Lordship of Ireland
Ireland, 1171–1542. Draft, not yet reviewed
The Lordship of Ireland was the part of Ireland ruled by the King of England and controlled by loyal Anglo-Norman lords from 1177 to 1542. King Henry II of England arrived in Ireland with a large army in 1171. The Anglo-Norman lords, several Irish kings, and the Irish church leadership submitted to him. The rest of Ireland remained under the control of various Gaelic Irish kingdoms or chiefdoms, who were often at war with the Anglo-Normans.
Seat of power: Dublin
Rulers
Henry II of England
Lord of Ireland, 1171–1189
In October 1171 Henry sailed from Pembroke to Ireland. Henry's intervention was successful, and both the Irish and Anglo-Normans in the south and east of Ireland accepted his rule. In 1175 Henry agreed to the Treaty of Windsor, under which Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair would be recognised as the High King of Ireland.
Portrait of Henry II of England: Gerald of Wales, Public domain, file
John, King of England
Lord of Ireland, 1199–1216
In 1185 John made his first visit to Ireland, accompanied by 300 knights and a team of administrators. John's first period of rule in Ireland was not a success. He offended the local Irish rulers, failed to make allies amongst the Anglo-Norman settlers and returned to England later in the year.
Portrait of John, King of England: HISTORY OF ENGLAND by SAMUEL R. GARDINER, Public domain, file
Henry III of England
Lord of Ireland, 1216–1272
Henry III was King of England, Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death in 1272. Ireland was important to Henry, both as a source of royal revenue and as a source of estates that could be granted to his supporters. The 1240s saw major upheavals in land ownership due to deaths among the barons, enabling Henry to redistribute Irish lands to his supporters.
Portrait of Henry III of England: AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, file
Edward I of England
Lord of Ireland, 1272–1307
Edward's primary interest in Ireland was as a source of resources, soldiers and funds for his wars, in Gascony, Wales, Scotland and Flanders. Corruption among Edward's officials was at a high level, and despite Edward's efforts after 1272 to reform the Irish administration, record keeping was poor. The funnelling of revenue to Edward's wars left Irish castles, bridges and roads in disrepair.
Portrait of Edward I of England: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Edward II of England
Lord of Ireland, 1307–1327
Edward changed his mind and instead sent Gaveston to Dublin, appointing him as the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. A Scottish expedition led by Robert's brother Edward Bruce successfully invaded Ireland in 1315. Edward Bruce declared himself the High King of Ireland and was finally defeated in 1318 by Edward II's Irish justiciar, Edmund Butler, at the Battle of Faughart.
Portrait of Edward II of England: Tilman2007, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Edward III of England
Lord of Ireland, 1327–1377
The king's second son, Lionel of Antwerp, attempted to subdue by force the largely autonomous Anglo-Irish lords in Ireland. The venture failed, and the only lasting mark he left was the suppressive Statutes of Kilkenny in 1366.
Portrait of Edward III of England: William Bruges, Public domain, file
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Richard II of England
Lord of Ireland, 1377–1399
The English lordships in Ireland were in danger of being overrun by the Gaelic Irish kingdoms, and the Anglo-Irish lords were pleading for the King to intervene. In the autumn of 1394, Richard left for Ireland, where he remained until May 1395. The invasion was a success, and a number of Irish chieftains submitted to English overlordship.
Portrait of Richard II of England: anonymous / Possibly André Beauneveu, Public domain, file
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Henry IV of England
Lord of Ireland, 1399–1413
Henry IV was King of England from 1399 to 1413 and Lord of Ireland.
Portrait of Henry IV of England: The National Archives UK, Public domain, file
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Henry V of England
Lord of Ireland, 1413–1422
Henry V was King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine from 1413 until his death in 1422.
Portrait of Henry V of England: Jean Galopes, Public domain, file
Henry VI of England
Lord of Ireland, 1422–1461
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471. Henry VI became king of England at the age of nine months, following the death of his father, Henry V.
Portrait of Henry VI of England: Poems and Romances (Shrewsbury book), illuminated by the MASTER OF JOHN TALBOT, Public domain, file
Edward IV of England
Lord of Ireland, 1461–1483
Edward IV was King of England from 1461 to 1470, then again from 1471 until he died in 1483.
Portrait of Edward IV of England: Lucas Horenbout, Public domain, file
Henry VI of England
Lord of Ireland, 1470–1471
Henry VI was King of England again from 1470 to 1471.
Portrait of Henry VI of England: Poems and Romances (Shrewsbury book), illuminated by the MASTER OF JOHN TALBOT, Public domain, file
Richard III of England
Lord of Ireland, 1483–1485
Richard III was King of England from 1483 until his death in 1485. Richard appointed his nephew John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, as Lieutenant of Ireland, an office previously held by his son Edward.
Portrait of Richard III of England: Barthel ii, Public domain, file
Henry VII of England
Lord of Ireland, 1485–1509
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1485 until his death in 1509. The rebellion began in Ireland, where the historically Yorkist nobility, headed by the powerful Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare, proclaimed Simnel king and provided troops for his invasion of England. Henry showed remarkable clemency to the surviving rebels: he pardoned Kildare and the other Irish nobles.
Portrait of Henry VII of England: anonymous, Public domain, file
Henry VIII of England
Lord of Ireland, 1509–1542
At the beginning of Henry's reign, Ireland was effectively divided into three zones: the Pale, where English rule was unchallenged; Leinster and Munster, the so-called "obedient land" of Anglo-Irish peers; and the Gaelic Connaught and Ulster, with merely nominal English rule. Until 1513, Henry continued the policy of his father, to allow Irish lords to rule in the King's name and accept steep divisions between the communities.
Portrait of Henry VIII of England: Workshop of Hans Holbein the Younger, Public domain, file
Culture
- The Norman elite and churchmen spoke Norman French and Latin. The Gaelic areas spoke Irish dialects.
- The Norman and English colonists exhibited a tendency to adopt much of the native culture and language, becoming Gaelicized. In 1366 the Statute of Kilkenny tried to keep aspects of Gaelic culture out of the Norman-controlled areas albeit in vain.
- The Yola language of County Wexford was a survivor of the early English dialects.
Picture
Dublin Castle served as the seat of English, then later British, government of Ireland under the Lordship of Ireland.
Image: J.-H. Janßen, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.