| Year/
Period |
Historical Event |
| 6000BC |
First traces of man in Ireland |
| 6th Cent. BC |
Celts migrate to Ireland |
| 432AD |
St Patrick arrives as a
missionary |
| 500-800 |
Early monasticism, Ireland is
Europe's center of learning. |
| 9th century |
Viking invasion and settlement |
| 841 |
Dublin founded |
| 1014 |
Brian Boru defeats the Vikings
and breaks their power |
| 1169 |
Norman invasion |
| 1537 |
The Reformation and the
dissolution of Irish monasteries by order of King Henry VIII of England |
| 1556 |
First planters arrive from
Scotland & England |
| 1649-52 |
Rebellion crushed by Cromwell |
| 1690 |
Battle of the Boyne, Catholic
King James defeated by William of Orange (Protestant). Led to the
"Orange Men" tradition in the north |
| 1691 |
Treaty of Limerick and exile
of the "Wild Geese" |
| 1798 |
Crushing of a second
rebellion, 50,000 people die |
| 1800 |
Act of Union - Ireland now a
part of Britain |
| 1829 |
Daniel O'Connell wins the
right for Catholics to enter the British parliament |
| 1845 |
Beginning of the Great Famine,
from potato blight |
| 1858 |
Founding of the Irish
Republican Brotherhood (IRB), forerunner to the IRA |
| 1875 |
C.S. Parnell elected MP and
becomes the leader of the "Home Rule" movement |
| 1885 |
Parnell holds the balance of
power in the British House of Commons. Home Rule becomes a major issue,
but is defeated in the House of Lords. |
| 1912 |
Protestants, under Edward
Carson, form a militia to oppose Home Rule (the Ulster
Volunteer Force). The south responds by setting up the "Irish
National Volunteers" |
| 1916 |
Easter rebellion/
"Rising" - Irish rebels defeated and executed. Introduction of
internment and martial law. |
| 1918 |
Imprisoned Republicans go on
hunger strike. Militant Sinn Fein sweep victories in the general election.
It boycotts the House of Commons and sets up it's own Irish parliament,
and elects the jailed Eamonn de Valera as president |
| 1919 |
Guerilla war between the IRA
and the British anti-terrorist forces ("Black and Tans") |
| 1921 |
Britain and Ireland sign the
Treaty giving "dominion" status to Ireland, 6 counties of Ulster
staying a part of the United Kingdom (becomes Northern Ireland) |
| 1922-'23 |
Civil War between Pro-Treaty
and Anti-Treaty (who don't want the partition of Ireland) groups |
| 1939-'45 |
Ireland controversially
remains neutral in the 2nd World War |
| 1949 |
Ireland becomes a Republic |
| 1969 |
The "Troubles"
outbreak in Northern Ireland |
| 1973 |
Ireland joins the European
Community (now the European Union, E.U.) |
| 1993-'94 |
The Downing Street Declaration
is signed by Albert Reynolds, (the Irish Prime Minister), and John
Major,(the British Prime Minister). Leads to the first of the IRA
cease-fires |
| 1998 |
The "Good Friday"
Agreement is signed by all sides, by nationalists, unionists and both
governments. The Republic agrees to withdraw from it's constitution it's
claim to the north and the British government agree to delete parts of
their constitution dealing with the status of Northern Ireland in the
United Kingdom. Elections held on a new Northern Ireland
"Assembly" / parliament with some cross-border co-operation |