93-731: The Turf Club was the regulatory body for horse racing in Ireland until 31 December 2017. The origin of the Turf Club was a regulatory body known as the Society of Sportsmen , which became The Jockey Club by 1755, before taking on its present name of the Turf Club in 1784. Despite being independent of the English Jockey Club , it did on occasion refer disputes to that organisation. A similar body for National Hunt races,
186-513: A constant source of division. Visitors from abroad such as Arthur Young in the late 1770s also deplored the penal laws as being contrary to the spirit of the Age of Enlightenment , and illogical as they were unenforced. In his Tour in Ireland (1780), that was sponsored by many landlords, Young mentioned the laws twice: Talking with Chief Baron Foster , Young commented: In 1773, Kenmare convened
279-1028: A continuing reminder of their defeat in the Williamite War, the Whig historian Lord Macaulay suggested that the Penal-Law regime helps account for the failure of Irish Roman Catholics to heed the Jacobite call when the Scottish army of the Young Pretender marched on London in 1745. Their submission was the effect of "the habit of daily enduring insult and oppression" and of a "brokenness of heart". The systematic discrimination and exclusion from favour kept their "natural chiefs" abroad. There were indeed Irish Roman Catholics of great ability, energy and ambition; but they were to be found every where except in Ireland, at Versailles and at Saint Ilfonso , in
372-534: A delegation that included both Keogh and Tone. In April, at London's direction Dublin Castle put its weight behind Henry Grattan in the passage of the Catholic Relief Act . Catholics were admitted to the parliamentary franchise on the same limited and idiosyncratic terms as Protestants. They could take degrees on Trinity College, be called as barristers and serve as army officers and, under the terms of
465-611: A factor in starting the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and the establishment of Confederate Ireland from 1642 with Papal support, that was eventually put down in the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649–53. The Act of Settlement 1652 barred Catholics from membership of Parliament and the major landholders had most of their lands confiscated under the Adventurers' Act 1640 . They were also banned from living in towns for
558-483: A fast yet strong horse, capable of winning a 4-mile race with a weight load of 12 stone. The winning horses were much sought after for breeding, leading to rapid improvement of the breed, with horses not in the winnings still capable hunters. The Curragh was awarded its plate in the 1670s, followed by the establishment in 1685 of a studbook under the Down Royal Corporation of Horse Breeders to promote
651-732: A further revolt set the scene for a wholesale Plantation of Ulster by the Lowland Scots and Northern English. From 1607, Catholics were barred from holding public office or serving in the Irish Army . This meant that the Irish Privy Council and the Lords Justice who, along with the Lord Deputy of Ireland , constituted the government of the country, would in future be Anglicans. In 1613, the constituencies of
744-609: A greater effort was made to promote Irish horses internationally. As early as 1926, the Irish Free State legislated to allow off-course betting, and the Tote was introduced in 1930 to raise funds for the industry. The Emergency that accompanied the Second World War was reportedly beneficial to horse racing, as restrictions on foreign and motor travel led to an increase in spectator numbers. The Irish Racing Board,
837-612: A horse worth £5, and, with the consent of their local Protestant bishop, open their own schools. In February 1791 elections to the Committee from the counties and from the five Dublin parishes brought a dramatic change in its composition. The gentry and bishops were now outnumbered by representatives of those Burke described as the "new race of Catholics": the emergent Catholic mercantile and professional middle class. Stirred by news of revolution and reform in France and dissatisfied with
930-793: A known democrat. In Dublin Tone was a leading member of the Society of United Irishmen first formed in October 1791 by his Presbyterian ("Dissenter") friends in Belfast, in the midst of the town's enthusiasm for the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and its defence by Thomas Paine . In the 1792 Irish Parliamentary session, further petitions in favour of a Catholic relief bill, introduced at London's behest to secure Catholic loyalty in
1023-514: A line of flags to indicate a determined course. In the 1830s, artificial courses were laid out in numerous locations, in a similar fashion to flat racing courses, with weight allowances based on the age of the animal, a predecessor to today's National Hunt . A regulatory body was initially set up as the Society of Sportsmen , changing its name to The Jockey Club by 1755, before taking on its present name of The Turf Club in 1784. Although an independent body, on occasion it referred disputes to
