The Influence of American Independence on the Irish Revolution. Guest: Professor Richard Bell. The American Revolution signaled that British imperial control was not invincible, inspiring the 1798 Irish revolt by the United Irishmen. Irish-born soldiers w

The Influence of American Independence on the Irish Revolution. Guest: Professor Richard Bell. The American Revolution signaled that British imperial control was not invincible, inspiring the 1798 Irish revolt by the United Irishmen. Irish-born soldiers were so prevalent in Washington's ranks that British commanders nicknamed the Continental Army the "Line of Ireland." Lord Cornwallis, famously defeated at Yorktown, was later sent to Ireland to suppress this uprising with brutal effectiveness. The conflict highlighted the divided loyalties within Ireland, where different religious groups viewed the American struggle as a model for their own constitutional concessions or total independence from the British Crown. 4
1850