Ireland

Ireland
Guide to Ireland Facts about Ireland Culture of Ireland History of Ireland Eating out in Ireland Language of Ireland Ireland entertainment Ireland gallery
Choose other country guides
Chronology of Ireland

Ancient Ireland
10,000 BC First settlers in Irish lands were hunters from Scotland.
3000 Farming evidence in Ireland.
2200 Metalworkers arrived in Ireland. Evidence of the first jewellery and work objects.
600 BC Celts started to arrive in Ireland and dominated the other settlers.
200 BC Division in Celtic Ireland. There were around 150 autonomous kingdoms, no towns and no money yet.
200 AD High form of rule called kingship was established in the lands of Tara.
Medieval Ireland
432 Saint Patrick arrived in Ireland to convert Irish kings to Christianity.
461 St Patrick died after successfully completing his mission.
521 Colum Cille was born in Gartan. Later he would become priest and first abbot at the church in the land of Derry.
563 Much of Scotland and England were converted to Christianity by Colum Cille.
800 Ireland was attacked by Vikings commanded by Norsemen.
914-920 Vikings settled in different parts if Ireland.
940 Brian Boru, son of Cennetig mac Lorcain, leader of the royal dynasty at Munster, was born.
976 Brian succeeded his brother Mathgamain and ruled as King of Munster till 1014.
999 Brian Boru beat the Vikings.
1002 Brian Boru was recognised as King of Ireland
1014 High King Brian Boru died during the Battle of Clontarf.
1167-69 The Normans arrived in Ireland after they had conquered England and thus began an 800 year long struggle between Irish and English.
Eight Centuries of English Rule
1156-1198 Rory O'Connor was the last High King of Ireland
1315 Edward Bruce, brother of Scottish King, invaded Ireland but failed in his attempt to overcome the English. Three years later he was killed by the English.
1316-1366 Marriages between the Irish and the English were forbidden, as well as Irish language. Pure Irish-blood people were denied all powerful posts.
1515 Anarchy in Ireland started.
1541 Henry VIII declared himself to be King of Ireland.
1562 Elizabethan Wars broke out in Ireland.
1595 Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, rebelled against the English rule. Some years afterwards his rebellion was defeated.
1641 The Catholics and Gaels of Ireland rebelled for their lands.
1649 Oliver Cromwell of England killed many Irishmen and divided their lands between his soldiers. During his life he destroyed many Irish lives and caused great calamities in Ireland.
1695 Anti-Catholic Penal Laws were introduced as a result of English policy against Church.
1782 The Irish parliament gained legislative independence from Britain.
1845-49 Due to blight on the potato harvest a great famine ensues.
1858 The Fenian Brotherhood – organisation fighting for Ireland's freedom was established in America by the numerous Irish immigrants there.
1879-82 During this period there was the Land War.
1914 Outbreak of World War I and the Irish Republic Brotherhood was rising for freedom.
Relief from English Rule. Civil Wars
1919-21 Irish War of Independence against Britain led to a treaty between England and Ireland and consequently independence of Ireland was confirmed.
1922 Civil War began between Catholic and Protestants, represented by IRA and the FSA. The War ended the next year.
1932 The party of Fianna Fail won the General Elections. After the elections in 1948 they failed.
1951-62 IRA campaign in North.
1955 Ireland became a member of the United Nations.
1960s and 70s Riots and problems in the country started due to the unsettled issues of Catholics and Protestants.
Present Day
1990 Mary Robinson becomes the first female president of Ireland.
1993 The British accept the right of the Irish to self-determine who they are - Catholics or Protestants.
1994 IRA announces a cease-fire.
1997 Divorce is made legal in Ireland but only under special circumstances.
2002 The Euro replaces the Irish Punt.
2005 Irish is recognised as an official language of the European Union.
2007 Rotimi Adebari, a Nigerian-born, becomes the first black Irish mayor.