O'Neill, a general famous through Europe, the one man who might have measured equal swords with Cromwell, was removed by poison, and then came the massacres.

In eleven years, Sir William Petty assures us, 616,000 out of a total population of 1,466,000 perished by the sword or by starvation.

For the remainder the policy of root and branch extermination was abandoned in favour of a policy of State-aided migration and emigration.

As an alternative to hell the Irish were deported to Connaught or the Barbadoes.

Henceforth there were to be three provinces of loyal English, and one of rebelly Irish.