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History of Ireland

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Many know of Ireland because of its troubled history. Much heartache and tragedy can be found within the lines of its antiquity. The most permanent elements of the history focus around a stanch commitment to Catholicism possessed by the majority of the Irish population. The beginning of this whole-hearted devotion to the religion can be traced back to the monastic orders of the fifth and sixth centuries.

Another contribution to Ireland’s turbulent history is the repeated volatility leading Anglo-Irish relations. The country of Ireland was never subjugated to the point that it fully adopted the culture of its larger neighbor. After the monastic age, a time-consuming fight erupted between Ireland and Vikings invaders who wanted to use the country as a spot to conduct trade with Europe. The Viking invaders constructed solidly fortified ports within the country, which helped initiate the development of some of Ireland’s primary cities, such as Dublin, Waterford, and Limerick.

The English became involved with the country of Ireland as a result of a war among the Irish tribal chiefs and the Vikings. Richard of Clare, Earl of Pembroke (nicknamed Strongbow), was summoned by a tribal chief to Ireland which ultimately opened the door for the invasion of the Normans. During the years of 1169-70, Strongbow subjugated nearly the whole country with simply a small group of mounted knights and archers. This led the way for a torrent of Norman families to travel across the Irish Sea and settle in the country, inhabiting its regions. These Norman families battled with the Irish tribal system while colonizing the land. Continual attempts were made from the 14th century and on, in order to bring stability to Ireland, however, these attempts were primarily unproductive. The restless and progressively more polarized political arena of Ireland embraced a novel and indignant change after the English Civil War, when the Irish stood up in support of the removed monarchy in 1649.

The infamous Oliver Cromwell commanded an army across the Irish Sea and brutally squashed the rebellion. The next few years were tumultuous for Catholics, as their land was confiscated and handed over to a new wave of Protestant immigrants. In 1801, the Act of Union was passed, which incorporated the whole island of Ireland, as well as England, Scotland and Wales, into what is today known as the United Kingdom. For the majority of this period, Ireland was under the rule of the United Kingdom Parliament in London. Unfortunately, the government did not evidence its concern in the well being of the Irish people. The nineteenth century was significantly hard for Ireland in terms of economic difficulties. In particular, the government failed to take sufficient action during the Great Famine of 1845-1846 in the country. The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries birthed numerous independence movements which fought against the government for Irish home rule until finally, in 1920, Home Rule was approved.

In 1922, after the War of Independence, the Irish Free State was established as twenty-six southern and western counties of Ireland broke away from the United Kingdom. These counties became, what is today referred to as the Republic of Ireland, as it was established as a republic in 1949. Six counties in the northeast of Ireland continued with the United Kingdom and ultimately became known as Northern Ireland. Today, Northern Ireland is an assorted collage of community rivalries. In some cities, individuals fly various flags in order to profess who their loyalty lies with.

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