Ireland had been a lordship under the authority of the English Crown since the 12th century; but by the 16th century, the area under government control had shrunk to the Pale, the area around Dublin.
Ireland had been claimed as a lordship by the English Crown since the 12th century but the actuality of this Lordship was only officially on paper as the reality on the ground was quite the contrary. By the 16th century, the area under government control had shrunk to the Pale, the area around Dublin.