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Confederate Ireland refers to the period of Irish self-government between 1642 and 1649, during the Eleven Years' War. During this time, two-thirds of Ireland was governed by the Irish Catholic Confederation, also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny", which was based in Kilkenny. This was formed by Irish Catholic nobles, clergy and military leaders after the Irish Rebellion of 1641. The Confederation had what were effectively a parliament (called the General Assembly), an executive (called the Supreme Council), and a military. It pledged allegiance to Charles I. The remaining Protestant-controlled enclaves in Ulster, Munster and Leinster were held by armies loyal to the royalists, parliamentarians or Scottish Covenanters. Throughout its existence, the Confederation waged war against the parliamentarians. In 1648, it allied itself with the royalists. However, in 1649 a parliamentarian army under Oliver Cromwell invaded Ireland. It defeated the Confederates and royalists and brought the Confederation to an end. Lmnopar effort against the remaining English and Scottish armies in Ireland. It was hoped that by doing this, the Irish Catholics could hold off holas French]], and a lawyer named Nicholas Plunkett. They put forth their proposals for a government to Irish Catholic nobles such as Viscount Gormanston, Viscount Mountgarret and Viscount Muskerry. These men would commit their own armed forces to the Confederation and persuaded other rebels to join it. The declared aims of the Confederates were similar to those of Sir Phelim O'Neill, the leader of the early stages of the rebellion in Ulster, who issued the Proclamation of Dungannon in October 1641. On 17 March 1642 these nobles signed the "Catholic Remonstrance" issued at Trim, County Meath that was addressed to King Charles I. On 22 March, at a meeting in nearby Kells, a majority of the Catholic bishops proclaimed that the rebellion was a just war. On 10 May 1642, Ireland's Catholic clergy held a synod at Kilkenny. Present were the Archbishops of Armagh, Cashel and Tuam, eleven bishops or their representatives, and other dignitaries.〔Meehan, Charles Patrick. ''The Confederation of Kilkenny''. 1846. p.27〕 They drafted the Confederate Oath of Association and called on all Catholics in Ireland to take it. Those who took the oath swore allegiance to Charles I and vowed to obey all orders and decrees made by the "Supreme Council of the Confederate Catholics". The rebels henceforth became known as Confederates. The synod re-affirmed that the rebellion was a "just war".〔Meehan, p.29〕 It called for the creation of a council (made up of clergy and nobility) for each province, which would be overseen by a national council for the whole island. It vowed to punish misdeeds by Confederate soldiers and to excommunicate any Catholic who fights against the Confederation. The synod sent agents to France, Spain and Italy to gain support, gather funds and weapons, and recruit Irishmen serving in foreign armies.〔Meehan, p.30〕 Lord Mountgarret was appointed president of the Confederate Supreme Council, and a General Assembly was fixed for October that year.〔Meehan, p.31〕 ==The first Confederate Assembly== The first Confederate General Assembly was held in Kilkenny on 24 October 1642, where it set up a provisional government.〔Meehan, p.43〕 The Assembly was a parliament in all but name. Present at the first Assembly were 14 Lords Temporal and 11 Lords Spiritual from the Parliament of Ireland, along with 226 commoners.〔Meehan, p.41〕 The Confederate's constitution was written by a Galway lawyer named Patrick D'Arcy. The Assembly resolved that each county should have a council, overseen by a provincial council made up of two representatives from each county council. The Assembly agreed orders "to be observed as the model of their government".〔Edmund Curtis and R. B. McDowell (eds), "Irish Historical Documents 1172–1922". Barnes & Noble London and New York (1943; reprinted 1968)〕 The Assembly elected an executive known as the Supreme Council. The first Supreme Council was elected on or about 14 November. It consisted of 24 members, 12 of whom were to abide always in Kilkenny or wherever else they deemed fitting.〔 The members of the first Supreme Council were as follows: James Tuchet, 3rd Earl of Castlehaven, representing the Crown, was the final member of the Supreme Council. The Supreme Council would have power over all military generals, military officers and civil magistrates.〔Meehan, p.44〕 Its first act was to name the generals who were to command Confederate forces: Owen Roe O'Neill was to command the Ulster forces, Thomas Preston the Leinster forces, Garret Barry the Munster forces and John Burke the Connacht forces. Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde was named head general, as they thought he would sooner or later join the Confederates.〔 The Supreme Council issued an order to raise £30,000 and a levy of 31,700 men in Leinster who were to be trained at once.〔Meehan, p.45〕 The Supreme Council also made its own seal, described as follows: "'Twas circular, and in its centre was a large cross, the base of which rested on a flaming heart, while its apex was overlapped by the wings of a dove. On the left of the cross was the harp , and on the right the crown." The motto on the seal was ''Pro Deo, Rege, et Patria, Hiberni Unanimes'' (''For God, King and Fatherland, Ireland is United'').〔 A National Treasury, a mint for making coins, and a press for printing proclamations were set up in Kilkenny.〔 This first General Assembly sat until 9 January 1643.〔Meehan, p.50〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Confederate Ireland」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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