The history of Ireland

Ireland's locals have been witness to invasions, battles, famines and a lot more. In this section you will learn some of Ireland’s more important historic events and how to help shape the country as we see it today. As historic events in Ireland took place they influenced the Irish culture in many different ways so sit back and enjoy this section of Irish history.

History of Ireland Video

This excellent video covers some of Irelands most important historic events.

Ireland's History Timeline

The following timeline will take you through some of Ireland's many historical events. This timeline is far from completed, many dates and articles are still yet to be added.

Ancient Ireland

• 8000BC - Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) Period
• 4500BC - Neolithic (New Stone Age) Period
• 3200BC - Irish passage tombs such as Newgrange are built
• 2500BC - The Bronze Age Period
• 700BC - The Iron Age Period and the Celts in Ireland

Early medieval period in Ireland

• 378AD - Niall Noígíallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages) becomes high king of Ireland
• 430AD - Palladius arrives in Ireland to help spread Christianity
• 432AD - St Patrick arrives in Ireland
• 484AD - Kildare Abbey founded by St Brigid
• 546AD - Columcille founded monastery in Derry
• 561AD - Battle of Culdremna between Columcille and High King
• 563AD - Iona Abbey founded by Columcille after he flees Ireland
• 795AD - The Vikings arrive in Ireland performing small raids
• 806AD - The Vikings raid Iona Abbey killling all 68 occupants
• 832AD - 120 Viking ships arrive in Ireland's northern and eastern coasts
• 841AD - Dubhlinn (Dublin) begins as a Viking settlement
• 856AD - The Vikings created the settlement near Cork
• 848AD - Viking army defeated in Sligo, Kildare, Cashel and Cork
• 850AD - The Vikings created the settlement of Waterford
• 852AD - Armagh is destoryed by Vikings
• 902AD - The Irish attack and drive the Vikings from Dublin into Wales
• 914AD - Large Viking Fleets being arriving at Waterford. Further settlements built in Limerick and Wexford
• 915AD - The Vikings attack Dublin and regain control from the Irish
• 940AD - Brian Boru was born
• 976AD - Brian Boru becomes King of Munster
• 980AD - The Battle of Tara
• 999AD - Brian Boru defeats the Vikings
• 1002AD - Brian Boru becomes High King of Ireland
• 1005AD - Máel Mórda mac Murchada begins to rebel against Brian Boru 1014AD - Battle of Clontarf - Brian Boru & Máel Mórda mac Murchada are killed

Late Medieval Period in Ireland

• 1155 - English King Henry II is given authority over Ireland by Pope Adrian IV, an autrosied invasion of Ireland
• 1166 - Dermait MacMurrough, King of Leinster, flees Ireland and asks King Henry II of England for help.
• 1169 - The Normans arrive in Ireland. The start of 800 years struggle.
• 1170 - Strongbow arrives in Ireland from England
• 1171 - Strongbow becomes king of Leinster. King Henry II of England invades Ireland
• 1175 - King Henry II of England has most of Ireland under his control
• 1188 - John de Courcy invades the province of Connacht
• 1203 - Hugh de Lacy captures John de Courcy
• 1204 - John de Courcy is expelled from Ireland
• 1205 - Hugh de Lacy becomes 1st Earl of Ulster
• 1297 - Irish Parliament is founded
• 1235 - Richard de Burgo conquered Connacht
• 1248 - Goffraidh Ó Dónaill becomes the first to be inaugurated as "The O'Donnell (chief of the clan)
• 1257 - The Creadran-Cille Battles
• 1259 - élite mercenary warriors from Scotland arrive to help the Irish
• 1315 - Edward Bruce of Scotland arrives in Ireland
• 1318 - Edward Bruce is killed by the English
• 1333 - The Earldom of Ulster collapsed
• 1367 - The Statutes of Kilkenny are introduced
• 1394 - King Richard II lands at Waterford and marches to Dublin
• King Richard II is deposed and murdered on his return from Ireland

16th Century in Ireland

• 1529 - Henry VIII declares himself the head of the Chruch of England.
• 1541 - The introduction of the Crown of Ireland Act 1542
• 1556 - Elizabethan plantation of Ireland begins
• 1559 - Séan 'an díomais' Ó Néill becomes chief of the O'Neill's of Ulster
• 1565 - The Battle of Affane
• 1567 - The Battle of Farsetmore
• 1569 - James Fitzmaurice flees Ireland
• 1572 - The Battle of Glenmalure.
• 1579 - Fitzmaurice returns to Ireland with an Papal invasion force
• 1580 - The Siege of Smerwick
• 1592 - Trinity College Dublin is founded
• 1594 - The begining of the nine years war
• 1597 - Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne is captured and beheaded the English
• - The Battle of Carrickfergus
• 1598 - English troops killed at the battle of the Yellow Ford
• 1599 - 17,000 English troops led by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex arrives in Ireland

