This is a timeline of Irish history. To read about the background to these events, see History of Ireland. See also the list of Lords and Kings of Ireland and Irish heads of state and the list of years in Ireland.
This timeline is incomplete; some events may be missing.
Prehistory - [...] - 1st - 2nd - [...] - 5th - 6th - 8th - 9th - 10th - 11th - 12th - 13th - 14th - 15th - 16th - 17th - 18th - 19th - 20th - 21st
Mesolithic and neolithic periods
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| c.16,000 BC | During the Last Glacial Maximum, Ireland is covered in ice sheets | |
| c.12,000 BC | Ireland becomes an island [1] | |
| c.6,500 BC | Mesolithic hunter-gatherers occupy sites such as that at Mount Sandel in Northern Ireland | |
| c.4,000 BC | Agriculture (including the keeping of livestock, and crop framing) has its beginnings in Ireland, at sites such as the Céide Fields in Mayo | |
| c.3,500 BC | The Neolithic peoples of the Boyne Valley build a complex of chamber tombs, standing stones and enclosures over a period of hundreds of years. (Newgrange itself is dated to 3300-2900 BC). |
Bronze and Iron ages
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| c.2,000 BC | Bronze Age technologies start to arrive in Ireland, including the moulding of Ballybeg type flat axes, and the beginnings of copper mining at Mount Gabriel in Co. Cork, and Ross Island in Co. Kerry.[2] | |
| c.500 BC | During the Iron Age in Ireland, Celtic influence in art, language and culture begins to take hold.[3] | |
| c.300 BC | Murder of Clonycavan Man, according to radiocarbon dating | |
| c.200 BC | La Tène influence from continental Europe influences carvings on the Turoe stone, Bullaun, Co. Galway.[4] | |
| c.100 BC | Additional works expand the site at Emain Macha (first occupied in the neolithic period) |
1st century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| c.100 AD | Construction of a series of defensive ditches between the provinces of Ulster and Connacht |
2nd century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| c.140 AD | Ptolemy's Geographia provides the earliest known written reference to habitation in the Dublin area, referring to a settlement in the area as Eblana Civitas |
5th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| c.400 | Niall Noígíallach is placed by Medieval texts as a legendary Goidelic High King of Ireland (the Annals of the Four Masters dates his reign as 378-405) | |
| 431 | Palladius is sent as the first bishop "to the Irish believing in Christ" by Pope Celestine I[5][6] | |
| 432 | According to the Annals of Ulster (and other chronicles) Saint Patrick returns to Ireland.[7] |
6th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 536 | A seemingly global climate event (possibly a volcanic winter)[8] causes crop failures[9] and famine in Ireland. | |
| 563 | Irish monastic influence during the Golden Age peaks with the foundation of monastic schools by Columba and Brendan at Iona and Clonfert.[10] (Columbanus would later set up similar institutions in continental Europe, Fursa in East Anglia and Gaul, Aidan at Lindisfarne. Etc.) |
8th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 795 | First Viking raids on Iona, Rathlin Island, Inishmurray and Inishbofin.[10] |
9th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 830 | Óengus of Tallaght writes the Martyrology of Tallaght, the Prologue of which speaks of the last vestiges of paganism in Ireland | |
| 852 | Vikings Ivar Beinlaus and Olaf the White land in Dublin Bay and establish a fortress - close to where the city of Dublin now stands |
10th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 980 | The King of Dublin Olaf Cuaran abidicates following defeat at the Battle of Tara to Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill.[11] | |
| 988/9 | Máel Sechnaill demands (and is paid) "tribute" by the vikings at Dublin (this tribute date is sometimes recognised as the "foundation date" of Dublin as a city) |
11th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1014 | 23 April | Defeat of Máel Mórda mac Murchada and Viking forces by the armies of Brian Boru marks the beginning of the decline of Viking power in Ireland.[12] |
12th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1167 | Following exile by Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, Dermot MacMurrough seeks support from Henry II of England to reclaim his Kingship. | |
| 1171 | Henry II of England lands at Waterford and declares himself Lord of Ireland. | |
| 1175 | 6 October[13] | The Treaty of Windsor consolidates Norman influence in Ireland. |
