Figure 1.--

The English Crown in the early 17th century sent Scottish and English Protestants as colonists to northern Ireland and the counties of Laois and Offaly. Most Irish Protestants today can trace their ancestry to these colonists rather to the indigenous Irish. This was known as the Protestant Plantations. The Crown also promoted a series of Penal Laws designed to supress the Irish people who refused to adhere to the established Anglican Church of Ireland. The measure was aimed orimarily at Irish Catholics. but other Protestan sects were also affected, such as Presbyterians of the Church of Scotland. The conflict between the Stuart monarchy and Parliament culminated in the English Civil War. When the Irish attempted to use the Civil War to achieve independence, Oliver Cromwell peronally commanded the army and brutally quellied revolts in Ireland. Ireland was involved in the Glorious Revolution (1689). Parliament and William III of Orange deposed Stuart king James II who supported by French King Louis XIV threatened to reinstiture Roman Catholcism and devine right monarchy in England. James attempted to regain his throne by invading Ireland where he anticipated receiving support from Irish Catholics. A series of battles were culminated at the Battle of the Boyne (1690) which ended the Catholic threat to the English throne and ended serious Catholic resistance to English rule. The English throughtout thec17th century through descrimnatory laws and the wars with Irish revels transferred land ownership from Catholic nobels and peasantry to a new class of Protestant nobels estraunged from the Irish people anf loyal to the English crown.

The Irish Plantations

The English Crown in the early 17th century sent Scottish and English Protestants as colonists to northern Ireland and the counties of Laois and Offaly. Most Irish Protestants today can trace their ancestry to these colonists rather to the indigenous Irish. This was known as the Protestant Plantations. The colonists were settled motly in north-eastern Ireland (part of the northern province of Ulster). The colonists included Presbyterians (historically know as Dissenters) from Scotland (also England and even Germany), and other nonconformist Christians (especially Friends (ie Quakers). They started arriving in the 16th century, and their numbers grew in the 17th. During this period they and the Protestant Ascendancy were not close allies: there were significant differences in background, social class and style of Protestantism. Both the Catholic majority and the Presbyterians were the victims of discriminatory laws favouring the Church of Ireland. Generally, though, the discrimination against Catholics was worse than that against the Protestant nonconformists.

Penal Laws

The Crown also promoted a series of Penal Laws designed to supress the Irish people who refused to adhere to the established Anglican Church of Ireland. The measure was aimed orimarily at Irish Catholics. but other Protestan sects were also affected, such as Presbyterians of the Church of Scotland.

English Civil War

The Tudors did a great deal to strengthen the authority of the monarchy, but were deft politicans and managed Parliament carefully. The Stuarts had a different mindset. They were commited to not only divine-right monarchy, but royal absolutism as well. Rather than attempting to mamage Patliament, the Stuarts were affronted by Parliament's perogatives. The conflict between the Stuart monarchy and Parliament culminated in the English Civil War. When the Irish attempted to use the Civil War to achieve independence, Oliver Cromwell peronally commanded the army and brutally quellied revolts in Ireland.

Glorious Revolution (1689)

Ireland was involved in the Glorious Revolution (1689). Parliament and William III of Orange deposed Sturart king James II who supported by French King Louis XIV threatened to reinstiture Roman Catholcism and devine right monarchy in England. The Glorious Revolution was in contrast to the bloody Civil War, almost bloodless in England which is one reason it came to be called "glorious". This was not the case in Ireland where the Stuarts once again turned to for support. . James attempted to regain his throne by invading Ireland where he anticipated receiving support from Irish Catholics. A series of battles were culminated at the Battle of the Boyne (1690) which ended the Catholic threat to the English throne and ended serious Catholic resistance to English rule. It is at this time that orange becomes the symol of Irish Protestants. Protestants became known as Orangemen.

Land Ownership and the Franchise: The Protestant Accendancy

The 17th century saw several wars in England and Ireland: civil wars, colonial wars, and at least one war that was part of a wider European conflict. The fighting was often brutal colored by both political and religious isues. Following some of these disruptions, the winners forcibly transferred ownership of large amounts of land to new landlords, and sometimes new tenants. Those who had supported the winning side, and/or those who they felt would support them in the future camr to own land in Ireland. The new landowners were Protestants. This was not only an economic matter, but also a political development. The net effect of this shift in land ownership was to disenfranchise and alienate the Gaelic/Catholic (Roman Catholic) majority population (aristocracy and common people alike) and some of the older Anglo-Irish families. The franchise at the time was determined by property ownership. As a result, new ruling elite of Anglo-Irish (people of English/Scottish background and also Anglicized Irish (members of the Church of Ireland--Anglican/Episcopalian) was installed in Ireland. This "Protestant Ascendancy" lasted well into the 19th century, with traces still in evidence today.