A Concise History of Ireland

Irish History.

From A Concise History of Ireland

by P. W. Joyce

The Period of Insurrection, Confiscation and Plantation (1172-1547)

THERE were four great rebellions during this period:--the rebellion of Shane O'Neill; the Geraldine rebellion; the rebellion of Hugh O'Neill; and the rebellion of 1641; besides many smaller risings. And after all these came the War of the Revolution (625).

The causes of rebellion were mainly two:--First, the attempt to extend the Reformation to Ireland: Second, the Plantations, which though the consequence of some rebellions were the cause of others. These and other influences of less importance will be described in a general way in the next chapter, and in more detail in those that follow.

Whenever a rebellion took place, the invariable course of events may be briefly summed up as:--Rebellion, Defeat, Confiscation, Plantation.

The Plantations began immediately after the confiscation of Leix and Offaly (410) and continued almost without a break during the whole of this period, that is for a century and a half.