they related solely to Ireland.
Until 1829. The first British election for the House of Commons in Westminster under the new reform was the 1832 election.
Peter's father, Patrick, known as Patt, or "Honest" Patt, like the rest of the family a roman catholic, was a strong opponent of the "tithe", a tax he was required to pay for the upkeep of the local church of the church of england (known in Ireland, for probably obvious reasons, as the quite mis-named "united church of england and ireland").
Patt's refusal to pay the tithe led to the authorities pinching 20 or so of his sheep, which by that time had "tithe" painted on their fleeces. Goodness knows how that happened! His sons made sure they couldn't be sold at a couple of sales, then the well-travelled sheep, poor things, were handed over to the local English anglican preacher who had dobbed the Lalors in, and he wasted his money shipping them to sales in England, where apparently they still didn't sell! We don't know what happened to the poor woolly creatures in the end.
After catholics were given the right to vote for the British parliament, Patt became the local member of Britain's House of Commons from 1832 to 1835, the first Catholic MP from the then Queen's County for a couple of centuries.
England, being the land of the free and the brave, pretty much banned catholics and catholicism after King Hank 8 closed down the catholic church in England so he could leave his first wife and marry Ann Boleyn.
To be fair on Hank, not that we really want to be, as he was an awful, cruel man, it wasn't just his penis driving him, as seems to be the common perception, although we understand it did a fair bit of driving, but his perceived need for children, or more specifically a son, as his first wife gave him a daughter who was to become known as Bloody Mary, Mary I of England.
Sadly for Hank, as if we really care, Ann also only gave him a daughter, Elizabeth I of England. Mind you, Ann was sadder, and so was her brother when he was accused of having sex with his sister, and they both had their heads cut off.
Of course, later on the more extreme protestants of the English Civil War, cut off Charlie 1's bonce Please bear with us here, this is a brief run through some very major history. Charlie was the fifth ruler after Hank 8, and was not a direct Tudor descendant, because Hank's only son, who ruled briefly as Edward 6, died very young, without children.
Neither of Hank's daughters, who ruled after Edward, had children. Mary 1 (of England) because she had all sorts of hassles, and for which one would feel great sympathy if she wasn't such a godawful cow. And Elizabeth because she chose not to have children, principally because she didn't want to have a husband who would probably destabilise her "kingdom". And, of course, she also was a bit of a cow.
So, after Elizabeth died, they had to bring in the very unpleasantly protestant Jimbo 6 of Scotland and 1 of England. He was a Stuart descendant of the rulers of Scotland, one of whose wives had the great misfortune to be related to Hank. Jimbo was the son of the catholic Mary 1 of Scotland, who he hardly ever saw as she was locked up in England, and who was executed by the protestant Elizabeth 1, partly because Elizabeth discovered Mary was plotting to have her killed and take over in her place.
Of course, Mary 1 of Scotland should not be confused with Mary 1 of England, known as Bloody Mary for her burning and massacre of protestants because she had been brought up a "good" catholic by her mother, who had been Hank's first and divorced, wife.
Okay, now Charlie 1 was Jimbo's son, and Mary 1 of Scotland's grandson, and he was quite rightly suspected of wanting to "convert" to catholicism. He was a terrible king and was overthrown by a crew ultimately led by a bloke called Cromwell, who in some respects was great and others was downright appalling. The latter is a significant understatement of what he did in Ireland because he feared the Stuarts would use the Irish catholics to attack England and overthrow his government.
When Cromwell carked it, and his son couldn't keep things going, the Stuarts came back, led by Charlie 1's son, Charlie 2. Now, he pretended to be protestant so the English wouldn't chuck him out again, but at heart he was catholic, and is thought to have possibly "converted" on his deathbed.
Don't worry, we're getting there. Charlie 2 was succeeded by his brother, James 7 of Scotland and 2 of England and Ireland. He was openly catholic, and tried to reintroduce catholicism to his entire kingdom, including, of course, England. He was consequently overthrown by a protestant Dutch invasion in 1668/69. This was largely peaceful, and was welcomed by the nobs of London.
The Dutch were under the command of William of Orange, who became William III of England and I of Scotland and Ireland, who was married to James's protestant daughter Mary II of England, Scotland, and Ireland (phew!).
William and Mary were forced to introduce a series ofd reforms as a condition of being allowed to take things over. Sadly, these didn't include giving any rights back to the catholics, including, of course, most Irish.
