BBC2 Gaelic Focuses On Plantation of Ulster

A new three-part, Irish Language Broadcast Fund series has just started on BBC Two Northern Ireland.

Plandáil focuses on the 17th century Plantation of Ulster from the perspective of the lowland, Scottish Presbyterians. It is an Imagine Media production for BBC Northern Ireland with support from Northern Ireland Screen's Irish Language Broadcast Fund in association with TG4 and it runs on Sundays on BBC Two Northern Ireland at 10.50pm.

Composer and musician Neil Martin, who presents the series, discovered that his great grandmother came from a Scottish Presbyterian background.

Her name was Isabella Houston and her family name can be traced right back to the early years of the plantation so Neil has a personal and family interest in this story.

In the series, Neil talks to historians in Dublin, Cork, Belfast, Derry, Edinburgh and Glasgow as he discovers the Scottish settlers who came to Ulster during what was to become one of the most violent centuries in the history of Ireland.

In the first programme of the series on Sunday, Neil explored the early years of the plantation in Ulster.

The success of the 1605 private plantation of Antrim and Down seemed to bode well for King James I's official plantation in 1610 but within a decade the King's plans for subduing rebellious Ulster were on the verge of complete failure.

Then, next weekend, in programme two Neil Martin focuses on the 1641 Rebellion.

A Scottish army arrives to protect the plantation lands and just as importantly offers a firm foundation for the emerging Presbyterian Church in Ireland. This is a new beginning for Ulster's lowland Scottish settlers.

In the final programme Neil Martin discovers why the final years of the 17th century ensure the long-term success of King James I's plantation of Ulster. At the heart of the matter is religion and the support that Ulster's Presbyterians gave to Prince William of Orange.

Presenter Neil Martin said: "For me, this fascinating journey was an exploration as much into myself as into the history of the Plantation. It challenged previously-held ideas, unearthed great surprising detail and offered much food for thought."

Michael McGowan, series Producer said: 'Plandáil is a unique series because it looks at the plantation of Ulster from the perspective of the lowland Scots who came and settled here.

"Theirs is a compelling story and one that most of us know very little about. The series uncovers a lot of new information, for instance the people involved in the last great migration from Scotland in the 1690's were actually famine victims. That puts a whole new perspective on the period."

(BMcC/GK)