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1886 Belfast riots

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tense situation. As the outing made its way through Belfast, disappointed local Protestants joined in to march with their own drums and anti-Catholic banners. Marchers deliberately provoked the Catholics by marching into Catholic areas. Taunting quickly gave way to heavy street fighting between Catholics, Protestants and police. Bloody clashes on a par with the riots in June lasted for a few days, but low-intensity rioting continued until September.
191:, the date of annual Protestant celebrations. Trouble did indeed erupt on the 12th and, contrary to the expectations of the government, the police found themselves overwhelmed by the Protestant attackers. Reinforcements had to be sent into Belfast again, and the threat of over 2,000 police officers and soldiers descending on the city caused the rioters to quit by 14 July. 167:
The riots intensified on 8 June, the day that the Home Rule Bill was defeated in parliament. Celebrations were held throughout the city to celebrate the defeat. Some of the revellers attacked Catholic homes and businesses. The police found themselves unable to cope with the situation. Reinforcements
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in search of work. By the time of the riots, Catholics made up over one-third of the population of the city. This migration brought with it sectarian tensions as Catholics and Protestants competed for jobs. As the minority, Catholics found themselves discriminated against in this area and were kept
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On the last Saturday of July, Hanna held his annual outing for the Protestant children of Belfast. This outing usually involved a trip out to the countryside, with marching and drumming along the way. Hanna agreed to comply with the city's request that he forgo the drumming and marching due to the
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sneered to a Protestant co-worker that under an Irish government Protestants would never get hired, even in Belfast. This represented the very worst fears of Protestants towards Home Rule and the story quickly spread throughout Belfast. This led to clashes between Protestant and Catholic shipyard
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Officially thirty-one people were killed in the riots, although George Foy, who made surgical reports on the riots, reckoned that the real death toll might have been as high as fifty. Hundreds were injured. Over four hundred arrests were made. An estimated £90,000 worth of property damage was
184:. In the midst of the disorder, Kane declared that unless the police were disarmed, 200,000 armed Orangemen would relieve them of their weapons. The rioters thus began to attack the police, and later soldiers. Running battles between security forces and rioters lasted until 14 June. 168:
were sent in from other parts of Ireland. Most of the reinforcements were Catholic. A rumour that the reinforcements were sent by Gladstone to punish Belfast Protestants for opposing Home Rule spread throughout the city. It was encouraged by popular preachers such as
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visited Belfast after the defeat of the Bill where he made speeches against the possibility of future Home Rule Bills. He was said to have "...excited sectarian passions which expressed themselves in horrible assaults on the Nationalist minority."
119:). Belfast Catholics believed that a devolved Irish government would be sympathetic to their situation and end the discrimination. Belfast Protestants believed this too, and feared the end of their privileged position. 83: 92: 88: 502: 517: 317: 131: 272: 527: 482: 477: 522: 127: 155: 512: 181: 447: 269: 214: 187:
On 22 June the reinforcements were sent home by the city government, although some were kept as trouble was expected on
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The introduction of the Bill led to renewed sectarian tensions in Belfast. On 3 June, a Catholic
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At this time there was a real possibility that the British government would establish a
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Irish Nationalists had seized the vast majority of Irish seats in the
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incurred, and local economic activity was significantly compromised.
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Belfast: Approach to Crisis. A Study of Belfast Politics, 1613–1970
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Belfast: Approach to Crisis. A Study of Belfast Politics, 1613–1970
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Two Irelands Beyond the Sea: Ulster Unionism and America, 1880-1920
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began to migrate in large numbers to the prosperous city of