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#17327824906621116-560: A little land which we need for ourselves and our families to live on, and they drive us out of it. To whom should we address ourselves?... Emancipation has done nothing for us. Mr. O'Connell and the rich Catholics go to Parliament. We die of starvation just the same. "Emancipation" did not bring the promised relief from Church of Ireland tithes. Fearful of embarrassing his Whig allies (who in government had brutally suppressed tithe and poor law protests in England), in 1838 O'Connell rejected
1209-661: A meeting of prominent Catholics in Dublin, representatives of the surviving Catholic gentry and senior bishops. While pleading for penal laws relief, their Catholic Committee foreswore any intention of overturning the Williamite Settlement . They also demonstrated their loyalty by helping to recruit the soldiers in Ireland to fight for the Crown in the American Colonies in the 1770s and, later, by supporting
1302-563: A minority within the United Kingdom may have passed. In 1808 "friends of emancipation", Henry Grattan among them, proposed that fears of Popery might be allayed if the Crown were accorded the same right exercised by continental monarchs, a veto on the confirmation of Catholic bishops . Yet even when, in 1814, the Curia itself (then in a silent alliance with Britain against Napoleon ) proposed that bishops be "personally acceptable to
1395-594: A modified oath that abjured the temporal, but not the spiritual, authority of the Pope, to purchase land and join the army. A further measure followed in 1782: the Irish Parliament, acknowledging the tolerated practice of the Catholic faith, repealed the laws that compelled Catholic bishops to quit the kingdom, and binding those who had assisted at Mass to identify the celebrant. In addition, Catholics might now own
1488-636: A month, a rate that opened the Association to the poorest tenants. This enabled O'Connell to mount "monster" rallies (crowds of over 100,000) that stayed the hands of authorities, and emboldened larger enfranchised tenants (the forty-shilling freeholders ) to vote for pro-Emancipation candidates in defiance of their landlords. In 1828, O'Connell defeated a member of the British cabinet in a parliamentary by-election in County Clare . His triumph, as
1581-569: A number of sources, including membership fees, taxation of betting, a foal registration levy , profits from the Tote , and direct contribution from the Government of the Republic of Ireland . Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) was established in 2001 in an effort to promote Irish Horse racing and Thoroughbred breeding at an international level. The HRI has a number of responsibilities, including
1674-746: A reported 40,000 spectators in attendance. In the mid-19th century, the racehorse industry saw a decline linked to the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars. Economic strife led to less investment in horse breeding, and capable horses were more likely to be raced in England where the prize money was larger. However, with the expansion of the Irish rail network, racecourses sprung up in new locations, with such large numbers travelling by train to race meetings that railway companies began offering free travel to competing horses. The First World War didn't initially see
1767-486: A short period. Catholic clergy were expelled from the country and were liable to instant execution when found. Many recusants had to worship in secret at gathering places (such as Mass rocks ) in the countryside. In 1666 forty nine Catholics from hiding places in the woods in county Roscommon signed a letter in support of the Pope and protesting the loss of their 'due liberties'. Seventeen Catholic martyrs from this period were beatified in 1992. Much of this legislation
1860-595: A united kingdom, the Catholics could be safely relieved of their remaining disabilities and the country pacified. But they were unable overcome opposition in England, including that of the King, George III . Provision for Catholic emancipation was dropped from the Act of Union that Stewart pushed through a resisting Dublin parliament. A separate Irish executive in Dublin was retained, but representation, still wholly Protestant,
1953-403: Is an important economic activity in Ireland. There are over 43,000 Thoroughbreds in Ireland, 35% of the country's equine population; there are more horses per head of population than in any other European country. More than 80% of these Irish-bred Thoroughbreds are exported to 37 countries, generating an estimated €229 million per year; nearly 80% of these exports are to Great Britain. Ireland
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#17327824906622046-420: Is here that steeplechasing was born; it is here that many of the most illustrious horses in racing history have been bred over the course of several centuries. In terms of geology and climate, our country is an ideal location for the raising of young horses. Thoroughbred breeding in Ireland is intricately linked with Irish rural life and community. Horse breeding and training is a key economic player in regions of
