Irish Volunteers

…and to pressure from the Irish Volunteers, a militia organized to defend Ireland against possible French invasion—relinquished their right to legislate for Ireland and freed the Irish Parliament from subservience to the English Privy Council. Despite these successes, Grattan soon faced rivalry from Flood, who bitterly criticized Grattan for failing…

Protestant Irish volunteer corps, spontaneously formed to defend the country against possible French attack, exerted pressure for reform. A patriotic opposition led by Henry Flood and Henry Grattan began an agitation that led in 1782 to the repeal of the Declaratory Act of 1720 and to…