England had claimed lordship of Ireland since the 12th century, but Tudor and Stuart rulers turned that claim into real control - usually through violence.

Tudor and Stuart Plantations

Henry VIII declared himself King of Ireland in 1541. To break the power of Catholic Irish lords, the Tudors and Stuarts took their land and "planted" it with English and Scottish Protestant settlers:

Offaly and Laois (1556) - the first official plantation.
Plantation of Munster (1586) - after the Desmond Rebellions.
Plantation of Ulster (1609) - the largest, after the Flight of the Earls.

This created two Irelands that did not trust each other - and explains why Northern Ireland today is still split between Protestant and Catholic communities.

1641 Uprising

In 1641, Ulster Catholics rose up against the planters. Thousands of settlers were killed. The uprising became part of a wider war as the English Civil War broke out.

Cromwell in Ireland (1649)

In 1649, after defeating King Charles I, Oliver Cromwell sailed to Ireland with an army. His soldiers killed thousands of soldiers and civilians at Drogheda and Wexford. Cromwell remains the most hated English name in Irish memory.

The Battle of the Boyne (1690)

Forty years later, the deposed Catholic King James II tried to take back his throne from Ireland. He was defeated by Protestant William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. This made sure Ireland would be ruled by Protestants for the next century.

Year 8 Power & Protest

Ireland 1500-1690: Tudor and Stuart Conquest