Of the grievances from which the Irish Catholic laity suffered, they appear to have felt none more acutely than the difficulty, under the existing laws, of obtaining a liberal education for their sons. During the reign of Elizabeth, this had also been complained of, but now that the English authority had extended itself over the whole island, the state of the case had become worse. Investigations were made, and schoolmasters who had not conformed to the State religion were ordered to close ... Read More

On July 6th, 1553, Edward VI died, and Mary, his half-sister, succeeded him. The new Queen was an ardent upholder of Catholicity, and detested the Reformed doctrines.The Catholic was church restored. The accession of a Catholic sovereign caused the greatest rejoicings in the Irish towns. In the Celtic parts of the country the Catholic religion had never been much interfered with, so the change of Sovereign 'in England excited little interest.   Mary at once proceeded to restore the official position of the Catholic Church ... Read More