-
Name
-
The 1798 Irish Crisis and Manx Sanctuary
-
Description
-
In 1798, when fears of French-supported Irish rebellion swept the Irish Sea, the island's volunteer companies turned out. The Keys — the same Keys who had petitioned London for decades about the impoverished state of the island — refused to criminalise their own people for sheltering Irish refugees who washed up on Manx shores. It was a moment of quiet defiance: the island would defend itself and serve the Crown, but it would not abandon its own traditions of sanctuary. Manx people had given shelter to strangers for as long as anyone could remember. The Crown's wars did not change that.
-
Active Period
-
1798
-
Type
-
Military Service
-
Source
-
Manuscript research; Keys records
