The reasons for the Nine Years’ War

Question 1

Fundamental causes

Answer 1

Tudor monarchs claimed to have the right to rule Ireland

England wanted to anglicise Ireland due to apparent lawlessness in the Irish way of life e.g. practice of tanistry

Break with Rome increased need for the english monarchy’s control and increased religious tensions

Anglo Irish Lords felt alienated by monarchy

Question 2

Division of control in Ireland

Answer 2

England controlled Dublin and its Pale through a Lord Deputy

Most of Ireland was controlled by Anglo-Irish nobility such as the O’Neills who as Irish chieftains maintained their own private armies and acted as quasi-kings

Question 3

Tanistry

Answer 3

All eligible males have a claim to the inheritance of lands/titles - ensured the clan was led by a strong adult male but led to feuds - this lawlessness led the English to anglicise Ireland’s laws and customs

Question 4

What happened in the 1530s?

Answer 4

Henry VIII broke with Rome and Ireland remained Roman Catholic - problem for the English as Catholic sympathies may lead them to support a Catholic crusade against England.

Question 5

Henry’s policy of conciliation

Answer 5

Concluded land would be surrendered and regranted under English titles

Anglo-Irish nobility were to be tenants-in-chief of the English crown.

Question 6

Mary’s approach

Answer 6

Ireland semi independent so Mary appointed Lord Deputy - Earl of Sussex

Encouraged English settlers to settle outside the Pale to civilise Ireland by introducing English customs and practices - system known as plantation

Question 7

Elizabeth’s rule of Ireland 1559-94

Answer 7

Divided Irish regions into English style counties run

Established councils - Cannaught and Munster 1569 and 1571 that modelled the Councils of the North and Wales as a response to the Revolt of the Northern Earls

Question 8

The result of Elizabeth’s intervention

Answer 8

Led to unsuccessful rebellions in Munster in 1569 and 1579-83 - rebels executed and their lands were used for plantation

Question 9

Why was there resentment in Munster?

Answer 9

In 1592 the new 775 English settlers in Munster: outnumbered by Irish but still caused resentment as they thought it was their God-given duty to convert the indigenous Irish

Question 10

Composition

Answer 10

1585 used composition to increase their hold over Ireland

Transferred payments from Irish landlords to English authorities for their land and armies for anglicism (English-style law and government in their territories)

Question 11

Ulster

Answer 11

controlled by the O’Neills (disputed by rival clan O’Donnells) clan remained the most Gaelic part of Ireland where English control was extremely limited

Question 12

English encroachment of Ulster

Answer 12

In the 1570s, English began to encroach (intrude) into Ulster territory - plantation failed due to O’Neills and O’Donnells uniting against a common enemy but the

English responded with violence killing 200 members of the O’Neill clan and 500 O’Donnells

Question 13

Reasons for temporary peace

Answer 13

1585 = Hugh O’Neill accepted the english title of Earl of Tyrone

1585 = chieftains of Ulster agreed to regranting of their estates to the English crown so that they became tenants of the English monarchy and subject to English law

Question 14

Tyrone’s attitude towards the English + why did it change

Answer 14

Before 1590 - willing to work with the English because he needed their support against a feud against O’Neill clan over Tyrone’s right to be the next chieftain

After 1590 attitudes changed as the government sought to assert its power directly in Ulster as Tyrone became a potential obstacle to complete English dominance

Question 15

What did Maguire do?

Answer 15

In May 1593, Hugh Maguire launched at attack on English officials in Sligo

Tyrone was orded by the Lord Deputy to arrest Maguire but he refused

Maguire then attacked the english garrison (troops placed at a fort/town) based at Monaghan (Ulster)

Question 16

How did Tyrone respond to Maguire?

Answer 16

Tyrone forced to cooperate with Henry Bagenal (in charge of english forces in the region) to capture Maguire in October 1593

Question 17

What did Tyrone want?

Answer 17

Tyrone wanted the English to give him overall charge of Ulster in return for which he would accept English-style government such as sheriffs and English law courts.

Question 18

Overall summary

Answer 18

Tyrone had loyalties to his catholic faith/Irish roots so he resented increasing english intervention and choose to rebel to challenge English control of Ireland

Religious Tensions: influx of Protestant settlers = threat to Catholics which led them to seek support from England’s enemy Spain