Timeline of Ireland History

1170
 May1, 1170 Normans under leadership of Earl of Pembroke ( Strongbow ) attacked County Wexford. 

1171
Strongbow named himself King of Leinster.

1366
Statutes of Kilkenny introduced to stop English born in Ireland from accepting Gaelic way of life.

1507
Henry VIII became King of England.

1534
Rebellion by Earls of Kildare.

1558
Elizabeth I became Queen of England.

1562 
Elizabethan wars in Ireland.

1583
Munster rebellion against English military governors.

1588
Spanish Armada, some Spanish ships wrecked on Irish coasts.

1595
Hugh O'Neill, the Earl of Tyrone, rebelled to preserve the Gaelic way of life.

1598
Hugh O'Neill's victory at the Battle of Yellow Ford.

1601
Hugh O'Neill and Hugh O'Donnell, together with Spanish soldiers, were defeated by English General Mountjoy at the Battle of Kinsale.

1603
James I ascended the throne of England after death of Elizabeth I.
Hugh O'Neill surrendered and English conquest of Ireland completed. 

Thereafter, Brehon ( Gaelic ) Laws were outlawed by the Crown and English law was enforced throughout Ireland.

1606
Scottish settlers first came to Ards peninsula area of Ulster.

1607
Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and Rory, son of Hugh O'Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell, left Ireland into exile rather than submit to English rule ('The Flight of the Earls').

1608 

Plantation of confiscated Irish lands in Ulster began. Plantations were planned and carried out in a number of areas of the region including Derry.

1641
Only 59 per cent of land in Ireland was held by Catholics. Catholic-Gaelic Rebellion in an attempt to regain confiscated lands. English Civil War began.

1649
Cromwell's army attacked Ireland and slaughtered the Irish citizens, men, women and children, at Drogheda, Wexford, and other Irish cities.

1650
Landowners Catholic and Protestant were exiled to Connaught ("to Hell or Connaught!"). Anyone Irish caught east of the Shannon River could be killed by Cromwell. 

1660
Charles II ascended the throne of England.

1685
James II ascended the throne of England.

1688
Approximately 22 per cent of land was held by Catholics.
James II, a Catholic, was deposed as King in England.

7 December 1688 The gates of the city walls in Derry were shut against the troops of James II, so beginning the Siege of Derry.

1689
28 July 1689 The Siege of Derry ended.
James II landed in Ireland with French support.

1690
William III (William of Orange), an English general, arrived at Carrickfergus.
July 1690 William III defeated James II and the Irish at the Battle of the Boyne.

1691
Catholic forces were defeated at the Battle of Aughrim. Limerick surrendered.

1695
The first of the 'Penal Laws' were enacted against Catholics in Ireland. The last of the 'Penal Laws', enforced to deprive Catholic rights for 134 years and finally overturned in 1829.

1698
William Molyneux wrote a brief arguing against the right of England to make laws for Ireland.

1714
Approximately 7 per cent of land in Ireland was held by Catholics.

1775
Henry Grattan became leader of the 'Patriot' party.

1782
England occupied by war in America, The Irish Parliament won legislative independence from the British Parliament.

1791
The Society of the United Irishmen established.

1793
Irish Parliament granted new powers. Relief Act of 1793.

1795
21 September 1795 Formation of the Loyal Orange Institution (Orange Order) in County Armagh.

1796
12 July 1796 First parade held to commemorate the Battle of the Boyne. A French fleet of 35 ships with Wolfe Tone on board tried to land at Bantry Bay but turned back by bad weather.

1798
The Rebellion of 1798 led by Woolfe Tone.
March 1798 Arrest of members of the Leinster United Irishmen.
May 1798 Arrest and death of Lord Edward Fitzgerald. Rebellion in Midlands.
June 1798 Rebellion in Wexford. Defeat of the United Irishmen at the Battle of Vinegar Hill.
November 1798 Death of Wolfe Tone.

1800
The Act of Union passed; to take effect from 1 January 1801.

1803
Rising in Dublin led by Patriot Robert Emmet, who was arrested, tried, and murdered by the British.
Robert Emmet wrote the famous speech, "Let no man write my epitaph".

