Lordship of Ireland

About

The Lordship of Ireland, also referred to as the English lordship in Ireland or Anglo-Norman Ireland, was the part of Ireland ruled by the King of England (styled as "Lord of Ireland") and controlled by loyal Anglo-Norman lords from 1177 to 1542. The lordship was a dependency of England, created following the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland. As the Lord of Ireland was also the King of England, he was represented locally by a governor, variously known as the Justiciar, Lieutenant, or Lord Deputy.

In 1170 and 1171, Anglo-Norman lords conquered swathes of territory from the Gaelic Irish. King Henry II of England arrived in Ireland with a large army in 1171. The Anglo-Norman lords, several Irish kings, and the Irish church leadership submitted to him. Pope Adrian IV had allegedly issued a papal bull, Laudabiliter, granting Henry the right to invade Ireland to enforce the Gregorian Reform. The 1175 Treaty of Windsor acknowledged Henry as overlord of the conquered lands, and the High King of Ireland, Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, as overlord of the rest of Ireland. However, in 1177 Henry made his son John "Lord of Ireland" and encouraged his subordinates to conquer more land. Thereafter, the kings of England claimed lordship over the whole island, but in reality the king's rule only ever extended to parts of the island. The rest of Ireland – later referred to as Gaelic Ireland – remained under the control of various Gaelic Irish kingdoms or chiefdoms, who were often at war with the Anglo-Normans.