A Brief History of Ireland Free

Covid Updates: How to contact us and useful information. Historians estimate that Ireland was first settled by humans at a relatively late stage in European terms — about 10, years ago. Around BC it is estimated that the first farmers arrived in Ireland. Farming marked the arrival of the new Stone Age. The Celts had a huge influence on Ireland. Many famous Irish myths stem from stories about Celtic warriors. The current first official language of the Republic of Ireland, Irish or Gaeilge stems from Celtic language. Following the arrival of Saint Patrick and other Christian missionaries in the early to mid-5th century, Christianity took A Brief History of Ireland the indigenous pagan religion A Brief History of Ireland the year AD. Irish Christian scholars excelled in the study of Latin, Greek and Christian theology in monasteries throughout Ireland. The arts of manuscript illumination, metalworking and sculpture flourished and produced such treasures as the Book of Kells, A Brief History of Ireland jewellery, and the many carved stone crosses that can still be seen across the country. At the end of the 8th century and during the 9th century Vikings, from where we now call Scandinavia, began to invade and then gradually settle into and mix with Irish society. The 12th century saw the arrival of the Normans. The Normans built walled towns, castles and churches. They also increased agriculture and commerce in Ireland. The most successful plantation occurred in Ulster. From this period on, sectarian conflict became a common theme in Irish history. The 17th century was a bloody one in Ireland. It culminated in the imposition of the harsh regime of Penal laws. These laws set about disempowering Catholics, denying them, for example, the right to take leases or own land above a certain value, outlawing Catholic clergy, forbidding higher education and entry to A Brief History of Ireland professions, and imposing oaths of conformity to the state church, the Church of Ireland. In a Parliamentary A Brief History of Ireland led by Henry Grattan a Protestant successfully agitated for a more favourable trading relationship with England and for greater legislative independence for the Parliament of Ireland. However, London still controlled much of what occurred in Ireland. The United Irishmen were the inspiration for the armed rebellion of Despite attempts at help from the French the rebellion failed and in the Act of Union was passed uniting Ireland politically with Britain. He succeeded in getting the total ban on voting by Catholics lifted and they could now also become Members of the Parliament in London. Such political issues were overshadowed however by the worst disaster and tragedy in Irish history — the great famine. Potatoes were the staple food of a growing population at the time. When blight a form of plant disease struck potato crops nationwide inand disaster followed. Potatoes were inedible and people began to starve to death. The response of the British government also contributed to the disaster — trade agreements were still controlled by London. While hundreds of thousands of people were suffering from extreme hunger, Ireland was forced to export abundant harvests of wheat and dairy products to Britain and further overseas. Between and two million people died or were forced to emigrate from Ireland. The population of Ireland has never since reached its pre-famine level of approximately 8 million. The impetus he A Brief History of Ireland to the idea of Home Rule was to have lasting implications. In Ulster in the north of Ireland the majority of people were Protestants. They were concerned about the prospect of Home Rule being granted as they would be a Protestant minority in an independent Ireland with a Catholic majority. They favoured the union with Britain. Carson threatened an armed struggle for a separate Northern Ireland if independence was granted to Ireland. A Home Rule Bill was passed in but crucially it was not brought into law. Many Irish nationalists believed that Home Rule would be granted after the war if they supported the British war effort. John Redmond the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party encouraged people to join the British forces and many did join. However, a minority of nationalists did not trust the British government leading to one of the most pivotal events in Irish history, the Easter Rising. Battles ensued with casualties on both sides and A Brief History of Ireland the civilian population. The Easter Rising finished on April 30th with the A Brief History of Ireland of the rebels. The majority of the public was actually opposed to the Rising. However, public opinion turned when the British administration responded by executing many of the leaders and participants in the Rising. All seven signatories to the proclamation were executed including Pearse and Connolly. One of the key leaders of this war was Michael Collins. In December a treaty was signed by the Irish and British authorities. While a clear level of independence was finally granted to Ireland the contents of the treaty were to split Irish public and political opinion. One of the sources of division was that Ireland was to be divided into Northern Ireland 6 counties and the Irish Free State 26 counties which was established in Such was the division of opinion in Ireland that a Civil War followed from to between pro and anti treaty forces, with Collins pro- treaty and de Valera anti-treaty on opposing sides. A period of political stability followed the Civil War. A Brief History of Ireland Parliament consisted of a majority of Protestants and while there was relative stability for decades