Nature 7 - Differences between England & Ireland

Question 1

What is the difference between the Duration of English and Irish rebellions? Why?

Answer 1

Irish rebellions lasted much longer than English rebellions;

• the English government was reluctant to send large forces to Ireland because of the cost
• they were seen as less threatening because of the distance from London
• the rebels avoided open warfare and were therefore harder to defeat.

Question 2

What is the difference between the scale of English and Irish rebellions? Why?

Answer 2

The scale of Irish rebellions increased as the period progressed. This meant that English forces had to increase. Sir Edward Poynings, Lord Deputy under Henry VII, had 400 troops, but Lord Mountjoy, Deputy from 1600, needed 13,000 to defeat Tyrone.

Question 3

Give examples of when Irish rebels broke truces with the English

Answer 3

• The Earl of Kildere backed Simnel then swore allegiance to Henry VII but failed to arrest Warbeck when he landed.
• The Earl of Desmond was held in the Tower of London for five years to try to win his support, but it only encouraged him to take part in the Geraldine rebellion of 1579
• O’Neill had been brought up in the household of the Earl of Leicester and had helped with the defence of English garrisons between 1593-94, but because he was not rewarded he led the Tyrone rebellion. He signed a true with the English in both 1596 and 1599, but used the time to build up forced to continue the rebellion.

Question 4

When were Irish rebellions likely to end?

Answer 4

When the leaders were killed. However this did not always happen as Desmond took on the leadership of the unrest after Fitzgerald’s death in 1579.

Question 5

What is the difference between the support for English and Irish rebellions? Why?

Answer 5

There were no popular rebellions in Ireland, unlike English rebellions.
All rebellions were led by clan chiefs, who tried to get support from their tenants in the same way as the Northern Earls. Unrest in Ireland was localised or regional and rebellion entered on the Lands if the clan, except Tyrone’s rebellion, which was nationwide.

Question 6

What were the three major causes of Irish unrest?

Answer 6

• Imposition of direct rule from London
• The growing influence of English families
• Religious changes

Question 7

Elaborate on how unrest in Ireland was caused by the imposition of direct rule

Answer 7

henry VIII ended rule by the Irish nobility and declared himself king in 1541. This meant the Clan chiefs had to surrender their land and have them regranted according to English laws and renounce their customs, language and laws. They saw this as an attack on their traditional way of life.

Question 8

Elaborate on how unrest in Ireland was caused by the imposition of direct rule

Answer 8

After 1534, English officials were given administrative posts that had usually been given to Irish families. This lost the crown support of families such as the Kildares. The problem worsened by the plantations system, by which land was taken from rebels and granted to English landlords at reduced prices.

Question 9

Elaborate on how unrest in Ireland was caused by Religious

Answer 9

In Ireland religion was only a subsidiary cause or cloak, used to increase support. Clan chiefs often claimed they were protecting the Catholic Church, but their primary concern was to protect their interests. However, the arrival of Catholic missionary priests after Elizabeth’s excommunication in 1570 did encourage religious resistance and it can be seen as a feature of later rebellions.