Stone Age to Bronze Age
What is known of pre-Christian Ireland comes from references in Roman writings, Irish poetry, myth, and archaeology. While some possible Paleolithic tools have been found, none of the … See more

The middle centuries of the first millennium CE marked great changes in Ireland. Politically, what appears to have been a prehistoric emphasis … See more

The first recorded Viking raid in Irish history occurred in 795 CE when Vikings from Norway looted the island. Early Viking raids were … See more

Arrival of the Normans
By the 12th century, Ireland was divided politically into shifting petty kingdoms and over-kingdoms. … See more

The majority of the people of Ireland were Catholic peasants; they were very poor and largely inert politically during the eighteenth century, … See more

The Iron Age in Ireland began about 600 BCE. The period between the start of the Iron Age and the historic period (CE 431) saw the gradual infiltration of small groups of Celtic-speaking people into Ireland, with items of the continental Celtic La Tene style See more

Conquest and rebellion
From 1536, Henry VIII of England decided to reconquer Ireland and bring it under crown control. The … See more