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Henry VII. repieled the autonomy of the Irish parliament in 1494. Now every English law was also in force in Ireland; this resolution was called " Poynings Acts". It subjected the meetings and legislative drafts of the Irish Parliament to control of the English king and council. At the time of the Reformation Henry XIII. broke all relations with the Pope. He forbade all monastic orders, including the Irish and confiscated their estates. The Irish people were inceuded because at that time the monasterie were very important for records of Irish history, culture and education. Marry Tudor stopped this supression a few years later, but she was afraid of the strong Celtic traditions, and so, many English men, mainly farmers settled in Ireland to bring Irish culture to an end.As a result resistance in Ireland grew against the English.
The Irish policy of Elisabeth I. had the destinction of having reduced the country to obience for the first time since the invasion of Henry II. Economically, the towns and the countryside were exloited by the new administrators while the Queen`s expenditure was increased.
Most resistance came from Ulster were the clan tradition was strongest.
James I. continued Elisabethan policy and as a result the exodus of Irih soldiers and churchmen to catholic countries on the continent was unabated.That made the Irish question an international one.
However they realised they could not defeat the English king James I. and so the leaders flet to Rome. This flight was called "The Flight of the Earls". That consequence of that was that the king of England confiscated all the estates and setteled protestant farmers, comming from England and Scotland.
Oliver Cromwell stopped civil riots in England, but in 1641 civil riots also began in Ireland. The Catholics, who fought against the newly settled Englishmen, were persecuted by the protestant.In Ireland there were far more Catholics than Protestants, but the Catholics were not organized and so they lost. In 1549 Oliver Cromwell wanted to stop that civilwar in the way he had done in England. He came to the island and defeated all opposition. By 1652 all Irish resistance was over.
His methodes were hard. The Irish were forced into the west of the country where the ground was poorest. His phrase was "to hell or to Connaught". After he left, he rewarded his soldiers by giving them the best land.
At that time many Irishmen emigrated to America or in Europe or India.
A renewed campaign against Catholics and Anglicans was not successful. Charles II. declared then complete religious toleration.
Protestantism existed mainly in the North, wich meant Ulster. The new inhabitants, most of them Scots, were very hard working people, who did not damage the economy, quite the reverse; now the economy in the Noth improved. This led to tension between the " Economy-North" and the "Farming-South".
In 1689 there was a battle between the Irish, the Catholics, the English and the Protestants, wich today is called the "Battle of Boyne". The catholic Ex-king James II. lost the battle to his son-in-law, William of Orange and flet to France. Irish Catholicism suffered ist most humilitating setback.That victory of the English is celebrated every year. The Protestants arrange a procession though the towns of northern Ireland with orange flags and pennats: that`s often the cause of endless riots and feuds.
Tension between North and South became worse because the farming industry in Southern, and Central Ireland was weakened by a law wich stated it, was forbidden to export wool except to England. That means, that the English could control the woolprices and so Ireland became more dependent on England.
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