Commonwealth of England Survives: What happens to Ireland?

Revolutionary Todyo

Banned
Okay, so Cromnwell lives longer and appoints a half-decent successor. This era isn't my speciality so I'll let those who know what they're talking about come up with their own ideas.

But what happens to Ireland? Whenever I consider this scenario, the famous phrase "To hell or Connaught" comes to mind. Basically Catholics in Ireland to be expelled to the province of Connaught (aka. the worst province on the whole island, and I include Ulster) known for it's poor land and hazardous terrain. Does this mean that Connaught is essentially to become some sort of "Irish Reservation" where the Catholics are allowed to continue their existance under military supervision from the Commonwealth, or is it more likely that some sort of "ethnic" cleansing will be carried out through what would essentially amount to pogroms?

As I said, this is not my era of expertise, so please feel free to tell me if I say anyting overtly ignorant :eek:
 

Arachnid

It's a question of desire and reality.

Are there some ultra's among the leadership of the Commonwealth who would like to send all the Irish to "Hell or Connaught" and ethnically cleanse the island? Yes. But as in OTL under both Cromwell and Charles II the reality is just too difficult. Plantations were expensive and England was broke, thanks to the death and destruction of the Civil War freeing up farmland, increasing urbanization and America the numbers willing to move to Ireland were small and frankly the sort of mas slaughter that such a policy would require was unacceptable to many people in Parliament.

In OTL most of the confiscated land was given to absentee landowners in lieu of debt Parliament had accrued during the Civil War and I would expect that would continue. Obviously it's not ideal for the Irish, but I would point out that it wasn't exactly a step down. They exchanged a largely alien aristocracy with whom the happened to share a religion (and that was it) for a different alien aristocracy.
 
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