Edmund Curtis & R. B. McDowell, Irish Historical Document (1943)

Edmund Curtis & R. B. McDowell, eds., Irish Historical Documents, 1172-1922 (Methuen 1943), 331pp. Documents incl. Bull Laudabiliter [17]; grants; Magna Carta Hib.; Laws of England to be Observed, 1246; Remonstrance of Irish Princes to Pope John XXII, 1314; Irish admitted to English law, 1321; treaties of James, Earl of Ormond, and the O’Kennedys; Statutes of Kilkenny, 1366; Act of Absentees, 1368; An Irish parliament, 1380; Declaration of Independence of Irish Parl, 1460; Poyning’s Law; Hugh O’Neill’s war aims, 1599; Act of Supremacy, uniformity, 1560; Plantation docs.; Confederation of Kilkenny; Civil Articles of Limerick [Treaty], 1691; addresses of the House of Commons on Molyneux’s book [Case of Ireland’s being Bound &c] and the Irish woollen trade, 1698 [derogating his ‘dangerous position’]; Catholic Relief acts, 1778, 1782, 1793; Insurrection Act, 1796; Act of Union, 1800; Fox on the Irish Question, 1782; Ulster Volunteers resolution, 1782; United Irishmen’s plan; Catholic relief bill, 1829; Land League foundation, Mayo 1879; foundation of National Land League, 1879; Land Act of 1881; Wyndham’s Land Act, 1903; various speeches on Home Rule; Unionist speeches in Ulster; Thomas Meagher, on physical force, 28 July, 1846; Douglas Hyde, on the ‘Necessity, &c.’, 1892; Resolutions at 28 Nov. 1905 first annual meeting of Sinn Féin; Griffith’s speech; 1916 proclamation; Irish declaration of Independence, 1919; democratic programme, 1919; president’s statement to Dáil, 1919; 1921 Treaty articles; David Lloyd George, Eamon de Valera, and Arthur Griffith in the treaty, 1921-22.

NOTE: Laudabiliter, pp.17-18: original Latin text is found in Giraldus Cambrensis, Expugnatio Hibernica, Bk. II, chap. vi; granted during pontificate of Adrian IV (1154-59), probably in 1155, not acted on till 1172. The Constitutions of the Synod of Cashel, 1172, acquiesced in the reform of Irish manners [printed here]. Three Letters of Pope Alexander III, confirming Henry II’s conquest of Ireland, 1172, also printed. [given at Tusculum; various sources] POYNING’S LAW, 10 Henry VII; Treaty of Limerick, 3 Oct. 1691; in 1697 an act, 9 William III, c. 2, of Irish Parl. ratified ‘so much [of the articles] as may consist with the safety and welfare of your Majesty’s subjects of this kingdom.’ Among the articles, No. 1: ‘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 th reign of Charles II, and their Majesties, as soon as their affairs permit them to summon a parliamnt 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.’ [174] The 7th art. permits noblemen and gentlemen to ride with a sword, and case of pistols, and keep a gun in their houses for the defence of same, and fowling.

John Fitzgibbon, Lord Clare, on the Regency Question: ‘I shall in as few words as possible state my position. And first I maintain that the crown of Ireland and the crown of England are inseparably and indissoluble united. Secondly, I do maintain, that the Irish parliament is perfectly and totally independent of the British parliament. [PARA] The first position is our security; the second is your freedom, and when gentlemen talk in any other language than this … they invade either your security or your liberty … [225]