The conflict in Ireland had naturally excited much interest at Rome, and Pope Urban VIII had already employed an agent amongst the Catholics. Urban’s successor, Innocent X, resolving on a further step, arranged to send a regular accredited nuncio to the Confederates, and he selected for the mission John Baptist Rinuccini, Archbishop of Fermo. The Nuncio was both a skilled diplomatist and an excellent judge of men and of political situations. On his way to Ireland he stayed a while in Paris and obtained from Cardinal Mazarin, who now ruled France for the child-King, Louis XIV, a sum of 25,000 crowns for the Confederates. He landed at Kenmare (October 21st, 1645), and proceeded at once to Kilkenny, where he was received with the greatest honour.

About the same time that the Nuncio arrived in Ireland, an accident revealed the secret of the Glamorgan Treaty to Ormond and the English generally. In an attack made on the Parliamentarians in Sligo, Malachy O’Queely, Archbishop of Tuam, who was with the Royalist general Taaffe, was killed and, on his baggage being examined, a copy of the treaty was found in it. Ormond at once had Glamorgan arrested, and wrote to the King an account of the whole affair. Charles disclaimed Glamorgan’s proceedings, saying he had never intended him to act without Ormond’s knowledge and advice. He insinuated that the warrant under which the Earl claimed to act was surreptitiously obtained or a forgery. Charles’ disclaimer was not believed by either the English or the Irish. Indeed, though the former part of his statement may have been true, the latter was almost certainly false. Glamorgan was, after a few months’ imprisonment, released.

Rinuccini had been instructed by the Pope to abstain frommeddling in politics, and to confine himself to endeavouring to obtain complete toleration, at least, and the withdrawal of all civil disabilities, for the Irish Catholics. To any idea of shaking off their allegiance to the King, should the Irish conceive such, he was to lend no countenance.  

Henry VIII Declares Himself “Supreme Head of the Church” . In order to understand the events which followed the recall of Grey, we must retrace our steps and consider, in its earliest stages, the question which has, more than all others, down even to our own day, complicated the relations between Ireland and England—namely, what is known as ” the religious difficulty.” In 1532 Henry VIII had regularly begun a quarrel with the Pope, by asserting himself to be ” Supreme Head of the Church ” in England, and so withdrawing himself and his Kingdom from all spiritual dependence on the See of Rome.

Above : Statue Monument Of Daniel O’Connell