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Poyning's Law refers to the time when Sir Edward Poyning was sent as viceroy to Ireland by Henry VII of England. In 1494, Poyning called the Irish Parliament to Drogheda. The Irish parliament was there placed under the authority of the English Parliament. Ireland was also required to run all of its laws past the English parliament to be approved. Thus Ireland was made subservient to English rule, an act which was made to prevent any foreign nation from attacking England via Ireland.
Groups seeking self government for Ireland such as the Confederate Catholics in the 1640s and Grattan's Patriot Party in the late eighteenth century consistently sought a repeal of Poynings Law. However, the Act remained in place until the Abolition of the Irish Parliament with the Act of Union in 1800.
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