Time-line of Irish History
Ireland has a very in-depth history and is often subject of debate.
Over the years many of Ireland’s historic records have been destroyed but thanks to early Christians, archaeologists and the written historical records we do have left we are still able to piece together much of Ireland’s history.
Ireland’s History Time-line
The following time-line will take you through some of Ireland’s many historical events. This time-line 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
Medieval period in Ireland
- 378AD – Niall of the Nine Hostages becomes high king of Ireland
- 430AD – Palladius arrived in Ireland to help spread Christianity
- 432AD – St Patrick arrived in Ireland
- 484AD – Kildare Abbey was 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
- 832AD – 120 Viking ships arrived 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 was defeated in Sligo, Kildare, Cashel and Cork
- 850AD – The Vikings created the settlement of Waterford
- 852AD – Armagh was 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 defeated the Vikings
- 1002AD – Brian Boru becomes High King of Ireland
- 1005AD – Máel Mórda mac Murchada began to rebel against Brian Boru
- 1014AD – Battle of Clontarf – Brian Boru & Máel Mórda mac Murchada are killed
- 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
- 1170 – Strongbow arrived in Ireland from England
- 1171 – Strongbow becomes king of Leinster.
- 1171- King Henry II of England invades Ireland
- 1171 - John de Courcy Invades Ulster
- 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 was expelled from Ireland
- 1205 – Hugh de Lacy became 1st Earl of Ulster
- 1297 – Irish Parliament was 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 arrived in Ireland
- 1318 – Edward Bruce was killed by the English
- 1333 – The Earldom of Ulster collapsed
- 1367 – The Statutes of Kilkenny were 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
- 1541 – The introduction of the Crown of Ireland Act 1542
- 1556 – Elizabethan plantation of Ireland began
- 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 fled Ireland
- 1572 – The Battle of Glenmalure
- 1579 – Fitzmaurice returned to Ireland with an Papal invasion force
- 1580 – The Siege of Smerwick
- 1592 – Trinity College Dublin was founded
- 1594 - The begining of the nine years war
- 1597 – Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne was captured and beheaded the English
- 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 surrendered to the English
- 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 invaded Ireland 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 was passed
- 1662 – Act of Settlement 1662 was passed by Irish parliment
- 1681 – St Oliver Plunket was executed by the English
- 1685 – James II (Catholic) crowned King of England
- 1688 – William of Orange invaded England
- 1689 - The Williamite Wars
- 1695 – The introduction of Anti-Catholic Penal Laws
18th Century Ireland
- 1740 – Famine strikes Ireland killing approx 450,000 people
- 1759 – Guinness was brewed for the first time
- 1760 – French invaders attacked Carrickfergus looting the castle
- 1775 – Daniel O’Connell was born
- 1791 – The Society of United Irishmen was founded
- 1795 – The Orange Order was founded
- 1796 – 14,000 French soldiers attempt to land off the Southern coast of Ireland to help with the Irish Rebellion
- 1798 – Irish Rebellion of 1798
19th Century Ireland
- 1801 - The Act of Union came into effect
- 1803 – An Irish Rebellion was planned by Robert Emmet
- 1823 - Daniel O’ Connell and the Fight for Catholic Emancipation
- 1830 – The Repeal Movement and the Tithe War
- 1845 – Ireland suffered from a major famine
- 1848 - The Battle of Widow McCormack’s Cabbage Patch
- 1854 - Oscar Wilde was born
- 1858 – The Fenian Brotherhood (Irish Republican Brotherhood) was formed
- 1867 – The Fenian Rising of 1867 & the Manchester Martyrs
- 1868 – James Connolly was born
- 1871 - James Craig (Lord Craigavon) was born
- 1873 – Isaac Butt and the Home Rule Movement
- 1879 - Charles Stewart Parnell and The Irish Land League
- - Patrick Pearse was born
- 1882 – James Joyce was born
- 1882 – The Gaelic Athletic Association was formed
- 1890 – Michael Collins was born
- 1893 – Gaelic League formed
- - Irish Socialist Republican Party founded by James Connolly
20th Century History
- 1905 – Sinn Féin is founded
- 1914 - The outbreak of World War 1
- 1916 – The Easter Rising Sunday
- 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 & first elections in Northern Ireland
- 1922 – The Start of the Irish Civil War
- - Michael Collins is killed
- - Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) is disbanded
- - The Garda Siochana was 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 was 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.
History Books
The Course of Irish History
This is a very thorough history of Ireland. Well compiled with an interesting layout (each chapter is written by a different author). This would be great for someone looking for an easy-to-read, concise introductory Irish history resource.
Ireland: A Short History (
A Short History of Ireland by Joseph Coohill is the most readable and understandable account of that ancient and troubled land.
Malachy McCourt's History of Ireland
McCourt (A Monk Swimming) breaks down Ireland's history into 16 sections and, through biographical vignettes, uses famous Irish men and woman to define each epoch. For example, he explores ancient Ireland by profiling the three most prominent Irish saints: Patrick, Brigid and Columcille.