SEARC'S WEB GUIDE A Brief Chronology of Irish History ©

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Searc's Web Guide - A Brief Chronology of Irish History ©

Pre-History to Medieval Ireland
3000BC Megalithic tombs built throughout Ireland, most notably in the Boyne Valley.
700BC Celtic Invasion of Ireland as recounted in the 12th century manuscript *leabhair na hUidhre*.
350AD Catholicism reaches Ireland's south east coast.
432AD St. Patrick arrives in Ireland and Catholicism spreads.
795-895AD Viking invasions occur around the Irish coast. Dublin is developed by the Vikings who ultimately assimilate into Gaelic society.
1014 Brian Boru, Ard Rí (High King) of Ireland dies defeating the Norsemen at The Battle of Clontarf, the last Gaelic-Viking Battle.
1169 Dermot MacMurrough, Rí (King) of Leinster, is expelled from Ireland for transgressing Brehon law. He submits to Henry II of England and asks him to subjugate his Irish peers.
1170 Arrivals of Normans at County Wexford, under 'Strongbow', the Earl of Pembroke, at the invitation of Dermot Macmurrough.
1171 'Strongbow' becomes king of Leinster.
1172 The English Pope, Adrian IV, publishes his *Bull Laudibiliter* decreeing Henry II King of Ireland. Henry orders an Invasion of Ireland. Welsh marches invade the south east coast of Ireland and establish fiefs.
1210 King John, Henry's son, visits Ireland. Over the next two centuries the 'Old English' assimilate into Gaelic Society until the English Government, fearing loss of sovereignty, instigate the Statutes of Kilkenny.
1366 The Statues of Kilkenny, written in French, forbid trade and intermarriage between the Normans and the Irish.

16th Century
1507 Accession of Henry VII to the English throne.
1534-40 The 'Geraldine' Insurrection (made up of the families who support the Fitzgeralds, Ríthe [Kings] of Leinster) is lead by Lord Offaly.
1541 Henry VIII proclaimed King of Ireland.
1558-1603 Reign of Elizabeth I. Elizabethean Plantation begins. Elizabethan wars in Ireland. System of Counties adopted along traditional land divisions.
1588 Spanish Armada wrecked off the Irish Coast.
1595-1603 Hugh O'Neill wages the Nine Year War against the English in Ulster. 1598 O' Neill's great victory at Yellow Ford in County Monaghan.

17th Century
1601 Defeat of O'Neill, O'Donnell, and Spaniards by Mountjoy, at battle of Kinsale.
1603 Accession of James I. Surrender of Hugh O'Neill and enforcement of English law throughout Ireland.
1607 Flight of the 'Wild Geese' (ruling Gaelic families of Ulster including O'Neills, O'Donnells, O'Dohertys and Maguires) to Continental Europe.
1608 (onward) Plantation of Derry (City of London) and other confiscated counties planned and partly carried out.
1641 Charles I's policies cause insurrection in Ulster and Civil War in England. 59% of Ireland still held by Catholics.
1642 Irish Rising led by Eoghain Ruadh O'Neill.
1649 Cromwell invades Ireland.
1650 Catholic landowners exiled to Connaught.
1653 Under the Act of Settlement Cromwell's opponents are stripped of their lands.
1660 Accession of Charles II.
1685 Accession of James II.
1688 James II deposed in England. Gates of Derry shut on James's troops. Only 22% of Ireland now held by Catholics.
1689-90 Deposed James II flees to Ireland; defeated at the Sieges of Derry and Limerick and the Battle of the Boyne.
1691: Catholic defeat at Aughrim and surrender at Limerick
1695: 14% of land in Ireland now held by Catholics. First penal laws enacted against Catholics.

