2nd Year/notes on the plantations( Hockey girls)

In the 1500s, about 750,000 people lived in Ireland. The King of England was also the King of Ireland, but he had very little control over it. The country was divided into three sections. •

The Pale

This was a small area to the north and south of Dublin.

•This was the only part of Ireland where the king’s officials had real power. Here, the people followed English law and customs and spoke the English language.

•Gaelic clans often raided the Pale and took cattle

The Anglo-Irish Lordships

These were areas controlled by Anglo-Irish Lords. These lords were descendents of the Normans who had invaded Ireland in the 1100’s. By the 1500’s many of these families had become ‘more Irish than the Irish themselves.’

•Examples: The Fitzgeralds of Kildare

             The Butlers of Ormond

Gaelic Irish Lordships

These were areas under the control of Irish (Gaelic) Lords. They followed Brehon Law. They did not recognise the King of England as the King at all. Each mini-kingdom (tuath) had its own chief.

•Eg. O’Neills of Tyronne

           O’Donnells of Donegal

Reasons why the Tudors wanted to control Ireland:

They wanted to protect England. They did not want other countries like France and Spain to use Ireland as a backdoor for invasion.

•They wanted to introduce the Protestant religion into Ireland.

•They felt that English culture was superior to Gaelic culture and felt that it should be spread.


Surrender and Regrant


Gaelic and Anglo-Irish lords were encouraged to give up their lands to the king.
They then swore loyalty to the king and promised to use only English law, customs and language.
In return for this, Henry ‘regranted’ them their land back to the lords and he gave them new titles. 
•Because surrender and regrant led to bickering and fighting amongst many of the
Gaelic families (it went against Brehon Law)...the power and unity of Gaelic clans was
much weakened.
And so another plan to extend British control in Ireland was introduced...


Plantations and how they worked....


If a clan or chief had been rebellious their land would be confiscated or taken off them by the crown.
The land would be given to loyal settlers otherwise known as ‘planters’.
They would use the English language and follow English law and customs.
These people would probably have to defend their new land from the Irish men who had been kicked off!


Aims of the Plantations...
To impose English law on the planted areas
To protect the Pale
To control the Native Irish


What Happened?

•The English Army drove the O’Mores and O’Connors off their land.

•Laois became known as Queen’s County and Offaly became known as King’s County.

The  idea was to plant loyal subjects both from The Pale and England

But it didn't work because..

•The English Army did not stick around to help defend the settlers from the attacking O’Mores and O’Connors.

•Hardly any English planters came over at all.

•Queen Mary died.

Still lessons had been learned on how not to run a plantation.


The Munster Plantation
•Elizabeth I had a plantation in Munster after the Fitzgeralds rebelled down there in the 1560’s and 70’s. It failed for pretty much the same reasons:
•Not many English came and settled.
•Those that did, were attacked by the old owners.
•The Old-Irish and Anglo-Irish still ended up renting or working the land and so English customs were not spread.


Results of Munster Plantation

•There a few plantation towns set up like Mallow and Bandon in Cork, Tallow in Waterford and Killarney in Kerry. These became centres of English influence. Some trade and industry began to develop in these areas. 

Also new farming methods were introduced.