On January 10, 1800, the first united parliament of Great Britain and Ireland assembled at Westminster. This followed the passage of the Act of Union, which abolished the Irish Parliament in Dublin and integrated Ireland directly into the United Kingdom. Irish representatives took their seats in London for the first time, marking a fundamental shift in Irish governance. The move was met with both support and strong opposition in Ireland, with many viewing it as a loss of national sovereignty. The Act of Union remained a contentious issue throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.
