Bronze tools and weapons begin to be used in Ireland

The Iron Age begins. Celtic peoples begin to arrive on the island from mainland Europe

Ireland is ruled by a large number of small kingdoms

According to legend, Cormac mac Airt rules Ireland as the High King

Niall of the Nine Hostages becomes High King

Saint Patrick arrives in Ireland and introduces Christianity

Saint Patrick dies

The Vikings invade Ireland attacking monasteries and towns along the coast

The Vikings establish settlements in Ireland in the early 900s including the city of Dublin

The Vikings are defeated by Irish King Brian Boru

King Henry II of England comes to Ireland and claims the land as part of his empire

Prince John Lackland is made Lord of Ireland by King Henry II

Dublin Castle is built by King John of England

King Henry III issues the Great Charter of Ireland

The first meeting of the Irish Parliament in Dublin

Scottish leader Edward Bruce arrives to help fight against the Norman leaders

The Black Plague strikes Ireland killing around 30% of the population

The Statutes of Kilkenny are passed to keep the English and Irish cultures from merging. The English and Irish are forbidden to intermarry

The Blarney Stone is set into a tower of Blarney Castle

Thomas FitzGerald rebels against England. He is hung for his offenses three years later

The Kingdom of Ireland is established with King Henry VIII of England as king

King Henry VIII dies

The Nine Years' War begins between Ireland and England. The Irish are eventually defeated

The Irish led by Hugh O'Neill are defeated at the Battle of Kinsale

Many of the Irish Earls flee to Spain in what is called the 'Flight of the Earls.'

The northern area of Ulster is mostly populated by Scottish and English

The Williamite War begins between the Jacobites (Catholics) and the Williamites (Protestants). The Williamites win

Terrible famine strikes the land and hundreds of thousands die

The Irish rebel with the help of the French

The Kingdom of Ireland becomes part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Catholics are given more freedoms through the Catholic Relief Act

The first commercial railroad opens in Ireland

The Great Irish Famine occurs when much of the potato crop is destroyed. Many Irish emigrate to other countries such as the United States

The Irish Republican Brotherhood rebels against British rule in what is called the Fenian Rising

World War I begins. A new law for Irish home rule is delayed

The Easter Rising occurs. Members of the Irish Republican Brother seize government buildings in Dublin. Most of the rebel leaders are executed by the British

Irish rebels called the Sinn Fein declare independence from Britain. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) begins to fight against British forces

Northern Ireland is established as part of the United Kingdom. The rest of Ireland becomes the Irish Free State

Civil war breaks out between the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the National Army

The Irish Free State is named Ireland by a new constitution

Ireland is declared a free republic

Ireland joins the United Nations

The Troubles begin in Northern Ireland between the IRA and the loyalists. Constant violence between the two groups exists up until 1998

Mary Robinson is elected President of Ireland. She is the first woman president of the country

The Belfast Agreement is signed reducing the violence and putting an end to The Troubles

Ireland adopts the Euro as its official currency