The Protestant Ascendancy, usually known in Ireland simply as the Ascendancy, was the political, economic, and social domination of Ireland by a minority of great landowners, Protestant clergy, and members of the professions, all members of the Established Church (the Church of Ireland and Church of England, both being the State Churches) between the 17th century and the early 20th century. The Ascendancy is widely seen as excluding primarily Roman Catholics, the majority of the Irish population within the whole island of Ireland, but this can be misleading, as members of the Presbyterian and other Protestant denominations, along with non-Christians such as the Jews, were also excluded politically and socially. Until the Reform Acts even the majority of Irish Protestants were effectively excluded from the Ascendancy, being too poor to vote. In general, the privileges of the Ascendancy were resented by Irish Catholics, who remained the majority of the population.
Read more about Protestant Ascendancy: Origin of Term, Duality of Use, Background, Act of Union, Decline
Famous quotes containing the words protestant and/or ascendancy:
“So the old flute was doomed and its fate was pathetic,
‘Twas fastened and burned at the stake as heretic,
While the flames roared around it they heard a strange
noise—
‘Twas the old flute still whistling ‘The Protestant Boys’.”
—Unknown. The Old Orange Flute (l. 37–40)
“As long as justice and injustice have not terminated their ever renewing fight for ascendancy in the affairs of mankind, human beings must be willing, when need is, to do battle for the one against the other.”
—John Stuart Mill (1806–1873)