13th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1297 | The first representative Irish Parliament (of the Lordship of Ireland) meets in Dublin.[14] |
14th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1315 | 26 May | Edward Bruce arrives in Ireland and rallies many Irish lords against Anglo-Norman control. |
| 1366 | The Statutes of Kilkenny are passed at Kilkenny to curb the decline of the Hiberno-Norman Lordship of Ireland. |
15th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1494 | 1 December | Edward Poyning, Henry VII of England's Lord Deputy to Ireland, issued a declaration known as Poynings' Law under which the Irish parliament was to pass no law without the prior consent of the English parliament. |
16th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1534 | 11 June | Thomas FitzGerald, the 10th Earl of Kildare, publicly renounced his allegiance to Henry VIII of England. |
| 1537 | 3 February | FitzGerald was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn. |
| 1542 | The Irish parliament passed the Crown of Ireland Act, which established a Kingdom of Ireland to be ruled by Henry VIII and his successors. | |
| 1570 | 25 February | Pope Pius V issued a papal bull, Regnans in Excelsis, declaring Elizabeth I of England a heretic and releasing her subjects from any allegiance to her. |
| 1579 | 16 July | Second Desmond Rebellion: James FitzMaurice FitzGerald, a cousin of the 15th Earl of Desmond, landed a small force of rebels at Dingle. |
17th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1607 | 14 September | The Flight of the Earls: The departure from Ireland of Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone and Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell. |
| 1641 | 22 October | Irish Rebellion of 1641: Phelim O'Neill led the capture of several forts in the north of Ireland. |
| 1642 | Irish Confederate Wars: The Irish Catholic Confederation was established, under the nominal overlordship of Charles I of England, with its capital at Kilkenny. | |
| 1646 | 28 March | The Supreme Council of the Irish Catholic Confederation signed an agreement with a representative of Charles I, which procured some rights for Catholics in return for their military support of the royalists in England. |
| The members of the Supreme Council were arrested. The General Assembly renounced the agreement with England. | ||
| 1647 | A more favorable agreement was reached with Charles's representative, which promised toleration of Catholicism, a repeal of Poynings' Law, and recognition of lands taken by Irish Catholics during the war. |
18th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1782 | After agitation by the Irish Volunteers, the Parliament of Great Britain passed a number of reforms - including the repeal of Poynings' Law - collectively referred to as the Constitution of 1782. | |
| 1798 | 24 May | Battle of Ballymore-Eustace: A miscarried surprise attack on the British garrison at Ballymore in County Kildare was counterattacked and defeated. |
| 22 August | Irish Rebellion of 1798: One thousand French soldiers landed at Kilcummin in support of the rebellion. | |
| 27 August | Battle of Castlebar: A combined French-Irish force defeated a vastly numerically superior British force at Castlebar. | |
| Irish Rebellion of 1798: The Republic of Connaught was proclaimed at Castlebar. First United Irishmen rebellion |
19th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1803 | 23 July | Second United Irishmen rebellion: The Irish nationalist Robert Emmet attempted to seize Dublin Castle. |
| 1829 | 24 March | Catholic Emancipation: The Catholic Relief Act 1829 was passed, which allowed Catholics to sit in Parliament. |
| 1831 | 3 May | Tithe War: A force of one hundred and twenty armed police forcibly took possession of cattle belonging to a Roman Catholic priest in lieu of his compulsory tithe to the Anglican Church of Ireland. |
| 1836 | Tithe War: The passage of the Tithe Commutation Act 1836 reduced the amount of the tithe and changed the manner of payment, which largely ended the unrest. | |
| 1845 | Great Irish Famine: Potato blight destroyed two-thirds of Ireland's staple crop. |
20th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1913 | 19 August | A Dublin businessman, William Martin Murphy, fired forty workers he suspected of belonging to the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (ITGWU). |
| 26 August | Dublin Lockout: The ITGWU went on strike. | |
