English Colonisation in Ireland in the 1500s

English colonization of Ireland in the 1500s.

 Article: Ireland, English Colonisation
 Author: Mcgrath, Charles Ivar
 Is Part Of: Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450
Summary
This article authored by Charles Ivar Mcgrath has been adapted from the Encyclopaedia of
Western Colonialism since 1450. This article informs about the history of English
colonisation in Ireland in the end of fifteenth century. The article informs that English
colonisation in Ireland had been centred in small areas and what efforts were taken by the
English colonisers to enhance their presence in Ireland. The author informs that there is a
significant interrelation between Ireland and British Empire that started from colonisation and
continued till today.
Analysis
The article provides the information regarding the English colonisation in Ireland. It has been
identified that, though the English colonisation in the 15th century in Ireland was limited to
the small number of areas, yet the English Monarch became the Lord of Ireland. The work of
Canny has informed that English colonisation in Ireland was mainly the part of the process of
cultural evolution and through the process of cultural evolution,1 Canny identifies that the
English colonisers applied the modern concepts of Social Darwinism and the “White Man’s
Burden.”2. Another significant aspect of the English colonisation during the late 15th century
was that England had suffered the political instability due to many years of war, therefore,
they focused on adopting the coherent policies towards Ireland.
Studies have identified that English colonisers held the view that they have the responsibility
spreading civilization to the less advanced people and societies, which was as perceived by
the Romans in what they had done for early Britons3. This was the main reason that English
colonisers adopted more sustained policy that further led to the advent of the Tudor Dynasty
under the regime of Henry VII in 1485. Under the supervision of Sir Edward Poynings, led
the foundation for the first Tudor attempt for establishing a permanent English presence in
Ireland through the means of constitutional reform and military conquest in Ireland. Until the
late 18th century, the enactment of the Poynings’s Law had been the significant base for
1 Canny, The ideology of English colonization: from Ireland to America, 578
2 Nelson, Connecting Ireland and America: Early English Colonial Theory 1560-1620, 28
3 Loeber, The geography and practice of English colonisation in Ireland from 1534 to 1609, 15.