Northern Ireland history

1690

The Battle of Boyne

William of Orange crushed the catholic population and started to encourage British settlement on the Irish mainland. This Protestant victory is still celebrated every year by the “Orange men”

1801

The Act of Union

The Irish parliament was abolished, and the two kingdoms of Ireland and Britain were united. This marked the birth of the United Kingdom.

1840s

The Potato Famine

Around one eighth of the Irish population died out of starvation and many Irish inhabitants started emigrating to the United States, which nearly emptied the Irish mainland of its native population.

1916

The Easter Rising

A civil war broke out in Ireland, opposing the British troops to the Irish “home rulers”, who proclaimed a Provisional Republic Government. Many people were killed.

1921

Partition

Southern Ireland became an independent republic with a Catholic majority. Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom and was governed by a Protestant government called Stormont

30^th January 1972

Bloody Sunday 

Thirteen Catholic civilians were killed by the British troops in Londonderry during a Republican demonstration.

Late 70s-Early 80s

Internment without trial

Several IRA prisoners went on hunger strike in a London jail to protest against harsh and unfair treatment. Bobby Sand, the first IRA leader to die in prison, became martyr to the Irish cause.

1998

Good Friday Agreement

Hume, a Catholic, and Trimble, a Protestant, collectively got the Nobel Prize for peace as they endeavoured to put an end to the conflict.

August 2005

The IRA declared its total demilitarization, giving hope to the population from both sides.