| 1914 | 18 January | Dublin Lockout: The Trades Union Congress (TUC) rejected a call by the ITGWU to go on strike in their support. The strikers quit the union and returned to work. |
| 1916 | 24 April | Easter Rising: The Irish Republican Brotherhood led an action which seized key government buildings in Dublin, and issued the Proclamation of the Irish Republic. |
| 29 April | Easter Rising: The leader of the uprising ordered his followers to surrender. | |
| 1918 | 18 April | Acting on a resolution of Dublin Corporation, the Lord Mayor convenes a conference at the Mansion House to devise plans to resist conscription |
| 14 December | A general election returns a majority for Sinn Féin | |
| 1919 | 21 January | The First Dáil of the Irish Republic meets and issues a Declaration of Independence from the UK |
| 21 January | Irish War of Independence: Volunteers of the Army of the Irish Republic kill two members of the Royal Irish Constabulary in what is considered to be the first act of the War of Independence. | |
| 1921 | 6 December | Irish War of Independence: The War of Independence ends when negotiations between the British government and representatives of the de facto Irish Republic conclude with the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the creation of the Irish Free State |
| 1922 | 28 June | Irish Civil War: Bombardment by Michael Collins of Anti-Treaty forces occupying the Four Courts marks the start of the Irish Civil War |
| 1923 | 24 May | Irish Civil War: IRA Chief of Staff Frank Aiken orders volunteers to dump arms - effectively ending the Civil War. |
| 1937 | 29 December | The Constitution of Ireland comes into force replacing the Irish Free State with a new state called "'Éire', or, in the English language, 'Ireland'" |
| 1948 | 21 December | The Republic of Ireland Act is signed by the President of Ireland abolishing the remaining roles of the British monarch in the government of the Irish state. |
| 1973 | 1 January | Ireland joins the European Community along with Britain and Denmark. |
| 1990 | 3 December | Mary Robinson becomes the first female President of Ireland |
21st century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 7 June | The twenty-first, twenty-third and twenty-sixth Amendments to the Constitution of Ireland, which provided for a universal ban on the death penalty, Ireland's recognition of the International Criminal Court and its ratification of the Treaty of Nice, respectively, were all approved by referendum. |
| 2008 | 6 May | After leading a Fianna Fáil government for nearly 11 years, the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern retires - while under pressure due to corruption allegations. |
| 2009 | 2 October | The ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon is enabled through the passing of a second referendum on the subject. |
References
- ^ p8, Richard Bradley The prehistory of Britain and Ireland, Cambridge University Press, 2007, ISBN 0521848113
- ^ O'Brian, William (2005). Ross Island: Mining, Metal and Society in Early Ireland. Oxbow books. ISBN 9780953562039.
- ^ WesleyJohnston.com - Celtic Ireland in the Iron Age
- ^ A New History of Ireland VIII: A Chronology of Irish History to 1976 - A Companion to Irish History Part I, edited by T.W. Moody, F.X. Martin and F.J. Byrne, 1982. ISBN 0-19-821744-7
- ^ The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland. Foster, RF. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 1989.
- ^ Annals of Ulster and Annals of the Four Masters: "Palladius, having been consecrated by Celestine, bishop of the city of Rome, is sent to Ireland [...] in the eighth year of Theodosius."
- ^ The Annals of Ulster, Year U432: Patrick arrived in Ireland in the ninth year of the reign of Theodosius the Less and in the first year of the episcopate of Xistus, 42nd bishop of the Roman Church. So Bede, Maxcellinus and Isidore compute in their chronicles. [1]
- ^ R. B. Stothers - "Mystery cloud of AD 536" in Nature 307, 344 - 345 (26 January 1984); doi:10.1038/307344a0
- ^ Annals of Ulster: U536.3 Failure of bread. [2]
- ^ a b The Concise History of Ireland. Duffy, S. Gill & Macmillan, Dublin. 2005
- ^ http://www.ucc.ie/celt/General%20Vikings%20in%20Ireland.pdf
- ^ Donnchadh Ó Corráin 'Ireland Before the Normans' Gill and MacMillan (1980)
- ^ Text reads: This is the agreement which was made at Windsor in the octaves of Michaelmas [October 6] in the year of Our Lord 1175[3]
- ^ Moody, TW & Martin, FX (eds) (1967). The Course of Irish History. Cork, Ireland: The Mercier Press. p. 370.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