2139-438: Is one of Ireland's most popular spectator sports, while on the international scene, Ireland is one of the strongest producers and trainers of Thoroughbred horses . The Irish horse racing industry is closely linked with that of Great Britain , with Irish horses regularly competing and winning on the British racing circuit. Horse racing in Ireland has a very long history. The ancient text Togail Bruidne Dá Derga (Destruction of
2232-494: Is responsible for licensing trainers. There are over 700 licensed trainers in the country, the majority of which are licensed to train horses for both Flat and National Hunt, although they usually specialise in one. For the duration of its training, the horse is stabled with the trainer, who is responsible for its general upkeep, as well as training. In Ireland, racehorses may be owned solely, in partnership or in syndicate. Roughly 8,000 Thoroughbreds are born each year, with 20% of
2325-509: Is the largest producer of Thoroughbreds in the EU, producing 40% of the EU's Thoroughbreds, and the fourth-largest in the world; additionally, 4 of the top 10 stallions in Europe are based in Ireland. It has been suggested that the success of Irish Thoroughbreds, both at home and abroad, is partly due to its climate and geography; the wet, temperate climate and limestone-rich soil encourages
2418-417: Is the official representative body for racehorse owners in Ireland, and has over 1,900 members. The Association of Irish Racecourse Owners (AIR) was established in 1964 to further the interests of racecourses and represent their owners. Its membership comprises all Irish racecourses. The Irish Jockeys Association (IJA) represents jockeys in the industry, and is notable for running, in association with
2511-669: Is the regulatory body for Horse racing in Ireland, including both Flat and National Hunt racing, and incorporates the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee (INHSC). One of the main functions is the provision of stewards to implement Rules of Racing during races. In January 2018 a new organisation, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board , will become the regulatory body for horse racing in Ireland. The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (ITBA) represents
2604-501: The Duke of Wellington , invoking the spectre of civil war, the Catholic Relief Act became law in 1829. Entry to parliament did not come without a price. Bringing the Irish franchise into line with England's, the 1829 Act raised the property threshold for voting in county seats five-fold to ten pounds, disenfranchising the " forty-shilling freeholders " who had risked much in defying their landlords on O'Connell's behalf. The measure reduced
2697-525: The Government of Ireland Act 1920 stated: This did not affect the Act of Settlement 1701 , which prohibited those married to Catholics from succeeding to the throne; these were later repealed by the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 (between 1920 and 2013 there was no Catholic heir to the throne). As a result of sections 5(2) and 37(1) of the 1920 Act, Catholics once again became eligible to occupy
2790-585: The Holy See recognised the Hanoverian dynasty as legitimate, and so the main political basis for the laws was removed and the slow process of Catholic emancipation began, with the repeal of some of the penal laws by the Catholic Relief Acts of 1771, 1778 and 1793. However, the long drawn-out pace of reform ensured that the question of religious discrimination dominated Irish life and was
2883-677: The Irish Derby , the Irish Champion Stakes , the Irish Oaks , the Irish 1,000 Guineas and the Irish 2,000 Guineas . The minimum prize money per race in Ireland is currently (2017) set at €9,000, with the highest average prize money per race in Europe. In 2016, the total prize money awarded was €56.8 million. April May June July August September November December Thoroughbred breeding
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2976-591: The Irish House of Commons were altered to give plantation settlers a majority. In addition, Catholics in all three Kingdoms had to pay 'recusant fines' for non-attendance at Anglican services. Catholic churches were transferred to the Anglican Church of Ireland . Catholic services, however, were generally tacitly tolerated as long as they were conducted in private. Catholic priests were also tolerated, but bishops were forced to operate clandestinely. In 1634
3069-924: The Pope in Rome and the Stuart "Pretender " in the court of the King of France . The laws included the Education Act 1695 , the Banishment Act 1697, the Registration Act 1704 , the Popery Acts 1704 and 1709, and the Disenfranchising Act 1728. Under pressure from the British government, which in its rivalry with France sought Catholic alliances abroad and Catholic loyalty at home,
3162-672: The Punchestown Festival in April, and the Galway Races in July. The majority of racecourses are turf , with Dundalk being the only floodlit all-weather polytrack . Laytown holds the distinction of being the only beach racecourse in the country adhering to the rules of the Turf Club, with one race meeting held each year on a natural sand track; however unaffiliated beach races are frequently held on beaches in some parts of
