The Growth of Irish Historiography and Historical Debate - Dissertation Example

From their arrival in 1172, the English would not be removed by the Irish for centuries, and even then not from the whole of Ireland. (Morgan, 1989, p.24) English control was never complete and centered around Dublin alone. The amount of control fluctuated depending on the power and interest of the King in the early years. But strong kings such as Edward IV and Henry VII attempted and successfully increased their foothold. And it was the latter, a man of great ambition who, in 1541 proclaimed himself King of Ireland who cemented the intent of greater control over the country.

The accident of geography was to lead to the inter-relationship between the English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish that has brought both benefits and disasters to all concerned. One historical debate is whether the English were good or bad for Ireland. There are people who believe that the English or British brought benefits to the Irish and tend to stress the good consequences of their involvement rather than the bad. Those who have an anti-English outlook, on the other hand, stress the harmful consequences.

(Stewart, 2001, p.26) Majority of the Irish did not accept the English subjugation without resisting. The most serious threat to the English hold on Ireland came with the Earl of Tyrone’s rebellion of the 1590s that was not finally put down until 1604. (Schama, 2000, p.389) The Protestant settlers gained land off of the Irish population of Ulster in return for their loyalty to Britain. The settlers would be given social and economic advantages by the government that persisted into the 20th century and was deeply resented by the Roman Catholic communities.

That resentment contributed to the rebellion of 1641 that attacked the plantations.