Emmet's Insurrection 1803

Robert Emmet (1778-1803) was one of a new group of leaders of the Society of United Irishmen to emerge after the defeat of the insurrection of 1798. He traveled to France in August 1800 to solicit fresh military aid. With other leaders of the organization, Emmet spent 1800-02 in France, developing plans for a new uprising, to be aided by the French. He returned to Ireland in October 1802, apparently with no clear plans. By early 1803, however, Emmet was active, in association with such veterans of 1798 as Thomas Russell, Myles Byrne, and the Kildare county bricklayer Michael Quigley, in recruiting men and stockpiling weapons for a new insurrection.

Emmet's plan called for the seizure of Dublin Castle and other strategic sites in the capital. This was to be followed by a largely spontaneous popular rising throughout the country. It is believed that the ultimate objective of the uprising was to establish a republic based on French principles in accord with the aims of Wolfe Tone (1763-98), founder of the United Irishmen. Despite comments, at his trial and elsewhere, on the danger of exchanging one foreign tyranny for another, he also appears to have counted, initially at least, on French assistance. The insurrection was supposed to take place at the end of August 1803. However, an accidental explosion at the arms depot on Patrick Street, on July 16, 1803, caused the rebels to speed up. Fearing that all the crucial dumps were in danger of discovery, Emmet supported the faction that argued for an immediate insurrection. The new date of the uprising was fixed for July 23, 1803.

Confusion ruined the insurrection. Only a small minority of the expected insurgent force, from Dublin and the surrounding countryside, assembled that evening, and the attack on Dublin Castle was abandoned following a premature gunshot. About 300 men took control of Thomas Street and James's Street for around two hours, but were dispersed by soldiers after an abortive attack on the James's Street barracks. About 50 people were killed, including Lord Kilwarden, the former attorney-general Arthur Wolfe (1739-1803), now lord chief justice, piked to death with his nephew when his coach was surrounded by insurgents. Emmet and others, fled to the Wicklow Mountains as plans for the uprising unraveled.

Returning to Dublin to be near John Philpot Curran's daughter Sarah, with whom he was romantically involved, he was arrested on August 25, 1803. Emmet was tried for and convicted of treason on September 19, 1803. His speech from the dock became a classic of nationalist literature. On September 20, 1803, he was hung outside St. Catherine's Church on Thomas Street, Dublin. Twenty-one others, including Russell, were also executed their involvement in the insurrection. The defeat marked the end of the United Irishmen as a serious revolutionary conspiracy.

References

Oxford Companion to Irish History, 180; Dictionary of Wars, 160; Ireland's OWN: History: Robert Emmet; Searc's Web Guide - Robert Emmet (1778-1803).

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