 During the Great Famine in the middle of the 19th century, some evangelical Protestants sought to convert the starving Catholics as part of their relief efforts.Negative English attitudes towards the Gaelic Irish and their culture date as far back as the reign of Henry II of England.In 1155, Pope Adrian IV issued the papal bull called "Laudabiliter", that gave Henry permission to conquer Ireland as a means of strengthening the Papacy's control over the Irish Church.