Roman Catholic Church in Ireland - History

History

The early Church practised what is now called Celtic Christianity, a variant suited to local conditions. A more regular diocesan system developed after the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1171 a greater number of foreign-born prelates were appointed. A confusing but defining period arose during the English Reformation in the 16th century, with monarchs alternately for or against Papal supremacy. When the church in England broke communion from the Roman Catholic Church, all but two of the bishops of the Church in Ireland followed the Church of England, although almost no other clergy or laity did so. The new body became the State Church, assuming possession of most Church property (and so retaining a great repository of religious architecture and other items, though some were later destroyed). The substantial majority of the population remained strongly Roman Catholic, despite the political and economic advantages of membership in the state church. Despite its numerical minority, however, the Church of Ireland remained the official state church until it was disestablished on 1 January 1871 by the Irish Church Act 1869 that was introduced by Gladstone's Liberal government.

The effect of the Act of Supremacy 1558 and the Papal bull of 1570 (Regnans in Excelsis) caused the majority population to be governed by an Anglican Ascendancy.

After the defeat of King James II of England in 1690, the penal laws were introduced which discriminated against Roman Catholics. The slow process of reform from 1778 led on to Catholic Emancipation in 1829. By then Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.