logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2024
42m 54s

Tudor Conquest of Ireland

History Hit
About this episode

Henry VIII was termed "by the Grace of God, King of England, France and Ireland.”  Ireland was England’s oldest colony.  But what bloody events and brutal actions led to the English conquest of Ireland?  How did the relationship between the two countries change over the course of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?  And how did the Irish respond to such subjugation? 


In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Jane Ohlmeyer, author of the forthcoming book, Making Empire, Ireland, Imperialism and the Early Modern World.


This episode was edited by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.


Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Sign up now for your 14-day free trial here >


You can take part in our listener survey here >

Up next
Jul 7
The Roma: Resistance & Survival
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb welcomes Dr. Madeline Potter to unravel the rich yet tumultuous history of the Roma people. From Tudor England, where the Egyptians Act sought to expel Roma under stereotypes of robbery and deceit through to the dark corridors of Eastern Europe to unde ... Show More
40m 13s
Jul 3
The Duchess of Malfi
A young widow stands against the expectations of her family. A woman striving for love and agency in a society which demands she claimed neither, she stands firm in the face of torture and even death.Unravel the gripping layers of John Webster’s 17th-century masterpiece The Duche ... Show More
49m 47s
Jun 30
Prelude to the English Civil War
What drives a nation to civil war? Why would a king turn on his own Parliament? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Jonathan Healey to explore the chaotic and combustible months - and the men behind the rebellion - that hurled 17th-century England into one of the bloodie ... Show More
55m 50s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
231. Colonising Ireland: Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, & The Tudor Conquest (Ep 1)
Ireland is the only country in Western Europe that has experienced being colonised in the modern era. It was used by England as a laboratory for imperialism, and was the site of bloody colonial wars for centuries, yet many people in the neighbouring United Kingdom have little und ... Show More
40m 19s
Mar 2025
The Tudors, Part 1 of 2
The Tudors are the most famous royal family in English history, ruling from 1485 to 1603. The dynasty began with the reign of King Henry VII, and ended with his granddaughter, Elizabeth I. Marked by political, religious, and cultural change, the Tudor era shaped the course of Eng ... Show More
1h 5m
Dec 2024
Tudor explorers: everything you wanted to know
By the time the Tudors took to the waves, much of the world had already been mapped by Europeans. So what was left for Tudor explorers to uncover – and should we call them 'explorers' at all? Historian Jerry Brotton doesn't think so. In this episode, he tells Kev Lochun how the R ... Show More
51m 23s
Apr 6
The Tudors, Part 2 of 2
The later Tudor years were a time of turmoil, political intrigue, and national transformation. Initially defined by crises of succession, and shifts in the religious landscape, the period went on to see the reign of some of the most famous royal women in history. And, under the 4 ... Show More
1h 3m
Feb 2025
233. Blood and Betrayal: Oliver Cromwell's Irish Invasion (Ep 1)
His statue may stand proudly outside the Houses of Parliament in London, but in Ireland, Oliver Cromwell is remembered as “the Devil from over the Sea” for the bloodshed he unleashed there from 1649 to 1653.  Rising to prominence as a Parliamentarian during the English Civil Wars ... Show More
42m 27s
May 11
The Anglo Saxons
The Anglo-Saxon period, also known as the ‘Dark Ages’ stretched from the withdrawal of Roman forces in 410 AD to the conquest of England by William of Normandy in 1066. The period is remembered by the legends that emerged from it, such as the tales of Beowulf and King Arthur, but ... Show More
1h 6m
Apr 25
History's Worst F*ckboys: Henry VIII
Charismatic, passionate, insatiable - Henry VIII is known across the world as the king who had 6 wives, and a few mistresses on the side. But was Henry a romantic or a scoundrel? Kate is joined by Natalie Grueninger, host of 'Talking Tudors', to find out just how badly behaved He ... Show More
49m 58s
May 16
What Made You Ugly In Tudor Times?
Why did royalty have worse teeth than commoners? How would the Tudor court have smelt? And when even the Queen of England can be accused of being a witch for a random mole, what hope did the rest of us have?In this new mini-series, we'll be exploring the beauty standards - and id ... Show More
45m 3s
Nov 2024
Tudor England | 1. Power and politics
The Tudor world was a turbulent one, with momentous decisions reliant on the whims of those in power. But how was authority felt by the average person? And what were the consequences of losing favour with those in charge? In this first episode of our series Tudor England: the big ... Show More
47m 50s
Jun 22
576. The Irish War of Independence: Rise of the IRA (Part 1)
What are the origins of the Irish War of Independence? What impact did the First World War have on Irish efforts for Home Rule? What was the mood in Ireland following the bloody Easter Rising of 1916? And, who was Éamon de Valera, the man who dominated the story of not only Irish ... Show More
1h 11m