16 (40) To Hell or Connaught The Burren is a part of the province of Connaught. By mid-17th century, after a ten-year war of extermination, the English puritan Oliver Cromwell forced the Irishmen to surrender. Cromwell tried once and for all to crush the Irish resistance by deporting thousands of Irishmen, using the catchphrase: "To Hell or Connaught!" At the sight of the poor and barren province, even one of Cromwell's own generals observed that there was "neither water enough to drown a man, nor a tree to hang him, nor soil enough to bury him." From this time every conflict in Ireland has been fuelled by religious hate.   15 17 First published: Friday 20th December, 2002 Send a to the author! You may also use this form