The Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation refers to a religious and political movement that affected the whole of Europe. It consisted of a break away from the established Catholic Church and the foundation of the new Protestant religion.

In England these changes began with Henry VIII, who broke with Rome and proclaimed himself head of the English Church, in order to divorce his first wife. In 1532 Henry established the Church of England and was subsequently excommunicated by the Pope. The new religion brought with it new practices for worship and services but also had a huge influence on the structure of the landscape. In the mid 16th century the Church owned more than 1/5 of all land in England. In 1536 Henry began closing monasteries and abbeys and sold the property to wealthy nobles, clearing tenants from the land in the process. The dissolution of the monasteries was hugely unpopular with Catholics and resulted in a series of minor uprisings.

Henry's son Edward VI further reformed the Church. He brought in the use of the common prayer book and banned statues, shrines and stained glass from churches. Queen Mary, Edward's half sister, succeeded to the throne after her brother's death. She was a Catholic and earned the nickname of 'Bloody Mary' for her persecution of Protestants, burning hundreds at the stake for heresy. Mary's reign however did not last long and she was replaced by her Protestant sister Elizabeth, returning the country again to the new faith.

In Ireland, only a small minority adopted the new religion. The old Anglo-Norman families remained Catholic, as did the Gaelic lords. The fight for the Catholic cause won O'Neill not only the support of the Spanish but also the backing of Rome. The Irish were seen as defending the faith and fighting a noble war for the sake of religious freedom.

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