other · British Isles

Confederate Ireland

1642 CE – 1652 CE · capital Kilkenny

The Catholic government formed at Kilkenny during the Irish Confederate Wars, which ruled most of Ireland in the 1640s until Cromwell's conquest.

Origins

The rebellion of October 1641 by Catholic Irish gentry spread across the island. In 1642 Catholic clergy and lords formed the Confederation of Kilkenny, a government loyal to Charles I but demanding Catholic rights and self-government for Ireland.

Rule and society

A General Assembly and a Supreme Council governed, raising taxes and armies. Its motto was 'Irishmen united for God, King and country'. The papal nuncio Rinuccini divided the Confederates over peace with the king. Owen Roe O'Neill won the Battle of Benburb in 1646, while Thomas Preston led the Leinster army.

Decline and legacy

The Confederation dissolved itself in 1649 to ally with the royalists under Ormond. Oliver Cromwell's campaign from 1649 and the surrender of the last Irish forces in 1652 ended it, followed by massive land confiscation under the Commonwealth of England.

Lineage

Kingdom of Ireland 1542 CE – 1800 CEConfederate Ireland

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Confederate Ireland. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/confederate-ireland
MLA
“Confederate Ireland.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/confederate-ireland. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Confederate Ireland.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/confederate-ireland.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Confederate Ireland’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/confederate-ireland (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