THE WOMAN IN THE CASE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2175, 13 June 1914, Page 13

THE WOMAN IN THE CASE

AN IRISH TABLOID. ' The story of England's first occupation of and sway over Ireland is a story of the woman in the case. The leading actors in the drama were the King of Lcinster (the villain), .the Chieftain of Brefl'ini's (the wronged husband), his wife (the persecuted heroine), and King Henry II of England (the false friend). Tho action of the plot, so to speak, began in 1167, when tho King of Leinster seized and carried off tho Chieftain of Breffini's beautiful wife. War was immediately declared upon him-by the wronged husband, and fierce fighting followed. The King of Leinster began to get tho worst of this fighting, and . being a grave danger of defeat, he looked hastily about him for an ally. King Henry 11, the Norman King of England, occurred to him as a likely and strong supporter, and so he hurriedly sent to him for help. Henry, having' already been asked by the Pope to assume authority over Ireland, received his petition in a most friendly manner, and—doubtless only too glad of the opportunity—saw to it that Ireland was speedily flooded with his own barons and soldiers. Cave the Land to his Barons. Tho original reason of the invasion— the possession of the Breiffni Chieftain's wife —was scarcely troubled' about at all, and Henry's Normans proceeded to re-enact tho Norman invasion of England by William the Conqueror—in Ireland this time. Henry himself completed tho conquest, and having done so, lie parcelled out a largo part of Ireland in huge grants to his favourite barons. This was the beginning of tho great Irish "land question." It also accounts for the coining of the phrase, "boyond, or outside, tho pale," for tho barons' territory was known as tho pale, and they slightingly came to describe those who were not allowed to livo on their laud as "beyond, or outside, tho pale." Hence the contemptuous application of the saying. For many years the Normans, or English, and tho natives of Ireland wero for over fighting each other', but gradually their relationships became more and more friendly, and in time they even inter-married.

The country had its own Parliament, run on tho Norman system, and it was allowed to- manage its own affairs until 1494; when Henry VII, annoyed by its attitudo over certain matters affecting himself, retaliated by passing what was known as.Povning's Act.

• Poyning's Act. named after Sir Edward Poyning, whom Henry VII sent to Ireland at the liead of a decreed that, English laws should hence-, forth prevail. That was the virtual end of almost 300 years of Home Rule. Henry VIII was the first English King to assume the title of King of Ireland—his predecessors had been content with "Lord Paramount,"—but all through his reign, and the succeeding ones up to that of Cromwell, the history of Ireland was one of almost constant fighting against English' rule. Tho Battle of the Boyne. Cromwell reduced the Irish to submission, hut moro fighting broke out when James II fled from his English throne to Ireland. Tholrish largely supported James, but the? could not stand against William 111. "the Orangeman." who chased the Stuart king, and the great battle of thc'Boyne (1690) saw them defeated. In 1782, however, Ireland got Home Rule again ; the Irish Parliament was allowed to he an independent legislature "to make laws for the people of Ireland." ~ Pitt took Home Rule away m 1801 bv moans of tho Act of Union, and, despite rebellions and protests, Ireland lias been governed from Westminster sinco then. ' Mr. Gladstone mode two to bring in Homo Uulo Bills, but each time the majority was againstMiim. In 1886 his first Bill was defeated in tho Commons, and in 1892 his second Bill failed to pass tho Lords. Here is nil interesting fact. It has nothing to do with the question of Ireland's fight over Home Rule—it is merely an instance of an "Irishman": St. Patrick, the patron saint, of Ireland, was said to lie reallv a Scotsman! ilo was horn in Scotland and carried to Ireland as a slave—at: least, s'o tradition on the subject declares.—Sydney "Sun."