this was to come to an end in the late s due to systematic discrimination against Catholics. In British troops were sent to Derry and Belfast to maintain order and to protect A Brief History of Ireland Catholic minority. However, the army soon came to be seen as a tool of the Protestant majority by the minority Catholic community. This was reinforced by events such as Bloody Sunday in when British forces opened A Brief History of Ireland on a Catholic civil rights march in Derry killing 13 people. An escalation of paramilitary violence followed with many atrocities committed by both sides. Between and it is estimated that well over 3, people were killed by paramilitary groups on opposing sides of the conflict. Since considerable stability and peace has come to Northern Ireland. In the s the Irish economy was in recession and large numbers of people emigrated for employment reasons. Ireland in the s, so long considered a country of emigration, became a country of immigration. This period in A Brief History of Ireland history was called the Celtic Tiger. The Constitution re-established the state as the Republic of Ireland. To find places of historical interest in A Brief History of Ireland go to: www. Sign up to our newsletter:. By using this website, you consent to our privacy policy and use of cookies. For more information see our Privacy Statement. Irish EU Presidency, Ireland at a Glance : Brief history of Ireland

The first humans arrived in Ireland between 7, and 6, BC after the end of the last ice age. The first Irish people lived by A Brief History of Ireland, fishing and gathering food such A Brief History of Ireland plants and shellfish. The Stone Age hunters tended to live on the seashore or on the banks of rivers and lakes where food was plentiful. They hunted animals like deer and wild boar. They also hunted birds and they hunted seals with harpoons. About 4, BC farming was introduced to Ireland. The Stone Age farmers kept sheep, pigs, and cattle and raised crops. They probably lived in huts with wooden frames covered with A Brief History of Ireland and thatched with rushes. The farmers A Brief History of Ireland tools of stone, bone, A Brief History of Ireland antler. They also made pottery. For centuries the farmers and the hunters co-existed but the old hunter-gatherer lifestyle gradually died out. The stone A Brief History of Ireland farmers were the first people to significantly affect the environment of Ireland as they cleared areas of forest for farming. They were also the first people to leave monuments in the form of burial mounds known as court cairns. The Stone Age farmers sometimes cremated their dead then buried the remains in stone galleries covered in earth. They also created burial places called dolmens, which consist of massive vertical stones with horizontal stones on top, and passage graves which have a central passage lined and roofed with stones with burial chambers leading off it. The passage graves were covered with mounds of earth. About 2, BC bronze was introduced into Ireland and was used for making tools and weapons. The bronze Age people also erected stone circles in Ireland. They also built crannogs or lake dwellings, which were easy to defend. Then about BC the Celts arrived in Ireland. They brought iron tools and weapons with them. The Celts were a warlike people. According to Roman writers they were passionately fond of fighting and they built stone forts across Ireland. At that time Ireland was divided into many small kingdoms and warfare between them was frequent. Fighting often took place in chariots. The priests of the Celts were called Druids and they practiced polytheism worship of many gods. At the top of Celtic society were the kings and aristocrats. Below them were the freemen who were farmers. They could be well off or could be very poor. At the bottom were slaves. Divorce and remarriage were by no means unusual in Celtic society and polygamy was common among the rich. In the 4th century Christianity spread to Ireland, probably through trade with England and France. In Pope Celestine sent a man named Palladius to Ireland. However, he was killed shortly after his arrival. Then in a man named Patrick arrived in Ireland. Patrick was probably born about or According to tradition he lived in Western England until he was captured by Irish raiders at the age of 16 and was taken to Ireland as a slave. Eventually, Patrick managed to escape back to England. However, he eventually returned to Ireland and he was a missionary to until his death in Patrick tried to organize the church in Ireland along 'Roman' lines with Bishops as the leaders. However, the Irish church soon changed to a system based on monasteries with Abbots as the leaders. From to was the golden age of the Irish church. Many monasteries were founded across Ireland and soon the Irish sent missionaries to other parts of Europe such as Scotland and Northern England. Irish monks also kept alive Greek-Roman learning during the Dark Ages. In Irish monasteries learning and the arts flourished. One of the greatest arts was making decorated books called illuminated manuscripts. The most famous of these is the Book Of Kells, which was probably made at the beginning of the 9th century. However, this golden age ended with the Viking raids. The Vikings first attacked Ireland in They looted monasteries. They also took women and children as slaves. However the Vikings were not only raiders. They were also traders and craftsmen. They also gave Ireland its name, a combination of the Gaelic word Eire and the Viking word land. In time the Vikings settled down. They intermarried with the Irish and accepted Christianity. Around the great