Consider the reasons for changing attitudes within governmental and political circles in England and Ireland towards Irish Roman Catholics, and assess the role Catholics played in that process. .
Response.
There were several reasons for the changing attitudes within governmental and political circles, both in England and Ireland, towards Irish Roman Catholics, and the role played by Catholics in that process was significant. One such reason for this, as discussed by Wall, (1), was the rise of the Catholic middle class throughout the eighteenth century. Wall, (1), holds the objective of providing an account of the part played by Catholics in the commercial life of Ireland up until the year 1782, and that, despite the penal laws, the Catholic community in Ireland at the time succeeded in amassing much wealth through means of trade. Wall, (1), describes how the only legal restriction against Catholics was that of the making/selling of arms and ammunition, a law that was reflective of the governmental attitude against Irish Catholics. As Wall, (1), highlights, there was no restrictive law in place to prevent regarding the hempen and linen industry, which served as the main manufacturing industry in Ireland, in the eighteenth century. Wall, (1), continues to highlight the opportunities enjoyed by Catholics of the time, brought about as a result of the trade industry being perceived as an industry of contempt by many of the English people, who abandoned the industry in favour of pursuing a genteel status. This, as Wall, (1), notes, allowed Catholics to control a large share of the trade in Ireland.
In actions that could be interpreted as almost preventative of this surge in Catholic productivity, there were several laws active throughout the course of the eighteenth century that reflected the political attitude towards Irish Roman Catholics of the time. Firstly, as Wall, (1), observes, there was a law passed by Charles of England 1which forbade the export of cattle.
