Irish Conservative Party 1852-1868: Land, Politics and Religion

The Irish Conservative party has been a neglected topic among Irish historians. This study of the party between 1852 and 1868 examines the question of whether there was an ‘indigenous’ Irish Conservatism, different both in tone and content from its English counterpart. It considers the ‘high politics’ of the Irish Conservative party and the complex ways in which the party interacted with the principal forces opposed to it in Irish society, in particular, the Roman Catholic Church. The author also looks at the social composition of the party, the elite of the Irish Conservative party and their relationship with the party leadership at Westminster. As the principal party of the Irish landowners, the Irish Conservatives had an internal unity unmatched by either the Liberal party or the Irish Independent party. Throughout this period Irish landlords retained their predominant position within Irish society. They controlled Irish local government and dominated the Irish parliamentary representation. As a body, they strongly supported the Conservatives. Their influence had indeed, in some respects, been strengthened during the Famine years, with the decline and demise of O'Connell’s nationally organised and widely supported Repeal Association. In 1859, for example, the Irish Conservative party won a majority of the seats in Ireland.