Dear diary,
You’d never believe what happened! My beloved John just came home and told me farmer Bill just told him, farmer Sean’s wife knew that farmer Niall was there when farmer Arthur told his wife that something called “The Act of Union” was signed today. I had no idea what he was talking about, so he explained to me that, because of this stupid piece of paper, our beautiful Ireland is now part of the British Empire. At first I didn’t want to believe it because, to be honest, farmer Arthur is really old and it wouldn’t be the first time he heard voices no one else could hear. That’s what I told John too but he- isn’t he smart?- has already asked the priest and unfortunately he confirmed it would be true. So the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland" is a no nightmare, but reality. The priest also explained to my dear husband we would now be ruled by a protestant parliament… over a completely Catholic country (except this weird people in Ulster, of course) As if it was not enough our landlords are Protestants! The only one who likes this idea in our valley is farmer Niall. He calls himself a Unionist and says the British would help us and better times would start now. He is simply crazy. Next thing he says is that the Penal laws would not harm anyone! I work hard, I am mother of nine children, I have no time to wait for better days. If only there was a strong leader we could follow and fight those so-called fellow countrymen! I have to go and pray to Holy Mary, she was a mother too, she knows what it means to worry about one’s children and their future!
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