The document discusses the plantations in Ireland carried out by English monarchs between the 16th and 17th centuries. It explains that the plantations involved confiscating land from rebellious Irish clans and distributing it to English and Scottish Protestant settlers to extend control over Ireland and make it more loyal to England. The major plantations discussed are the Munster Plantation, which failed due to a lack of settlers, and the Ulster Plantation, which saw more success in establishing English customs but also led to long-term sectarian divisions.