Harp Ireland Travel - A Brief History of Ireland

A Brief History of Ireland

The first people to come to Ireland came from Scotland around 8000 BC. This was one of the last areas settled in Europe. These Mesolithic people were hunter/gatherers and settled on the shores of lakes, rivers and seas and thrived for several thousand years.
The second wave of settlers came around 4,000 BC from Britain. The Neolithic (New Stone Age) people were farmers who introduced crops, cattle, sheep and goats to Ireland. They cut trees to clear land for farming and made tools from stone and, eventually, bronze. They also constructed many large tombs; one of the most famous examples being New Grange, a structure that pre-dates the pyramids.

One of the early races to settle in Ireland was the Firbolgs, a short, dark race of men. It may have been this race of people upon which the Leprechaun legend is based.

Tuatha de Danaan (People of the God Danu or Dana) came to Ireland from Greece by way of Denmark. It is thought that they were masters of the arts and sciences, both magical and ordinary and had become highly skilled in poetry, music, art and weapons. When the Tuatha de Danaan arrived in Ireland, the Firbolgs dominated the island. The skilled and powerful Tuatha de Danaan quickly defeated the Firbolgs

The Tuatha de Danaan ruled Ireland for many years. However, around 350 BC, the Milesians, who originated in Central Europe and later expanded to France and Northern Spain, conquered the Tuatha de Danann. The Milesians, also known as the Gaels, were a branch of the Celts – a race of people that had flourished for hundreds of years throughout Europe.

As a people, the Celts had a well-organized social system that was harmonious with nature. They were fierce warriors who lived in small tribal units. They shared a common language and culture that included several social classes such as Brehons - lawmakers, Fili - poets and scholars, and Druids - priests.

The first recorded missionary to Ireland was Palladius. However, the most famous missionary to Ireland was St. Patrick.

St. Patrick arrived in Ireland around 430 AD. Prior to St. Patrick, the Irish elite were well educated, but their literature was almost entirely oral. St. Patrick succeeded in converting most of Ireland to Christianity. Over time, monasteries were setup and quickly became centers of learning that produced many works of art, literature, manuscript illumination, metalworking, and sculpture.

This age of culture was brought largely to an end, however, with the invasion of the Vikings in the late 790’s. The Vikings raided and plundered monasteries and towns on and off for 200 years. Much of the works produced by monks at the monasteries were looted and burned.

The Vikings soon established permanent settlements and trading towns including Weisfjord (Wexford), Vadrefjord [Waterford], Cork and Dublin. Eventually, they were defeated by the Irish king, Brian Boru.

In 1154 the Pope gave King Henry II of England permission to invade Ireland and bring the Irish church into line. Henry did not act on this until many years later.

By 1169, the the Normans (English) invasions started in Co. Wexford. Strongbow, English Earl of Pembroke led some of the expeditions and overwhelmed the local Irish. Strongbow became King of Leinster in 1171. In 1199, Ireland became an English Kingdom due to a Papal decree. Ireland was now subject to all English laws.

In 1541 the king of England, Henry VIII, made himself King of Ireland. The Irish Chieftains seem to recognize this but when Henry VIII also declared himself head of the Church of England, the Irish began to revolt.

In 1609, the English confiscated 3,000,000 acres of land in Ulster (about 30% of all of Ireland) as punishment for the supporters of Irish rebel leaders. This land was given to Protestant settlers.

In the late 1600’s, penal laws were introduced and strictly enforced. No Irish person could learn a trade, own property or a horse worth more than 10 pounds.

In 1829, Daniel O'Connell won Catholic emancipation by the power of non-violent speech. In 1849, the Young Ireland Movement led a failed insurrection and their leaders were sent to Australia. The Irish Potato Famine, began in the 1840's and caused the death of one million Irish and the emigration of another two million within 10 years.

On Easter Monday 1916, some Irish rebels occupied the Dublin General Post Office and fighting broke out with the English forces throughout Dublin. Irish public opinion was not with the Rebels. However, when the English crushed the outbreak by executing the rebel leaders, the Irish were brought together more so than they had been in the previous 350 years. A treaty granting Home Rule was finally negotiated after 1918 but at the price of partitioning Ireland's six counties in a portion of Ulster.

1949 Ireland became a republic.

1973 Ireland joined the European Union; there is more money to improve the economy of Ireland.