History is massively important in Ireland!!! It is on our walls, painted in murals, spoken in peoples speech and comes up in their attitude and views. 

Much of what goes on in Ireland today we can date back to one troublesome part of our history:  the 16th and 17th centuries. 
It was then that Ireland was torn apart by religion and war. It was a battle for control of the island of Ireland.  This would see the province of Ulster transformed forever and  would end with King William of Orange winning the battle of the Boyne... a battle celebrated by some in our community hundreds of years later - But what were those events that went on so long ago that can so affect our lives today !? Lets see ...

([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ireland_1450.png source and rights])

WHAT WAS THE FLIGHT OF THE EARLS? ​

The NINE YEARS WAR had left Ireland devastated. Elizabeth had spent a fortune fighting.. BUT the defeat of the Irish at the BATTLE OF KINSALE led to the Irish Earls being severely weakened.

O’NEILL the Irish leader surrendered and was allowed to keep his lands IF HE OBEYED ENGLISH LAW.

Many however wanted O’NEILL out and in 1607 fearing a plot,  O’Neill and 100 followers boarded a ship in Donegal and left Ireland. They hoped to get help from Catholic allies in Europe to help defeat the English in Ireland.  However they were never to return. This was called the Flight of the Earls.

This left ULSTER defenceless and without Leaders. Their Ulster lands would be taken by the English—for a Plantation on a much greater scale.

METHOD OF CONTROL: THE ULSTER PLANTATION

• James 1 was a new King with big ideas. 
• He was King of Scotland AND England. 
• He wanted to try to control the last area of Ireland not under full English Control - ULSTER.                   With the flight of the Earls it was his big chance!!! It had left land 'Free' for him to send over thousands of settlers! This time they wouldn't just be from England but from Scotland too. 


• For Scots it would be a huge opportunity to own lots of new land and make money - not very far from home​

servitors

Land was granted to SERVITORS. These were old soldiers who had fought in Ireland and were given land instead of wages.
The King also hoped they would protect Ulster from attack.

undertakers

These were Scottish and English people who would undertake (or promise) to bring a good number of families over to Ulster to settle. They were given land in return

london companies

The London companies were RICH and the King hoped they would make the plantation a success as they had money to investThe London companies were RICH and the King hoped they would make the plantation a success as they had money to invest

church of ireland

Land was also given to the Church of Ireland. Even though most of Ireland was Catholic the Church of Ireland had been made a PROTESTANT church by Henry VIII 

scottish and english settlers

Scottish and English families came in their thousands to settle in Ulster.
They brought a new way of life, farming, doing business, law and religion. 
Towns like Coleraine and Londonderry were built. New churches and houses were built and a new way of life set up.

They changed Ulster FOREVER! ​

the native irish

Only some land was granted to the native Irish. The majority of Irish people were either:

• Made to PAY RENT to their new landlords
  
• Made to leave the best land and move to bad land in the MOUNTAINS OR BOGS
  
• Some became WOODKERNE! (Irish bandits)

examples of plantation bawns

Bellaghey Bawn

Ulster History Park 

Tully castle Fermanagh

This event 400 years ago has had a HUGE impact on all our lives!!! 
Many of our own families are related to either Native Irish settlers or Scottish and English Planters. If you have names like JOHNSTON ; ARMSTRONG; HAMILTON or MONTGOMERY you are more than likely to be from Planter stock.  So some of us may not be here in Ulster today if the plantation had never happened!  

The Plantation brought many benefits to Ulster, including new businesses, farming techniques and towns. 


HOWEVER as with many things in history it had TWO SIDES. 

• The Plantation also brought a new religion powerfully into Ireland and concentrated in Ulster. This would lead to later divisions and some may even say our recent 'Troubles'  
• It also left many native Irish without land or on bad land and this angered them and created a division between the Natives and Settlers that many believe still exists...... So next time you look at the murals on the walls of Belfast... perhaps in part they could be connected to the Plantation

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