Roman Catholic Relief Act 1793

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Roman Catholic Relief Act 1793 (Ireland)

The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1793 was an Irish law passed by the Parliament of Ireland on 9 April 1793. It was intended to ease many of the restrictions placed on Roman Catholics and to improve their political, educational, and economic situation in Ireland, while still leaving some limits in place. It followed the earlier Catholic relief efforts in Britain and Ireland.

Key points
- It repealed parts of the 1704 Popery Act and the 1727 Disfranchising Act, removing some restrictions on Catholics. In particular, Catholics could vote in elections for the Irish House of Commons.
- It did not allow Catholics to sit as Members of Parliament; the oath requirements for many Dublin Castle offices remained.
- It permitted Catholics to take degrees at Trinity College Dublin.
- It previously allowed Catholic schools to operate under certain conditions, and the 1793 act continued to ease educational restrictions in comparison with earlier laws.
- Section 8 allowed Catholics to be professors at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, though this was later widened by an 1800 act to include all Christians, not just Catholics.
- The act remained largely superseded by the Catholic Relief Act 1829, which further reduced restrictions and allowed Catholic MPs.

Later changes and repeal
- The 1829 act reduced or removed many remaining disabilities and opened political and public life further to Catholics.
- The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1793 was fully repealed in Northern Ireland by the Statute Law Revision Act 1953 and in the Republic of Ireland by the Statute Law Revision Act 1983.

Origin
- The act was introduced by Robert Hobart, Chief Secretary for Ireland, two years after the 1791 Catholic relief act in Britain.