Irish History
And
The Fighting Irish
And
The Fighting Irish
( Henry VIII's Policies )
A
modern historian thus passes judgment on Tudor Policy: " If there had been any truth or consideration for
Ireland in the royal compact some hope of compromise and conciliation might have opened. But the whole scheme was rooted and grounded in falsehood and Ireland had yet to learn how far sufferings by the quibble and devices of law might exceed the disasters of open war. Chiefs could be ensnared one by one in misleading contracts, practically void. A false claimant could be put on a territory and supported by English soldiers in a civil war, till the actual chief was exiled or yielded the land to the King's ownership. No Chief, true or false, had power to give away the people's land, and the King was face to face with an indignant people. who refused to admit an illegal bargain. Then came a march of soldiers over the district, hanging, burning, shooting ' the rebels ' casting the peasants out on the hillsides. There was also the way of " conquest " The whole of the inhabitants were to be exiled and the countries made vacant and waste for English peopling; the sovereign's rule would be immediate and peremptory over those whom he had thus planted by his sole will, and Ireland would be kept in a way unknown in England; then ' the King might say Ireland was clearly won, and after he would be at little cost and receive great profits, and men and money at pleasure ' . . .Henceforth it became a fixed policy to " exterminate and exile the country people of the Irishry " Whether they submitted or not the King was ' to inhabit their country ' with English blood. "
Henry hoped to have a royal army of Ireland as " a sword and a flay " to his subjects in England and to his enemies abroad. His dream seemed to be realised when Earl Con O' Neill and other Irish lords, in the full flush of faith and confidence in Englsih justice, sent an army to aid Henry's troops against Francis I, King of France - Ireland's best Continental friend - at the siege of Boulogne ( 1544 ) The false disillusioned Irish did not repeat this experiment. Also, Henry believed he could raise a big revenue out of Ireland's pockets for his sensualities and his political objectives. But this likewise failed, because his " cormorants and caterpillars " ( as one of their number happily described his fellow officials in Dublin Castle ) were too busy amassing wealth for themselves.
The introduction of the Protestant Reformation principles added sources of fresh outrages, and new oppressions. In Ireland Protestantism was not given a chance to appeal to the people by any ethical, religious, or political ideals. The licentious unpaid English soldiery who had to maintain themselves by plunder and rape, were accompanied by incendiaries who left not a homestead, not a blade of corn standing; these apostles were followed by ministers of the Gospel, with hangmen and escheators in their train.
So amidst an orgy of slaughters and executions, in which neither age nor sex, neither the infirm nor the strong were spared, and of burnings, the true teachings of the Prince of Peace were supposed to be inculcated. The sould of Ireland, resurrected through the crucifixion of her body, became the most devoted daughter of the Catholic Church. The destruction of the monasteries, churches and schools, became a passion. Even the possession of a manuscript on any subject whatever incurred the death penalty.
Poets and historians were put to the sword and their books and genealogies burned so that no man " might know his own grandfather. " All Irishmen, Old and New, were to be confounded in the same ignorance and abasement, all glories gone and all rights lost. The great object of the English Government was to purge the land of Ireland of its rightful sons, to destroy the National tradition, to wipe out Gaelic memories, and to begin a new English life.
Henry's well-defined policies were religiously pursued by his successors, Eward and Mary. The ministers of his son, Edward VI, intensified the vigour of his religious crusade. Religion was to be made sweet to the heretical Irish - " with the Bible in one hand, in the other the Sword. " The English Liturgy in English was to be " rammed down the rebels' throats. " Edward's sister, " Bloody Mary " who at Smithfield set alight the pyre, to burn those who dared to worship the God of Truth, the God of Mercy, in a way different from hers, in Ireland amid great rejoicings restored the Catholic religion. The long suffering Irish Church was now restored to its own.
Mary's political policy did not differ from that of her father. Her Irish rule was no less merciless than that of her two predecessors. Catholic England, Protestant England - both were to Ireland, as one in savage tyranny.
