Page 44 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

42  INTRODUCING IRELAND

Protestant Conquest

England’s break with the Catholic Church, the dissolution of
the monasteries and Henry VIII’s assumption of the title King
of Ireland incensed both the old Anglo-Norman dynasties and
resurgent Irish clans such as the O’Neills. Resistance to foreign
rule was fierce and it took over 150 years of war to establish the
English Protestant Ascendancy. Tudor and Stuart monarchs
adopted a policy of military persuasion, then Plantation. Ireland in 1625
Oliver Cromwell was even more forceful. Irish hopes were Main areas of Plantation in
the reign of James I
raised when the Catholic James II ascended to the English
throne, but he was deposed and fled to Ireland, where he
was defeated by William of Orange (William III) in 1690.

The first relief ship to reach
Londonderry was the Phoenix. For
three months English ships had been
prevented from sailing up the Foyle by
a wooden barricade across the river.

James II’s army
on the east bank
of the Foyle
attacks the ship.
Battle of the Boyne
This tapestry, from the Bank
of Ireland (see p64), shows
William of Orange leading his
troops against the army of
James II in 1690. His victory is
still celebrated by Orangemen
in Northern Ireland.

Silken Thomas Fitzgerald The artist’s depiction
Silken Thomas, head of the powerful of 17th-century
weapons and uniforms
Kildares, renounced his allegiance to is far from accurate.
Henry VIII in 1534. He was hanged
along with his five uncles in 1537.

1592 Trinity College, 1607 Flight of
1541 Henry VIII Sir Thomas Dublin founded the Earls: old
declared King of Lee, an officer Irish leaders flee
Ireland by Irish in Elizabeth I’s 1585 Ireland is to the Continent;
Henry Parliament army, dressed mapped and Plantation of
divided into
VIII in Irish fashion 32 counties Ulster
1500 1525 1550 1575 1600
1534 Silken Thomas 1582 Desmond 1603 Earl of
rebels against Henry VIII 1557 Mary I rebellion in Tyrone ends
eight years of
1504 8th Earl of Kildare 1539 Henry VIII orders first Munster war by signing
becomes master of Ireland dissolves plantations in 1588 Spanish Armada the Treaty
after victory at Knocktoe monasteries Offaly and Laois wrecked off west coast of Mellifont

042-043_EW_Ireland.indd 42 08/03/17 11:05 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight history template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1)
Date 22nd October 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm