English Conquest of Ireland (1169-1600s)
The Norman invasion began with Dermot MacMurrough’s appeal for help, supported by Pope Adrian IV’s blessing. Tudor monarchs intensified the conquest, imposing Protestantism on Catholic Ireland. The Nine Years’ War (1594-1603) crushed Irish resistance. English authorities established Protestant plantations in Ulster, displacing Catholic landowners. Religious differences fueled centuries of conflict that shaped Irish history.
