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Protestantism in Ireland
Protestantism is a Christian community on the island of Ireland. In the 2011 census of Northern Ireland, 48% (883,768) described themselves as Protestant, which was a decline of approximately 5% from the 2001 census. In the 2011 census of the Republic of Ireland, 4.27% of the population described themselves as Protestant. In the Republic, Protestantism was the second largest religious grouping until the 2002 census in which they were exceeded by those who chose "No Religion". Some forms of Protestantism existed in Ireland in the early 16th century before the English Reformation, but demographically speaking, these were very insignificant and the real influx of Protestantism began only with the spread of the English Reformation to Ireland. The Church of Ireland was established by King Henry VIII of England, who had himself proclaimed as King of Ireland.
During the English Reformation in the 1530s, the Irish Parliament gained the support of some bishops for royal supremacy. This led to the passing of the Act of Supremacy in 1536, which declared King Henry VIII of England to be the head of the Church of Ireland. In 1539, Henry dissolved the monasteries in Ireland. Only Christ Church in Dublin survived this dissolution by changing its constitution from one of monasticism to a secular one that was based on that of Saint Patrick. The introduction of the Reformation to Ireland is regarded as the end of the medieval period in Ireland. During the reign of Henry VIII's son, Edward VI, attempts were made to introduce Protestant liturgy and bishops to Ireland. However, this met with hostility within the Church and was opposed even by those who had previously conformed.
A return to Catholic supremacy ensued during the reign of Queen Mary I, in the 1550s. However, in 1560, her half-sister and successor Queen Elizabeth I enacted a religious settlement consisting of an Act of Supremacy and Act of Uniformity in an attempt to impose Protestantism. Elizabeth made herself the supreme governor of the Church of Ireland. With few exceptions the Irish Catholic hierarchy conformed. During Elizabeth's reign, the bulk of Protestants in Ireland were confined to the ranks of new settlers and government officials, who formed a small minority of the population. Elizabeth's reign saw the introduction of a Gaelic printing typeface (1571) for the purpose of evangelisation; the establishment of Trinity College, Dublin, to train ministers (1592); and the first translation of the New Testament into Irish (1603).
Despite all this, the Reformation ground to a halt and ultimately failed. Some reasons for this failure include: a dedicated and vigorous campaign by Continentally-trained Catholic priests; failure to make use of the Irish language, the native tongue of around 90% of the population; and the alienation of the Old English in political developments and the view amongst the Gaelic Irish that this was another attempt by the English at conquest and forced Anglicisation. The dissolution of the monasteries saw the property of many parishes granted to lay people whose main concern was economic rather than spiritual; this, along with the wars that raged in Ireland throughout the 16th and 17th centuries left many parish churches—now the property of the Established Church (especially rural ones), in a ruinous state.
During the reigns of both Elizabeth I and James VI & I, some English Puritans and many Scottish Presbyterians settled in Ireland. Despite both groups then being persecuted for their beliefs at home, in Ireland they were openly welcomed by the state-sponsored Church of Ireland as fellow Protestants and for their dedication to preaching, which it highly sought.
Throughout the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, several plantations occurred seeing the arrival of British settlers, the majority of which were Protestant.
In 1604, the Scottish Catholic Randal MacDonnell, set about settling his lands in the Route and Glynnes in County Antrim with Protestants from the Scottish Lowlands. This was followed by the considerably determined private plantation of counties Antrim and Down by James Hamilton and Sir Hugh Montgomery, which saw English and Scottish Protestants settling in their estates. In 1606, the notorious Border reiver clan of the Grahams of Eskdale, Leven and Sark, were invited to settle in County Roscommon.
By 1607 a steady supply of Scottish Protestants were migrating to eastern Ulster, settling on the estates of Hamilton, MacDonnell, and Montgomery. Whilst many Presbyterian Lowlanders fled Kintyre in Scotland for MacDonnell's lands, Hebridean Catholics migrated as well, ensuring that the Glens of Antrim would remain Catholic as the rest of the county became predominantly Protestant.
