1. Feud over the English throne
Papal bulls of the 1450s had declared that the Portuguese had rights to any lands "as far as the Indies,"[4] which actually gave Portugal the rights to the discovery of America. ... The fourth bull, the Dudum Siguidem, which was issued later on August 26, 1493, nullified any previous papal orders that had favored the Portuguese. ...
It is mentioned in Irish History that St. Patrick banished all the snakes from Ireland. This seems an impressive feat and we seem to be able to confirm it as fact as Ireland is indeed a country without snakes. However, the more realistic, and more mundane reason why there are no snakes in Ireland is because the country is an island surrounded by the sea. It was separated from the land mass of Europe around 6700 BC before snakes and other varieties of plant life were common in the country. ...