O’Connell established a “rent” which was a one penny per month subscriptionto the association. This rent not only produced more revenue for the cause than everbefore, but also created a sense of belonging to the cause. In order to change the voice ofparliament to support Catholic emancipation the Association pushed its members to vote. They did not want them to vote according to their landlords whishes like they had done inthe past. O’Connell and the association wanted the people to vote to help their cause. The association was able to help financially support those who were kicked off of theirland for not complying with their landlords wishes of who to vote for. This enabled a fewmembers of parliament who were opposed to emancipation be replaced by those who did. Another turning point of the movement was when O’Connell decided to run againstFitzgerald for a seat in Parliament. Although O’Connell was prohibited by law to actuallysit in parliament he was allowed to run. In 1828 O’Connell’s people showed up at thevoting booths in large numbers and he defeated Fitzgerald, adding fire to his cause. Wellington and Peel were very powerful leaders in Parliament and opposed to theemancipation of Catholics, but could not fail to recognize the intensity and organization ofthe Association. Even though O’Connell called for a peaceful resolution Peel andWellington feared violence. When the Catholic Emancipation bill was introduced in 1829they supported and it was passed on April thirteenth of that year. This was a huge victoryfor O’Connell and they Catholic people. It also showed how when a feeling of nationalismwas created for a cause that goals could be accomplished. This was the most definingmoments of O’Connell’s career and inspiration for his repeal association which followedsoon after. The repeal association was organized in a similar fashion to the CatholicAss...