1813
"Battle of Garvagh" between Catholic 'Ribbonmen' and Orangemen.

1814
Apprentice Boys of Derry formed.

1823
Daniel O'Connell's Catholic Association, which campaigned for Catholic emancipation, was formed.

1825
The Unlawful Societies Act was passed which proscribed the Catholic Association and the Orange Order.

1829
Catholic Emancipation Act passed at Westminster.

July 1829 Fierce riots in Belfast followed the banning of the 12 July parades. Rioting spread to County Armagh and County Tyrone and resulted in at least 20 deaths.

1832 - 1844
Party Procession Acts enforced to control public demonstrations.

1837
Victoria acceded to the throne.

1842
The Nation newspaper was founded by Thomas Davis and others.

1843
Daniel O'Connell organized a number of 'Monster Meetings' in a campaign to have the Act of Union repealed.

1845 - 1849
The Great Famine in Ireland. The first cases of blight in the potato crop occurred in Ireland leading to famine.

1846
Repeal of Corn Laws.
April 1846 Sale of imported Indian corn began.
August 1846 Public works began to try to relieve poverty, but were stopped in anticipation of the new harvest.
Total failure of potato crop.
Public works programmed restarted.
October 1846 First deaths from starvation.

1848
Government soup kitchens were set up to distribute free rations to the most needy.
Fever began spreading throughout Ireland.
The potato harvest was very poor.
Soup kitchens were closed.
Responsibility for relief of hunger and destitution was placed on local rates.
The Irish were left to the operation of natural forces and mercy of the free market.
Failed Nationalist Uprising at Ballingarry, County Tipperary. Smith O'Brien, the Young Ireland leader, was arrested. James Stephens fled to France.

1848 - 1849
Worst years of the famine.

1849
12 July 1849 "Battle of Dolly's Brae" when at least 30 Catholics were killed in clashes between 'Ribbonmen' and Orangemen (Government report entitled Battle of Magheramayo).

1850 - 1872
Party Procession Acts again enforced.

1856
James Stephens returned to Ireland.

1857
July 1857 Ten days of serious rioting in Belfast following clashes surrounding the Orange Order parades on 12 July.

1858
James Stephens formed organization that was to become the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB).

1861 - 1865
American Civil War.

1863
The Irish People newspaper founded.

1864
Rioting in Belfast over the O'Connell monument in Dublin.

1865
James Stephens arrested but later escapes from jail.

1866
Kelly, an American Civil War veteran traveled to Ireland and took charge of preparations for a Fenian rising.

1867
February 1867 Abortive raid on Chester Castle.
March 1867 Failed Fenian Uprising.
12 July 1867 Orangemen march in County Down in defiance of a ban on parades.
September 1867 Kelly rescued from a police carriage in Manchester.
November 1867 Allen, Larkin and O'Brien executed.
December 1867 Explosion at Clerkenwell.

1868
Gladstone became Prime Minister.
Protestant Church was disestablished in Ireland.

1870
Gladstone's first Land Act.

1872
Rioting in Belfast following Catholic Lady Day march.

1875
Charles Stewart Parnell elected as Member of Parliament for County Meath.

1879
Irish National Land League founded following initiative by Michael Davitt.

1879 - 1882
Land War in Ireland.

1880
Captain Boycott and evictions.
Charles Stewart Parnell started love affair with Mrs. O'Shea.

1881
Gladstone's second Land Act. Irish Coercion Bill and obstructionism.
Charles Stewart Parnell imprisoned in Kilmainham Jail.

1882
'Kilmainham Treaty' and Charles Stewart Parnell's release from Jail.
Phoenix Park murder.

1885
Ashbourne Land Act. Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union established.

1886
June 1886 First Home Rule Bill was defeated. Eight Catholics died in rioting which followed Protestant celebrations.
July 1886 Further rioting in the north of Ireland followed Orange Order parades. Official death toll reached 31 by the middle of September.
Ulster Loyal Anti-Repeal Union established.

1890
Charles Stewart Parnell's affair with Kitty O'Shea became public.
November 1890 Charles Stewart Parnell Divorce case heard.
December 1890 Charles Stewart Parnell was deposed as leader of the Irish party.

