Ireland’s penal laws were an attempt to discriminate by preventing the legal rights of some of her inhabitants. Those denizens who were set apart were primarily the Catholics. Legislation against Catholic rights to join the armed forces and to enter office began in 1607 and ended at 1728. (Irish Endured Years of British Repression) However, the Irish penal laws kept Catholics from far more than merely holding political office and joining Ireland’s army. Under these laws Catholics could not marry Protestants, they could not vote, they could not adopt children, nor could they perform a number of other actions. (Irish Endured Years of British Repression)