333: 259:. London: Victor Gollancz Ltd. p. 59 & 80. 51: 43: 33: 25: 20: 75:, Ireland, during the summer and autumn of 1886. 71:were a series of intense riots that occurred in 163:played a prominent role in encouraging rioters. 270:UUC History Faculty: The 1886 Home Rule Riots 8: 440:Budge, Ian and O'Leary, Cornelius, (1973), 91:, and would maintain this dominance in the 241: 239: 17: 410:Ian Budge and Cornelius O'Leary, (1973), 351: 349: 347: 229: 227: 388: 386: 384: 296:, Belfast: The Blackstaff Press, p. 381. 288: 286: 284: 374: 372: 370: 207: 108:at the lower end of the labour market. 132:Leader of the Conservative Party (UK) 7: 47:Rioting, arson, assault, gun battles 503:Riots and civil disorder in Belfast 452:The Catholics of Ulster: A History 414:, London: MacMillan Press., p. 89. 219:The Catholics of Ulster: A History 14: 430:, Belfast: The Blackstaff Press. 122:In April 1886, Prime Minister 57:31 deaths (official estimate) 1: 518:19th-century political riots 306:Flewelling, Lindsey (2018). 312:. Oxford University Press. 544: 528:1880s disasters in Ireland 444:, London: MacMillan Press. 426:Bardon, Jonathon, (2001), 221:, London: Penguin, p. 322. 99:In the late 19th century, 483:Arson in Northern Ireland 437:, Belfast: Pretani Press. 255:Gallagher, Frank (1957). 56: 292:Jonathon Bardon (2001), 176:counterpart, the city's 117:Irish Home Rule Movement 478:19th century in Belfast 334:"The Belfast Disorders" 275:4 February 2012 at the 245:Elliott (2000), p. 324. 233:Elliott (2000), p. 323. 136:Lord Randolph Churchill 523:1880s political events 433:Boyd, Andrew, (1987), 355:Bardon (2001), p. 382. 257:The Indivisible Island 164: 115:Irish parliament (see 96: 513:September 1886 events 182:Richard Rutledge Kane 158: 86: 52:Casualties and losses 401:Boyd (1987), p. 172. 392:Boyd (1987), p. 150. 378:Boyd (1987), p. 148. 364:Boyd (1987), p. 143. 435:Holy War in Belfast 428:A History of Ulster 294:A History of Ulster 180:Grand Master, Rev. 29:June–September 1886 508:Sectarian violence 488:August 1886 events 454:, London: Penguin. 165: 159:Preachers such as 97: 69:1886 Belfast riots 21:1886 Belfast riots 448:Elliott, Marianne 340:. 27 August 1896. 319:978-1-78694-045-2 174:Church of Ireland 124:William Gladstone 65: 64: 535: 498:June 1886 events 493:July 1886 events 415: 408: 402: 399: 393: 390: 379: 376: 365: 362: 356: 353: 342: 341: 330: 324: 323: 303: 297: 290: 279: 267: 261: 260: 252: 246: 243: 234: 231: 222: 215:Marianne Elliott 212: 38:Belfast, Ireland 18: 543: 542: 538: 537: 536: 534: 533: 532: 468:1886 in Ireland 458: 457: 423: 418: 409: 405: 400: 396: 391: 382: 377: 368: 363: 359: 354: 345: 332: 331: 327: 320: 305: 304: 300: 291: 282: 277:Wayback Machine 268: 264: 254: 253: 249: 244: 237: 232: 225: 213: 209: 205: 145: 81: 60: 58: 39: 12: 11: 5: 541: 539: 531: 530: 525: 520: 515: 510: 505: 500: 495: 490: 485: 480: 475: 470: 460: 459: 456: 455: 445: 438: 431: 422: 419: 417: 416: 403: 394: 380: 366: 357: 343: 338:New York Times 325: 318: 298: 280: 262: 247: 235: 223: 206: 204: 201: 144: 141: 128:Home Rule Bill 80: 77: 63: 62: 54: 53: 49: 48: 45: 41: 40: 37: 35: 31: 30: 27: 23: 22: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 540: 529: 526: 524: 521: 519: 516: 514: 511: 509: 506: 504: 501: 499: 496: 494: 491: 489: 486: 484: 481: 479: 476: 474: 471: 469: 466: 465: 463: 453: 449: 446: 443: 439: 436: 432: 429: 425: 424: 420: 413: 407: 404: 398: 395: 389: 387: 385: 381: 375: 373: 371: 367: 361: 358: 352: 350: 348: 344: 339: 335: 329: 326: 321: 315: 311: 310: 302: 299: 295: 289: 287: 285: 281: 278: 274: 271: 266: 263: 258: 251: 248: 242: 240: 236: 230: 228: 224: 220: 216: 211: 208: 202: 200: 196: 192: 190: 185: 183: 179: 175: 171: 162: 157: 153: 150: 142: 140: 137: 133: 129: 126:introduced a 125: 120: 118: 114: 109: 106: 102: 94: 93:1886 election 90: 89:1885 election 85: 78: 76: 74: 70: 59:371 injuries 55: 50: 46: 42: 36: 32: 28: 24: 19: 16: 451: 441: 434: 427: 421:Bibliography 411: 406: 397: 360: 337: 328: 308: 301: 293: 265: 256: 250: 218: 210: 197: 193: 186: 178:Orange Order 166: 146: 121: 110: 98: 68: 66: 15: 152:labourers. 61:442 arrests 473:1886 riots 462:Categories 450:, (2000), 217:, (2000), 203:References 170:Hugh Hanna 161:Hugh Hanna 79:Background 101:Catholics 273:Archived 172:and his 113:devolved 95:onwards. 34:Location 189:12 July 105:Belfast 73:Belfast 44:Methods 316:  149:navvy 143:Riots 314:ISBN 67:The 26:Date 464:: 383:^ 369:^ 346:^ 336:. 283:^ 238:^ 226:^ 134:, 322:.

Index

Belfast

1885 election
1886 election
Catholics
Belfast
devolved
Irish Home Rule Movement
William Gladstone
Home Rule Bill
Leader of the Conservative Party (UK)
Lord Randolph Churchill
navvy

Hugh Hanna
Hugh Hanna
Church of Ireland
Orange Order
Richard Rutledge Kane
12 July
Marianne Elliott




UUC History Faculty: The 1886 Home Rule Riots
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