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Irish Rebellion of 1798, Pitchcapping Torture

Pitchcapping was a form of torture used by the military against suspected Irish rebels during the period of the 1798 rebellion. The process involved pouring hot pitch, or tar, into a conical shaped paper cap, which was forced onto a bound suspect's head, allowed to cool, then rapidly removed, taking with it a portion of the suspect's skin and tissue. Less elaborate versions included smearing a cloth or piece of paper with pitch and pressing onto the head of the intended victim. The Irish Rebellion of 1798 was an uprising against British rule in Ireland lasting from May-September 1798. The United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influenced by the ideas of the American and French revolutions, were the main organizing force behind the rebellion. The intimate nature of the conflict meant that the rebellion at times took on the worst characteristics of a civil war. Sectarian resentment was fuelled by the remaining Penal Laws still in force. Rumors of planned massacres by both sides were common in the days before the rising and led to a widespread climate of fear.
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Title:
Irish Rebellion of 1798, Pitchcapping Torture
Caption:
Pitchcapping was a form of torture used by the military against suspected Irish rebels during the period of the 1798 rebellion. The process involved pouring hot pitch, or tar, into a conical shaped paper cap, which was forced onto a bound suspect's head, allowed to cool, then rapidly removed, taking with it a portion of the suspect's skin and tissue. Less elaborate versions included smearing a cloth or piece of paper with pitch and pressing onto the head of the intended victim. The Irish Rebellion of 1798 was an uprising against British rule in Ireland lasting from May-September 1798. The United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influenced by the ideas of the American and French revolutions, were the main organizing force behind the rebellion. The intimate nature of the conflict meant that the rebellion at times took on the worst characteristics of a civil war. Sectarian resentment was fuelled by the remaining Penal Laws still in force. Rumors of planned massacres by both sides were common in the days before the rising and led to a widespread climate of fear.
Credit:
Album / NYPL/Science Source
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Image size:
2990 x 4650 px | 39.8 MB
Print size:
25.3 x 39.4 cm | 10.0 x 15.5 in (300 dpi)
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