Longbeforethecommissionforsuppressionarrivedthescrambleforashareintheplunderhadbegun。InthiscontesttheDeputy，ArchbishopBrowne，andtheprincipalmembersoftheprivycouncilledtheway。
JohnAlen，MasteroftheRolls，wasthefirsttoprofitbythespoliationofthereligioushousesbygettingpossessionofthepropertyofSt。Wolstan\'s1536，LordGreysecuredforhimselfthegoodsandpossessionsoftheConventofGrane。TheEarlofOrmondandtheButlerfamilygenerallyenrichedthemselvesoutofthelandsofthemonasteriessituatedinthesouth-easternportionofIreland，asdidalsoahostofhungryofficialsandgentlemenindifferentpartsofIreland，suchastheCowleys，Alens，St。Legers，Lutrells，Plunketts，Dillons，Nugents，Prestons，Berminghams，Townleys，Aylmers，Flemings，Wyses，Eustaces，Brabazons，etc。[41]EvenPatrickBarnewall，whohadresistedsostrenuouslythesuppressionofthemonasteriesin1536，couldnotresistthetemptationofsharingintheplunder。HesecuredforhimselfalargeportionofthelandsandadvowsonsoftheConventofGrace-Dieu。InthiswaytheAnglo-Irishnobleswerebribedintoacquiescencewiththeking\'sreligiouspolicy，andwereenabledtotransmittotheirdescendantsimmenseterritoriesoverwhichtheyweretoruleashereditarylandlordslongaftertheoriginoftheirtitlehadbeenforgotten。Similarly，inordertoputanendtotheoppositionofthecityauthorities，whichhadgoodgroundtocomplainofthesuppressionsofhousesthatweredoingsomuchinthecauseofcharityandeducation，largegrantsweremadetothecorporationsofDublin，Waterford，Limerick，Clonmel，etc。Wealthymerchantswhohadmoneytoinvestwerenotslowincomingforwardtosecureleasesofportionsofthemonasticlandandtherebytolaythefoundationsofanewso-calledaristocracy。Thegoldandsilverornaments，thesacredvessels，thebells，andthechurchplategenerallyweresoldforthebenefitoftheking，buttheofficialswereneverparticularlycarefulaboutmakingtheproperreturns。Fromapartialaccountgivenbythecommissionersin1541itappearedthatfromthesalesofthejewels，reliquaries，pictures，andgoodsofthemonasteriestheyhadreceivedover￡2，500Irishofwhichtheyhadgivencloseon￡500tothesuperiors，servants，etc。，andretained￡375astravellingexpenses。[42]WiththesubmissionoftheEarlofDesmond，O\'BrienofThomond，O\'Donnell，etc。，amoredeterminedcampaignwasinitiatedforthetotaldestructionofthereligioushouses，andparticularlyofthosebelongingtotheMendicants，notmerelyinthePalebutthroughoutIreland。AspecialcommissionwasissuedAug。1541totheEarlofDesmondandothers\"totakeinventoriesof，todissolve，andtoputinsafecustody，allreligioushousesinLimerick，Cork，Kerry，andDesmond。\"InreturnforhisactivitytheEarlofDesmondwasrewardedwithseveralgrantsofmonasticland，andevenO\'Briendidnotthinkitbeneathhimtoshareintheplunder。Insomeplaces，asforinstanceinMonaghan，theFranciscanFriarswereputtodeath。ButintheIrishdistrictsgenerallythedecreeofsuppressionwasnotenforced，andevenintheEnglishportionsofthecountrythesuppressionofthemonasteriesdidnotmeantheextinctionofthemonks。TheFranciscansandDominicansinparticularseemtohavebeenalmostasnumerousattheendofthereignofHenryVIII。astheyhadbeenbeforeheundertookhiscampaignagainstRome。
