Confederate Oath of Association

Irish Confederates pledged allegiance to Charles I of Ireland.

The Confederate Oath of Association was an oath of allegiance made by Irish Confederate Catholics during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Its roots lay in the wider Wars of Religion at the time, the recent Tudor conquest saw the status of much of the Hiberno-Norman and Gaelic Irish gentry challenged, some were not fully assimilated into the nobility of the new Kingdom of Ireland. Following this Plantations, especially by the Scottish in Ulster also saw the seizure of much land to the dismay of the Irish — religious differences were an issue, the Irish remained mostly Catholic, incomers were either Presbyterian, Anglican or Puritan. During 1641 there was an open attempt by the Irish Catholic gentry to reconquer and seize power.

Although not a complete success, the Confederates as they would later be known established four strongholds across the island — around Ulster under Phelim O'Neill, around The Pale under Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara, in the south east under Richard Butler, 3rd Viscount Mountgarret and in the south west under Donagh MacCarthy, Viscount Muskerry. Following this the Scottish Covenanters drove O'Neill's forced out from Ulster, while English Royalists took care of the Pale. In response the Irish with the areas that they still held proclaimed a Confederate Ireland with its capital at Kilkenny; a constitution was drawn up by lawyer Patrick Darcy in consultation with a committee of noblemen, clergy and gentry — including this oath of allegiance. The Confederates accepted Charles I of the House of Stuart as their sovereign, however they wished to secure full rights for Catholics in Ireland, toleration of the Catholic religion and governance by its own local aristocracy.

Details

I, A.B., do profess, swear, and protest before God and His saints and angels, the I will, during my life, bear true faith and allegiance to my Sovereign Lord, Charles, by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, and to his heirs and lawful successors; and that I will, to my power, during my life, defend, uphold and maintain, all his and their just prerogatives, estates, and rights, the power and privilege of the Parliament of this realm, the fundamental laws of Ireland, the free exercise of the Roman Catholic faith and religion throughout this land; and the lives, just liberties, possessions, estates, and rights of all those that have taken, or that shall take this Oath, and perform the contents thereof; and that I will obey and ratify all the orders and decrees made, and to be made, by the Supreme Council of the Confederate Catholics of this Kingdom, concerning the said public cause; and I will not seek, directly or indirectly, any pardon or protection for any act done, or to be done, touching this general cause, without the consent of the major part of the said Council; and that I will not, directly or indirectly, do any act or acts that shall prejudice the said cause, but will, to the hazard of my life and estate, assist, prosecute and maintain the same.

Moreover, I do further swear that I will not accept of, or submit unto any peace, made, or to be made, with the said Confederate Catholics, without the consent and approbation of the General Assembly of the said Confederate Catholics, and for the preservation and strengthening of the association and union of the kingdom. That upon any peace or accommodation to be made, or concluded with the said Confederate Catholics as aforesaid, I will, to the utmost of my power, insist upon and maintain the ensuing propositions, until a peace, as aforesaid, be made, and the matters to be agreed upon in the articles of peace be established and secured by Parliament.

So help me God and His holy gospel.

Confederate Oath of Association, 1642.^[1]

Sources

1. ^ "The Confederate Oath of Association". BritishCivilWars.co.uk. http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/glossary/oath-of-association.htm.  Retrieved on 24 July 2009.