3255-774: The kingdom's Roman Catholic majority and, to a lesser degree, on Protestant "Dissenters" . Enacted by the Irish Parliament , they secured the Protestant Ascendancy by further concentrating property and public office in the hands of those who, as communicants of the established Church of Ireland , subscribed to the Oath of Supremacy . The Oath acknowledged the British monarch as the "supreme governor" of matters both spiritual and temporal, and abjured "all foreign jurisdictions [and] powers"—by implication both
3348-433: The "landlords' church" (the established Church of Ireland ) assessed tithes atop the rack rents of Catholics and Dissenters . Following the suppression of the rebellion in the summer of 1798 , British Prime Minister William Pitt and his Chief Secretary for Ireland , Robert Stewart (Lord Castlereagh) moved to incorporate Ireland in a united kingdom with Great Britain . They believed that reduced to minority within
3441-493: The Catholic electorate in Ireland from 216,000 voters to just 37,000. Perhaps trying to rationalise the sacrifice of his freeholders, O'Connell wrote privately in March 1829 that the new ten-pound franchise might actually "give more power to Catholics by concentrating it in more reliable and less democratically dangerous hands". The Young Irelander John Mitchel believed that this was the intent: to detach propertied Catholics from
3534-646: The English Glorious Revolution in 1688, the decisions of the Catholic-majority Patriot Parliament of 1688–9 in Dublin included a complete repeal of the 1660s land settlements. These were reversed after the largely Roman Catholic Jacobites that sided with King James then lost the Williamite war in Ireland in 1689–91. His opponents William III and Mary II were grandchildren of King Charles I, and so
3627-477: The English Jockey Club . A similar body for National Hunt races, the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee, was formed under the Turf Club to ensure fair running of National Hunt meetings. The first recorded race meet at Laytown took place in 1868, at a time when beach races were a relatively common occurrence. The first racing festival at the Ballybrit racecourse took place in the following year, with
3720-710: The Grand Alliance , in which the Holy See supported William III 's alliance against France, and on the news of the Battle of the Boyne a Te Deum was sung in thanksgiving at the Vatican. But from 1693 the Papacy changed its policy and supported James against William, and William's policy also moved from a degree of toleration for Catholics to greater hostility. By then, King James was based in France at Saint Germain , and
3813-422: The Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee (INHSC), was later formed under the Turf Club to ensure fair running of National Hunt meetings. The Turf Club regulated both Flat and National Hunt racing in Ireland. One of the main functions of the club was the provision of stewards to implement Rules of Racing during races. Its remit includes both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland , and it has members on
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3906-426: The Mansion of Da-Derga) mentions chariot races taking place on the Curragh during the lifetime of the monarch Conaire Mór , whose reign is disputed but is believed to have occurred sometime between 110 BC and 60 AD. The use of the Curragh as an early location for horse racing is also mentioned in a gloss to the 7th century Liber Hymnorum . The mythological Fianna were said to have enjoyed horse racing without
3999-418: The Nine Years War saw a series of coercive new laws put into force. In 1605 the ' Gunpowder Plot ' was planned by a group of English Catholics, who were disappointed in their hopes that James would relieve laws against Catholics. This provided a further impetus and justification for restrictive laws on Catholics in Ireland, Scotland and England. In 1607 the Flight of the Earls seeking Catholic help in Europe for
4092-424: The Oath of Supremacy might be amended were dashed when, having declared in favour of admitting Catholics to Parliament, Earl William Fitzwilliam was recalled as Viceroy after just 6 months in post. Some former Committee members and convention delegates were content to focus their efforts elsewhere: in June 1795 they helped secure government the establishment of St. Patrick's seminary in Maynooth . Others, despite
4185-554: The Papacy started to support the Jacobites in 1693. A small number of Catholic landlords had sworn this loyalty oath in 1691–3 and their families remained protected. Previous Jacobite garrison surrenders, particularly the agreement at Galway earlier in 1691, specifically provided that the Catholic gentry of counties Galway and Mayo were protected from the property restrictions, though they would be excluded from direct involvement in politics. Articles 2 and 9 required that: 2. ... provided also, that no person whatsoever shall have or enjoy
4278-471: The Thoroughbred breeding industry both in Ireland and abroad, and is involved with a number of industry bodies. Its activities also include the monitoring of equine diseases and dissemination of veterinary information to its members. The Irish Racehorse Trainers Association (IRTA) was founded in 1950 to represent licensed racehorse trainers in Ireland and, today, has a membership of almost 430 individuals. The Association of Irish Racehorse Owners (AIRO)
