Irish Political Poetry in the 1790s

Between 1795 and 1798, a series of three political poems published in Dublin comprised a debate in satirical verse between republican supporters of the United Irishmen on one side and the forces of the Protestant Ascendancy on the other. This site seeks to illuminate and disseminate this debate.

Within this site you will find page images of each poem in its entirety, some interpretive material that seeks to contextualize these poems, and an opportunity for you to respond to these poems and this site by participating in a survey and by reading other visitors' responses.

These poems offer a unique view of Irish political culture in the critical years immediately before the rebellion of 1798, years which saw the birth of the Protestant Orange Order and the militarization of the United Irishmen.