Special Collections

Irish Home Rule Political Cartoons
This digital collection consists of 19th century political cartoons addressing Irish political issues of the time, including the Irish Repeal Movement, Irish Home Rule, Irish Nationalism and the Land War. While the majority of the collection consists of chromolithographs published in the 1880s by Irish newspapers, there are a few examples of political cartoons published in the 1840s by the British satire magazine Punch.
Irish Repeal Campaign Cartoons
Illustrating opposing attitudes to the 1801 Act of Union which created a legislative union between England and Ireland. Three anti- union cartoons published in Dublin flatteringly portray Daniel O'Connell, (Irish statesman, founder in 1840 of the Repeal Association which sought restoration of the Irish parliament), in his struggle against English rule as personified by Arthur Wellesley, (Duke of Wellington, British Prime Minster, 1828-1830, 1834), and Sir Robert Peel, (Prime Minister, 1834-1835, 1841-1846). Accompanying O'Connell in two cartoons is a figure that may represent Thomas Osborne Davis, (Irish writer, organizer of the Young Ireland movement, founder of the pro-repeal newspaper, The Nation). In contrast, a fourth cartoon, by English caricaturist, George Cruikshank, represents O'Connell as an ax-wielding bully attempting to sever the hands of England and Ireland united in friendship. The final item, a damaged election flier entitled, "Under the British Flag," depicts Liberal policies favorably in comparison to those of the Tories (Conservatives).