18th Century
1704 More Penal Codes enacted; Catholics barred from voting, being educated in Ireland, the law and the military.
1714 7% of Irish land now held by Catholics.
1775 American War of Independence inspires unrest in Ireland. Henry Grattan becomes leader of the 'Patriot' party.
1782 Grattan's Parliament persuades British to declare Irish legislative independence.
1792 United Irishmen founded.
1795 Foundation of the Orange Order.
1796 French fleet arrived in Bantry Bay with Wolfe Tone aboard.
1796-98 United Irishmen plan rising.
1798 Arrest of Leinster Directory of United Irishmen in March. Arrest and death of Lord Edward Fitzgerald in May. Wexford rising, Battle of Vinegar Hill in June. Death of Wolfe Tone in November. 30,000 died during the Rising.

19th Century
1800 Act of Union passed (with effect from January 1, 1801)
1801 Ireland looses its Parliament and is governed directly by Westminister.
1803 Robert Emmet rising afterwhich Emmet is tried and executed.
1823 Catholic Association founded by Daniel O' Connell.
1828 O'Connell elected a Member of Parliament for Clare.
1829 Catholic Emancipation Act passed.
1837 Accession of Queen Victoria.
1840 Daniel O' Connell founds Repeal Association.
1842 *The Nation* magazine is founded. The Young Ireland Movement is led by Thomas Davis.
1843 O'Connell's 'Monster Meetings' for Repeal of the Union. Clontarf meeting banned.
1845-49 The Great Famine occurs when the potato crops fail four years in a row. Millions starve or are forced to emigrate while food continues to be exported from Ireland by the English administration.
1847-48 Young Ireland Rising.
1856 James Stephens returns to Ireland from France.
1858 Stephens founds Fenian Brotherhood in Ireland (later to become Irish Republican Brotherhood).
1859 Irish Republican Brotherhood founded by John O'Mahony in America.
1861-65 Stephens, John Devoy and others organize the Fenian rising.
1863 Newspaper *Irish People* founded.
1865 Arrest of Editorial Board of *Irish People*.
1866 Stephens first urges then calls off Rising, deposed by American Fenians US Civil war veteran Kelly becomes 'Chief Organizer of Irish Republic' and sails with others to Ireland, from New York.
1867 Abortive raid on Chester Castle. Fenian Rising in Ireland. Rescue of Kelly from police van in Manchester. Execution of the 'Manchester Martyrs' Allen, Larkin, and O'Brien.
1869 Gladstone disestablishes Protestant Churches in Ireland.
1870 Gladstone's first Land Act.
1875 Charles Stewart Parnell elected MP for County Meath.
1875-85 The Land War: Charles Stewart Parnell encourages boycott of rents. Five hundred thousand are evicted from their homes and farms.
1881 Gladstone's second Land Act. Parnell imprisoned in Kilmainham.
1882 Kilmainham 'Treaty'Parnell is released. Phoenix Park murders.
1886 First Home Rule Bill.
1890 December Meeting deposes Parnell from Irish party leadership.
1891 Parnell loses three bye-elections in Ireland. Parnell dies in October.
1893 Second Home Rule Bill. Gaelic League founded.
1899 Arthur Griffith founds United Irishmen newspaper.