High King Brian Boru was born. At that time the Danes had conquered much of the kingdom of Munster. Brian defeated them in several battles. In he A Brief History of Ireland Cashel, the capital of Munster. However, in Leinster, the people of Dublin and the Danes joined forces against him. Brian fought and defeated them at the battle of Clontarf on 23 Aprilalthough he was killed himself. This victory ended the Viking threat to Ireland. More about the Vikings. During the 11th and 12th centuries the church in Ireland flourished once again. In the early and mid 12th century it was reformed. Synods church meetings were held at Cashel inat Rath Breasail in and Kells in The church was reorganized on diocesan lines and bishops became the leaders rather than Abbots. He was determined A Brief History of Ireland bring the Irish church to heel. However Henry did not immediately invade Ireland. Instead, Dermait MacMurrough, the king of Leinster, brought events to a head. Henry gave him permission to recruit in England. MacMurrough enlisted the support of a man named Richard FitzGilbert de Clare better known as Strongbow to help him regain his kingdom. In return, MacMurrough promised that Strongbow could marry his daughter and would become king of Leinster after him. MacMurrough returned to South Leinster in The first English soldiers arrived in He agreed to submit to O'Connor as High King. However the next year,Strongbow led an army to Ireland and captured Waterford and Dublin. The king of Dublin sailed away. However the next year he returned with a Norwegian army but some English knights sallied out on horseback and defeated them. Askluv was captured and executed. Next A Brief History of Ireland O'Connor led an army to Dublin and laid siege to the town. However, the English slipped out and made a surprise attack, routing the Irish. Henry II became alarmed that Strongbow was becoming too powerful A Brief History of Ireland ordered all English soldiers to return to England by Easter Strongbow made Henry an offer. He agreed to submit to King Henry and accept him as Lord if he was allowed to continue. Henry decided to accept the offer on condition he could have the towns of Dublin, Waterford, and Wexford. In the meantime, Dermatit died and Strongbow became king of Leinster. The English king Henry landed in Ireland in October Strongbow submitted to him. So did most of the Irish kings. In the early 13th century the English extended their control over all of Ireland except part of Connacht and Western Ulster. The first Irish parliament was called in but it represented only the Anglo-Irish ruling class. However after the English tide ebbed. In Brian O'Neill led a rebellion. The rebellion failed when O'Neill was defeated and killed in However, the English landowners were gradually absorbed into Irish society. Many of them A Brief History of Ireland and slowly adopted Irish customs. In the Kilkenny Parliament passed the Statutes of Kilkenny. History of Ireland - Wikipedia

The first evidence of human presence A Brief History of Ireland Ireland may date to about 12, years ago. By the late 4th century AD Christianity had begun to gradually subsume or replace the earlier Celtic polytheism. By the end of the 6th century it A Brief History of Ireland introduced writing along with a predominantly monastic Celtic Christian church, profoundly altering Irish society. Viking raids and settlement from the late 8th century AD resulted in extensive cultural interchange, as well as innovation in military and transport technology. Many of Ireland's towns were founded at this time as Viking trading posts and coinage made its first appearance. The Norman invasion in resulted again in a partial conquest of the island and marked the A Brief History of Ireland of more than years of English political and military involvement in Ireland. Initially successful, Norman gains were rolled back over succeeding centuries as a Gaelic resurgence [2] reestablished Gaelic cultural preeminence over most of the country, apart from the walled towns and the area around Dublin known as The Pale. Reduced to the control of small pockets, the English Crown did not make A Brief History of Ireland attempt to conquer the island until after the end of the Wars of the Roses This released resources and manpower for overseas expansion, beginning in the early 16th century. Attempts to impose the new Protestant faith were also successfully resisted by both the Gaelic and Norman-Irish. The new policy fomented the rebellion of the Hiberno-Norman Earl of Kildare Silken Thomas inkeen to defend his traditional autonomy and Catholicism, and marked the beginning of the prolonged Tudor conquest of Ireland lasting from to Ireland became a potential battleground in the wars between Catholic Counter-Reformation and Protestant Reformation Europe. England's attempts to either conquer or assimilate both the Hiberno-Norman lordships and the Gaelic territories A Brief History of Ireland the Kingdom of Ireland provided the impetus for ongoing warfare, notable examples being the 1st Desmond Rebellionthe 2nd Desmond Rebellion and the Nine Years War. This period was marked by the Crown policies of, at first, surrender and regrantand later, plantationinvolving the arrival of thousands of English and Scottish Protestant settlers, and the displacement of both the Hiberno-Normans or Old English as they were known by then and the native Catholic landholders. Gaelic Ireland was finally defeated at the battle of Kinsale in which marked the collapse of the Gaelic system and the beginning of Ireland's history as part of the British Empire. During the 17th century, this division between a Protestant landholding minority and a