So far as the 1641 rebellion is concerned, and the supposed ,alleged or, in fact, non-existent link with the Plantation of Ulster, there is considerable disagreement among historians. Certainly in recent years there has been quite a move away from the old ‘cause and effect’ notion that the Plantation of Ulster would eventually lead to a rebellion and a rebellion broke out in 1641. But, I mean, there were 31 years between the Plantation of Ulster in 1610 and the Rebellion of 1641, so that has led a number of historians to say, you know, there is such a time lapse in the period in between that the causes of 1641 certainly cannot be attributed solely, or even in a major way, to the Plantation of Ulster in 1610.

Much of recent writing would suggest that the causes were much more short-term; that the deserving Irish who had been given lands in the Ulster Plantation in 1610, at first were reconciled to the Plantation because they had been given lands, but ultimately got into economic difficulties - they had to mortgage out their lands and got increasingly in debt - so to some extent wiping out the Plantation for these deserving Irish was a way of wiping out personal debt; so they are looking at an economic aspect to 1641.

There would also be the immediate political circumstances of 1641 and you must recall here that there was a rise of puritanism in England and, at the time of the English Civil War, the rise of Parliament dominated by puritans. So Catholics in Ulster and indeed throughout Ireland greatly feared that a puritan-dominated parliament would have an effect on royal policy in Ireland which would result in persecution. So there are those who would suggest perhaps that 1641 wasn’t a reaction to the Plantation in 1610, but more of a pre-emptive strike to try to secure their futures against the prospect of a puritan-dominated parliament.

Now, having given all of those views, I would have to say I would strongly support the belief that there is a very considerable link between the Ulster Plantation in 1610 and the rebellion in 1641.