Falkland’s Cess, Ussher’s Primacy
Archived: 16 October 2026
Charles I’s accession in 1625 retained Henry Cary, Viscount Falkland, as lord deputy of an Irish administration dependent on London yet weakened by faction, financial shortages and religious division. Fears of war with Spain exposed decayed coastal defences and unpaid troops; Falkland’s cess shifted military costs onto communities. James Ussher became archbishop of Armagh, strengthening the Protestant establishment despite enduring Catholic networks and no settlement on toleration. Oaths imposed on Connacht officeholders demonstrated administrative expansion. Land disputes after Robert Ponte’s killing in Wicklow illustrated plantation pressures. Ballygally Castle reflected continuing settlement in Ulster, while Moryson’s writing preserved conquest-era attitudes enduring.
