Ireland was one of the last lands in Europe to be inhabited by humans. The first mankind came to Ireland via Britain, in search of flint as well as food, sometime between 8000 BC and 6000BC. When they found both they stayed and became the first settlers of Ireland.
Around 300 BC, the warriors from Eastern Europe, known as the Celts inhabited Ireland. Their language and culture was so integrated with the Irish people that it is still evident in Ireland today. The Roman Empire never extended to Ireland and thus Ireland was not part of the Great Roman Empire when the dark ages fell upon Europe. While most other countries were in decline during the Dark Ages, Ireland became quite civilized and adopted Christianity between the 3rd and 5th centuries.
After years of plundering, during the 9th century the Vikings settled in Ireland, founding Dublin. It was an Irish King, with the goal of becoming King of all Ireland that asked for English help and allowed Ireland to be invaded. As a result, Dublin and Wexford were taken by the English and the Normans in 1169. The pope, being British himself, declared Henry II of England, as the Lord of Ireland. Anglo-Norman lords also set up bases in Ireland that were not controlled by England.
After Ulster became leaderless, the English took power and prepared the land for English colonization. The old English Catholics and the native Irish were not happy with the newcomers and thus supported the royalists in the English civil war. As a punishment Oliver Cromwell left Ireland with death and destruction that will never be forgotten.
In 1695 the Irish people were forced to obey laws put into effect by the English, known as the Property code. These laws forbade any Catholics from raising their children Catholic and from owning any land. Even though Irish music, Irish education and Irish culture as a whole was banned, it was kept alive through outdoor masses and schools. The disorder at the end of the 18th century worried the Protestant landowners, so they traded their land to the British for protection and security. The 1800 Act of Union united Ireland and Britain politically and the Great Famine from 1845 to 1851 stopped the resistance for a while. The Irish were so dependant on the Potato as the main staple in their diet, that when the crop failed it led to mass starvation and emigration.
Momentum was added to the fight for Irish Independence due to the gory aftermath of the Dublin Easter Rising in 1916. Ireland was declared Independent after the Irish Republicans won a large majority of Irish seats and created the first Irish Assembly. This demand for independence started the Anglo Irish war which ended with the Irish Treaty of 1921. The treaty granted independence to 26 of the 32 Irish Colonies. The remaining 6 Northern colonies choose to stay with the UK. In 1948 the southern 26 states became a Republic and left the Commonwealth of Britain in 1949.
Today Ireland''s infrastructure has been revamped from an agricultural economy to a
Postindustrial economy. Joining the EU and the large telecommunication and computer firms that have made Ireland home, have brought many jobs and thus have spurred the economy to new heights.
