The History of Ireland - Essay Example

History of Ireland Introduction: Ireland is an island on the western fringe of Europe between latitude 51.5 and 55.5 degrees north, and longitude 5.5to 10.5 degrees west. Its greatest length, from Malin Head in the north to Mizen Head in the south, is 486 km and its greatest width from east to west is approximately 275 km. Since 1921 the island has been divided politically into two parts. The independent twenty-six county area, comprising 70,282 sq. km, has a population of 4.2 million residents. Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom and contains six of the nine counties of the ancient province of Ulster, has a population of 1,569,971 (1991). In 1973 Ireland became a member of the European Union. [01] The heart of the country is limestone- floored lowland bounded on the south by the Armorican ridges and on the north and west by the Caledonian mountains. This lowland is open to the Irish Sea for a distance of 90 km between the Wicklow Mountains and the Carling ford peninsula, giving easy access to the country from the east. It also extends westwards to reach the Atlantic Ocean along the Shannon Estuary, in Galway Bay, in Clew Bay and again in Donegal Bay. Numerous hills break the monotony of the lowland which rises westward towards the coast in County Clare where it terminates in the cliffs of Moher, one of the finest lines of cliff scenery in Western Europe. [02] Much of Ireland was covered by ice during the Pleistocene period. This ice finally melted away about twelve thousand years ago, leaving behind evidence of its former presence in most of the minor physical features of the landscape. Throughout the greater part of the lowland the bedrock is hidden by glacial deposits which, in the north central part of the country, form a broad belt of small hills (drumlins). The glacial cover also modified the early drainage pattern and in places created groundwater conditions which facilitated the growth of peat bogs. [02] History of Ireland: Caught in the recede and flow of the last Ice Ages over the last 2 million years, Ireland was at various times largely glaciated and completely land-locked as a part of the continent of Europe. Ireland was an island about 125,000 years ago when the sea level appears to have been very close to its present position. The sea level dropped 130 m (426 feet) or more during the interval from around 30,000 to 15,000 years ago, when Ireland became part of continental Europe [again], and sea levels have been generally rising ever since, albeit at a much slower rate. The image to the left represents the land mass of Europe near the time of the last glacial maximum (minus the ice sheets and the ocean water). Take a close look at the "British peninsula" and the outline of Ireland and Great Britain upon it. [05] In and around 20,000 years ago the area that would later reform the British Isles was mainly covered by a thick sheet of ice. This was during the last maximum expansion of the polar ice caps when sea levels were about 120 meters lower than today. To get another view of the British Isles when they were not islands, see this Pleistocene age reconstruction (circa 18000 radiocarbon years ago) of the outline of the European continent, or also see here. After about 9000 BC, the climate again warmed, the juniper spread, and the birch appeared in large numbers for the first time. Pine, elm and other forest trees also appeared, and Ireland began a long-term process of forestation. Other plants and animals crossed the land bridges as well. Red deer, wild boar, possibly bears, red squirrels, pine-martens, Wolves, foxes, stoats, and eagles and other birds of prey took up residence. Fish and game birds were soon present in abundance. [05] The first definite evidence of human settlement in Ireland dates from 8000 to 7000 BC. They are known from early archaeological findings to have made an appearance in the far north in the lower Bann valley near present-day Coleraine and in the southwest in the Shannon estuary. Later they are thought to spread northeast along the coast of Antrim and followed the Bann upstream to Lough Neagh. They also settled down to an industrious existence on the shore of Larne Lough just north of present-day Belfast, where they chipped flints for implements. These people, Mesolithic hunter-gatherers without domestic animals or farming skills, huddled for the most part along the coasts and waterways. As a consequence, these early arrivals had little impact on the environment. [06] One of the earliest claimed radiocarbon dates for the human inhabitation of Ireland was about 7490 bc. The sample that documents this date was obtained from a primitive settlement that contained charcoal remains at Wood park in County Sligo. [06] People of Ireland: Ireland has been inhabited since Stone-Age times and for more than five thousand years has been the recipient of peoples moving westwards across the European continent. Each new group of immigrants has contributed something to its population and culture and no group ever entirely obliterated the character of the earlier ones. It is these diverse elements that have come together to form the distinctive Irish nation of today. [03] In Ireland (Republic) Roman Catholics comprise 95 per cent of the