Glossary

Absolute monarch

a king or queen who has unrestricted power over government and the people of a given state.

British Isles

this is a contentious term but it is used here as a strictly geographical term to describe the archipelago lying off the coast of North West Europe which includes the island of Ireland, island of Great Britain, and adjacent small islands.

Constitution

often ‘a constitution’ is a document setting out the fundamental principles by which a state is governed. For instance Ireland, America and France have codified (written) constitutions. The United Kingdom does not have a written constitution. In this case, the term constitution refers to the existing body of laws, court judgments and conventions.

Magna Carta

the ‘great charter’ of English liberties granted by King John (1167–1216, reigned 1199–1216) in 1215.

Modern period

a term used by historians to describe the period from the mid-eighteenth century to the early twentieth century.

Privy Council

a group of senior ministers advising the monarch, serving a similar function as the cabinet today.

Provinces (Ireland)

there are four provinces in Ireland: Connaught (Connacht), Munster (an Mhumhain), Leinster (Laighin) and Ulster (Ulaidh).

Tithes

a form of tax for the support of the church or clergy.