Earlier this week, I briefly touched on the infamous penal laws that were enforced upon Catholics in Ireland for hundreds of years. I described one of the laws that inhibited Irish Catholics in Ireland to have proper Catholic burials. Because of this injustice, Daniel O’Connell, a crusader of Irish Catholic rights, instigated the creation of Glasnevin, Ireland’s first and largest interdenominational cemetery, in 1832.

These types of penal laws were put into place by the British minority to remove power from and secure rule of the Irish Catholic majority. Some of the laws even dated back to the 14th century. Over time, however, they became particularly more complicated and oppressive when religion came into play during the 17th century.

I found it fascinating to read what Catholics were prohibited to do in Ireland under British rule. (Frankly I was amazed, although not entirely surprised, that these types of laws were in existence so recent in history.) Here are some of the most interesting things Catholics were prohibited to do:

- marry Protestants
- inherit land from Protestants
- buy land
- carry firearms
- teach school
- enter Trinity College Dublin
- practice law
- vote in parliamentary elections
- hold public office
- practice their religion
- build Catholic church (when allowed) out of stone (churches were to be built out of wood and off main roads)
- own a horse worth more than five pounds
- hold an appointment in the army or navy
- bestow land/estate to only one child (land must be divided among all children)

Many of these laws were actually ignored and some were even appealed. In the end, it was the Catholic Emancipation, a process that provided relief on these restrictions to the Irish Catholic majority, that eventually decimated a long history of Catholic penal laws in Ireland. (To read a complete history, click here.)

Source: O’Donnell, Edward T. 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American History. New York: Broadway, 2002, pp. 25-26; Source;

Related posts:

1. Glasnevin Cemetery Is Crusader’s Legacy
2. The Christmas Eve Candle Tradition
3. The Bayrisch And The Irish
4. 34,000 Years Of The Irish Wolf Wiped Out
5. The Meaning Of Mac, Fitz and O