17th Century Ireland

• 1601 - The Battle of Kinsale
• 1602 - The beginning of the Ulster Plantation by the English
• 1603 - Hugh O'Neill surrenders to the English. He submitts to Lord
• 1607 - The flight of the Earls
• 1608 - The Plantation of Derry
• 1641 - The Irish Rebellion of 1641
• 1642 - The Irish Confederate Wars
• 1649 - Oliver Cromwell invades Ireland and with 2,000 soliders
• 1650 - The Siege of Limerick, Charlemont and the battle of Meelick
  
• 1651 - The Siege of Galway
• 1652 - the Cromwellian Act of Settlement 1652 is passed
• 1662 - Act of Settlement 1662 is passed by Irish parliment in Dublin
• 1681 - St Oliver Plunket is executed by the English
• 1685 - James II (Catholic) crowned King of England
• 1688 - Catholic king James II flees from England. William of Orange is invited to take his place
• 1689 - James II lands in Ireland - The Siege of Derry - Williamite Wars
• 1690 - The Battle of the Boyne
• 1691 - The Flight of the Wild Geese
• 1695 - The introduction of Anti-Catholic Penal Laws

18th Century Ireland

• 1740 - Famine strikes Ireland killing approx 400,000 people
• 1759 - Guinness is brewed for the first time
• 1760 - French invaders attack Carrickfergus looting the castle
• 1791 - The Society of United Irishmen is founded
• 1795 - The Orange Order was founded
• 1796 - 14,000 French soldiers attempt to land off the Shouthern coast of Ireland to help with the Irish Rebellion.
• 1798 - Irish Rebellion of 1798
  

19th Century Ireland

• 1801 - The Act of Union comes into effect
  
• 1823 - the Catholic Association is founded by Daniel O'Connell
• - Young Ireland (Éire Óg), was formed
• 1845 - Ireland suffers from a famine.
• 1858 - The Irish Republican Brotherhood is formed
  - The Fenian Brotherhood is founded
• 1867 - The Fenian Rising of 1867
• - The Home Rule League was formed and led by Isaac Butt
• 1879 - The Irish National Land League is founded
• 1882 - James Joyce is born
  - The Gaelic Athletic Association is formed
• 1890 - Michael Collins is born
• 1893 - Gaelic League formed
  - the Irish Socialist Republican Party is founded by James Connolly

20th Century History

• 1900 - Oscar Wilde dies
• 1905 - Sinn Fein is founded
• 1914 - The First World War begins
• 1916 - The Easter Rising Sunday of 1916
• 1919 - The Irish War of Independence
• 1920 - Government of Ireland Act 1920 introduced. Ireland becomes partitioned with the creation of Northern Ireland
• - The Black & Tans are formed. A ruthless militant police force.
• - The Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) also known as the "B-Specials" or "B Men" are formed
• - Bloody Sunday in Dublin occurs. 31 people were killed
• 1921 - The Anglo-Irish Treaty is signed
• 1922 - The Start of the Irish Civil War
• - Michael Collins is killed
• - Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) is disbanded
• - The Garda Siochana is formed to police the Irish Free State
• - The Royal Ulster Constabulary is formed in Northern Ireland
• 1923 - The civil war ends
• - Irish Free State joins the League of Nations
• 1926 - Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party is founded
• 1932 - Eamon De Valera becomes Prime Minister
• 1933 - Fine Gael (The United Ireland Party) policitical party is formed
• 1936 - The IRA is banned in the Irish Free State
• 1937 - The Irish Free State is abolished becomes Eire (Gaelic for Ireland)
• 1939 - Word War II begins
• 1949 - Eire becomes The Republic of Ireland
• 1957 - Eamon De Valera becomes president of the Republic of Ireland
• 1967 - The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) is founded
• 1969 - The Battle of the Bogside in Derry city occurs. The begining of the troubles that lasts over 30 years.
• 1972 - Bloody Sunday occurs in Derry. Fourteen people are killed when the British 1st Parachute Regiment fire upon civil rights demonstrators
• 1973 - The IRA start their bombing campaign in England
  1974 - The Irish National Liberation Army (Arm Saoirse Náisiúnta na hÉireann - INLA) is formed
• - The Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) is founded
• 1981 - - The Anglo-Irish Agreement is signed
• 1990 - Mary Robinson becomes first woman President of Ireland
• 1997 - Mary McAleese becomes President of Ireland
• 1998 - The Good Friday Agreement is approved by voters.
• - The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) is reformed into the Police Service of Northern Ireland
• 1999 - Nuala O'Loan becomes the first Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland

21st Century History of Ireland

• 2005 - The IRA begin decommissioning
• 2007 - Ian Paisley is elected First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly
• - Martin McGuinness becomes deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
• 2009 - the UVF and other loyalist paramilitary groups begin decommissioning.