(Irish) Repeal

Repeal was a demand by Irish nationalist leader Daniel O'Connell for the repeal of the 1801 Act of Union which had merged the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He wanted to see the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Ireland as a separate legal entity, with its own parliament and government, sharing only a joint monarch with Britain. Ireland's kingdom was to be equal to Britain; a similar equality would exist with both their parliaments. His campaign failed, however. In contrast, later Irish nationalist leaders like Charles Stewart Parnell demanded merely Home Rule, which involved the creation of a subsidiary parliament in Ireland, with Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom. Ireland's parliament would only be a devolved local administration, inferior to Westminster in terms of powers, status and influence. It could also be abolished by an Act of the British parliament.