4371-405: The Turf Club, the Irish Jockey's Trust, which supports jockeys and former jockeys in difficulty. The Irish Stablestaff Association (ISSA) lobbies for improved working conditions and pay for stable staff. Penal Laws (Ireland) In Ireland, the penal laws ( Irish : Na Péindlíthe ) were a series of legal disabilities imposed in the seventeenth, and early eighteenth, centuries on
4464-464: The United Kingdom. In Ireland it is not uncommon for jockeys to ride in both National Hunt and Flat races, however, the weight allowance for Flat is lower than that of National Hunt. A valid Flat or National Hunt licence must be held to ride in either type of race. Point-to-point races are open only to non-professional jockeys, who must register as "Qualified Riders" but need not meet the requirements for Flat or National Hunt licences. The Turf Club
4557-408: The accompanying Militia Act , most controversially of all, could carry arms. However, these concessions were "permissive rather than obligatory and a newly awakened Protestant Ascendancy chose as often as not to withhold them". Moreover the retention of the Oath of Supremacy which continued to bar Catholics from parliament, from the judicial bench and from the higher offices of state, when all else
4650-521: The appointments of all the Irish Catholic hierarchy , who were drawn from his most fervent supporters. These aspects provided the political basis for the new laws passed for several decades after 1695. Interdicts faced by Catholics and Dissenters under the penal laws were: Historians disagree on how rigorously these laws were enforced. The consensus view is that enforcement depended on the attitudes of local magistrates bringing or hearing particular cases; some of whom were rigorous, others more liberal. As
4743-419: The armies of Frederic and Maria Theresa ,. One in exile became a Marshal of France . Another became Prime Minister of Spain. If he had staid [sic] in his native land, he would have been regarded as inferior by all the ignorant and worthless squireens who had signed the Declaration against Transubstantiation . From 1758, before the death of the Old Pretender, who styled himself James III , ad-hoc groups of
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#17327824906624836-453: The authorities as they suppressed Whiteboy agrarian protest in the 1780s. Assisted by Edmund Burke , who in 1764 had drafted a critical commentary on the penal laws that was widely circulated at Westminster, the pro-government policy appeared to pay dividends. The Irish Act of 1774 allowed any subject of George III "of whatever persuasion to testify their allegiance to him", and the Catholic Relief Act of 1778 allowed Catholics, on taking
4929-401: The authorities, who saw the hand of the United Irishmen. The Viceroy , Lord Westmorland , called on London for additional troops. Moved by parallels with the election to the National Constituent Assembly in France, the democratic exercise also caused alarm in the Catholic hierarchy. At the opening the Convention, assembled in the Tailor's Hall in Back Lane, Dublin, in December 1792, Keogh
5022-410: The benefit of this article, that shall neglect or refuse to take the oath of allegiance, made by act of parliament in England, in the first year of the reign of their present majesties, when thereunto required. 9. The oath to be administered to such Roman Catholics as submit to their majesties' government, shall be the oath abovesaid and no other. At the European level, this war was a part of the War of
5115-427: The board of Horse Racing Ireland . The Turf Club's regulatory work was transferred to a new limited liability company , the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board , from 1 January 2018. Horseracing in Ireland Horse racing in Ireland is intricately linked with Irish culture and society . The racing of horses has a long history on the island, being mentioned in some of the earliest texts . Domestically, racing
5208-519: The breeding of racehorses. The introduction of the Penal Laws , restricting Catholics to owning horses of a value less than £5, did little to deter horse owners, resulting in races limited to horses of that value. Race meetings were increasingly advertised in the press, and by 1750 even the English Racing Calendar advertised some 71 Irish events. The origin of the Steeplechase was a 4.5 mile match race between Buttevant and Doneraile , County Cork , across natural countryside, beginning and ending at
5301-413: The call of the Protestant tenant-righter William Sharman Crawford for the complete elimination of the Anglican levy. In its stead, he accepted the Tithe Commutation Act, which offered some reductions and debt forgiveness while incorporating the charge in the rents landlords remained free to set at will. The obligation remained until the disestablishment by the Irish Church Act 1869 . Section 5(2) of
5394-434: The cancellation of horse racing, and Thoroughbreds did not feature prominently among the 300,000 horses. Although the 1916 Rising resulted a 6-week ban on race meetings, they continued shortly afterwards. Horse racing was temporarily banned on 4 May 1917, following complaints concerning the oat intake of Thoroughbreds. The ban led to public outcry, especially in Ireland where some 20,000 people were believed to be employed in
