Arrival Of Christianity

The history of modern Ireland started all the way back in the 5th century with the arrival of Christianity. St. Patrick arrived as a missionary to Ireland and proceeded to devote his life to converting the mainly Pagan people to Christianity. This had a huge impact and by the end of the 5th century a great many Irish people had converted to Christianity.

As a result of this influx of Christianity, monasteries would be built which would serve as centers of learning, art, and culture. Some of these monasteries can even still be seen today, such as Clonmacnoise (pictured below).

These monasteries and the learning that they provided thrust Ireland into what some call the "Golden Age" of Irish culture in the 6th and 7th centuries. The monasteries attracted students from all over Europe, allowing for the exchange of ideas and knowledge with people from many different places. The monks themselves are also a huge part of the culture at the time, as they are very well known for creating beautiful works of art and manuscripts with extremely intricate details.

One of these manuscripts that is extremely influential is The Book of Kells. It represents the merging of Christian religious themes with Ireland’s rich tradition of decorative arts. Irish monasteries became centers of not just learning but also craftsmanship, particularly in metalwork, illuminated manuscripts, and other artistic traditions.

Viking Settlement

The vikings also played an important role in the history of Ireland. They began to raid the island in the 8th century, sacking monasteries in search of their wealth. Eventually though, while they continued to ransack parts of the island, they began to settle down in others. The bases for the majority of big cities in Ireland today, such as Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Wexford and Limerick, can be traced back to old Viking settlements

British Occupation

In the 16th century King Henry VIII of England began to want to expand England's control over Ireland, which at the time was still made up of scattered kingdoms controlled by the Gaelic lords. The Tudor government began to confiscate land from the Gaelic lords and planting loyal English settlers there. The Gaelic lords did not appreciate this and attempted to fight back against the English, but any attempts at this were brutally surpressed.

They introduced the Penal Laws, which were hards anti-Catholic laws that were introduced to marginalise the Catholic's and increase Protestant power. Catholics were barred from owning land, voting, holding public office, and practicing their religion freely.

The Famine

Independence at Last

Throughout the early 20th century, the Irish people began to campaign for self governance within the UK, in a movement known as Home Rule, but were resisted by the Protestant majority in the Ulster.

The tension eventually boiled over and a rebellion broke out, known as the 1916 Rising. While the rebellion itself was unsuccessful, it emboldened the Irish people and the demand for Independence was larger than ever.

You can view a copy of the proclamation of independence here

This prompted a war to break out known as the "War of Independence" in which the Irish Republican Army (IRA) waged war against the British forces using guerrilla warfare tactics. This war was successful and resulted in the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which declared 26 counties to be part of the "Irish Free State", an independent country, and the 6 remaining counties to be "Northern Ireland" which remained a member of the UK

Modern History

• Republic of Ireland (1949):
• The Irish Free State officially became the Republic of Ireland, fully severing ties with the British Commonwealth.
• The Troubles (1969–1998):
• Sectarian violence in Northern Ireland erupted between unionists (mostly Protestant) and nationalists (mostly Catholic), leading to thousands of deaths.
• The Good Friday Agreement (1998) brought peace and established a power-sharing government.
• 21st Century Developments:
• Ireland became an economically prosperous nation, particularly during the Celtic Tiger years (1990s–2000s).
• In 2015, Ireland became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote.
• Issues like Brexit have reignited debates over Irish unity, particularly as Northern Ireland seeks to balance its ties with both the UK and Ireland.