community. Other denominations include Church of Ireland (Anglican), Presbyterian, Methodist and a number of smaller Protestant groups. They are strongest in the counties bordering Northern Ireland, especially in Donegal (12 per cent), and in the Eastern Region which includes Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow (7 per cent). In Northern Ireland 65 per cent of the population is Protestant, mainly Church of Ireland and Presbyterian. They dominate in the three eastern counties of Ulster and comprise 40-50 per cent of the population in the west. There is also a small Jewish community centred in Dublin, Belfast and Cork. [03] For the great majority of the people in Ireland, English is the language in everyday use, but a quarter of the population claims to be competent in Irish as well. Irish remains the first language in the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking areas), located along the remoter areas of the western seaboard, and in some very small pockets of Irish speakers in West Cork, Waterford and Meath. [03] In Northern Ireland the chief towns are Belfast (400,000), an administrative and engineering centre with a fine harbor, and Derry (190,000), the focus of the Foyle lowland. The new town of Craig Avon links the older urban centers of Lurgan and Portadown and together the total population of the three towns is 72,000 people. [04] The preliminary total for the population enumerated on census night 23 April 2006 was 4,234,925 persons, compared with 3,917,203 persons in April 2002, representing an increase of 317,722 persons or 8.1 per cent in four years. The average annual rate of population increase in this four-year period was 2 per cent which is the highest on record. This compares with 1.3 per cent for the previous period 1996-2002 and the previous high of 1.5 per cent which occurred between 1971 and 1979. The 2006 population was last exceeded in the census of 1861 when the recorded population was 4.4 million. [17] Economic Situations in Ireland: The economy of Ireland has been traditionally agricultural. Since the mid-1950s, however, the country's industrial base has expanded, and now mining, manufacturing, construction, and public utilities account for approximately 37% of the gross domestic product and agriculture for only about 12%. Private enterprise operates in most sectors of the economy. Annual budget figures in the late 1980s showed approximately $14.4 billion in revenue and $14.8 billion in expenditure. [15] According to Economist magazine, Ireland has enjoyed healthy GDP growth rate of 6.2% in fiscal year 2006. This increase in GDP Growth Rate has had a positive impact on the economy over the years and GDP has increased from 122 Billion US$ to 221 Billion US$ from 2002 to 2006. [21] The economy is small and trade dependent. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 37% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and employs 28% of the labor force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland's robust growth, the economy is also benefiting from a rise in consumer spending and recovery in both construction and business investment. Ireland has substantially reduced its external debt since 1987, to 40% of GDP in 1994. Over the same period, inflation has fallen sharply and chronic trade deficits have been transformed into annual surpluses. Unemployment remains a serious problem, however, and job creation is the main focus of government policy. To ease unemployment, Dublin aggressively courts foreign investors and recently created a new industrial development agency to aid small indigenous firms. Government assistance is constrained by Dublin's continuing deficit reduction measures. [16] Ireland's economy is one of the world's most global, with extensive external trade and investment links. It is also one of the world's most dynamic, with annual growth rates in excess of averages for the developed world. Record growth was experienced in the 1990's, with a 10% average rate recorded for the period 1997- 2000. Subsequent to the international slowdown of 2001/2003, growth rates receded to the 4-5% range, still among the highest within the EU and OECD. There has been no significant weakening across a range of key economic variables including asset prices, fiscal balance and employment. The legacy of the decade of growth of the 1990's will be substantial, in particular Ireland's transition from one of Europe's poorest economies to one of its wealthiest. [18] Ireland's period of unprecedented economic growth began in the early 1990's. Between 1990 and 1995 the economy grew at an annual average growth rate of 4.8% and, between 1995 and 2000, it averaged 9.5%. Growth rates have since been maintained in the 4-5% range, a level almost five times higher than the old EU15 average. The growth in the Irish economy is reflected in the year by year increases in national GDP, which in 2005 reached a 160 billion. On a per capita basis (population of 4.2 million), this was equivalent to a 38,000 per person, the second highest in the EU (after Luxembourg). Measured on the basis of purchasing power, Ireland's level of economic activity or GDP per inhabitant is now almost 40% above the average for the EU 25. In addition to a doubling of national income, achievements