Editing Robert Emmet (section)

===Decision to proceed with a rising in Dublin===
[[File:Emmet in Thomas Street.jpg|thumb|Emmet in Thomas Street, The Shamrock, Dublin, 1890]]
{{main|Irish rebellion of 1803}}
After his return to Ireland in October 1802, assisted by [[Anne Devlin]] (ostensibly his housekeeper), and with a legacy of £2,000 left to him by his father, Emmet laid preparations for a rising. According to the later recollection of [[Myles Byrne]], on St Patrick's Day, 17 March 1803, Emmet gave a stirring speech to his confederates justifying the renewed resort to arms. If Ireland had cause in 1798, he argued it had only been compounded by the legislative union with Britain. As long as Ireland retained in its own parliament a "vestige of self-government", its people might entertain the hope of representation and reform. But now "in consequence of the accursed union": <blockquote>[S]even-eights of the population have no right to send a member of their body to represent them, even in a foreign parliament, and the other eight part of the population are the tools and taskmasters, acting for the cruel English government and their [[Protestant Ascendancy|Irish Ascendancy]]--a monster still worse, if possible than foreign tyranny.<ref>quoted in Geoghegan (2002), pp. 120-121</ref></blockquote>In April 1803, [[James Hope (Ireland)|James (Jemmy) Hope]] and [[Myles Byrne]] arranged conferences, at which Emmet promised arms, with [[Michael Dwyer]] (Devlin’s cousin), who still maintained a [[Guerrilla warfare|guerrilla resistance]] in the Wicklow Mountains,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-02-22|title=Michael Dwyer of Imaal|url=https://www.historyireland.com/18th-19th-century-history/michael-dwyer-of-imaal/|access-date=2021-06-08|website=History Ireland|archive-date=8 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608141225/https://www.historyireland.com/18th-19th-century-history/michael-dwyer-of-imaal/|url-status=live}}</ref> and with [[Thomas Cloney]], a veteran of the Wexford rebellion in '98.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Byrne|first=Miles|date=3 June 1907|title=Memoirs of Miles Byrne|url=http://archive.org/details/memoirsofmilesby01byrniala|publisher=Dublin : Maunsel|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> Hope and Russell headed north to rouse the United veterans of Down and Antrim.

In Dublin, Emmet believed his hand was forced on the 16th of July when gunpowder in the rebel arms depot in [[Patrick Street, Dublin|Patrick Street]] accidentally detonated, arousing the suspicion of the authorities. He persuaded the majority of the leadership to bring forward the date for the rising to the evening of Saturday, July 23, a festival day, which would provide cover for the gathering of their forces.<ref>{{Cite web|last=hÉireann|first=Stair na|date=2021-07-16|title=#OTD in 1803 – Irish Rebellion of 1803 {{!}} Following an explosion at his arms depot on this date, Robert Emmet brings forward his planned rebellion in Dublin to 23 July.|url=https://stairnaheireann.net/2021/07/16/otd-in-1803-irish-rebellion-of-1803-following-an-explosion-at-his-arms-depot-on-this-date-robert-emmet-brings-forward-his-planned-rebellion-in-dublin-to-23-july-5/|access-date=2021-12-01|website=Stair na hÉireann {{!}} History of Ireland|language=en-GB}}</ref> The plan, without any further consideration of French aid, was to storm [[Dublin Castle]], make hostage of [[Privy Council of Ireland|Privy Council]], and signal the country to rise.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|last=Bardon|first=Jonathan|title=A History of Ireland in 250 Episodes|publisher=Gill & Macmillan|year=2008|isbn=9780717146499|location=Dublin|pages=334–336}}</ref>