Penn’s Arrest
Archived: 14 October 2026
In 1667, Restoration Ireland experienced postwar settlement as courts and officials resolved contested land claims under the Acts of Settlement and Explanation. Ormond’s administration stressed legal procedure, military discipline and strained finances, while English restrictions on Irish cattle threatened trade and exposed Ireland’s dependence on Westminster. Dutch naval successes prompted defensive preparations at Kinsale before the Treaty of Breda ended the war. Protestant institutions strengthened, yet religious conformity was enforced: William Penn was arrested with Friends at a Cork meeting. Jeremy Taylor died, Jonathan Swift was born, and Alice Barry’s death marked elite change. The year revealed a fragile order.