Cruikshank’s caricature of Daniel O’Connell, an Irish lawyer and vigorous campaigner for Roman Catholic emancipation, offers a commentary on the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829, which had been passed only in the month prior to Cruikshank’s print was published.
The Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829, passed by Parliament on April 13th, 1829, was a result of Catholic Emancipation, a process that had been ongoing since the late 18th century, and one that intended to lift the restrictions placed on Roman Catholics throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Arguably the most important step of Catholic Emancipation was the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829, which ultimately allowed Catholics to sit in Parliament, and lifted voting restrictions over Catholics and Nonconformists.
In 1828, O’Connell had won the seat for Clare in a by-election, but due to the penal law that was in place at the time, as a Roman Catholic, he was restricted from taking his seat in Parliament. O’Connell had been vigorously campaigning for Catholic Emancipation for some time prior to his exclusion from Parliament, yet it was this event that caused great concern with the Prime Minister, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, and the Home Secretary, Sir Robert Peel. Despite both men opposing Catholic Emancipation, fears arose of an uprising in Ireland, which was predominantly Catholic, should O’Connell be rejected. Wellesley and Peel were able to convince King George IV of the importance of Catholic Emancipation, which eventually led to the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829.
The green neck cloth tied around O’Connell’s neck, and the shamrock attached to his hat, both allude to his Irish nationality, whilst his rather delighted expression suggests that he is celebrating the recent Roman Catholic Relief Act. His excitement for Ireland’s progress is evident in the speech inscribed above his head, which reads: ‘Cut away, ye devils cut away! Ye’ll bate’ em now. Oald Ireland for ever! Hurra!’ Standing in profile, O’Connell grasps onto a set of four reins. It could be suggested that Cruikshank uses this particular imagery to imply that Catholics, specifically the Irish, are attached to the end of the reins. Although the text above his head suggests that O’Connell is verging on setting them free, his strong hold over the reins proposes the contrary, with O’Connell very much in control.