ABSTRACT
Kildare's repeated treachery prompted Henry VII to make a radical change of course in his policy towards Ireland. Instead of ruling via the established families he appointed his baby son, Prince Henry, as nominal Lieutenant of Ireland with a soldier, Sir Edward Poynings, as his Deputy. Poynings was given instructions to appoint Englishmen to the principal administrative positions in the Pale and to ensure that the institutions of Irish government should never again be taken over by Yorkist pretenders. The final step in process of bringing Ireland under direct English rule came when Poynings summoned the Irish Parliament in December 1496, for this passed the statute known as Poynings' Law which stated that in future no Irish Parliament was assemble or pass any legislation without prior approval by the English government. The principal difference between Scotland and Ireland in the sixteenth century was that Scotland had been for many years an independent country under the rule of its own kings.
