ThE PlAnTaTiOnS ApPlY YoUr LeArNiNg LOOKING AT THE EVIDENCE
Men smile at childhood’s play no more, Music and song, their day is o’er;
At wine, at Mass the kingdom’s heirs Are seen no more; changed hearts are theirs.
No praise in builded song expressed They hear, no tales before they rest;
None care for books and none take glee To hear the long-traced pedigree.
The packs are silent there’s no sound Of the old strain on Bregian [handsome] ground. A foreign flood holds all the shore, And the great wolf-dog barks no more.
Woe to the Gael in this sore plight!
Henceforth they shall not know delight. No tidings now their woe relieves,
Too close the gnawing sorrow cleaves. – Anonymous 17th
century Irish poet
1. Is this a primary or secondary source? Give reasons for your answer.
2. Is the poet happy or sad? Give two examples to support your answer.
3. Who or what do you think the author means when he says ‘a foreign flood holds all the shore’?
4. Why do you think that the author refers to the ‘great wolf-dog [who] barks no more’?
5. Who is ‘the Gael’ in your opinion? 6. Is this poem subjective or objective? Give reasons for your answer.
7. Why do you think poets wrote poems like this?
8. For whom do you think this poemwas written?
9. In pairs, discuss: are poems good sources of evidence? Give reasons for your answer.
CHANGE AND CONTINUITY The conflicts between the Catholic Irish and the ProtestantNewEnglish began in the 1500s. The attempts by the English Crownto control the Irish population and spread Protestantism through the policy of plantation has been a cause for sectarian conflict for over 400 years.
1. Does sectarian conflict still exist on the island of Ireland today? Support your answer with evidence.
2. What is your opinion about sectarian conflicts between different groups of a religion. 3. Have a class discussion aboutwhy you think sectarian violence continues to exist around the world.
4. What actions could be taken to reduce sectarian violence in Ireland? Weblink
Sectarian conflicts still occur all across the world today. Search online using the following terms to examine how many people are being caught up in these wars: cfr – global – conflict – tracker