Henry VIII and Ireland
Henry VIII of England, to the end of his life, believed himself to be a good Catholic, albeit at odds with the Pope. But he would not tolerate the independent ways of the effective rulers of Ireland, the Fitzgeralds. And so began the increasing domination of Ireland from across the water. This included the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and the burning of relics by Archbishop Browne of Dublin. The full, and often surprising story of the great conflict as it came to a head in the revolt of 'Silken Thomas' Fitzgerald is told in the final chapter of Rutherfurd's first Irish book.
