[MalleusMaleficarum]

I have a very quick question for anyone who's doing AQA 'The Triumph of Elizabeth' at A2 this year: could we get a question on Ireland? To my knowledge, it's never come up in any previous papers, and the syllabus to me indicates that we only need to know about the problems in Ireland after 1588, i.e. the Tyrone Rebellion (which won't be a question in itself). We've covered it but only briefly and I don't understand it well. The teachers think that it's unlikely, but haven't said for definite - but to me, since it isn't on the syllabus nor in the course textbook (discounting Tyrone as mentioned), it shouldn't come up. Am I definitely right here? (a little worried :P)

[Mod Calm]

You're unlikely to get a question that specifically asks you to talk about Ireland in detail. That said, if you can show an awareness of Ireland and the issues it faced/presented in a British context you will really impress your examiners.

[StarsAreFixed]

It can be loosely summed up by saying that Ireland at this time was undergoing various attempts at conquest and subjugation under the crown. These largely began by the cajoling and bribes offered so that Irish earls would hold their titles directly from the crown. (This is where the english-sounding titles come from). It escalated under Elizabeth by way of plantation. Mary had a very minor plantation but the two major ones were Ulster and Munster. Munster took place entirely under Elizabeth, but she was dying before Ulster really started to take place. There was huge bloodshed and several massacres during this time, and fierce opposition against the English viceroys. This was helped by the difference in religion, Ireland remained unchanged despite attempts at conversion.

Ireland was a headache for Elizabeth and Cecil. It required vast amounts of money and soldiers. She was a notorious stinge and it took a lot of effort to convince her of the need for forces and garrisons. The terrain was completely uncultivated, very very difficult to traverse, which, combined with the hostile natives and the diseases that felled English soldiers unused to Irish climes etc. meant that it was very difficult to recruit soldiers to go there, and they had to be paid very well.

But it became much more than a headache when on several occasions, outside help was called for- and answered, with varying degrees of success. Irish earls hostile to the crown and Protestantism, most notably the earl of Desmond, had huge power. He owned the vast majority of Munster. He called on Spain and other countries a few times though these efforts were usually thwarted. But at a time when Spain and England were at loggergheads and Philip was making invasion plans, the potential use of Ireland as a base was a grave threat. That is really why Ireland was important. It took huge efforts to subjugate and control but that paled in comparison to the danger it posed when joined with Spain's might.

The Munster plantation failed. Many settlers were driven out and killed. Efforts to reinstate flopped, and its successes later on were very minor. The Ulster Plantation was done very differently, and was successful. However that it outside the remit of Elizabeth, it was under James I.

I'm trying to simplify it here so you can get a grasp on it. It is of course covered in much greater detail elsewhere and the wikipedia pages on Tudor Ireland and the Munster Plantation are very good. If it's not on your curriculm then you won't be expected to know it but throwing in a sentence when you're blabbing on about Spain etc. about how 'Elizabeth was also facing threats on other fronts; in Ireland the Munster plantation had inspired huge resistance and violence towards settlers' or saying how the invasion of Spain by proxy via a Spain-friendly Ireland was hugely feared. These sentiments will absolutely impress.