The Island of Ireland is made up of two countries: the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Northern part of the land, called Northern Ireland, is part of the United Kingdom. 80 percent of the landmass of the island belongs to the Republic of Ireland.
In the 5th century, around 600 and 150 BC, the Celtic people migrated from Western Europe, invaded Ireland and oppressed the previous inhabitants. The Celts are known as a gathering of tribes sharing the same religious beliefs and traditions. In the course of the expansion of the Roman Empire, the Celts were persecuted and fled towards the European Western coast. Besides the Celtic values, it was St. Patrick who brought Christianity to Ireland. In France, he became a priest to convert the people in Ireland.
From the 12th century on, English influence increased and in the 1300s Ireland was under English control. Over centuries, the English wanted to extend their control over Ireland through the plantation policy.
When Henry VIII invaded in 1534, he tried to introduce Protestantism to Ireland and wanted the Irish to declare him king of Ireland. The plantation policy included taking land away from the Catholics (Irish) and distributing that land to the Protestants (English), because the Crown wanted Ireland to become more English. The plantation system led to demographic and economic changes as well as changes in land ownership and also ethnic conflicts.
In the course of the 16th century the English influence on Ireland increased, consequently the Ulster Revolts were induced through the protests against the English rule in Ireland. October 23rd of 1641 is the day that the Ulster Rebellion began, which caused many deaths and lasted for ten years. Protestants were expelled from their land [dt.: jmdn. aus ihrem land vertreiben], their property was burned and many people were killed. About 3000 Protestants were killed and as many fled to England.
From England, Oliver Cromwell was sent to Ireland in 1649 and within a few months he managed to completely control Ireland. In 1652, the Act of Settlement was passed by the Parliament under Cromwell. The purpose of this Act was to punish the leaders of the Ulster Rebellion of 1641, execute Catholic clergymen, and seize [dt.: beschlagnahmen, konfiszieren] Irish lands to make repayments to the city of London. In the 1650s, 3/4 of the land owned by Catholic Irish was seized. From this point on, land previously owned by Catholic Irish was given to Protestant Englishmen.
In 1685, James II became King of England and Scotland. During his leadership he abolished many anti-Catholic laws that were established in Ireland because he himself was Catholic. It can be said that the 17th century was shaped by conflicts between Catholics and Protestants.
On 12th July 1690, William of Orange and the Ulster Protestants defeated James II on the river Boyne, this incident is known as the Battle of Boyne. Only five years later the Penal Laws were passed. These laws included a series of laws which debarred [dt.: ausschließen] Catholics from public life. For example, Catholics were excluded from education, voting and the military. Buying land or holding public positions became something that Catholics no longer had access to.
Under the Penal Laws, which came into effect in 1695 and had an impact into the 18th century, Catholic landowners were reduced almost to 5%.
In 1801 the Irish parliament was abolished through the Act of Union which united Great Britain and Ireland. The United Kingdom existed from then on. The United Kingdom was ruled from the London parliament, so all regional parliaments were abolished.
In 1845-1848, the Potato Famine hit the Irish population. Potatoes were regarded as a a staple food [dt.: Grundnahrungsmittel] for the Irish. In 1845, the potato harvest [dt.: Ernte] in Ireland was affected by disease, causing half of the harvest to fail. This resulted in a big problem because the Irish grew almost only potatoes. The Irish did not receive financial support from Great Britain for fear of the Irish would use the money for buying guns and revolting against the English leadership. From 1800 onwards, Ireland had been under British control through the Act of Union. A group of Irish rejected the government through the British parliament. More independence through self-government was demanded.
On April 24, 1916, Irish rebels, particularly Patrick Pearse, proclaimed the independent Republic of Ireland. Nevertheless, the efforts of the so called Easter Rising, did not last long because of less public support and the British declaring martial law [dt.: Kriegsrecht].
The Easter Rising was induced through rebels, known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Although the rising failed and the Irish Republic was not established, the Easter Rising was one of the most significant revolts in Ireland’s history. In the aftermath of the rising more than 3000 people were arrested and some of them imprisoned in England. In December 1920, the Government of Ireland Act ruled the introduction of two parliaments, one in Belfast to serve six counties in the North and one in Dublin, known as the Irish Free State, to serve the remaining twenty-six countries. The six-country part of Ireland had its own parliament, but remained part of the United Kingdom.
Ireland was split into the independent Irish Free State (Republic of Ireland - Catholic) and Northern Ireland (Protestant) through the Irish War of Independence (1919- 1921). From this time on, the United Kingdom existed of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. For a very long time, parts of the Irish experienced a lack of social cohesion due to the geographical marginalisation.
In Northern Ireland anti-Catholic laws still existed. Those laws became a reason for the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) to fight for equality for Catholics and also for black Americans. Over the time tensions between Catholics and Prostants lasted.
Republic of Ireland | Northern Ireland |
Independent republic, historically divided into four provinces: Leinster, Munster, Connacht, Ulster | Province of the United Kingdom, consists of six of the nine Ulster countries (northern part of island) |
Capital: Dublin | Capital: Belfast |
Main religions (2006): Catholic 86,8%, Protestant 3% | Main religions (2001): Protestant 53%, Catholic 44% |