over the last ten years include a reduction in unemployment rates from 14% to 4%, and an increase of over 600,000 or over 50% in the number of employed. [18] Political Situation in Ireland: Ireland is a democratic republic with a president as head of state. It has been a member of the EU since 1973 and is a member of the European single currency. Left-right ideology has never played a significant role in Irish politics. In every election for 70 years, two broadly centrist parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, have won the majority of the popular vote. Irish nationalism has strong historic roots and this is borne out in current endeavors to keep the Irish language alive. In the country's 2002 census, 1.4 million of the four million population said they had 'an ability' to speak Irish. More than a quarter of those said they spoke it on a daily basis (Central Statistics Office Ireland). There are a number of Gaeltacht areas in Ireland - areas where Irish is the major language. The Gaeltacht encompasses the most westerly parts of counties Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry and Mayo and their nearby islands. [19] Social Situation in Ireland: There are 4.2 million people living in the republic, with the majority of over one million living in the greater Dublin area and the south east of Ireland, including Waterford (Economist). Some of the other main centres of population are the university towns of Galway, Cork and Limerick. [20] While Ireland's largest ethnic group is white, the Irish Muslim community is growing, mostly through increased immigration. There is also a small Jewish community, although this has declined somewhat in recent years. Since joining the EU in 2004, Polish people have been the largest source of immigrants from Central Europe, followed by other migrants from Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Latvia. [20] Migrants are mainly attracted to Ireland by its good standard of living and relatively high wages. Romanians have been arriving since the 1990s, along with Chinese mainlanders. The highest proportion of non-EU migrants are from Nigeria. [20] Historical Events & Their Importance: Invasion of Ireland by Celts: About 2,500 years ago, the Celts invaded Ireland and introduced many things that persist to this day, including their language, their games, their music, and a typically Irish attitude towards life. It appears that they were seen from the outside as a scary group of people, because the Romans gave them a wide berth, despite their partial occupation of Britain during the 1st Century AD. [07] Christianity & its Influence (400-500 AD): However, the influence of Roman Britain was to make its mark in a very different way. It arrived by means of a preacher called Patrick, and he brought Christianity with him. Very soon, the people of Ireland had taken the religion to their hearts. Christianity became the dominant religion of the entire island, so much so, that it became the island's greatest export. Ireland became known as a land of saints and scholars, a creative land with great relics, majestic books, and magnificent golden ornaments. In other words, a pleasant and an easy objective for anyone with a crooked for prowling and predatory. [08] The Vikings (700 AD - 800 AD): During this era Vikings had their impact put on the Irish history. These Vikings were not educated with the particulars of Christian teaching. Therefore, they for quite a few years raided, burned, murdered and stole what they could until they started to fall for the island's charms. The Vikings, for their part, founded the cities of Dublin, Cork, Waterford and Limerick and they were the first to introduce the concept of money to the island. [09] Normans' Invasion of Ireland (1100 - 1200 AD): By the turn of the first Millennium, Ireland was a heady mix of Celts and naturalized Vikings, when along came English warriors, armed to the teeth, who gave themselves the rather unimpressive name 'Normans'. They built imposing castles and constructed a few roads, but within a generation or so they too had fallen for the Irish lifestyle. One can't help conjuring up the image of a Norman soldier, peering through a window in his cold, wet, miserable castle and watching the Celts and Vikings having the craic2, singing, dancing and laughing, then promptly rushing out and joining in the fun, and successfully urging more of his mates to do the same. [10] The Normans also were lucky to have leaders of the caliber of the Butler, Marshall, de Burgh, de Lacy and de Broase families, as well as having the dynamic heads of the first families. Another factor was that after the loss of Normandy in 1204, John had a lot more time to devote to Irish affairs, and did so effectively even from afar. However, the Hiberno-Normans suffered from a series of events that slowed, and eventually ceased, the spread of their settlement and power. [11] Several rebellious attacks were launched by Gaelic lords upon the English lordships, which at best stretched their resources and at worst regained territory from them. Secondly a lack of direction from both Henry III and his successor, Edward I meant that the Norman colonists in Ireland were to a large extent deprived of support from the English monarchy. Furthermore, the