dispossessed Catholic majority was intensified and conflict between A Brief History of Ireland was to become a recurrent theme in Irish history. Domination of Ireland by the Protestant Ascendancy was reinforced after two periods of religious war, the Irish Confederate Wars in and the Williamite war in Political power thereafter rested almost exclusively in the hands of a minority Protestant Ascendancy, while Catholics and members of dissenting Protestant denominations suffered severe political and economic A Brief History of Ireland under the Penal Laws. The catastrophe of the Great Famine struck Ireland in resulting in over a million deaths from starvation and disease and in a million refugees fleeing the country, mainly to America. Irish attempts to break away continued with Parnell's Irish Parliamentary Party which strove from the s to attain Home Rule through the parliamentary constitutional movement, eventually winning the Home Rule Actalthough this Act was suspended at the outbreak of World War I. In the Easter Rising succeeded in turning public opinion against the British establishment after the execution of the leaders by British authorities. It also eclipsed the home rule movement. The treaty was opposed by many; their opposition led to the outbreak of the Irish Civil Warin which Irish Free Stateor "pro-treaty", forces proved victorious. The history of Northern Ireland has since been dominated by the division of society along sectarian faultlines and conflict between mainly Catholic Irish nationalists and mainly Protestant unionists. These divisions erupted into the Troubles in the late s, after civil rights marches were met with opposition by authorities. The violence A Brief History of Ireland after the deployment of the British Army to maintain authority led to clashes with nationalist communities. The violence continued for 28 years until an uneasy, but largely successful peace was finally achieved with the Good Friday Agreement in What is known of pre-Christian Ireland comes from references in Roman writings, Irish poetry and myth, and archaeology. While some possible Paleolithic tools have been found, none of the finds are convincing of Paleolithic settlement in Ireland. The bone shows clear signs of cut marks with stone tools, and has been radiocarbon dated to 12, years ago. A sudden return to freezing conditions known as the Younger Dryas cold phase, which lasted from 10, BC to BC, may have depopulated Ireland. During the Younger Dryas, sea levels continued to rise and no ice-free land bridge between Great Britain and Ireland ever returned. The earliest confirmed inhabitants of Ireland were Mesolithic hunter-gathererswho arrived some time around BC. It is argued this is when the first signs of agriculture started to show, leading to the establishment of a Neolithic culture, characterised by the appearance of pottery, polished stone tools, rectangular wooden houses, megalithic tombs, and domesticated sheep and cattle. Four main types of Irish Megalithic Tombs have been identified: dolmenscourt cairnspassage tombs and wedge-shaped gallery graves. This culture apparently prospered, and the island became more densely populated. Near the end of the Neolithic new types of monuments developed, such as circular embanked enclosures and timber, stone and post and pit circles. The Bronze Agewhich came to Ireland around BC, saw the production of elaborate gold and bronze ornaments, weapons and tools. There was a movement away from the construction of communal megalithic tombs to the burial of the dead in small stone cists or simple pits, A Brief History of Ireland could be situated in cemeteries or in circular earth or stone built burial mounds known respectively as barrows and cairns. As the period progressed, inhumation burial gave way to cremation and by the Middle Bronze Age, remains were often placed beneath large burial urns. During the late bronze age, there was an increase in stored weapons, which has been taken as evidence for greater warfare. The period between the start of the Iron Age and the historic period AD saw the gradual infiltration of small groups of Celtic-speaking people into Ireland, [17] [18] with items of the continental Celtic La Tene style being found in at least the northern part of the island by about BC. Within these kingdoms a rich culture flourished. The society of these kingdoms was dominated by an upper class consisting of aristocratic warriors and learned people, which possibly included Druids. Linguists realised from the 17th century onwards that the language spoken by these people, the Goidelic languageswas a branch of the Celtic languages. This is usually explained as a result of invasions by Celts from the continent. However, other research has postulated that the culture developed gradually and continuously, and that the introduction of Celtic language and elements of Celtic culture may A Brief History of Ireland been a result of cultural exchange with A Brief History of Ireland groups in southwest continental Europe from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. The hypothesis that the native Late Bronze Age inhabitants gradually absorbed Celtic influences has since been supported by some recent genetic research. Ptolemyin ADrecorded Ireland's geography and tribes. Ireland was never a part of the Roman Empirebut Roman influence was often projected well beyond its borders. Tacitus writes that an exiled Irish prince was with Agricola in Roman Britain and would return to seize power in Ireland. Juvenal tells us that Roman "arms had been taken beyond the shores of Ireland". In recent years, some experts have hypothesized that Roman- sponsored Gaelic forces or perhaps even Roman