5487-436: The country where there are few employment opportunities. Horse race attendance is a strong contributor to tourism, with approximately 80,000 people travelling to Ireland annually to attend racing events. Dennis Fitzpatrick was the first professional Irish jockey to race in England, particularly noted for taking part in match races towards the turn of the 19th century, beginning a long history of professional Irish jockeys in
5580-399: The country. Horse Racing Ireland recognises the following racecourses: Races have previously been held under the Rules of Racing at a number of other locations. Races were held at Tralee until 2008, when the course was sold for redevelopment. Unaffiliated races are frequently held at many locations throughout the country. The main races in the Irish horseracing calendar are
5673-408: The embattled racing industry. Fearing further unrest, the British government gave a concession to allow the Curragh festival of 8–10 May, finally relenting on 20 June. In 1915, the British National Stud was based in the Curragh, becoming the Irish National Stud after independence. In the post-independence period, many efforts were made to regulate and support the horse racing industry in Ireland, and
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#17327824906625766-442: The eponymous steeples of each of the towns. The race, ran between locals Edmund Blake and Cornelius O'Callaghan, started a trend of racing cross-country, in a manner derived from fox hunting, with a prize replacing the quarry - a cask of wine in the original race. The early steeplechases offered little more than an agreed-upon landmarks as start and finish points, with the riders free to choose their own path, but later races used
5859-408: The first Catholic to be returned in a parliamentary election since 1688, made a clear issue of the Oath of Supremacy —the requirement that MPs acknowledge the King as "Supreme Governor" of the Church and thus forswear the Roman communion. Fearful of the widespread disturbances that might follow from continuing to insist on the letter of the oath, the government finally relented. With the Prime Minister,
5952-691: The flat racing season. Run over a minimum of 2 miles, National Hunt races require the horses to clear a number of obstacles. There are three types of National Hunt race: Steeplechase and Hurdle races are held each year at 23 courses, of which 3 run exclusively National Hunt races. A number of other types of horse racing take place in Ireland, including Harness racing and Endurance racing . There are 26 major racecourses in Ireland, more per head of population than any other country, with more than 350 race meetings and 2,000 races annually. More than 1.3m people visit Irish racecourses each year, with crowds in excess of 100,000 annually attending both
6045-407: The governor of Derry to hold fairs and markets at which horse races could be staged. Horse racing was evidently popular in the 17th century: a 1622 poem tells of a jockey killed participating in a horse race in Carrickfergus , while other accounts mention a 1634 race between Lord Digby and the Earl of Ormond , and the establishment in 1682 of a race by Lord Kildare , with a plate of 40 pounds to
6138-459: The growth of calcium-containing grass, while the mild temperatures and lack of seasonal variability allow year-round grazing. Ireland is seen by many as a "horse nation". A recurring part of Irish culture, the horse has been romanticised in art and literature for many centuries. In particular, the Thoroughbred, and horse racing in general, is seen as one of the country's main traditions: The tradition of racing runs very deep in Ireland. It
6231-405: The impending confrontation with the new French Republic , were met with contempt. In response the Committee organised a country-wide election, open all male communicants in each parish, to a national convention. The Committee's insistence that it did not intend to "disturb" or "weaken" the establishment in Ireland of the Protestant religion or the security of the Protestant crown, did not reassure
6324-447: The increasingly agitated rural masses. In a pattern that had been intensifying from the 1820s as landlords cleared land to meet the growing livestock demand from England, tenants had been banding together to oppose evictions, and to attack tithe and process servers. Alexis De Tocqueville , in his visit to Ireland in 1835, recorded these Whiteboys and Ribbonmen protesting: The law does nothing for us. We must save ourselves. We have
6417-404: The independence of the Catholic clergy was potentially fatal to a strategy of campaign, organised from 1823 in the Catholic Association, that relied on the local priest—in most districts of the country, the sole figure, with standing independent of the Protestant landlords and magistrates—to secure the confidence of the people. Typically, it was local priest collected the "Catholic rent" of a penny