Norman's position deteriorated due to divisions within their own ranks. These caused outright war between leading Hiberno-Norman lords such as the de Burghs, Fitzgerald's, Butlers and de Birmingham's. Finally, the division of estates among heirs split Norman lordships into smaller, less formidable units - the most damaging being that of the Marshals of Leister, which split a large single lordship into five. [11] Politics and events in Gaelic Ireland served to draw the settlers deeper into the orbit of the Irish, which on occasion had the effect of allying them with one or more native rulers against other Normans. [11] Religious Wars (1600 AD): After getting the top throne, Henry VIII in England, began to stir things up a bit. Henry had found religion, in the form of Protestantism, and decided that if it was good for the king, it was good for everybody under the king. So, he set about changing the rough, carefree ways of the Irish with little success, as English influence had dwindled to an area surrounding Dublin, known as the Pale. His daughter Elizabeth made more progress. Concerned that her enemies, the Spanish, would set up a base in Ireland, she borrowed a few tricks from the Vikings before her, and sent armies of her lads in to 'sort the populace out', while at the same time supplanting the locals with British settlers. The Irish chieftains fought back, only to be vanquished by British forces in the Battle of Kinsale. By 1607 these chieftains had left the country for good, and England had won control of the entire island. [12] Penal Times & the Famous Rebellion (1700-1800 AD): The first years of the 18th Century saw an attempt to rid Ireland of Catholicism, by implementing laws that restricted Catholic practice while making it extremely advantageous to become a Protestant. However, like most laws, the Irish ignored them, and life went on much as before. It wasn't until the end of the century that Irish people, both Protestants and Catholics this time, started to look for greater freedoms from England (it was the style of the time; just look at what happened in America). In 1798, agitations lead to rebellion, a failed invasion of Ireland by the French, and finally suppression of the rebels by English forces. The violence was particularly grotesque in the 1798 Wexford rebellion, where over 40,000 people were killed in bitter fighting. [13] The Famine (1800-2000 AD): In 1801, Ireland became part of the United Kingdom, and for a while, this arrangement worked well. Restrictions on Catholic practice were eased, and relations began to normalize. However, events were to take place that would shake the relationship between both countries to their foundations. In 1845 a potato disease hit the country, causing all the crops to fail. This would not have been a problem, only for the fact that a substantial proportion of the population ate nothing but potatoes. They simply could not afford anything else. People began to starve. Over the following four years, the potato crop failed completely each time. Starvation and disease took a grip over the country. The English government were so slow to react to the crisis that by the time the famine was over, an estimated one million people had died, and a further one million had left Ireland, arriving in the US and Britain, penniless and desperate. The Irish potato famine created a legacy of emigration from Ireland that did not stop until the late 20th Century. By 1960, the population of Ireland had dwindled to 4.3 million from an 1841 population of over eight million. [14] Works Cited Page: [01] Introduction, An Outline Geography of Ireland. May 01, 2007 [02] Physical Landscape, An Outline Geography of Ireland. May 01, 2007 [03] People of Ireland, An Outline Geography of Ireland. May 01, 2007 [04] Urban Settlement, An Outline Geography of Ireland. May 01, 2007 [05] Ice Coverage Reconstructions since the Last Glacial Maximum. May 01, 2007 [06] Europe during the last 150,000 Years. May 01, 2007 [07] Ireland's history in maps, Ancient Ireland. May 01, 2007 [08] The Celts, Brief history of Ireland British Broadcasting Company. May 01, 2007 [09] Christianity, Brief history of Ireland, British Broadcasting Company. May 01, 2007 [09] The Vikings, Brief history of Ireland, British Broadcasting Company. < http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A330788> May 01, 2007 [10] The Normans, Brief history of Ireland, British Broadcasting Company. May 02, 2007 [11] Normans Ireland, Invasion.. May 02, 2007 [12] Religious Wars, Brief history of Ireland, British Broadcasting Company. May 02, 2007 [13] The Great & Famous Rebellion of 1916, Timeline of Events Leading up to The Easter Rising. May 02, 2007 [14] The Famine, Brief history of Ireland, British Broadcasting Company. May 02, 2007 [15] Irish Economy, Online Article. May 02, 2007 [16] Economy Of Ireland. May 01, 2007 [17] Census 2006, Preliminary Report, Central Statistics Office, Information Section. May 02, 2007 [18] Economic Profile of Ireland, August 2006, Enterprise Ireland. May 02, 2007 [19] Political Situation in Ireland, Country Review, Prospects - Online Journal. May 02, 2007 [20] Social Situation in Ireland, Prospects - Online Journal. May 03, 2007 [21] Economic Structure, Country Briefing: Ireland. May 03, 2007 Read More