A political biography of one of the more important, yet over-looked, Irish activist heroes Daniel O'Connell once described Edward Hay as "doing the business of the nation." This biography follows Hay's generation from the era of political exclusion to mass mobilization. As a witness to and chronicler of the dramatic events of 1798, he is one of Ireland's forgotten heroes. Edward Hay (c. 1761–1826) was born into a Wexford, Catholic, landed family. His involvement in the radical politics of the 1790s, his role in the rebellion of 1798, and his authorship of the history of the event as well as his heavy involvement in Catholic organizations after the Act of Union set him apart from many of his contemporaries.