 Despite this the Nationalists felt the old sting of League meetings being outlawed, the traditional reaction of the Administration to the least sign of popular unrest.In August 1901 the UIL reached nearly 100,000 members, when its Directory issued a resolution calling for active agitation throughout Ireland.O'Brien now at the height of his prestige, dominated the UIL machine and in a vigorous speech on 15 September called for "“a great national strike against ranching and grabbing”" as its winter program.