Tuesday 18 November 2008

Brief History of Ireland

Ireland's history is very deep and enriched. It has had a lot of different events, some of which are good and bad. To put it simpler, I'll out it in points:
  • 8000 BC: Humans arrive in Ireland from Britain and Europe
  • 300 BC: Celts move in from France, bringing their culture with them
  • 400s AD: Saint Patrick arrives in Ireland and converts Ireland to Christianity
  • 800s: Vikings invade and raid the monasteries for treasure
  • 1016: Irish High King, Brian Boru, beats the Vikings at the Battle of Clontarf, Dublin
  • 1169: Anglo-Norman armies invade Ireland from England and capture Dublin.
  • 1541: Ireland becomes a Kingdom, with the Monarch of England as the monarch. This overtook the Lordship of Ireland, which existed in the Medieval Period, although Ireland was not fully part of England's Empire.
  • 1603: The Irish leaders flee to Europe, and English/Scottish settlers move in to take over the land in the North of Ireland, known as Ulster. This is known as the 'plantation'.
  • 1640s: Ireland falls into a bitter power struggle, as the Irish rebel to the new colonists, which leads to the 1641 Irish rebellion. This rebellion is crushed by Oliver Cromwell, Protector of England in 1648-9.
  • 1680s: King James II of England attempts to help Irish Catholics against the Protestant English, who have thrown him off the throne for being Catholic. He is crushed by William of Orange, new king of England.
  • 1798: Irish Wolfe Tone rises up against the English in another massive rebellion, supported by the Napoleon's French. They are crushed, but Wolfe Tone is found dead before he was executed. He is remembered as one of Ireland's greatest patriots in history.
  • 1801: Irish Parliament is abolished, which results in the British Parliament at Westminster ruling from now on.
  • 1845: Start of the Great Famine of the 1840s, which kills at least 1 million people. People begin to emigrate to America, Britain Australia, and Canada.
  • 1916: A rebellion breaks out in Dublin against British rule. It is crushed, but it makes more people rise up against British rule.
  • 1920s; War breaks out, which results in the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. This parts the island. But people want it completely free, so the Civil War starts.
  • 1947: Republic of Ireland (Eire) is created, and Ireland breaks away from the Commonwealth. Ulster is not included, which annoys many Irish nationalists, especially the IRA.
  • 1969: First sign of trouble in Northern Ireland that is included in what is known as the Troubles. This is caused by the difference in religion in Ireland, between Catholicism and Protestantism.
  • 1969-1998: Troubles tear Northern Ireland apart. Many outbreaks occur in towns and cities across Northern Ireland, including Bloody Sunday, Derry 1972, and Omagh 1998.
  • 1998: The Belfast Agreement is made, which results in an end to the War in Northern Ireland. Ireland and the UK work together to towards the end of the century. Meanwhile, Eire's economy is being boosted in what is known as the Celtic Tiger, a period of massive economic growth.
  • 2000-: Ireland continues it's advancement and flourishes in the new millennium, making an even more major part in the world than before.