Confederate Ireland refers to the period of Irish self-government between 1642 and 1649, during the
Eleven Years' War. During this time, two-thirds of Ireland was governed by the
Irish Catholic Confederation, also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny", which was based in
Kilkenny, and formed by Irish Catholic nobles, clergy and military leaders after the
Irish Rebellion of 1641. The Confederation had what were effectively a parliament (called the General Assembly), an executive (called the Supreme Council), and a military. It pledged allegiance to
Charles I.