6510-407: The international scene. In Ireland, the Flat racing season runs from mid-March to mid-November, and comprises races started from stalls, run over 5 to 20 furlongs. These races are held at 23 racecourses, of which 3 run only Flat. National Hunt racing , or Jump racing, is run year-round in Ireland, but the main season takes place from November until the end of April, coinciding with the lull of
6603-401: The issue of the "Graces" arose; generous taxation for Charles I (whose Queen Henrietta Maria was Catholic) was supported by Irish Catholic landlords on the understanding that the laws would be reformed, but once the tax was passed, Charles' viceroy refused two of the 51 Graces, and subsequent bills were blocked by the Catholic majority in the Irish House of Lords . Catholic resentment was
6696-464: The king", the emergent leader of the popular campaign for emancipation in Ireland, Daniel O'Connell , was unyielding in his opposition. Refusing any instruction from Rome as to "the manner of their emancipation", O'Connell declared that Irish Catholics should be content to "remain for ever without emancipation" rather than allow the king and his ministers "to interfere" with the Pope's appointment of their senior clergy. For O'Connell any compromising of
6789-457: The lack of progress since 1782, they demanded an immediate repeal of the remaining penal laws. This caused a split in the Committee with Kenmare leading a withdrawal of the more cautious gentry and bishops. Under the chairmanship of the Dublin merchant, John Keogh , the Committee signalled a new departure by dismissing Edmund Burke 's son, Richard Burke , as assistant secretary and replacing him with Theobald Wolfe Tone , another Protestant but
6882-753: The laws were repealed through a series of relief acts beginning in 1771. The last significant disability, the requirement that Members of Parliament take the Oath of Supremacy, was removed in 1829, after Ireland had been incorporated by the 1800 Acts of Union into a United Kingdom with Great Britain . The Government of Ireland Act 1920 (coming into force during the Irish War of Independence ) contained an all-purpose provision in section 5 removing any remaining sacramental tests technically still in existence. The penal laws were, according to Edmund Burke , "a machine of wise and elaborate contrivance, as well fitted for
6975-681: The management of the national Thoroughbred studbooks (registration with Weatherbys is also a requirement for all Irish Throughbreds ), the development and operation of a number of racecourses, and the authorisation of bookmaking and funding. It is a member of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities , the European and Mediterranean Federation of Horseracing Authorities and the European Pattern Committee. The Turf Club , established in 1790,
7068-720: The more liberal Protestants that they presented no political threat, and that reforms must follow. Events abroad in the 1760s, such as the outcome of the Seven Years' War , the death of the Old Pretender (1766), the emerging " Age of Enlightenment ", and the Suppression of the Society of Jesus by Europe's Catholic monarchs, all seemed to confirm their position. On the death of the Old Pretender in January 1766,
7161-491: The office of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland , the British monarch's representative in Ireland. Within months of the enactment of this legislation, Viscount FitzAlan of Derwent became in April 1921 the first Catholic Lord Lieutenant of Ireland since the penal laws forbade such appointments in 1685. Because of the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922 and the altered constitutional relationship between Ireland and
7254-500: The oppression, impoverishment and degradation of a people, and the debasement in them of human nature itself, as ever proceeded from the perverted ingenuity of man." Burke long counselled kinder relations by London with its American and Irish cousins, fearing that the punitive spirit fostered by the British was destroying English character, and would spur violent revolt. Initially, the dual monarchs of England and Ireland were cautious about applying penal laws to Ireland because they needed
7347-479: The predecessor to Horse Racing Ireland, was set up in 1945 to oversee the economics of the industry, followed by the Irish Horse Authority in 1995 and Horse Racing Ireland in 2001. Measures introduced by these organisations have helped the industry go from strength to strength. The Irish horse racing industry is today worth €1 billion per annum, employs over 14,000 people, and is a major player on
7440-506: The religious, political and economic activities of Catholics and Protestant Dissenters . Harsher laws were introduced for political reasons during the long War of the Spanish Succession that ended in 1714. James Stuart, the son of James II, the " Old Pretender ", was recognised by the Holy See as the legitimate King of Great Britain and Ireland until his death in 1766, and Catholics were obliged to support him. He also approved
7533-569: The remaining Catholic nobility and merchants worked towards repeal of the penal laws and an accommodation within the Hanoverian system. These were based locally on county lines. An earlier attempt in 1727 had met with strong opposition from the Jacobite movement, which resisted any negotiations with the Hanoverians, being usurpers. By 1760 eminent Catholics such as Lord Trimlestown , Lord Kenmare and Charles O'Conor of Belanagare persuaded
