Henry VIII and the

Conquest of Ireland
Ireland Early in Henrys Reign
Was Lord of Ireland, but
English area limited

Most power resided in
old Anglo-Irish (Norman)
families and some old
Irish families
Map of
Ireland in the
late 15th
Century
Turmoil Leading Up to Increased Action
English authority challenged
by the Fitzgeralds of Kildare

By 1530s, Fitzgerald Lord
Offaly (Silken Thomas) openly
challenged royal authority
and was widely supported
Map of the
lands of the
Fitzgeralds
(Geraldines)
Silken
Thomas
Henrys Assertion of Authority
Sent a large army as a
show of force
Focused on breaking the
power of the Fitzgeralds
Introduced the
Reformation into Ireland
in 1536
Declared himself King of
Ireland in 1541
Army of Silken Thomas attacks a Dublin
fortification
Why Did Henry Go So Far?
Couldnt ignore
widespread rebellion
backed by leading nobles
Thomas called Henry a
heretic, enraging Henry

Had to put down rebels
and have Irish parliament
follow the English one
Henry VIII
as the
Head of
the
Church of
England
Henrys Success and Impact on Anglo-Irish
Relations
Was Henry Successful?
Nope, for a couple
reasons:
Most Irish refused to
adopt Protestantism

Henrys plans became to
expensive to carry out
How Did He Impact Future Relations
with the Irish?
Added religion to the problems in
Ireland
Introduced new lack of tolerance
in conduct in Ireland
Forced later rulers to seek cheaper
methods of controlling Ireland
Began the long road to the
expansion of English power in
Ireland