During Elizabeth I and James I's reigns, English and Scottish Protestants were encouraged to settle in which part of Ireland?

Ulster, the northern province of Ireland, became the focus of significant settlement by English and Scottish Protestants during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. This period, particularly in the 17th century, saw a deliberate policy of plantation, aiming to establish a loyal Protestant population in Ireland. The motivations were complex, including controlling Irish rebellion, consolidating English authority, and rewarding loyal subjects with land. The native Irish population was displaced, leading to long-term social and political tensions. James I, in particular, oversaw a large-scale plantation of Ulster after the Flight of the Earls in 1607, where Gaelic Irish lords fled to mainland Europe rather than submit to English rule. This created a power vacuum that was filled by Protestant settlers, primarily from Scotland. So, while Dublin was an important English city in Ireland, it wasn't the primary target of this specific plantation effort. Grimsby is in England, and the Pale was an area around Dublin already under English control. The key here is the planned settlement of Protestants, which was concentrated in Ulster.