20th Century
1903 Wyndham Land Purchases Act introduced.
1905 Sinn Féin founded in Dublin.
1906 Liberals win General Election with majority and fail to offer Home Rule to Irish Party.
1909 Land Purchase Act.
1910 Two General Elections in which Conservatives and Liberals almost equal with Irish Party holding balance.
1911 Parliament Act deprives House of Lords of ultimate veto.
1912 Third Home Rule Bill. Solemn League and Covenant in Ulster.
1913 January Ulster Volunteer Force founded. November Irish Citizen Army and Irish National Volunteers founded.
1914 Curragh 'mutiny'. Larne gun-running. Howth gun-running. Outbreak of First World War. September: Home Rule Act on Statue Book. Implementation of Home Rule postponed because of outbreak of World War I. IRB plans Rising.
1916 Easter Dublin Rising. The leaders are executed in May and public opinion swings towards supporting independence.
1918 All Ireland election. Sinn Féin win majority and decide to form their own Parliament in Ireland.
1919 First Dáil meets in the Mansion House, Dublin. Black 'n Tans (demobed British soldiers formed into a auxiliary and regular army) are deployed in Ireland.
1919-21 Dan Breen starts War of Independence at Soloheadbeg. Dáil Eireann meets in Dublin. Michael Collins prominent in War of Independence.
1920 Black and Tans arrive from England. Auxiliaries arrive. Kevin Barry hanged. 'Bloody Sunday' in Croagh Park. Kilmichael Ambush. Burning of Cork by Auxiliaries.
1921 Burning of Dublin Custom House. English King opens Northern Ireland Parliament in Belfast; Sir James Craig appointed Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. Truce & Anglo-Irish Treaty. Irish Free State and Northern Ireland State are created.
1922 Four Courts occupied by anti-Treaty IRA. General Election in Ireland gives pro-Treaty majority. Four Courts attacked by Free State troops. Civil War starts. Deaths of Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins. William Cosgrave, President of Executive Council. Executions of anti-Treaty IRA by Free State in Dublin - total executions by Free State to May 1923 was 77.
1923 End of Civil War.
1926 Eamon De Valera founds Fianna Fail.
1927 General Election in Ireland. Killing of Kevin O'Higgins. De Valera and Fianna Fail enter Dail without taking oath to the King of England.
1932 Eamon De Valera elected Taoiseach of Ireland for the Fianna Fáil Party.
1937 The Irish Constitution is put into effect.
1938 Agreement with Britain ends economic war. Britain gives up military and naval rights to 'Treaty' ports.
1939 IRA bombing campaign in Britain. Outbreak of Second World War. Eire neutral. IRA raid on Magazine Fort, Phoenix Park, Dublin.
1949 Declaration of the Republic of Ireland.
1956-62 IRA 'Border' campaign in Northern Ireland.
1965 O'Neill-Lemass Talks.
1967 Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association founded.
1968 British troops deployed in Northern Ireland. First Civil Rights Marches. Derry Civil rights March banned on October 5th by William Craig, Minister of Home Affairs. March disrupted and stopped by 'B' Specials of RUC.
1969 People's Democracy Belfast to Derry March. Marchers attacked at Burntollet bridge on January 4th. O'Neill resigns and Chichester Clark becomes Prime Minister. 'B' Specials riot in Derry and Belfast. August 14th British troops sent to Derry. Unionist riots in Belfast protesting against Hunt Commission's report on RUC.
1970 Dublin Arms Trial (Haughey, Blaney, Boland acquitted).
1971 First British solider killed by IRA in Belfast. Chichester Clark resigns and Faulkner becomes Prime Minister. Faulkner gets British Government's agreement to internment: 342 arrested. By December total numbers interned was 1576.
1972 14 unarmed civilians are shot dead by the British Army while on an anti-internment march on January 30th in Derry which became known as Bloody Sunday. Direct Rule from Westminster imposed and Stormont suspended.
1973 Sunningdale Agreement. Power sharing Assembly established.
1974 Ulster Workers' Strike brings down Faulkner and Assembly. Direct rule re-imposed. 1971 Provisional IRA begins campaign. Internment without trial re-introduced in Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland join European Community.
1980-81 Republican Hunger Strikes in Long Kesh Prison. Ten hunger strikers die.
1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement signed.
1994 Peace Declaration. IRA ceasefire August 31st, 1994. Ulster paramilitaries declare ceasefire October, 1994.
1996 IRA cesefire recinded.
1997 IRA declares Ceasefire on July 21st.
1998 Belfast Agreement signed on April 10th. Amendments to Articles 2, 3 and 29 of the Irish Constitution passed by Referendum.
2000 Leglislative Assembly formed at Stormont to govern Northern Ireland with all-party support.

Irish History Index
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