Meanwhile, a Commission had been appointed to consider the question of the proposed Ulster Plantation. As was to be expected, they found that the lands of six counties—Tyrone, Armagh, Coleraine (Derry), Donegal, Fermanagh and Cavan—were justly forfeit to the Crown. This great area was not, however, to be entirely cleared of its Irish inhabitants. According to a report made in 1611, the amount of land confiscated was 503,458 acres But as only land considered arable was reckoned, and as frauds and false descriptions were frequent, it is quite impossible to say what acreage this really represented.

The error which had been made in the Munster Plantation, of giving to individuals huge estates, which they could neither cultivate themselves nor find a sufficiency of suitable tenants to occupy, was here to be avoided. The land was divided into lots of 2,000, 1,500 and 1,000 acres, and these lots were to be assigned to be occupied to persons of three classes. The Undertakers, on whom most of the largest lots were bestowed, were ordinary colonists, either English or Scotch. They were not permitted to take Irish tenants.

An accidental spark set the fire materials alight. Hugh Maguire, reigning chief of Fermanagh, had been exasperated by the outrages inflicted on his people by a certain Captain Willis and his band of disorderly followers, who had come into his territory in a supposed official capacity, and he had driven the intruders out. In 1593 a campaign was organised against him, in which, very reluctantly, Hugh O’Neill took part. In 1594 the Deputy again invaded Fermanagh, and planted a garrison in Enniskillen, which was at once besieged by Maguire and Hugh Ruadh O’Donnell.

Towards the end of the year a force was sent to relieve it. Cormac O’Neill, the Earl of Tyrone’s brother, came with 300 men to the assistance of the besiegers, and he and Maguire defeated the English at a ford on the river Erne The battle became known as that of ” the Ford of the Biscuits ” (” At n& mt>tuof5<yb.”), because of the great stores of provisions intended for. the Enniskillen garrison which were captured by the victors. Enniskillen was at once surrendered.

Although it was strongly suspected that Hugh O’Neill had been a party to his brother’s action in assisting Maguire,this could not be proved. With characteristic boldness, Hugh went down to Dublin and confronted his accusers at the Council Board. Again his wonderful powers of persuasion—his enemies would give it a harder name—were successfully exerted ; the Council permitted him to depart.