Why Did The Nine Years War Break Out Flashcards
How was Ireland run
- not ruled by Tudor monarchs, but they claimed they had the right to
- England controlled Dublin and it Pale (area surrounding) through a Lord Deputy
- situation beyond the Pale (the irishry) was complex, mostly controlled by Anglo-Irish members of nobility, e.g. O’Neills, Irish chieftains, maintained private armies and acted as quasi-kings in their regions
How was the Irish government and traditions different to England
- practiced tanistry (clans run by a leader chosen from adult males of that clan)
- didn’t adopt English titles, e.g. Earl
- led to feuds as rivals for chieftainship struggled for power
Long-term causes of the rebellion
1503s: Henry VIII broke from Rome, Ireland remained Roman Catholic
Why was the break from Rome problematic for Ireland
Problem for Henry as Irish Catholic sympathies might lead them to support a Catholic crusade against England
So in 1940s: policy of conciliation created
What was the policy of conciliation in the 1940s
- In 1941: Irish chieftains agreed to recognise Henry’s right to be king of Ireland
- English government encouraged the Anglo-Irish nobility to surrender their lands to the crown
- lands regranted to Anglo-Irish
- Irish nobility to be tenants-in-chief of the English Crown, given English titles
Response to Anglo-Irish nobility
Remained semi-independent after policy of reconciliation
Mary appointed an English Lord Deputy, Earl of Sussex
- Sussex started trend in English response to problem of Ireland
- fortified the Pale and encouraged English settlers to move into territory just outside the Pale
- to ‘civilise’ the Irish by introducing English customs and practices, known as plantation
What did Elizabeth change in Ireland following the revolt of the Northern Earls
Pursued a more hard-line policy, Irish traditions and laws to be replaced with English ones
- tried to establish councils to govern regions of Connaught (1569) and Munster (1571), modelled on councils of the North and Wales, led by president
- traditional Irish regions subdivided into English-style counties, run under traditional English methods, e.g. sheriffs
- composition
Effect of Elizabeth’s rule of Ireland
Led to unsuccessful rebellions in Munster in 1569 and 1579-83
- second rebellion brutally suppressed, rebels hunted down and executed, lands used to encourage plantation by English settlers
Why did English settlers cause tension in Ireland
Took over estates that belonged to Anglo-Irish nobles
- settlers saw indigenous Irish as backward and superstitious, fuelled by settlers radical Protestant faith, thought it was their god-given duty to convert the Irish
- Irish Catholics began to link protection of religious beliefs to protection of Irish values and traditions
What was composition
Payments from landowners now paid in one payment to the English authorities, instead of also to Irish chieftains
From 1585, used by English government to increase hold over Ireland
1585: Connaught landowners persuaded to to agree to commutation of traditional payments
- agreed they would pay a yearly rent to the council of Connaught of 10 shillings per 50 hectares of inhabited land
- seemed like a better deal for landowners, in return Anglo-Irish chieftains supposed to accept English-style law and government in their territories, increased English control
What was the situation in Ulster before 1570
Most Gaelic part of Ireland, English control limited
Controlled by O’Neill clan, power disputed by rival clan, O’Donells
Suited English government to leave them to govern it between them
What changed in ulster after 1570
After 1570s, English began to encroach into Ulster
- earl of Essex and sir Thomas smith granted a contract to establish a settlement in Eastern Ulster
- plantation failed, situation spiralled into violence
What was the response to English incursions into Ulster after 1570s
Plantations resisted by O’Neills and O’Donnells
English responded with violence
1574: 200 members of O’Neill clan were massacred at a feast that English invited them to
1575: 500 members of O’Donnell clan killed in a surprise raid
1576: Elizabeth calls off plantation, damage done to Anglo-Irish relations
Changes to English approach to ulster in 1580s
More conciliatory
1585: Hugh O’Neill accepted title of Earl of Tyrone
1585: chieftains started to agree to commutation and re-granting of estates to the english crown, became tenants of the english monarchy and subject to English law
Changes to English approach to ulster in 1590s
English government in Dublin took advantage of new settlements of Anglo-Irish estates
Initial Ulster plantation possible due to execution of Hugh Roe MacMahon in 1590, chief of MacMahon clan, lands forfeited to the crown
- lands give to English settlers, e.g. Henry Bagenal
Anglo-Irish lords realised the commutation and re-grant agreements had a trap
- if anyone failed to keep their side of the agreement, they could be charged with treason under English law
Changing attitudes towards Tyrone after 1590
- Tyrone accepted English title as he was in a feud with the head of the O’Neill clan to be the next chieftan
After 1590: Tyrone became obstacle to English dominance in ulster
Tyrone tried to neutralise the threat by marrying Henry Bagenal’s sister, Henry refused the marriage, they eloped, created personal enmity
Changing attitudes of other chieftains from 1590
Hugh Roe O’Donnell: kidnapped and imprisoned in Dublin castle by the English, held prisoner to make his father obey English rule, escaped in 1591 after 4 years of imprisonment, began to plot
Hugh Maguire: increasingly resentful of English intrusions into Fermanagh, he previously controlled it
Both married to Tyrone’s daughters, made it harder for Tyrone to remain neutral
English mismanagement as a cause of the rebellion
May 1593: Hugh Maguire launched an attack on English officials in Sligo
- Tyrone ordered by lord deputy to arrest maguire, refused (he was the leading lord in the region)
Maguire attacked English garrison at Monaghan (ulster)
- Tyrone forced to cooperate with sir Henry Bagenal (in charge of English forces in the region), helped to capture Maguire in October 1593
Effect of 1593 attack on Tyrone
Retired to estates at Dungannon, thought Bagenal didn’t aknowledge his help
Felt under threat from English rule
Wanted overall control of Ulster, in return for accepting english-style government (law courts and sheriffs)
Resentment of earl of ormond
One of the most influential of Anglo-Irish nobility, never appointed to position of lord deputy, despite being Elizabeth’s cousin
- appointments in Ireland increasingly dominated by minor English officials who had access to Court patronage and used their positions for minor gain
Increased resentment
Events leading up to rebellion in 1593
O’Donnell contacted Catholic Philip II of Spain to ask for support
- too busy dealing with trouble in Netherlands
Events leading up the rebellion in 1594
June: O’Donnell and Maguire besieged the English-held Enniskillen castle
August: Maguire and Tyrone’s brother ambushed an English relief force heading for Enniskillen, killed 56 English soldiers
August: Tyrone met new and inexperienced lord deputy in Dublin, sir William Russell
- promised to restore peace in Ulster and co-operate with English government, wanted complete control
- Russell didn’t arrest him, allowed him to keep his armies, government not prepared to give him control, grievances grew until he rebelled
When did Tyrone rebel
May 1595
Why did Tyrone ultimately decide to rebel
Loyalty to Irish roots (despite spending time and having connections in England)
Resented English intervention
Religious tensions (he was catholic), influx of Protestant settlers
