The Tudors had always been concerned with the Irish situation. In 1494, Henry VII had sent Edward Poynings to Ireland as deputy in order to strengthen links with England. Within a matter of weeks the Irish Parliament, meeting at Drogheda, had passed Poyning\'s Law which stated that Irish legislation was only valid when confirmed by the English Privy Council.Despite this, Ireland continued to be a cause of some concern. In the aftermath of the English Reformation, the Irish parliament recognised Henry VIII not as \'Lord of Ireland\' (the traditional style) but as \'King of Ireland\' and, also, Head of the Irish Church.
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