Expert: Joseph Logue - 11/8/2004

Question
Did Cardinal Wolsey have a policy towards Ireland?
Did he have any particular designs on Ireland so to speak?
Did Wolsey and Henry differ at all in their outlook as regards Ireland?

Answer
Hi Deirdre,

This is outside my usual area, but I can give you what little I know.  Henry VII (father of Henry VIII) commissioned Edward Poynings to go to Ireland (1494) to help solidify ties.  The result was that the Irish Parliament stated that Irish laws were legal only once they were ratified by the English.  (I've read either by Parliament or the King's Privy Council; I do not know which is correct.)

Cardinal Wolsey was a power in the English court from very early in Henry VIII's reign, beginning in 1509.  He was responsible chiefly for foreign affairs, and while that certainly included Ireland, Wolsey was probably much more concerned with the Continent.  In 1515 Wolsey was created a cardinal, and thus became much more powerful both in England and in Rome  He was twice passed over for the papacy (1522 & 1523), and ran into trouble with Henry VIII when he could not secure a divorce for Henry from Catherine of Aragon.  This was all very difficult because Catherine's nephew was the Emperor Charles V, who had sacked Rome in 1527.  (Henry's aid to Pope Clement VII at this time earned him the honorific "Defender of the Faith," which English monarchs are called to this day.)  So the Pope could not afford to antagonize the Emperor by granting the divorce (really an annulment) yet Henry was most insistent that Wolsey make it happen.  His failure to do so resulted in Wolsey's arrest and he died on his way to trial for treason in 1530.

Sorry for the detour, but there were many factors at play at the time.  The Tudors were famous for self-aggrandizement, so it is probable that plans for Ireland were a part of Henry's foreign policy.  In any event, the Irish agreed to accept Henry VIII as their king in 1541, almost 50 years since Poyning's negotiations, and eleven years after Wolsey's death.

I hope this helps, Deirdre.  As I said a bit out my depth, but your local Reference Librarian is always happy to help.  Ask for books by David Cannadine or John Guy, two terrific authors.

Best wishes,
Joseph Logue