regulars mounted some kind of invasion around AD[25] but the exact relationship between A Brief History of Ireland and the dynasties and peoples of Hibernia remains unclear. Irish confederations the Scoti attacked and some settled in Britain during the Great Conspiracy of The middle centuries of the first millennium AD marked great changes in Ireland. Politically, what appears to have been a prehistoric emphasis on tribal affiliation had been replaced by the 8th century by patrilineal dynasties ruling the island's kingdoms. Many formerly powerful kingdoms A Brief History of Ireland peoples disappeared. Irish pirates struck all over the coast of western Britain in the same way that the Vikings would later attack Ireland. Some of these founded entirely new kingdoms in Pictland and, to a lesser degree, in parts of Cornwall, Wales, and Cumbria. The Attacotti of south Leinster may even have served in the Roman military in the mid-to-late s. Perhaps it was A Brief History of Ireland of the latter returning home as rich mercenaries, merchants, or slaves stolen from Britain or Gaul, that first brought the Christian faith to Ireland. Some early sources claim that there were missionaries active A Brief History of Ireland southern Ireland long before St. Whatever the route, and there were probably many, this new faith was to have the most profound effect on the Irish. Tradition maintains that in A. Patrick arrived on the island and, in the years that followed, worked to convert the Irish to Christianity. St Patrick's Confessionin Latin, written by him is the earliest Irish historical document. It gives some information about the Saint. Palladius seems to have worked purely as Bishop to Irish Christians in the Leinster and Meath kingdoms, while Patrick — who may have arrived as late as — worked first and foremost as a missionary to the pagan Irish, in the more remote kingdoms in Ulster and Connacht. Patrick is traditionally credited with preserving and codifying Irish laws and changing only those that conflicted with Christian practices. He is A Brief History of Ireland with introducing the Roman alphabetwhich enabled Irish monks to preserve parts of the extensive oral literature. The historicity of these claims remains the subject of debate and there is no direct evidence linking Patrick with any of these accomplishments. The myth of Patrick, as scholars refer A Brief History of Ireland it, was developed in the centuries after his death. Irish scholars excelled in A Brief History of Ireland study of Latin learning and Christian theology in the monasteries that flourished shortly thereafter. Missionaries from Ireland to England and Continental Europe spread news of the flowering of learning, and scholars from other A Brief History of Ireland came to Irish monasteries. The excellence and isolation of these monasteries helped preserve Latin learning during the Early Middle Ages. The period of Insular artmainly in the fields of illuminated manuscriptsmetalworking, and sculpture flourished and produced such treasures as the Book of Kellsthe Ardagh Chaliceand the many carved stone crosses that dot the island. Insular style was to be a crucial ingredient in the formation of the Romanesque and Gothic styles throughout Western Europe. Sites dating to this period include clochansringforts and promontory forts. Francis John Byrne describes the effect of the epidemics which occurred during this era:. The plagues of the s and the s had a traumatic effect on Irish society. The golden age of the saints was over, together with the generation of kings who could fire a saga -writer's imagination. The literary tradition looks back A Brief History of Ireland the reign of the sons of Aed Slaine Diarmait and Blathmac, who died in as to the end A Brief History of Ireland an era. Antiquaries, brehonsgenealogists and hagiographersfelt the need to collect ancient traditions before they were totally forgotten. Many were in A Brief History of Ireland swallowed by oblivion; when we examine the writing of Tirechan we encounter obscure references to tribes which are quite unknown to the later genealogical tradition. The laws describe a The first English involvement in Ireland took place in this period. Early Viking raids were generally fast-paced and small in scale. These early raids interrupted the golden age of Christian Irish culture and marked the beginning of two centuries of intermittent warfare, with waves of Viking raiders plundering monasteries and towns throughout Ireland. Most of those early raiders came from western Norway. The Vikings were expert sailors, who travelled in longshipsand by the early s, had begun to establish settlements along the Irish coasts and to spend the winter months A Brief History of Ireland. The longships were technologically advanced, allowing them to travel faster through the narrow rivers. Vikings founded settlements in several places; most famously in Dublin. Most of the settlements were near the water, allowing the Vikings to trade using their longships. Written accounts from this time early to mid s show that the Vikings were moving further inland to attack often using rivers and then retreating to their coastal headquarters. Inthe Vikings landed in Dublin Bay and established a fortress. Dublin became the centre for trade of many goods, especially slaves. Bringing back new ideas and motivations, they began settling more permanently. In the tenth century an earthen bank was constructed around the city with A Brief History of Ireland second larger bank built outside that A Brief History of Ireland the eleventh century. On the interior of the town, an extensive series of defences have been excavated at Fishamble Street, Dublin.