Page 170 - Demo

170 Stephen Dunford: The Journey of The IrIsh
Poynings was sent to Ireland with a definite purpose-he was to strengthen the king’s power in Ireland by weakening the power of the great Norman-Irish nobles. It should be stated here that at the time in Ireland firearms were still a novelty and relatively rare, and to accomplish his aims, Poynings, backed by a thousand soldiers with muskets, forcibely con- vened a parliament at Drogheda, in county Louth, at which the famous law, since known as “Poynings Law” was passed.
This law enacted, that in the future, no parliament could be held in Ireland until the King of England had given his permission for it to meet, and what was of more importance, it also decreed that no law could be passed by an Irish parliament unless it had already been submitted to the King of England and his Privy Council and gained their approval. Furthermore, all laws made in England should bind Ireland, even if there was in existence an Irish law that contradicted the English one. ‘Poynings Parliament’ also re-enacted and confirmed the Statutes of Kilkenny, though it omitted the act forbidding the Normans to speak Irish.
At the time it was passed, Poynings Law did not affect Ireland very much as a whole, probably because only a few of the inhabitants were members of the Parliament, and it wasn’t until the eighteenth century that it became a major cause of grievance and agitation.
In spite of his efforts to carry out the king’s wishes, Poynings fourteen whirlwind months in Ireland failed to spread English influence beyond the Pale, and Henry judged that the ser- vices of the Fitzgeralds were still necessary if he was to strengthen his now neutered hold on the country. So it came to pass, that in 1496 Henry succeeded in making peace with Gerald and restored him to his former position. From then until his death in 1513, from the after effects of a wound, Gerald, who was described by the Four Masters as “a knight in valour,” and “princely and religious in his words and judgements” independently ruled the country with a rod of iron and was looked upon as ‘the uncrowned King of Ireland.’ It is told that before re-appointing Gerald, King Henry reputedly pronounced: ‘As all Ireland cannot rule this man-then by Heavens, he shall rule all Ireland.’
In the meantime Henry V11 had died and had been succeeded by his son, the infamous Henry V111.
Continuing his father’s policy, Henry V111 appointed Gearóid Og, son of Gearóid Mór, to the viceroyalty. The new Viceroy, the ninth Earl of Kildare, was not only as able a ruler
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