Editing Dissolution of the monasteries (section)

=== Henrican phase===
Henry's direct authority, as [[Lord of Ireland]] and, from 1541, as [[King of Ireland]], only extended to the area of [[the Pale]] immediately around [[Dublin]]. Outside this area, he could only proceed by tactical agreement with clan chiefs and local lords.

[[File:Ballintubber Abbey East Range 2007 08 12.jpg|left|thumb|[[Ballintubber Abbey]], An Augustinian priory founded in the 13th century, suppressed in 1603 and burned in 1653; but continually re-occupied and used for Catholic services, and re-roofed in the 20th century]]
Henry was determined to carry through a policy of consolidation and dissolution in Ireland—and in 1537 he introduced legislation into the [[Parliament of Ireland|Irish Parliament]] to legalise the closure of monasteries. The process faced considerable opposition, and only sixteen houses were suppressed. In 1539, he introduced a bill to close nine named monasteries: it was the only royal bill that year not passed.<ref name=Bottigheimer>{{cite journal |last1=Bottigheimer |first1=Karl S. |title=The Reformation in Ireland Revisited |journal=Journal of British Studies |date=1976 |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=140–149 |doi=10.1086/385689 |jstor=175136 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/175136 |issn=0021-9371}}</ref>{{rp|143}} Henry remained resolute, and from 1541 as part of the [[Tudor conquest of Ireland]] he continued to press for more. For the most part, this involved making deals with local lords, under which monastic property was granted away in exchange for allegiance to the [[Kingdom of Ireland|new Irish Crown]]. Henry acquired little (if any) of the wealth of the Irish houses. 

Apart from taking land, plate and buildings, the dissolution effort involved considerable [[iconoclasm]]. Some monks and vestments from dissolved English monasteries found their way to Ireland. Some dissolved communities kept together, hiding in the country and mountains or discretely re-possessing the former monastery, and appearing under the reign of [[Mary I]].<ref name=scott/>