Overview of the Plantation of Ulster

  • Dominance of Gaelic Irish clans in Ulster, particularly O’Neills and O’Donnells.
  • Queen Elizabeth I's attempt to control Ulster via Hugh O’Neill's title as 'Earl of Tyrone'.

Background to the Ulster Plantation

  • English adventurers ignited conflict by enforcing Protestantism and English laws.
  • Hugh O’Neill and O’Donnell rebelled and sought support from King Philip II of Spain.

The Nine Years War (1594–1603)

  • Gaelic clans resisted English control, resulting in battles like the Battle of the Yellow Ford.
  • King Philip sent 4,000 soldiers, but they were captured at Kinsale.
  • The Treaty of Mellifont in 1603 ended the war, but English ambitions persisted.

The Flight of the Earls (1607)

  • O’Neill and other chiefs fled to Europe hoping to regroup, leading to a lack of organized resistance.

Organisation of the Plantation (1609)

  • Six counties involved: Donegal, Derry, Tyrone, Armagh, Fermanagh, Cavan.
  • Land divided into estates, with rules stricter than other plantations.

Types of Planter

  • Undertakers: English/Scottish settlers with estates up to 2,000 acres.
  • Servitors: English/Scottish soldiers receiving 1,000–1,500 acres, paying different rents.
  • Loyal Irish: Native Irish loyal to the Crown with estates of 1,000 acres or less.

County Derry and London Craft Guilds

  • County reserved for London guilds, renamed Londonderry.
  • Guilds received land sections; Gaelic Irish relegated to boggy areas.

Impact of the Plantation

  • Rapid influx of settlers; by one million population, ~40,000 were Scots.
  • Increased Protestant population and establishment of tensions leading to violence.
  • English-style housing and structured towns emerged, with land largely owned by settlers.

Long-term Effects

  • Resentment between Catholic Irish and Protestant settlers grew, causing lasting animosity.
  • Cromwell's reconquest (1652): land confiscation from Catholics and redistribution to Protestants.

Review Questions Summary

  • Nine Years War: Conflict between Gaelic clans and English control.
  • King James I's motivation: Control and spread of Protestantism.
  • Derry’s organisation: Reserved for London guilds for land management.
  • Economic burden on Loyal Irish meant to inhibit independence.
  • After the Plantation: 1 out of 25 in Ulster were Scottish, marked demographic changes.