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Irish History

“Ireland's history is a long and complex series of settlements and invasions.”

Approaching the subject of Irish history, this is the first sentence that comes to my mind. This sentence, of course, is cutting a long and complex story short.

But, to my mind, it does address much of the essence of what has been going on on this island for millennia, and of how Ireland's rich and colourful past has shaped the 21st century nation.

Ross Errilly Abbey in Headford, County Galway

Settlements of Ireland started in prehistoric times, and kept going from there. There was one wave after another. Look at the last 1000 years alone, there were invasions by the Vikings, the Normans, the Scots and the English. All have left their mark on this island, on language, landscape, culture and religion of Ireland.

‘Irishness’, the sense of Irish identity as we perceive it today has been shaped by all these foreign influences mingling with what was there before.

What makes Irish history so special is that the veil between us today and the many people and cultures that have influenced the Irish over the millennia, is very thin.

More so than any other country in Western Europe, Ireland is full of heritage sites of every era. Every county has its' own special places that are worth a visit and that will bring history to life.

In the last 800 years, Ireland was tied to England by varying degrees.

A lot of Irish history is very sad and traumatic, especially in the last 500 years since the Cromwellian conquest, and how the country was then ruthlessly exploited as a colony. Irish people were seen as sub-human and treated respectively.

Being tied to England has shaped Irish identity in so many ways. It has changed language, culture, values, diet, the way people work and treat the land, the way people relate, in short, everything. Yet, Ireland throughout history has been resilient, absorbing and digesting the influences, making them her own.

Nowadays, this small island of Ireland is influencing other cultures, sparked by waves of Irish emigration to the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Canada and so on.

List Of Existing Articles On Ireland's History

Prehistory

Neolithic Ireland

Bronze Age

Iron Age

The Golden Age:

Irish Saints:

Saint Patrick:

Saint Brigid

The Viking Invasion

The Normans In Ireland

16th Century History

Oliver Cromwell In Ireland

The Irish Famine

There are, of course, so many historic events. History in these parts is rich and multi-layered. In the framework of this website, we can only ever bring you a selection.We shall pick those topics that we consider the most spellbinding, fascinating ones.

Our promise to you: All the topics we cover we have researched very well. This is our passion, and a labour of love. Enjoy,

Colm and Susanna

Dún Aengus stone fort on Inishmore

Watch this space, join us here and learn about Irish history.

If you like what we do, please support us in building our readership  by using any of the sets of social buttons- either top left or at the very bottom, Thanks so much!

Regards, Susanna and Colm.

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Warmest regards, Colm & Susanna

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