JC History - The Plantations

Ireland before the Plantations (1500)

-About 750,000 people lived in Ireland
-Most of them lived in the countryside
-The King of England was the Lord of Ireland but he had very little control over the countryside
-The Pale was the only part of Ireland where the King had power

Gaelic Irish - before the plantations

-The land was controlled by native Irish lords
-Followed Brehon law
-Spoke Irish
-Believed land was owned by the clann
-They didn't recognise the English King as lord of Ireland

Anglo Normans / Anglo Irish lordships - before the plantations

-Powerful families that controlled a lot of land in Ireland
-They followed the English common law + Gaelic Brehon law
-They believed land was owned by a lord + passed to his son
E.g. Fitzgeralds of Kildare

The Pale - before the plantations

-The Pale was a small area to the North + South of Dublin
-Loyal to the English Crown
-Spoke English
-Followed common law
-Believed property was owned by one man than passed to his son
-They thought that they were superior

Brehon law examples

-The chief was elected from the derbhfine (royal family)
-The land was owned by the clann / tribe

Common law examples

-The eldest son became the new lord
-The lord owned the land

Why did the land change hands?

-Henry VII came to power in England
-This began the reign of the tudor family
-By 1603 the English Crown had conquered Ireland

Military conquest

-The Tudors fought the anglo Irish lords in several wars + reduced their power + influence
-Although the army was very successful it was also very expensive
-Also families could rise up again in later years

A new policy - plantations

-After rebellious chiefs or lord were defeated their land was confiscated
-The land was given to loyal settlers or planters
-The planters used English law, language + customs
-The planters would defend their new land

Where was the plantation policy tried

-Laois + Offaly
-Munster

Plantation in Laois + Offaly

-This plantation was very limited + unsuccessful

Plantation in Munster

-The Plantation in Munster was more extensive
-Settlers + planters came from England, new towns were established + new farming methods were introduced
-A wealthy Protestant minority who controlled large estates was established but few planters came than expected so overall it was a failure

Ulster Plantations: Causes

-Wanted to punish people who were not loyal to the crown
-Wanted to introduce the Protestant religion
-Wanted to spread English culture
-Keep the Irish under control
-Set up towns + increase trade + property
-To make the Irish loyal to the King

Irish uprising - O'Neils + O'Donnells

-Gaelic society dominated Ulster
-In 1594 the 9 year war began when Ulster chiefs rebelled against the efforts to impose English law + the Protestant religion
-They won a number of battles including the Battle of the Yellow Ford + inspired others

Spanish help

-Philip II of Spain sent ships with 4000 soldiers to help the rebellion
-They landed at Kinsale, Co. Cork but they were surrounded by the English
-O'Neill + O'Donnell came to help but they were defeated at the Battle of Kinsale

Treaty of Mellifont

-Brought the 9 year war to an end
-Even though O'Neill made peace the English still tried to control them

Flight of the Earls 1607

-O'Neill + other Ulster chiefs fled Ireland to the continent
-The English government called them traitors + replaced them with loyal planters

Reasons for the plantation

-Wanted to create a loyal Protestant population
-Wanted to stop countries (Spain + France) using Ireland as a base to attack Ireland
-Wanted to gain money for the crown
-Wanted to protect England
-He thought that English culture was superior to Irish culture

The plan of the plantation - survey

-Land was confiscated in Derry, Donegal, Cavan, Tyrone, Fermanagh + Armagh
-Land was split into crown land + church land
-Church land: given to the church of Ireland + Trinity
-Crown land: used for plantations, towns + schools

3 types of planters

-Undertakers
-Servitors
-Loyal Irish

Undertakers

-English + Scottish planters
-Not allowed to have Gaelic tenants

Servitors

-English soldiers + officials who were owed money after wars
-Could take some Gaelic tenants

Loyal Irish

-Irish of good merit + those who hadn't taken part in the rebellion
-Could take Gaelic tenants

Defence (1000, 1500 + 2000 acres)

-1000 acres: bawn
-1500 acres: bawn + stone house
-2000 acres: bawn + defence tower

Bawn

Stone wall around an enclosure

The Plantation of Londonderry

-King James I asked the guilds of London merchants to help with the plantations of Derry
-12 merchant companies formed

How successful were the plantations from the English perspective

-Increased the influence of English law, language + farming methods
-Ensured a loyal population
-Spread Protestant religion
-Built gaols + courthouses

How did the plantations influence identity

-The planters came from Scotland + England
-They brought their own religion + customs

Land + religion

-There was mistrust + hatred between the native Irish + planters
-In 1641 the native Irish attacked the planters + massacred thousands of them
-12,000 out of 40,000 Protestants in Ulster were killed

New towns

-The planters introduced town life to Ulster
-The towns were planned + had straight wide streets
-They had a central square where the courthouse + church are built + the markets are held
-The towns are surrounded by stone walls
-These towns are centres of local governments + business + farming
E.g. Londonderry

The economy

-Planters introduced new farming methods (field system) which was different to the Irish system (open grazing)
-Trade prospered + roads, inns + mills were developed

The Gaelic Irish

-Culture + language of the Gaelic Irish declined because Gaelic chiefs lost their power
-English common law replaced Gaelic Brehon law

Tories

Irish people who went and lived in the mountains

Massacre in Drogheda

-After the 1641 Massacre, Cromwell sailed to Ireland to avenge the Protestants
-He + his generals massacred Drogheda + imposed a plantation

13 Apprentice Boys + Siege of Derry

-Catholic King James II was ousted from the throne of England
-His Protestant daughter Mary + her husband William of Orange were crowned instead
-James came to Ireland to get support
-However Londonderry favoured William + the 13 apprentice boys closed the gates against an opposing army
-The Siege of Derry lasted 105 days but ships broke through + brought food for everyone

Battle of the Boyne

-Williams army took on + defeated James army at the Battle of the Boyne
-It is commemorated every year on 12th July with parades organised by the Orange Order

Divisions between Catholic + Protestants

-The divisions contributed to sectarian violence + led to conflict + then the Troubles in Northern Ireland

Timeline of divided loyalties

1641: Massacre of Protestants in Portadown
1649: Massacre in Drogheda
1688: Apprentice boys + the siege of Derry
1689: Battle of the Boyne
1795: Foundation of Orange Order
1886: Belfast riots
1920: Belfast riots
1986: The troubles begin

To hell or to Connacht

A saying that was used during the plantations. It shows what Connacht was like during that time

Kings county

Offaly

Queens county

Laois