WhenitbecameclearfromthecourseofeventsinEnglandthatCharlesII。wasabouttoberestoredtothethroneLordBroghillandSirCharlesCoote，bothofwhomhadhelpedtocrushtheIrishRoyalistsandhadprofitedlargelybytheRevolution，hastenedtoshowtheirzealfortheking\'scause。TheCatholicswhohadfoughtsoloyallyforhisfatherhopedthatatlastjusticewouldbedonetothembyre-instatingtheminthelandsfromwhichtheyhadbeendrivenbytheenemiesoftheking。ButCharleswasdeterminedtotakenorisks。HesentovertheDukeofOrmond，themostdangerousenemyoftheCatholicreligioninIreland，asLordLieutenant1660。AParliamentwascalledin1661，andastheCatholicshadbeendrivenfromthecorporatetownsduringtheCromwellianrégimeandastheCromwellianplanterswerestillinpossession，theHouseofCommonswastoallintentsandpurposesProtestant。AnActofSettlementwaspassedwherebyCatholicswhocouldprovetheir\"innocence\"oftherebellionweretoberestored，butthedefinitionofinnocenceinthecasewassocomplicatedthatitwashopedfewCatholics，ifany，wouldsucceedinestablishingtheirclaims1661。ACourtofClaimscomposedoffiveProtestantCommissioners，wassetuptoexaminetheindividualcases，butinashorttime，whenitwasdiscoveredthatalargenumberofCatholicsweresucceedinginsatisfyingtheconditionslaiddownbylawforrestorationtotheirproperty，anoutcrywasraisedbytheplanters，andtheCourtofClaimswassuspended1664。TheActofExplanationwasthenpassedtosimplifytheproceedings，asaresultofwhichacttwo-thirdsofthelandofIrelandwasleftinthehandsoftheProtestantsettlers。CloseonsixtyoftheCatholicnobilitywererestoredasaspecialfavourbytheking，butalargebodyofthosewhohadbeendrivenoutbyCromwellwereleftwithoutanycompensation。
InconsequenceoftheCromwellianpersecutionnearlyallthebishopsandalargebodyoftheclergy，bothsecularandregular，hadbeendrivenfromIreland，butaftertheaccessionofCharles，whowasknowntobepersonallyfriendlytotheCatholics，manyofthembegantoreturn。Itwouldbeamistake，however，toimaginethatthepersecutionhadceased，orthatthelawsagainsttheclergywerenotputinforceinseveraldistricts。OrmondreturnedtoIrelandashostiletoCatholicityashehadbeenbeforehewasdrivenintoexile；
andashethoughtthathehadaparticulargrievanceagainsttheIrishbishopshewasdeterminedtostiruptheclergyagainstthem，todividetheCatholicsintowarringfactions，andbyfavouringonesidetocreatearoyalistCatholicpartyasdistinctfromtheultramontaneorpapalparty。ForthisworkhehadathandausefulinstrumentinthepersonofFatherPeterWalsh，aFranciscanfriar，whohaddistinguishedhimselfasabitteropponentofthenuncioandasaleaderoftheOrmondistfactionintheSupremeCouncil。In1661itwasdeterminedbysomeleadingmembers，bothlayandclerical，topresentanaddressofwelcometoCharlesII。，butbytheinfluenceofWalshandotherstheaddress，insteadofbeingamereprotestationofloyalty，wasframedonthemodeloftheOathofAllegiance1605，whichhadbeencondemnedmorethanoncebythePope。ManyoftheCatholiclordsindicatedtheiragreementwiththisaddressorRemonstrance，asitwascalled，andsomeoftheclergy，deceivedbythecounselsofFatherWalsh，expressedtheirwillingnesstoadheretoitsterms。Ormond，whospentmoneyfreelyinsubsidisingWalshandhissupporters，[69]hadgoodreasontobedelightedwiththesuccessofhisschemes。Gravedisputesbrokeoutamongtheclergy，whichthegovernmenttookcaretofomentbypatronisingtheRemonstrantsandbywreakingitsvengeanceontheanti-Remonstrantsonthegroundsoftheirallegeddisloyalty。TobringmatterstoacrisisitwasarrangedbyWalshandOrmondthatameetingofthebishops，vicars，andheadsofreligiousordersshouldbeheldinDublinJune1666。InadditiontoDr。O\'Reilly，ArchbishopofArmagh，BishopsPlunkettofArdagh，andLynchofKilfenora，therewerepresentanumberofvicarsofvacantdiocesestogetherwithrepresentativesoftheFranciscans，Dominicans，Augustinians，Capuchins，andJesuits。[70]Dr。O\'ReillyspokestronglyagainstthetermsoftheRemonstranceasbeinghighlydisrespectfultothePope，andthemajorityofthosepresentsupportedhiscontention。
Theyexpressedtheirwillingnesstopresentanaddressofloyaltyfromwhichtheobjectionableclausesshouldbeomitted。ButWalsh，dissatisfiedwithanythingbutacompletesubmission，shiftedthegroundofthedebate，byendeavouringtosecuretheacceptanceoftheassemblyofthepro-GallicandeclarationoftheSorbonne1663。Evenstillhiseffortswerefarfrombeingsuccessful，andthemeetingwasdissolvedbyOrmond。TheprimatewaskeptaprisonerinDublinforsomemonths，andthentransportedtotheContinent，whiletheothermemberspresentwereobligedtomaketheirescapefromIrelandortogointohiding。ByordersofOrmondclosewatchwaskeptupontheclergywhosidedagainsttheRemonstrance，andmanyofthemwerethrownintoprison。[71]
In1669Ormondwasrecalled，andafterashorttimeLordBerkeleywassentoverasLordLieutenant。Thoughhewasinstructedto\"executethelawsagainstthetitulararchbishops，bishops，andvicar-generals，thathavethreatenedorexcommunicatedtheRemonstrants，\"[72]yet，asthepersonalfriendoftheDukeofYork，andasonewhoknewintimatelytheking\'sownviews，heactedinastolerantamannertowardsCatholicsasitwaspossibleforhimtodoconsideringthestateofmindoftheofficialsandoftheProtestantbishopsandclergy。From1670tillthearrivalofOrmondoncemorein1677，thoughseveralproclamationswereissuedandthoughhereandthereindividualpriestswerepersecuted，Catholicsasabodyenjoyedcomparativecalm。