In 1155 Pope Adrian IV issued a significant bull that changed the history of Ireland and England forever. The papal bull issued gave Henry II, King of England (1154-1189), the right to conquer Ireland . Ireland has gained and lost as a result of English rule. It was rewarded with a stronger Church and a more centralized government. It lost some of its cultural values and customs, as well as its own system government for example; its clan-based hierarchy was removed.

Henry II's control of Ireland was not solely based on the word of Adrian IV, there were a number of nobles who made it possible. One of the most important was Dermot MacMurrough, the king of Linster (an Irish city-state). Linster held in its bounds the main port city between Ireland and England. Being the King of Linster MacMurrough had control over trade and all other maritime activities of Ireland while he was king. Because of their close proximity, trade, and other maritime activity MacMurrough and Henry II developed a close relationship . Shortly after Adrian IV issued the bull, MacMurr

In the meantime Henry II was in France trying to further his political power. He had relied on others to establish the English rule in Ireland. However, in 1171 King Henry was forced to go Ireland after receiving word that there had been resistance to MacMurrough and Strongbow's efforts to establish English rule. Upon his arrival there was quick submission to the King by the rabble-rousers and the nobles. In the six months that King Henry was in Dublin he was able to put together a working centralized government with ties to the outlying counties. MacMurrough and Strongbow had been unsuccessful in their attempts to gain complete political control over the city-states they had conquered. This is a credit to Henry II and is ability to rule and run a successful government. He was however unsuccessful in maintaining the order and control for very long.

Dermot MacMurrough then did something surprising, he signed a truce with the archbishop of Dublin in order to secure that territory. This was surprising because of MacMurrough known hatred for the city of Dublin and its people. However, he had able to make concessions to them in order to ensure he would still have land to give Henry II when his quest for expansion was over in addition to the territories he wanted for himself. After signing the truce with the Archbishop of Dublin, MacMurrough appointed Milo de Cogan as constable. Cogan, a soldier in the army thrown together by MacMurrough and Strongbow, was largely responsible for the taking of Dublin. MacMurrough then turned the army north and proceeded to take Meath, in order to expand his lands and settle a personal vendetta with the O'Rourke clan.

Powell, F. York, Strongbow's Conquest of Ireland. London: G.P. Puttnum's Sons, 1888.

Looking past the often-violent struggles there are some ways that Ireland benefited from the English occupancy of Ireland. England had an advanced government and more central control on social and political stability. Prior to the English conquest the Irish had no central government. There where instead different counties, headed by tribal chieftains. Quarrelling often erupted regarding who established the laws and was the recipient of the taxes and duties. Once the English were able to defeat some of the wealthier and more powerful chieftains their centralized government was put in place. As much as English presence was detested at the time it did give Ireland a sense of stability for a brief period of time. All the laws in Ireland became uniform the taxes and duties, which where stilled paid to Irish lords, where regulated by a single entity and published.

Turner, Edward Raymond, Ireland and England: In the Past and at Present. New York: University of Michigan Press, 1920.

Hays, L. & Jones, E.D. "Policy on the Run: Henry II and Irish Sea Diplomacy." Journal of British Studies v.29 n.4 (1990): 293-316.

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