Irish night
Encyclopedia
The Irish Night was a name given by London
ers to describe the period of hysteria in that city after James II
fled from there in the Revolution of 1688
.
After James left the city (the first time), on December 11, 1688, there was widespread rioting against the residences of ambassadors from Catholic nations, and against the homes and businesses of Catholic Londoners. The hysteria grew when rumors spread that James's Irish
army, recently disbanded without their final pay, was converging on London with a plan to sack the Protestant city. The rumors were of the sort that English Protestants had heard for years about Ireland, bloodcurdling and vicious. A fear spread quickly throughout the city.
The militia
assembled and the residents of the city barricaded the major streets. Indeed, some bands of Irish soldiers had appeared in the countryside, but they only begged for food and a way to return home, and no acts of violence were reported. The next day (December 13) the rumors were discovered to be false, and the city returned to a state of calm. Although the destruction to Catholics' property was great, none were killed. James returned (against his will) on December 16 to rousing acclaim but soon fled again, this time all the way to France
.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
ers to describe the period of hysteria in that city after James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
fled from there in the Revolution of 1688
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
.
After James left the city (the first time), on December 11, 1688, there was widespread rioting against the residences of ambassadors from Catholic nations, and against the homes and businesses of Catholic Londoners. The hysteria grew when rumors spread that James's Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
army, recently disbanded without their final pay, was converging on London with a plan to sack the Protestant city. The rumors were of the sort that English Protestants had heard for years about Ireland, bloodcurdling and vicious. A fear spread quickly throughout the city.
The militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
assembled and the residents of the city barricaded the major streets. Indeed, some bands of Irish soldiers had appeared in the countryside, but they only begged for food and a way to return home, and no acts of violence were reported. The next day (December 13) the rumors were discovered to be false, and the city returned to a state of calm. Although the destruction to Catholics' property was great, none were killed. James returned (against his will) on December 16 to rousing acclaim but soon fled again, this time all the way to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.