7626-440: The second: and their majesties, as soon as their affairs will permit them to summon a parliament in this kingdom, will endeavour to procure the said Roman Catholics such farther security in that particular, as may preserve them from any disturbance upon the account of their said religion. The quid pro quo to attain these privileges involved swearing an oath of loyalty to William and Mary. Many Catholics found this oath repugnant when
7719-583: The support of the Catholic upper classes to put down the Gaelic Irish rebellion in the Nine Years War (1594–1603). In addition, a significant section of the Catholic aristocracy was composed of Old English , who had traditionally been loyal to English rule in Ireland. However, the ascent of James VI of Scotland to both the English and Irish thrones as James I in 1603 and the eventual victory in
7812-469: The threat of excommunication by their bishops, leaned toward the United Irishmen who, despairing of representative parliamentary reform, now moved to draw the agrarian Catholic Defenders with them toward a French-assisted republican insurrection. In calling people to arms, the United Irishmen promised complete civil and religious equality, and with this the abolition of the hated system whereby
7905-609: The use of chariots; the Book of Leinster contains an early poem mentioning races at the Curragh and near Croom , as well as a tradition of racing on the beach in Kerry , a tradition which continues today. There are later mentions of "horse matches" in Galway in the 13th century under the "Kings Plate Articles". The earliest datable evidence, however, is a 1603 royal warrant entitling
7998-455: The war ultimately decided whether Catholic or Protestant Stuarts would reign. The war ended with the Treaty of Limerick agreed by Sarsfield and Ginkel in October 1691. This provided in article 1 that: The Roman Catholics of this kingdom shall enjoy such privileges in the exercise of their religion as are consistent with the laws of Ireland, or as they did enjoy in the reign of king Charles
8091-414: The winner. In a correspondence to King Charles II in 1673, Sir William Temple stated "Horses in Ireland are a drug... we see horses bred of excellent shape, and vigour, and size, so as to reach great prices at home, and encourage strangers to find the market here." Racing became more competitive with the introduction, in 1666, under King Charles II, of the King's Plate Races, designed so as to favour
8184-445: The yearly foal crop publicly auctioned by bloodstock auction houses, such as Tattersalls and Goffs. They may also be sold directly by trainers, breeders or agents. Racehorse owners are the largest source of income to the Irish racehorse industry, contributing over €400 million each year. There are over 6,000 registered breeders in the country, 93% of which have fewer than 5 broodmares. Horse racing organisations are funded through
8277-524: Was careful to place two prelates seated on either side of the chairmen. But the petition, as finally approved and signed by the delegates, was presented to the bishops as a fait accompli , with no implication that their sanction was sought or obtained. Appealing over the heads of the Dublin Parliament and Castle administration, in January 1793 this petition was presented to the King, George III , who, persuaded by his ministers, gave audience to
8370-569: Was conceded, seemed petty, and was "interpreted by the newly politicised Catholic populace as final proof that the existing government was their natural enemy" France declared war on Britain and Ireland in February 1793, and while the British government could rely on the revulsion within Catholic hierarchy against the aggressive anti-clericalism of the French Republic , it saw no need to hazard further reform. In February 1795, hopes that
8463-629: Was rescinded after the Restoration in Ireland by Charles II (1660–1685), under the Declaration of Breda in 1660, in terms of worship and property-owning, but also the first Test Act became law from 1673. Louis XIV of France increased Protestant paranoia in Europe when he expelled the Huguenots from France in 1685, and took his policy from the hard-line Bishop Bossuet . Following the flight from England to Ireland by James II caused by
8556-413: Was supported politically and financially by Louis XIV, the long-standing enemy of William and Mary. Religion eventually became an issue in defining a notable family's loyalty to the crown. With the defeat of Catholic attempts to regain power and lands in Ireland, a ruling class which became known later as the Protestant Ascendancy sought to ensure dominance with the passing of a number of laws to restrict
8649-656: Was transferred to Westminster constituted as the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . It took the Union thirty years to deliver on the promise of completing Catholic emancipation —to admit Catholics to Parliament—and permit an erosion of the Protestant monopoly on position and influence. An opportunity to integrate Catholics through their re-emerging propertied and professional classes as
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