Land and religion The religion of the planters differed from that of the Gaelic Irish, who were Catholic. The conflicts over land and religion led to mistrust and hatred between the native Irish and the planters. In 1641, the native Irish attacked the planters in a rebellion and massacred thousands of them. Up to 12,000 out of 40,000 Protestants in Ulster were killed.
New towns
The planters introduced town life to Ulster. More than 20 new towns were planned and built. These included Derry/Londonderry and Coleraine in Co. Derry, Letterkenny in Co. Donegal and Dungannon and Strabane in Co. Tyrone. They were laid out with straight, wide streets. They had a central square or diamond, where the courthouse or church was built and markets were held. The towns were surrounded by stone walls. These towns became centres of local government, and centres of business and trade for the farming communities around them.
The planned town of Donegal with the Diamond in the centre
08
Box-framed houses became popular during the plantations as they were cheap and easy to build
The planters introduced a new style of architecture. Their houses were of the English-style, while many castles and stone houses were based on Scottish architecture, such as Enniskillen Castle, Co. Fermanagh.
