17th June 1892
Ulster Unionist Convention
On 17th June 1892, 12,000 delegates (elected by Unionist associations across the country) met in Botanic Gardens in Belfast to show their opposition to Home Rule.
With a general election later in the year, Ulster unionists feared that if the Liberals got back into government, Home Rule for Ireland would be a real possibility.
Their objections to Home Rule were both economic and religious. Protestant industrialists feared that a Dublin parliament would be dominated by farmers who wouldn't have the knowledge or competence to govern industrial Ulster. They also felt a Dublin parliament would have a huge Catholic majority, and the belief was that 'Home Rule equals Rome rule'.
