Ireland history is fascinating narrative of wars and struggles for national sovereignty. It is indicative of the intense pride that the Irish have in their culture and heritage. Nearly 89,000 sq. km. of the total land is incorporated within the Republic of Ireland and the Northern Ireland is a part of UK. Until the partition of the island in 1920-1922, Ireland was ruled entirely by the British.
History of Ireland
Ireland history dates back to around 6000 BC, when the hunters and the fishermen first settled on the east coast of the island. According to the ancient history of Ireland, the Celtic people came into the island in between 600 BC and 150 BC. During the early 5th century AD the Irish were converted to Christianity by St. Patrick. The Vikings attacked the monasteries and civil settlements of Ireland in 795 and continued to attack for several years.
A long strife between the invading Vikings and Brian Boru marked the transition from the tenth to the eleventh century AD. Battle of Clontarf – 1014 was the last in this long line of battles, by the end of which the supremacy of the Brian Boru clan was definite, although the King himself was defeated in the process. However, a train of weak rulers followed Brian Boru to the throne, and Vikings found ample opportunities to regather themselves and starting exercising considerable influence on the land. The Vikings even took attempts to expand into great parts of the British mainland. The medieval history of Ireland begins with the Norman invasion in 1167, which initiated the conflict between the Irish and the French group of Norman invaders. The victory of the Normans began the Anglo-Norman period in Ireland.
A change in the history of Ireland came with the appointment of Sir Edward Poynings as the viceroy of King Henry VIII. A number of religious strifes engulfed England during the Tudor Age. It had mostly to do with the establishment of the Anglican Church on Irish soil. Some of the battles fought on the Irish soil include the following:
- Battle of the Boyne – 1690
- Grattan’s Parliament - 1782 to 1800
- Rebellion of 1798
The modern history of Ireland starts from the First World War and continues till the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Some of the most important events of this ear are:
- World War I – 1914 to 191
- The War of Independence and Partition – 1919 to 1921
- Irish Civil War – 1921 to 1925
- Establishment of the Republic of Ireland – 1945
- Good Friday Agreement - 1998
Since 1900, the economic condition of Ireland has been booming up and today Ireland is economically as well as socially a highly developed and advanced nation.
