Young Ireland was a radical nationalist movement set up in 1841 and by Thomas Davis. It wanted to encourage the study of Irish and the speaking of the language. This was to ensure that Irish was fully developed. They saw this as a road to . It believed in campaigns.

Ideologically, O’Connell from the leaders of the Young Ireland movement. They his parliamentary activities and the alliances he formed to gain . They were not willing to to get what they wanted. Davis was a Protestant and wanted kept out of the Repeal movement.

The straw which broke the camel’s back was when O’Connell stayed committed to protests. In 1846 the leaders of the Young Ireland movement voted in favour of the use of force to gain repeal. They were then from or left the Repeal Association.