600-150 B.C. - Celtic tribes settled on the island
100 BC Arrival of the Gaels
432 AD - Arrival of St. Patrick to help convert pagan Irish Gaelic Kings to Christianity
800 Ireland attacked by Viking Norsemen
920 Vikings established settlements at Limerick
940 Brian Boru was born who was the son of a leader of one of the royal free tribes of Munster
Brian Boru defeated Vikings in 999
1167 Arrival of Normans at Baginbun in Co. Wexford which initiated the struggle between the English and the Irish
Reign of Rory O'Connor who was the last native High King of Ireland (1166-1175)
The Statutes of Kilkenny of 1388 forbade Irish/English marriages and prevented the English to use Irish language, custom or laws
1500's - Anarchy in Ireland and the failed Kildare Rebellion
Ireland were ruled by the senior nobles and monarchy of England
1603 Accession of James 1 and the enforcement of English Law in Ireland
1641 Great Catholic-Gaelic rebellion for return of lands
1649 The Protestant Lord Protector of England, Oliver Cromwell, landed at Dublin. His troops killed 2,000 men and great part of Irish lands were confiscated and divided among the English
Ireland's population was reduced by two thirds during Cromwell's rule when the Irish were sent as slaves to work on plantations in the islands in the Caribbean
The English monarchy is restored in 1660 with the accession of King Charles II
1689 Siege and relief of Derry - King James II's Parliament restores all lands confiscated since 1641
1690 William of Orange (William III) lands at Carrickfergus and defeats James II at Battle of the Boyne
In 1695 Anti-Catholic Penal Laws were introduced
By the early 1700's Catholics hold just 7% of land in Ireland
Irish Revolution, the 'Young Ireland' rebellion, of 1798 failed
1845-49 The Irish Potato Famine. Many Irish emigrate to America. Irish population drops from 8 million to 6 million due to death from starvation or emigration
1914 - 1918 - First World War
1916 Easter Rising in Dublin
Irish War of Independence against Great Britain - 1919-21 ending in the Anglo Irish Treaty
In the Government of Ireland Act 1920, Ireland was partitioned, with the unionist-dominated north east becoming Northern Ireland
1922 - 1923 - Irish Civil War between the Free State army and IRA
1926 De Valera founds Fianna Fail
1937 The Constitution of "Eire"
1939 - 1945 - The Second World War
1939 - 1945 WW11
August 1945 The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
1949 Republic of Ireland declared
1951-62 IRA campaign in Northern Ireland
1969 - British troops sent to Derry
1971 - Unionist government of NI introduces internment without trial for suspected Republicans
1994 IRA declares cease-fire
1998 Initial peace-plan, the Good Friday Agreement, accepted by all parties
Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups