Irish History Timeline

Ulster Rebellion

1641. Irish rebel against English rule. English think Catholics massacre protestants

Massacre of Drogheda

1649. Oliver Cromwell took army to Ireland wanting to stop Irish rebellions

• massacred Catholics as revenge for Ulster

• Cromwell gives Irish land to English protestants

• Establishes anti-Catholic laws (takes away political laws)

James II, Catholic King of English & William of Orange 

1685. British invite William of Orange to rule England/Scotland. William arrives in English w/ army and James II flees to Ireland, organizes army to fight William and regain throne. 

• Protestants supported William of Orange 

Battle of the Boyne

1690. William of Orange’s Army defeats James II at battle on river Boyne in Northeast Ireland. 

• William’s army had many Ulster Protestants “Orangemen” 

• Commemorated every July 12, Orangemen march through Ulster 

Penal Laws

1695-1728. Laws passed against Catholics in Ireland

• preventing weapons, buying land, army service, legal/political service, voting, education

ANCHOR: Protestant own 90% of the land

1703. thousands of Catholics have been transported/resettled, much land has been seized by English Protestants. 

• Catholics had to pay rent to English nobles

1800’s Unrest in Ireland

Following the Act of Union, several revolts against poor and homeless in Ireland. English landlords evicted tenant farmers to earn more money in grazing land

Act of Union

1801. Abolished Irish Parliament and united Ireland to Great Britain = United Kingdom 

The Potato Famine

1845-1848. Potato blight, other staples exported, English refuse to help fearing Irish purchasing weapons. 1.5 Million starved to death, many emigrated to America/Canada

Sinn Féin formed

1905. Political party (“we ourselves”) formed. Aimed to free Ireland from British rule + gain independence

New Plans for Home Rule with Partition

1912-1920. Ulster Protestants would not accept Home Rule so British offered Home Rule w/ partition: Home Rule in South w/ North part of UK. 

Home Rule Bill Passed

1912. Approved Ireland should be ruled by Irish parliament separate from British

Ulster Volunteer Force formed

1913. Protestants in Ulster resist attempts to introduce Home Rule in Ireland

Irish Volunteers Formed

1913. Catholics formed counter UVF group to support Home Rule. Many Catholics showed support by joining British Army in WW1. 

The Easter Rising and Foundation of IRA

April 24, 1916. 1000 rebels took advantage of Britain’s losing German war to proclaim Irish Republic. Lead by Patrick Pearse and James Connolly, seized Dublins Post Office on Easter. British came into Dublin+water and fighting laster 5 days. 400 deaths+2500 injuries, rebels forced to surrender. They became known as the IRA

Easter Rising Rebels Executed

May 1916. 70 rebels sentenced to death. 15 executed, others imprisoned like Michael Collins

Partition (Government of Ireland Act)

1920. Introduced partition to Ireland. Two parliaments to serve northern and southern counties (based in Belfast and Dublin). Dublin = Irish Free state w/ some independence = Provisional Government. 6 Northern counties = part of UK w/ own parliament, the Stormont. 

• Unionist want to be in UK, support partition, Republicans want free Ireland, do not

Irish Free State Treaty 

1921. Treaty between Britain and Ireland legalizing Partition. Violence escalates as Catholics oppose partition. 

Civil War

1922. British forces begin to leave Ireland, handing over stations to the Irish Volunteers. Only some volunteers supported Partition. Supporters = Free State Soldiers, Anti = Irregulars. 

• Tensions escalated into violence for a year. Hundreds dead including Michael Collins, leader of Free State soldiers. Provisional Government imprisoned 1100 rebels 

Creation of The Republic of Ireland 

December 21, 1948. Northern Ireland Government was dominated by the Unionist party, as part of the UK anti-Catholic laws were still in force

Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) formed

1967. Formed in Belfast, organized a civil rights campaign. Based on US civil rights movement 

Civil Rights Protests

1968. Protests took place despite being banned because Minister of Home Affairs William Craig said it was a front for the IRA. 

• The Royal Ulster Constabulary was sent in to break up the mark, leaving Catholics fearful 

Tensions between Catholics and Protestants

1969. Catholic demands still not met, marches (Orangemen and siege of Derry) commemorating Unionist cause cause tension

Battle of Bogside

August 12, 1969. The Apprentice Boys marched past Catholic Bogside and groups clashed, w/ intervention of RUC. Police were stoned and petrol bombed.

• Northern Ireland Government requested that British troops be deployed to quell riots on 15th. Barricades put up, no one had access to Catholic area and British troops allowed these to stand

IRA split

1969. Splits into two wings: Marxist-oriented Official IRA and hard-lined Provisionals 

Internment Introduced

1969. Civil rights movement continued protesting, IRA continues attacking British troops

• 9th August 1971, 350 IRA members arrested and interned

• Protests followed leaving 17 dead including civilians 

Bloody Sunday

January 30, 1972. March organized by NICRA against internment took place in Derry. IRA promised to stay away. British put up barricades to prevent marches from entering city square.

• Marchers confronted soldiers manning the barricade, British opened fire, killing 14 and injuring 13.

Direct Rule Imposed

1972. After Bloody Sunday, there was a rise in support for the Provisional IRA. British embassy in Dublin was burnt. 

• In March, the Northern Ireland government was suspended, Northern Ireland must be directly ruled from Westminster

• They ordered no-go area’s (Catholics) dismantled which the IRA responded with violence 

Prevention of Terrorism Act

1974. IRA launches bombing campaign targeting public areas both in Ireland and British mainland, killing and injuring civilians.

• Government responded w/ Act that allowed suspects to be detained w/o charge for up to 7 days

Hunger Strikes

1980-1989. British had previously removed special prisoner status for political prisoners. Prisoners campaigned by refusing to wear prison clothes, wearing blanket, and ‘dirty protest’, not cleaning cells.

• When these failed prisoners went on hunger strikes. First Bobby Sands. He and 9 others died, considered martyrs. Support for Provisional IRA increase

Anglo-Irish Agreement

1985. Leaders of both met to discuss. Agreement gave Dublin some control over Northern Ireland affairs.

• Unionists outraged so agreement never fully implemented

Downing Street Declaration

1993. Issued following talks between the British Prime Minister and the Irish leader. 

• People of Northern Ireland should be free to decide their own future and representatives of various groups should meet to discuss a solution.

• Sinn Féin was offered a seat provided that IRA violence was ended. As a result, the IRA declared a ceasefire in August 1994, and was followed a month later by a ceasefire declaration from Loyalist groups.

Peace Talks

1996. Peace talks began chaired by US Senator George Mitchell. He proposed disarmament, leading to stall of talks. IRA broke ceasefire and violence resumed

Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement

April 10, 1998. In 1997, the British government proposed a resumption of peace talks.

• Sinn Féin invited on the condition of a six-week ceasefire had been observed.

• July 1997, the IRA announced the ceasefire.

• Settlement is reached on Good Friday 1998. Ireland shall not be one united country without the consent of a majority in Northern Ireland; The people of Northern Ireland have the right to call themselves either Irish or British; A multi-party assembly will be elected to govern the community. A north/south council will be set up to consider areas of mutual interest.

• All people shall have basic human rights, civil rights and equality Linguistic diversity to be recognised – Irish to be taught in all schools;

• Paramilitary groups to be decommissioned

• A gradual reduction in the number of security forces deployed in Northern Ireland

• Work towards an unarmed police force Political prisoners to be released providing the ceasefire.

• majority of Irish supported the Good Friday Agreement.