In April 1784 the Hibernian Journal announced to its patriotic readership:

Such hyperbole was unwarranted, but the core of the newspaper's comment was correct. Few British politicians – including those of the longstanding opposition to Lord North during the American War – would put Irish interests before those of the empire. That said, there were subtle – and some not-so subtle – differences between the Irish policies adopted by Britain's political groupings and their leaders. I have written elsewhere of Fox's determination to balance the interests of the British parliament and empire with the interests of the Irish subject. But in many ways, despite his blasted political reputation – and it is difficult to talk up the achievement of a politician who makes so many enemies that his career is over, despite persistent rumours of a comeback, at the age of forty-six – Shelburne is a much more credible figure than Fox as an advocate of Irish interests within the British empire.

During the course of this chapter I intend to argue that in his approach to Irish issues – including policy-making – Shelburne adopted a stance that was influenced by two dominant considerations. The first is his commitment to a broadly Chathamite political world-view, and the second, his first-hand experience of Ireland through his landholdings.