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LINGUA E Crumlin College (IRL) and KTA Brugge (BEL)

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Ireland The Beginning During the stone age and bronze age Ireland was inhabited by Picts in the north and a people called the Erainn in the south. During the fourth century tall red haired Celts arrived from Gaul or Galicia and soon established a Gaelic civilization. Ireland was divided into five kingdoms by the begining of the Christian Era. Each kingdom Ulster, Leinster, Munster, Connacht and Meath all had their own Kings and Queens. By the year 432 St. Patrick introduced Christianity which developed the process of Latin and Gaelic education. In 1014 one of the Kings in Ireland Brian Boru united the Irish Kingdoms and defeated the Vikings in the battle of Clontarf. Brian Boru the high King of Ireland was killed in the battle. In the 12th century the Pope gave Ireland to the English Crown as a Papal fief. 1171, Henry 11 of England became "Lord Of Ireland" In 1798 saw the Irish Rebellion. The Irish Nationalists rose against the English from Revolutionary France but the Rebellion was defeated. In 1846 the potato famine struck Ireland taking many lives, over 2 million people emigrated to North America. Irish Population droped from 8.5 million to just under 5 million. In the 19th century the Irish fought for Home Rule(Irish wanted their own Government). But soon after World War 1 broke out. The Irish broke into two factions, one faction was Parnell's followers of the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood) which was founded by the Fenian Movement and the other half went with the English in hope that if they helped the English in the War they would receive Home Rule.This didn't happen. Shortly after the 1916 Irish Easter Rebellion was planned by the IRB. In 1921 the first ever Dail took place in Leinster House. Here the Irish leaders talked about the easist way to over throw the British rule. But soon it was closed when the british found out about it. In December 6 1922 after extremely long negotiaions between the British the Irish Treaty was signed in England. Among the members of the Irish deligates was Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith. The President of Ireland Eamon De Valera was not present himself but told the Irish delegetes that he wanted the whole 32 counties or no deal. But when the paper was signed the treaty claimed that Ireland was to keep 26 of the southern counties and the remaining 6 counties would remain under British Rule. By 1932 the new taoiseach of Ireland W.E. Costello signed the new Constitution of Ireland. 1937 Eammon De Valera was elected the new Taoiseach under the Finnia Fail Party. He changed Costello's Constitution of Ireland. The Constitution Included: Ireland was now known as Eire Ireland became a neutral country. During World War 2 Eamonn De Valera introduced ration books Ireland stopped importing and exporting products to both the English and Germans, whilst the English stopped selling their products to the Irish for the duration of the war. Also 1937 the first ever President of Ireland was elected Douglas Hyde. in 1958- 1963 under the First Programme for Economic Expansion the economic protection act was dismantled. Foreign investment was incouraged. With that Ireland had the chance to become a technologically advanced country. 1973 Ireland joined the European Economic Community (European Community). In 1990 Mary Robinson was elected the republics first ever woman President. This showed how much Ieish society was rapidly changing. In 1996 the next Presedential Election Mary MacAlise run the race to the pole. By April 1998 the Good Friday Accord came about. The Accord called for both Protestants and Catholiocs to share power of the North. It also gave The Republic Of Ireland a voice in the Northern Irish affairs. The Accord was demonstrated in a dual referendum on May 22. The North approved the accord by a vote of 71% to 29% and the Republic Of Ireland favered it by 94% A Brief History Ireland consists of 32 Counties. Six of these counties are known as Northern Ireland and are governed by the United Kingdom. For hundreds of years there has been many conflicts between the nationalist and loyalist groups over these northern counties. The northern counties have a population of both catholic and protestant therefore the whole country is divided on separate issues, the Catholic Community wish to belong under Irish rule whilst the Protestants wish to remain under British rule.