Irish history, like other countries for centuries accompanied the waves of tragedy, but also a heroic adventure. Today Irishmen ancient legends about their ancestors take very seriously and they are all very close. According to the preserved monuments from the Stone Age, we believe that Ireland is inhabited for at least 8,000 years. Earth began to settle British settlers and hunters, but who at that time still using primitive tools. The first real farmers who knew how to procure subsistence, and what trade is to Ireland and came to around 3000 BC. At this time also begins to develop mutual respect and respect for the dead, graves and tombs from that period, were the most magnificent and impressive. Around 500 BC there are beginning to build huge buildings and walls, many of which survive even to this day. From time to time, take the Irish people raids on Roman Britain to gain booty and slaves. The 5th century during one such raid pochytala Irish squad large number of prisoners and among them the sixteen boy named Patrick. He worked for several years as a shepherd, but then fled to Gaul, where he became a monk. Later he returned to Ireland and enriched a nearby nations of Christian faith and became a patron of the whole nation. One of the innovations St. Patrick was the establishment of monasteries across Ireland, which are concentrated around all religious activities. Ireland became the island by scholars and missionaries.
At the end of the 8th century's Viking raids on Ireland and Britain, Ireland, which destroyed a large number of monasteries and buildings. Vikings in Ireland, however, created the first true cities, including Dublin and Iry learned to build ships.
The 12th century, among them the power over Ireland competed for the large number of small and large kingdom. King behalf Diarmait Mac Murchada of Leinster, who are very interested in Ireland, at the time was then forcibly expelled the Irish king. Mac Murchada then fled to Aquitania, where he met with Henry II. From which received permission to recruit Norman knight, to obtain their desired kingdom. Norman knights arrived in Ireland in 1167 and conquered the Kingdom of Mac Murchada. He immediately appointed his stepson, Richard de Clare inherited his entire kingdom. This action caused but the English King Henry II. such an embarrassment that he decided to Ireland for myself.
In the 14th century Ireland suffered plague epidemic that had affected mainly the urban population. After the plague of brain waves to focus attention on Irish traditions and Irish language and the English-controlled territory shrunk only to Dublin and its surroundings. At the end of the 15th century English influence on the island has almost disappeared. It was mainly by the British employed a more wars than their own local situation.
In the bloodiest period in Irish history is considered 17th century, which took place just two long civil war that claimed a huge number of casualties as a result of the original Catholic expropriated landowners. At the end of the first half of the 19th century came to a cruel famine in Ireland, in addition to hunger in the country unfortunately has caused mass emigration. In Ireland, the famine, which had over 8 million inhabitants, there remained only 4.4 million.
During the two world wars, Ireland was neutral for most of the time and it was saved war woes. Tens of thousands Irů but volunteered to help the British Army.
In 1921, the Republic of Ireland divided into two parts. Once the Northern Ireland (which still remain part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain) and the other Irish Free State or Republic of Ireland.
