Conclusion
On top of this, the deteriorating conditions within Ireland made the settlers increasingly conscious of their garrison role. Surrounded and threatened by 'the king's Irish enemies', his 'faithful subjects' in Ireland addressed him and his ministers through parliaments and councils. They emphasized their loyalty and the English status which, as they saw it, entitled them to royal protection and to parity of esteem with the 'English of England'.
Across much of Ireland a multitude of practical, and sometimes friendly, ties bound elements of Irish and the settler society together. In some areas - not least to outside eyes - the distinction between them was becoming blurred. Nevertheless, by the 1340s two rival national identities existed within the island, each with a developed sense of its own history, rights and grievances which could be used to underpin sophisticated political arguments.
Published: 2001-05-01
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