1891
Charles Stewart Parnell lost three bye-elections.
October 1891 Charles Stewart Parnell died.

1893
Second Home Rule Bill.
Gaelic League established.

1899
The United Irishman newspaper founded by Arthur Griffith.

1903
Land Purchase Act (Wyndham Act).
Formation of the Independent Orange Institution.

1905
Sinn Féin founded under Arthur Griffith.

1906
Liberal Government returned in Britain.

1909
Land Purchase Act.

1910
Two General Elections in which Irish Party held balance of power.
Edward Carson became leader of Ulster Unionist Council.

1911
Parliament Act removed veto from House of Lords.
Formation of the Royal Arch Purple.

1912
Third Home Rule Bill.
Ulster Solemn League and Covenant signed by 447,000 (?).

1913
January 1913 Ulster Volunteer Force formed and began drilling.
November 1913 Irish Citizen Army and Irish National Volunteers formed.

1914
March 1914 Curragh 'mutiny'.
April 1914 Guns were landed at Larne for Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).
July 1914 Guns were landed at Howth for Irish Volunteers.
August 1914 Outbreak of World War I.
September 1914 Home Rule Act on Statute Book.

Irish Republican Brotherhood decided on Rising.

1916
April 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin, which began on Easter Monday (24 April 1916), lasted for a week before being put down. Proclamation of the Irish Republic: Poblacht na hÉireann
3-12 May 1916 Executions of leaders of Easter Rising.
July 1916 Battle of the Somme. The 36th (Ulster Division) lost 5,500 men in the first two days of July.
December 1916 First rebel prisoners released.

1917
July 1917 All rebel prisoners were released.
Eamon De Valera won East Clare election.

1918
Military Service Bill.
November 1918 End of World War I.
December 1918 Sinn Féin (SF) won a majority of seats in the General Election.

1919
January 1919 First Dail Eireann met in Dublin.

1919 - 1921
Anglo-Irish War (or the War of Independence).

1920
March 1920 Black and Tan members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) arrived from England.
November 1920 Kevin Barry hanged (first of a series of 24 executions that ended in June 1921). 'Bloody Sunday'.
December 1920 Burning of Cork by RIC Auxiliaries.
Government of Ireland Act 1920

1921
May 1921 Irish Republican Army (IRA) burn Dublin Custom House.
7 June 1921 George V opened the first Northern Ireland Parliament. James Craig became Northern Ireland's first Prime Minister.
July 1921 There were serious riots across Northern Ireland. On 12 July 23 people were killed and over 200 Catholic homes destroyed.
6 December 1921 The Treaty of Peace between Great Britain and Ireland ('The Treaty') signed at Downing Street, London.
The Lynn Committee on education established.

1922
Widespread violence in Northern Ireland with approximately 232 people killed and roughly 1,000 injured.
7 January 1922 The Dáil voted by 64 votes to 57 to accept 'The Treaty'.
April 1922 Four Courts occupied by anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army (IRA).
June 1922 General election in Ireland won by those in favor of 'The Treaty'. Four Courts attacked by Free State Army.
Beginning of the Civil War in Ireland between those for and against 'The Treaty'.
August 1922 Michael Collins killed. Death of Arthur Griffith.
November 1922 First of 77 executions, which ended in May 1923, carried out by the Free State.
6 December 1922 The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) came into being.
7 December 1922 The six counties of Northern Ireland opted out of the Free State.
Special Powers Act was introduced in Northern Ireland.

1923
May 1923 The Irish Civil War ended.

1925
Boundary Commission report was shelved and no changes were made to the existing Northern Ireland border.

1926
Eamon de Valera founded Fianna Fáil.

1927
General Election in Free State.
Eamon de Valera entered the Dáil for the first time.

1931
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) was declared illegal in the Irish Free State.
Ulster Protestant League (UPL) established.

1932
Northern Ireland Government moved to new buildings at Stormont.
There was rioting in Belfast brought about by resentment over the hardships caused by the depression.
General Election in the Free State. Eamon de Valera formed first Fianna Fáil government in the Dáil. Irish Republican Army (IRA) prisoners released.

1932-1938
Introduction of protectionist policies led to an economic war between the Irish Free State and Britain. This economic war ended in 1938.