However, around the end of the eighteenth century, catholics in Ireland were given the right to vote for things that could be voted for, but only if they related solely to Ireland.
Until 1829. The first British election for the House of Commons in Westminster under the new reform was the 1832 election.
The above image is an example of the gross prejudice many English had towards the Irish, especially the catholics. Indeed, catholics in general. It was an attempt to oppose allowing catholics to vote for members of the British parliament, despite the very obvious fact they would only ever be a small minority in Britain's massive parliament.
Confronted with this garbage one can see why the Irish, especially but far from only catholics, fought so hard and long and with such awful consequences to escape English control. And we can see why they so often felt they had no choice but to resort to the most appalling violence, not that one can excuse some of the awful things done in the name of Irish freedom, especially when done mostly to other Irish.
Confronted with this garbage one can see why the Irish, especially but far from only catholics, fought so hard and long and with such awful consequences to escape English control. And we can see why they so often felt they had no choice but to resort to the most appalling violence, not that one can excuse some of the awful things done in the name of Irish freedom, especially when done mostly to other Irish.
- The Pope holds out a document, "Emancipation [the vote] is all we ask!" He wears a mask with bland features, but has an animal's pointed ears, and wears an odd tiara-like thingummy inscribed ". . . eth, Tyran[ny], Slavery", with the implication that he wants a damned sight more than the vote, and will bring tyranny and slavery with him [Of course, the English were never tyrannous or cruel!].
- Beside the pope is a flag on which are a skull and a tiny demon with the words "Superstition and I[gno]rance" [they should talk, good grief!]; two followers with monkey heads hold up his robes.
- Behind the pope walk a Jesuit [in black] and a cardinal [in red], each with a skull in place of a head; the former holds a scourge [whip], the latter a mask and a spear from which dangle two tiny corpses. They are followed by a sub-human crowd with spears and a banner inscribed "Discord", meaning that the Irish, being in the thrall of the catholics, will bring nothing but discord if they're given the vote [It verges on the unbelievable that people not only believed this humbug, indeed many still did in the rural towns I lived in as a child, but were actually influenced by it, fortunately not enough to swing the vote in favour of these bigots].
- A bloated monk in a purplish gown, with a belt of "[Lu]st & Gluttony", clutches a bottle labelled "Poison".
- A ragged tramp-like character, holding a dagger and a firebrand inscribed "Desolation", plunges through a stream inscribed "Orange Blood" [the colour adopted by protestants in Ireland was orange, after William of Orange, who defeated the catholic James]; his belt is inscribed "[T]error" and on his back is a cross.
- Among the crowd is a king [the catholic Ferdinand VII of Spain].
- A demon holding up a red bonnet scatters coins among the eager crowd.
- In the foreground stand sticks ready for burning and a barrel of "Gun Powder G. F." with firebrands. ["G. F." represents the 17th century Guy Fawkes, the catholic terrorist who was caught trying to blow up the then king, the awful James the VI and I, and parliament]
- In the background are tiny scenes of torture: a man hangs by a leg over a fire, a body roasts on a gridiron, a figure is being crucified and burned, and a long row of bodies hanging from gallows is inscribed "Heretics".
- The Duke of York raises an arm forbidding the Papists to advance; he holds a banner inscribed "Truth Ho - - Liberty".
- Above flies Truth, fully clothed and holding up her mirror, directing its rays on the Duke's banner and the Pope's petition.
- Just behind the Duke walks the Archbishop of Canterbury, a large Holy Bible under his arm, another bishop beside him.
- Behind them is a procession of well-dressed men with two banners, inscribed "Wisdom Fortitude" and "Honour Glory".
- A woman points out the procession to two children.
- In the foreground are a cornucopia, a terrestrial globe, and sheaves of corn, representing the wealth and glory of the British empire.
- Behind on a rock is a tiny figure of the King seated on a throne inscribed G.R. [G.R. meaning George Rex, or King George]. A band of men tug at a rope attached to a crown which surmounts the throne, while others with pickaxes undermine the rock on which it stands - presumably, they represent those who support giving the vote to the catholics, thereby undermining the King of England.
- Behind are solid clouds, above which appear St. Paul's, surrounded by sunshine, perhaps the rays of god's blessings, a castle flying a flag inscribed "Liberty", and Britannia standing over a kneeling man who writes in a book inscribed "Holy War". Note how neat and clean the protestants are.