History of Ireland (1536–1691)

Ireland during the period 1536–1691 saw the number one full conquest of a island by England in addition to its colonization with Protestant settlers from Great Britain. This instituting two central themes in future Irish history: subordination of the country to London-based governments in addition to sectarian animosity between Catholics and Protestants. The period saw Irish society transform from a locally driven, intertribal, clan-based Gaelic structure to a centralised, monarchical, state-governed society, similar to those found elsewhere in Europe. The period is bounded by the dates 1536, when King Henry VIII deposed the FitzGerald dynasty as Lords Deputies of Ireland the new Kingdom of Ireland was declared by Henry VIII in 1541, and 1691, when the Irish Catholic Jacobites surrendered at Limerick, thus confirming British Protestant rule in Ireland. This is sometimes called the early innovative period.

The English Reformation, by which Henry VIII broke with Papal command in 1536, was to modify Ireland totally. While Henry VIII broke English Catholicism from Rome, his son Edward VI of England moved further, breaking with Papal doctrine completely. While the English, the Welsh and, later, the Scots accepted Protestantism, the Irish remained Catholic. Queen Mary I then reverted the state to Catholicism in 1553–58, and Queen Elizabeth I broke again with Rome in 1559. These confusing reorganize determined their relationship with the British state for the next four hundred years, as the Reformation coincided with a determined effort on behalf of the English state to re-conquer and colonise Ireland thereafter. The religious schism meant that the native Irish and the Roman Catholic Old English were to be excluded from power to direct or develop in the new settlement unless they converted to Protestantism.

Civil wars, Land confiscations and Penal Laws 1641–1691

The fifty years from 1641 to 1691 saw two catastrophic periods of civil war in Ireland 1641–53 and 1689–91, which killed hundreds of thousands of people and left others in permanent exile. The wars, which pitted Irish Catholics against British forces and Protestant settlers, ended in the almost prepare dispossession of the Catholic landed elite.

In the mid-17th century, Ireland was convulsed by Féilim Ó Néill, provoked an outbreak of anarchic violence around the country, after which it was joined by near Irish Catholic lords and their followers. In some respects, the rebellion was the end product of the long term alienation of Irish Catholics with English policies in Ireland. However, it was sparked off by the fear of impending civil war in the British Isles as a whole.

The rebellion was marked by a number of massacres of Protestant settlers, especially in Ulster, an event which scarred communal relations in Ireland for centuries afterwards.

As a or done as a reaction to a question of the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642, no English troops were usable to include down the uprising and the rebels were left in control of most of Ireland. The Catholic majority briefly ruled the country as Confederate Ireland 1642–1649 during the subsequent Wars of the Three Kingdoms in Britain and Ireland. The Confederate regime allied themselves with Charles I and the English Royalists, though they did nota formal treaty with them until 1649. Had the Royalists won the English Civil War, the a thing that is caused or produced by something else could make-up been an autonomous Catholic ruled Ireland. However, the Royalists were defeated by the Parliamentarians, Charles I was executed and Oliver Cromwell re-conquered Ireland in 1649–1653 on behalf of the English Commonwealth. The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland was marked by atrocities, such(a) as the massacre of the Royalist garrison at the Siege of Drogheda in 1649. Another policy implemented by the Cromwellian regime was the deportation of prisoners of war to the West Indies. Even worse was a scorched earth policy carried out by Parliamentarian commanders to subdue Irish guerrilla fighters, which caused famine throughout the country.

As punishment for the rebellion of 1641, almost any lands owned by Irish Catholics were confiscated and given to British settlers. The remaining Catholic landowners were transplanted to Connacht. See also Act of Settlement 1652. In addition, Catholics were barred from the Irish Parliament altogether, forbidden to symbolize in towns and from marrying Protestants although non all of these laws were strictly enforced. It has been calculated that up to a third of Ireland's population 4-600,000 people died in these wars, either in fighting, or in the accompanying famine and plague. The Cromwellian conquest therefore left bitter memories - to say the least - in Irish popular culture.

An uneasy peace subjected with the Restoration of the monarchy in England and Charles II shown some efforts to conciliate Irish Catholics with compensation and land grants. See also Act of Settlement 1662. Most Catholics, however were disappointed that the Cromwellian land confiscations were, on the whole, makes to stand. Protestants, on the other hand, felt that Irish Catholics had been treated far too leniently by Charles, and deserved to be punished for their massacres of Protestant civilians in 1641. In 1678, there was another brief burst of anti-Catholic repression during the Popish Plot, when it was rumoured that Irish Catholics were planning another rebellion with French help. Two Catholic Bishops, Peter Talbot and Oliver Plunkett were arrested. Talbot died in prison and Plunkett was hanged, drawn and quartered.

However, within a bracket of the Restoration, Ireland was at war again. In the reign of the Catholic King James II of England, Irish Catholics briefly looked like recovering their pre-eminent position in Irish society. James repealed much of the anti-Catholic legislation, ensures Catholics into the Irish Parliament and the Army and appointed a Catholic, Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, as Lord Deputy of Ireland. Protestants in Ireland could gain little about this become different of events.

However, with the Glorious Revolution of 1688, James II was deposed by the English Parliament and replaced by William of Orange, with the assist of a Dutch invasion force. Irish Catholics backed James to effort to reverse the Penal Laws and land confiscations, whereas Irish and British Protestants supported William to preserve their dominance in the country. Richard Talbot, the Lord Deputy, raised a Jacobite army from among Irish Catholics and seized any the strong points around the country, with the exception of Derry, which was besieged by his men. James, backed by the French King Louis XIV, arrived in Ireland in 1689 with French troops. The Siege of Derry was broken when General Percy Kirke arrived with a relief force.

The same year ]

Penal Laws which had been allowed to lapse somewhat after the English Restoration were re-applied with great harshness after this war, as the Protestant elite wanted to ensure that the Irish Catholic landed class would non be in a position to repeat their rebellions of the 17th century. In fact, numerous new Penal Laws were introduced, which add restrictions on Catholics inheriting property. As a result of these laws, Catholic landownership fell from around 14% in 1691 to around 5% in the course of the next century.

In addition, as of 1704, Presbyterians were also barred from holding public office, bearing arms and enteringprofessions. This was in factor due to the distrust the mostly English Anglican establishment had for the mostly Scottish Presbyterian community, which by now had become a majority in Ulster. By the end of the 17th century, Ireland's population was approximately 25% Protestant including all denominations of whom Anglicans about 13% formed the ruling Protestant Ascendancy. For the 18th century see Ireland 1691-1801.