In Ireland during the sixteenth century, the roads and paths were not well developed and it was easier to travel along the rivers. As a result, most towns in Ireland were located at the edge of waterways. These sites were chosen to ensure control over the land around the river or lough. Irish chieftains built stone towers called bawns and castles to defend their land. Donegal Castle, the home of the O’Donnells, was an example of a stone castle located on the River Eske near the mouth of Donegal Bay.
The Irish used a feudal system. They divided up land into strips that were given to members of the clan and the higher land was used for grazing in the summer. Permanent houses for less important members of the clanwere built together within a bank or bailey. During times of additional work when more people would settle around a castle, they built temporary houses called ‘creats’.
Fig 8.7 Temporary houses called ‘creats’ housed people during times of additional work.
Plantation towns
At first, itwas intendedthat therewouldbe25plantation towns as part of the Ulster plantation. Sites for towns were chosen for their access towater, their defences and the ability to control the hinterland (the lands behind a city). While the town of Coleraine controlled access to the River Bann and Lough Neagh, the town of Derry provided access to Counties Donegal and Tyrone as well as the new county of Londonderry (which included all of what had been known as County Coleraine as well as parts of Antrim, Donegal and Tyrone). Both Derry and Coleraine were built as walled towns. In 1613, the new county of Londonderry was parcelled into estates of 3,000 acres each and divided between the 12 craft guilds of London. The towns of Derry and Colerainewere