ThewholestoryofthesesadyearsissummarisedinastrikingifslightlyexaggeratedfashionbytheFourMasters。\"Aheresyandnewerror，\"theysay，\"sprangupinEnglandthroughpride，vain-glory，avarice，andlist，andthroughmanystrangesciences，sothatthemenofEnglandwentintooppositiontothePopeandtoRome……TheystyledthekingthechiefheadoftheChurchofGodinhisownkingdom。Newlawsandstatuteswereenactedbythekingandcouncilaccordingtotheirownwill。Theydestroyedtheorderstowhomworldlypossessionswereallowed，namely，theMonks，Canons，Nuns，theCrouchedFriars，andthefourMendicantOrders，namelytheFriarsMinor，theFriarsPreachers，theCarmelites，andtheAugustinians，andthelordshipsandlivingsofallthesewereseizedfortheking。Theybrokedownthemonasteriesandsoldtheirroofsandtheirbells，sothatfromAranoftheSaintstotheIccianSeetherewasnotonemonasterythatwasnotbrokenandshattered，withtheexceptionofafewinIreland，ofwhichtheEnglishtooknonoticeorheed。Theyafterwardburnedtheimages，shrines，andrelicsofthesaintsofIrelandandEngland；theylikewiseburnedthecelebratedimageofMaryatTrim，whichusedtoperformwondersandmiracles，tohealtheblind，thedeaf，thecrippled，andpersonsaffectedwithallkindsofdisease；theyburnedtheStaffofJesus，whichwasinDublin，andwhichwroughtmiraclesfromthetimeofSt。Patrick，andhadbeeninthehandsofChristwhileHewasamongmen。Theyalsoappointedarchbishopsandbishopsforthemselves，andthoughgreatwasthepersecutionoftheRomanemperorsagainsttheChurch，scarcelyhadthereevercomesogreatapersecutionfromRomeasthis，sothatitisimpossibletonarrateortellitsdescriptionunlessitshouldbenarratedbyonewhosawit。\"[43]TheAnnalistsmighthaveaddedafactnoticedbyadistinguishedProtestanthistorianthat\"insteadofbestowingtheir[ofthemonasteries]incomesontheameliorationoftheChurch，orexpendingtheminprovidingforthereligiousorsecularimprovementofthepeopleinanyotherway，caringlittleapparentlyfortheimpoverishmentoftheChurch，he[HenryVIII。]
misappliedthoserevenuesforthepurposesofpromotinghisowngratificationorenrichinghisfavourites。\"[44]
VeryearlyinhisreignHenryVIII。haddreamtofthecompletesubjugationofIreland，butitwasonlyafterthesuccessfuloverthrowoftheGeraldineRebellion1534-5thattherealisationofthesedreamsseemedtobewithinmeasurablereach。TheboldnessandmilitarygeniusofLordLeonardGreybadefairtobringallIrelandwithinthesphereofEnglishjurisdiction，untilthereligiouscrisisarosetocomplicatetheissues。ManyoftheIrishprincestookoffenceatthedoctrineofroyalsupremacy，theattackonimages，pictures，pilgrimages，relics，etc。，andatthedesperateeffortsthatwerebeingmadetodriveoutentirelythemonksandnuns。Duringtheyears1537and1538rumoursofagreatconfederationreachedtheearsoftheEnglishofficials。ItwasrepresentedthatConO\'Neill，ManusO\'Donnell，O\'BrienofThomond，theDeBurgosofConnaught，andtheEarlofDesmondhadjoinedhandstoprotecttheyoungGarrettFitzgeraldandtodefendtheauthorityofthePope。Messengers，itwassaid，werepassingconstantlyfromIrelandtoScotland，andfromScotlandtoRome。Itwasreportedin1539thattheIrishprincesregardedHenryVIII。asaheretic，whohadforfeitedalltitletotheLordshipofIreland，thattheyweredeterminedtoupholdtheauthorityofthePope，thattheyexpectedhelpfromtheEmperor，fromFrance，andfromScotland，andthatifaninvasionwereattemptednoteventheAnglo-IrishofthePalecouldbereliedupononaccountoftheirattachmenttothePopeandtotheGeraldines。[45]