The sleeping under the cross, Timeline

1599 Sir Robert Cecil dies of a stroke. The Earl of Essex belays his expedition to Ireland, hoping to take advantage of the power vacuum, with the death of his great rival.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essex_in_Ireland
 Essex's rising is larger, and more destructive. In our time line Montjoy suggested marching on London.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Devereux,_2nd_Earl_of_Essex#Essex_rebellion
It is put down with great loss of life and treasure. William Shakespeare is among the dead in London.

1600 taking advantage of events in England, In June. The Spanish flotilla, sent to Kinsale the year earlier, in our timeline, manages to get to Ireland. They land in Killibegs, and Teelin, lands firmly under the control of their Irish Allies. Unlike Kinsale, where the Irish have to march across the Island.  The Spanish are now in the Irish heartland. Docras fort in Ulster, is surrounded and cut off.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Kinsale

1601-1601. ``The St Martins Summer of the Gael''`` The year of the Wilde Irish''
The Irish sweep across their Island.  The Irish host get to the gates of Dublin  With Spanish Gold and muskets and Brandy  the Gaels rise. The rising spreads to the Highlands. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Donald decides to cast in at least some, of its lot with the Spanish.
Bristol, is burned by Spanish fire-ships. Glasgow is raided by a Highland host. The University is burned. (Sorry)

1602. James 6th, killed at Drongan by Highlander-Spanish-Irish forces. Henry the Crown prince of Scotlandis taken hostage, by the Spanish. ( This Highland victory, is achieved by a mixture of luck, C Crown misadventure, but remember http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alasdair_MacColla and Bonnie Dundee, won battles with similar troops
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Killiecrankie
I am telescoping Scottish and Irish History somewhat. Aside from the defeat, the young Prince Henry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Frederick,_Prince_of_Wales is a prisoner
The future Charles 1st, is safe with his nurse in Edinbrugh castle. Charles was believed too young and too sickly to accompany the army http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I_of_England. Scotland is in disarray.


1602 Elizabeth dies. On her death bed she instructs the privy council, to proclaim an English Lord  as Regent. With the Death of James 1st, and the incapacity and minority of his son, there is no clear heir to the two thrones. In Scotland there is anarchy. Outside Edinburgh castle walls.

Winter of 1602-1603. Anglo Dutch Alliance forged, by the Regent. Dutch naval forces, and veterans are supplied for service to the English Crown. In return for  the future King accepting the Crown of the Netherlands. (Held in trust, until the coronation of an English Monarch)

1603. Defeat of the Highlander forces by the Regent, and Lowlander forces. Scottish Parliament, proclaims  The Regent of England, Lord protector of Scotland, during the minority of Henry, and Charles.

1604. Relief of Dublin, Irish army is bit by bit broken, and bloodied. The Regent, is proclaimed, Regent of Ireland, by the Irish Parliament. Old English families in the Pale, pledge loyalty to the Crown. English deeply suspicious. Prince Henry found hanged at Wexford,

 Summer 1604. Invasion of Ulster, by Scots and English armies. Dutch fleet, in action around Irish coast. Battles of Crossmaglen. Pettigo and Harry's castle.

1605 ``Flight of the Host''. The Spanish evacuate their Irish army. ( Highlander, and other interlopers) out of Donegal Bay.

1607 Rising of Anglo Irish in the Pale crushed, in response to attempt by the Regent to supress Catholicism there. Rising is made in the name of King Charles .http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Rebellion_of_1641   More refugees flee to the Spanish, and French. ( OTL, we have the flight of the Earls.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_of_the_Earls. However in this timeline. There is a movement of several thousand people . Now in our time line, there were more Irish refugees than is often believed. They are mentioned as Beggars and Prostitutes in Spanish literature of the time. We have a flood, rather then a stream. Old English lands, given to Dutch, and European Protestants. Massive plantation of Ulster and Lenister

1607.  Plantation of the Old Pale, Ulster and Munster. Ireland settled, by Lowlanders, English and other European Protestant's. Dutch-Germans-Scandinavians.  Major effort to convert the Irish and Highlanders who remain. ( In OTL this might have been much more sucessful than imagined)
 At least in the Old Pale. Catholicism, survives, in the West. Ireland remains quiet from this point onward.

1607-1609 Spanish  and Anglo Dutch forces clash, in the Netherlands. Defeat of the Spanish. With the closing of the Spanish  road.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Road
 There is no peace with Spain. There will be no Spanish Match later
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Match

1609 Peace of Brussels. Spanish agree never to interfere in Ireland. Evacuation  of Spanish Netherlands. No peace beyond the line in the New World. Spanish must agree never to use Army of Ireland, against the English crown.

Power of the Regency, increases, with Charles fall from horse.

Army of the Irish sees some service against the Moors. Posted in Galicia, awaits invasion that never comes. Banditry and desertions are rife. O'Neill, takes the title of Protector of the Irish. He does not go to Rome, as he did in OTL.

1610 Irish army dispatched to Buenos Aires, on the pretext of war against the local Indians. Court Gossip was that the English could forgive Spain, but not forget the Irish. O Neil is awarded freedom, from taxes for his army and their heirs.

1611 Irish arrive in Buenos Aires. They move to the outskirts of the town. The Portuguese merchants dominating the port


1610-1630 Irish settlement, brings rewards. Pampas, are quickly pacified by the light and fast moving Irish veterans. Leather traded in return.

1630.  thirty years war, sees intervention of Regents forces. English intervention in La Rochelle, is successful, creating a Huguenot Gibraltar. English and Dutch fleets, raid Spanish and French Coast. Civil war, in France, following the murder of Richelieu. Charles dies and his Daughter Mary, is chosen to succeed him. In this TL, there is no James, or Charles stuart. The regency never ends. The first English regent, is succeeded, by his nephew. English regent, sits on privy council, and in lords. Opens Parliament,

1630-1690.Massive European migration to New World. Advances in technology, spurred by conflict. Buenos Aires, gets refugee settlers from Catholic Europe. Ships, are empty on the way home. Larger African slave trade in North America.