Ireland was oppressed under British rule & how about now!?
https://www.yourirish.com/history/17th-century/introduction-of-anti-catholic-penal-laws
The Anti-Catholic Laws in Ireland
The more major of the laws include:
Exclusion of Catholics from holding public office such as a Judge, MP, solicitor, Jurist, barrister, civil servant, sheriff, or town councillor.
No Catholic could vote or be elected to office.
A ban was imposed upon Catholics from owning land.
Catholics could not lease land for longer than thirty-one years and the rent was to equal two-thirds of the yearly value of the land.
Catholics were not allowed to hold arms nor be members of the armed forces nor own a horse worth more than £5.
If a Catholic landholder died, his estate could not be passed to the eldest son unless that son was a Protestant. Otherwise, it was to be shared by all the surviving sons.
A ban imposed upon intermarriage between Catholics and Protestants.
Catholic could not be an orphan’s guardian.
Catholics were barred from living in many provincial towns.
Catholic clergy were to be registered and required to take an oath of loyalty, but friars, monks, hierarchy and Jesuits were to be exiled.
No cleric could wear distinguishing clothes.
Places of worship could not have a steeple nor display a cross.
Catholics and dissenters were required to pay tithes to the Anglican Church of Ireland which was the Established Church.
Catholics could not establish schools or send their children abroad for education.
The introduction of the Penal Laws in Ireland would have a serious impact on Irish society and dive Ireland into deeper poverty for years to come.