The O' Connors of Offaly and the O' Mores of Leix having dared to defend their lands against the English invaders were out-lawed and their countries fortfeited to the Crown. A long and bloody warfare, conducted with terrible ferocity, was the result. " Civil " English people and licentious soldiery were " planted " on the O' Connors and O' Mores' lands; their owners being ' rooted up by the sword ' and burnt out by the torch. This " godly reformation " being achieved, these clan districts were named King's and Queen's County in honour of Mary and her Spanish husband, King Philip. The remnants of the broken clans were to be allowed to inhabit the boglands provided they became English in every sense of the word. Even in Ireland there is nothing so heroic, so persistent so indefatigable as the efforts made by these two gallant clans to recover their homes and altars. The struggle was maintained for generations. Like storm-beaten birds in crannied nooks they emerged at every lull in the National storm and carried fire and sword among the " planters " Even to this dat O' More and O' Conor are the principal families in the district, where their forefathers ruled as just, munificent princes.
The introduction of the Protestant Reformation principles added sources of fresh outrages, and new oppressions. In Ireland Protestantism was not given a chance to appeal to the people by any ethical, religious, or political ideals. The licentious unpaid English soldiery who had to maintain themselves by plunder and rape, were accompanied by incendiaries who left not a homestead, not a blade of corn standing; these apostles were followed by ministers of the Gospel, with hangmen and escheators in their train.
So amidst an orgy of slaughters and executions, in which neither age nor sex, neither the infirm nor the strong were spared, and of burnings, the true teachings of the Prince of Peace were supposed to be inculcated. The sould of Ireland, resurrected through the crucifixion of her body, became the most devoted daughter of the Catholic Church. The destruction of the monasteries, churches and schools, became a passion. Even the possession of a manuscript on any subject whatever incurred the death penalty.
Poets and historians were put to the sword and their books and genealogies burned so that no man " might know his own grandfather. " All Irishmen, Old and New, were to be confounded in the same ignorance and abasement, all glories gone and all rights lost. The great object of the English Government was to purge the land of Ireland of its rightful sons, to destroy the National tradition, to wipe out Gaelic memories, and to begin a new English life.
Henry's well-defined policies were religiously pursued by his successors, Eward and Mary. The ministers of his son, Edward VI, intensified the vigour of his religious crusade. Religion was to be made sweet to the heretical Irish - " with the Bible in one hand, in the other the Sword. " The English Liturgy in English was to be " rammed down the rebels' throats. " Edward's sister, " Bloody Mary " who at Smithfield set alight the pyre, to burn those who dared to worship the God of Truth, the God of Mercy, in a way different from hers, in Ireland amid great rejoicings restored the Catholic religion. The long suffering Irish Church was now restored to its own.
Mary's political policy did not differ from that of her father. Her Irish rule was no less merciless than that of her two predecessors. Catholic England, Protestant England - both were to Ireland, as one in savage tyranny.
The O' Connors of Offaly and the O' Mores of Leix having dared to defend their lands against the English invaders were out-lawed and their countries fortfeited to the Crown. A long and bloody warfare, conducted with terrible ferocity, was the result. " Civil " English people and licentious soldiery were " planted " on the O' Connors and O' Mores' lands; their owners being ' rooted up by the sword ' and burnt out by the torch. This " godly reformation " being achieved, these clan districts were named King's and Queen's County in honour of Mary and her Spanish husband, King Philip. The remnants of the broken clans were to be allowed to inhabit the boglands provided they became English in every sense of the word. Even in Ireland there is nothing so heroic, so persistent so indefatigable as the efforts made by these two gallant clans to recover their homes and altars. The struggle was maintained for generations. Like storm-beaten birds in crannied nooks they emerged at every lull in the National storm and carried fire and sword among the " planters " Even to this dat O' More and O' Conor are the principal families in the district, where their forefathers ruled as just, munificent princes.
