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Jun 13, 2015
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Napper Tandy
James Napper Tandy was a radical politician and became a member of the United Irishmen when that organisation was founded in 1791. Avoiding arrest for sedition by frequently changing his address, he eventually went to live in America and went to Paris in 1798 to help get Napoleon's support for an Irish rebellion.
Jun 13, 2015
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The shamrock is forbid by law
To grow on Irish ground
To grow on Irish ground
This is hyperbole, and, I think, a rather crude exaggeration. The shamrock was not forbidden, nor was wearing green clothing. What was considered a crime was wearing a green item as a gesture of nationalism. A green badge or cravat was like carrying a poster saying "Brits Out!"
Jun 11, 2015
In the 1790s, the revolutionary organisation, the United Irishmen, took to wearing some green item of clothing to indicate their politics. This was considered sedition by the English government of Ireland, and many were jailed for "wearing the green." The street ballad of the title first appeared around 1798. Many variations exist, and it is still fairly popular in Ireland.