Plunkett Restoration
Archived: 14 October 2026
In 1670, under Lord Lieutenant John Berkeley, Ireland remained dominated by the Protestant land settlement and military power established after Cromwellian conquest, yet experienced limited religious latitude. Oliver Plunkett returned as Catholic archbishop of Armagh, rebuilding clerical discipline and hierarchy. Bishops met in Dublin, issued pastoral statutes and declared civil loyalty, despite rivalries between Plunkett and Dublin’s Peter Talbot. Plunkett’s Clones council extended reform and he mediated pardons for Tyrone tories. William Penn defended Quakers while managing Cork estates. Trade adapted to English livestock restrictions, Dublin gained Barrack Bridge, and rebuilding, estate consolidation and constrained negotiation reshaped society across Ireland.