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Protestantism in Ireland AI simulator
(@Protestantism in Ireland_simulator)
Protestantism in Ireland
Protestantism is a Christian community on the island of Ireland. In the 2011 census of Northern Ireland, 48% (883,768) described themselves as Protestant, which was a decline of approximately 5% from the 2001 census. In the 2011 census of the Republic of Ireland, 4.27% of the population described themselves as Protestant. In the Republic, Protestantism was the second largest religious grouping until the 2002 census in which they were exceeded by those who chose "No Religion". Some forms of Protestantism existed in Ireland in the early 16th century before the English Reformation, but demographically speaking, these were very insignificant and the real influx of Protestantism began only with the spread of the English Reformation to Ireland. The Church of Ireland was established by King Henry VIII of England, who had himself proclaimed as King of Ireland.
During the English Reformation in the 1530s, the Irish Parliament gained the support of some bishops for royal supremacy. This led to the passing of the Act of Supremacy in 1536, which declared King Henry VIII of England to be the head of the Church of Ireland. In 1539, Henry dissolved the monasteries in Ireland. Only Christ Church in Dublin survived this dissolution by changing its constitution from one of monasticism to a secular one that was based on that of Saint Patrick. The introduction of the Reformation to Ireland is regarded as the end of the medieval period in Ireland. During the reign of Henry VIII's son, Edward VI, attempts were made to introduce Protestant liturgy and bishops to Ireland. However, this met with hostility within the Church and was opposed even by those who had previously conformed.
A return to Catholic supremacy ensued during the reign of Queen Mary I, in the 1550s. However, in 1560, her half-sister and successor Queen Elizabeth I enacted a religious settlement consisting of an Act of Supremacy and Act of Uniformity in an attempt to impose Protestantism. Elizabeth made herself the supreme governor of the Church of Ireland. With few exceptions the Irish Catholic hierarchy conformed. During Elizabeth's reign, the bulk of Protestants in Ireland were confined to the ranks of new settlers and government officials, who formed a small minority of the population. Elizabeth's reign saw the introduction of a Gaelic printing typeface (1571) for the purpose of evangelisation; the establishment of Trinity College, Dublin, to train ministers (1592); and the first translation of the New Testament into Irish (1603).
Despite all this, the Reformation ground to a halt and ultimately failed. Some reasons for this failure include: a dedicated and vigorous campaign by Continentally-trained Catholic priests; failure to make use of the Irish language, the native tongue of around 90% of the population; and the alienation of the Old English in political developments and the view amongst the Gaelic Irish that this was another attempt by the English at conquest and forced Anglicisation. The dissolution of the monasteries saw the property of many parishes granted to lay people whose main concern was economic rather than spiritual; this, along with the wars that raged in Ireland throughout the 16th and 17th centuries left many parish churches—now the property of the Established Church (especially rural ones), in a ruinous state.
During the reigns of both Elizabeth I and James VI & I, some English Puritans and many Scottish Presbyterians settled in Ireland. Despite both groups then being persecuted for their beliefs at home, in Ireland they were openly welcomed by the state-sponsored Church of Ireland as fellow Protestants and for their dedication to preaching, which it highly sought.
Throughout the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, several plantations occurred seeing the arrival of British settlers, the majority of which were Protestant.
In 1604, the Scottish Catholic Randal MacDonnell, set about settling his lands in the Route and Glynnes in County Antrim with Protestants from the Scottish Lowlands. This was followed by the considerably determined private plantation of counties Antrim and Down by James Hamilton and Sir Hugh Montgomery, which saw English and Scottish Protestants settling in their estates. In 1606, the notorious Border reiver clan of the Grahams of Eskdale, Leven and Sark, were invited to settle in County Roscommon.
By 1607 a steady supply of Scottish Protestants were migrating to eastern Ulster, settling on the estates of Hamilton, MacDonnell, and Montgomery. Whilst many Presbyterian Lowlanders fled Kintyre in Scotland for MacDonnell's lands, Hebridean Catholics migrated as well, ensuring that the Glens of Antrim would remain Catholic as the rest of the county became predominantly Protestant.