The English invasion of Ireland is of central importance to the interconnected histories of Britain and Ireland. Yet there is still disagreement over the agency of its ultimate sponsor, King Henry II. This article argues that from the very beginning of his reign as king of England, Henry utilised a rising tide of intolerance among Europe’s clerical elite for those holding non-standard beliefs and customs to secure reluctant papal approval for an invasion of Ireland. Once that invasion finally got underway a decade and a half later, members of his court portrayed Henry’s firm rule as the necessary precursor to the reform of Irish religion and culture. This propaganda sought its justification in the intellectual and cultural flourishing of the twelfth-century renaissance, which provided European commentators with newly-revived models of logic and classification. In was also carried out amidst Crusade-inspired justifications for the violent subjugation or killing of religious non-conformists. The essential point, however, is that these clerical descriptions did not necessarily reflect contemporary secular opinion. When works written for secular audiences in the vernacular are analysed, they present a much more nuanced image of Ireland and the Irish. Gone are the references to civilising or reforming missions, and the clear sense of cultural superiority. What remains, however, is the fundamental belief that strong, centralised order is required for the successful running of society. This is what the English invaders told themselves, and this is what informed the first generation of settlement in Angevin Ireland.

中文翻译：

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亨利二世和安茹在爱尔兰统治的意识形态基础

英国入侵爱尔兰对英国和爱尔兰的相互关联的历史至关重要。然而，对其最终赞助商亨利二世国王的代理权仍存在分歧。这篇文章认为，从他作为英格兰国王的一开始，亨利就利用欧洲文职精英对那些持有非标准信仰和习俗的人日益增长的不容忍浪潮来获得教皇对入侵爱尔兰的不情愿的批准。十五年后，入侵终于开始，他的宫廷成员将亨利的坚定统治描绘成爱尔兰宗教和文化改革的必要先驱。这种宣传在 12 世纪文艺复兴的知识和文化繁荣中寻求其正当性，它为欧洲评论家提供了新的逻辑和分类模型。在十字军东征的启发下，还为暴力征服或杀害宗教不墨守成规的人辩护。然而，重要的一点是，这些神职人员的描述不一定反映当代世俗观点。当分析用白话写给世俗观众的作品时，它们呈现出的爱尔兰和爱尔兰人的形象更加细致入微。对文明或改革使命的提及以及对文化优越感的清晰感已经一去不复返了。然而，仍然存在的基本信念是，社会的成功运行需要强大的集中秩序。这是英国入侵者告诉自己的，也是爱尔兰安茹的第一代定居点的信息。