IRELAND

Ireland lies west of Britain. It was inhabited continuously from the 6^th century BC by Celts and Picts. Celt kings and chiefs rules over the Ireland till the Middle Ages. 

Vikings invaded the shores and occupied them till the 8^th century the occupation of the Ireland shores by the Viking ended in 1014 when Brian Boru defeated the Scandinavians at Clontarf.

In 1171 the Anglo-Norman conquest started and finished in 1172. The people opposed English rules for over 400 years. When Henry VIII introduced Protestantism and Elizabeth I started ‘plantations’ in Northern Ireland for English and Scottish settlers started an Irish rebellion. 

It was then the fight became hard and bitter. These religions and settlements upheaval created a lot of resentments. The rebellion was defeated by Oliver Cromwell. Further Protestant settlements were established. 

The GLORIOUS REVOLUTION in 1688 forced the Roman Catholic James II from the throne by William of Orange.

1782 Henry Grattan’s Party managed to get some independents.

1798 The United Irishmen started a rebellion and were defeated. It followed an Act of Union which made Ireland part of Britain, Resentment started to increase again and the Irish Famine from 1845 to 1851 led to create in 1858 the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). They used the name FINIANS which derived from the Finina Brotherhood of the USA which supported them. Since they only received partial independence the Brotherhood was not happy.  

1916 under Padriac Perse a rebellion became known as the Easter Rising.

1920 two parliaments were established. One parliament for the six counties in Ulster and the other parliament for the rest of the 26 countries of Ireland. 

1926 in the Anglo-Irish Treaty Northern Ireland became part of Britain and the remaining counties became the Irish Free State. Eamon de Valera and his Republicans rejected the treaty. They fought a civil war and were defeated.

De Valera’s Party FIANNA FAIL won the election in 1932. A new constitution was signed which declared Ireland independent and it was named Ireland or EIRE. 1949 de Valera became president of the Republic of Ireland.

In 1991 the first woman president Mary Robinson was elected.

All through the 20^th century a struggle was upheld to achieve unification of the Ireland. The main force was the Irish Republican Army (IRA) which was first founded by Sinn Fein and its first commander was Michael Collins. The IRA and various Protestant paramilitary groups upheld a bombing and assassination campaign in Northern Ireland where more than 3400 people died and 35,000 were injured.

December 1993 brought the first attempt to bring peace. The Irish Prime Minister John Bruton and British Prime Minister John Major held a meeting,

August 1994 the IRA declared a cease fire. After that there were several breakdowns of the cease fire and meetings to establish peace again. Eventually with Good Friday Agreement it was achieved and peace was kept for a long time. Recently there were little incidents again but so far it held.

IRELAND DURING THE MIDDLE AGES

ST  PATRICK  CIRCA  387 - 481 AD

Ireland in the Middle Ages had a golden age when Europe was in turmoil after the fall of the Roman Empire.   Pagan hordes kept sweeping across Europe.

To begin with, Ireland in the Middle Ages had many kingdoms. These kingdoms were constantly at war with each other. The Roman Empire never reach or conquered Ireland. Therefore, the tradition, language and blood were never influenced by Rome. By the 6th century AD most of the Irish-speaking Celts were converted to Christianity.

Some of the 'kingdoms' were so small that they only ruled over a few farms. These kings pledged alliances to more powerful kings. Each little kingdom had its own king (ri tuath) and judge (brehon). The judges introduced a legal system called Brehon Laws which ensured property, trade and contracts were dealt with correctly. A fine example, a woman manage her own land but never the land of her husband.

Poets played an important role in Ireland. They kept all the myth and legends alive and handed them down to the next generation. Their great power lies in that they were allowed to criticize their rulers in their verse. There are still four great collections to be seen which had survived. It is 'The Cattle Raid of Cooley' (Tain Bo Chulaighne), the adventures of Cu Chulainn and Fionn MacChughaill and the tragedy of Diarmuid and Grainne

CORMAC'S CHAPEL WAS PART OF THE CATHEDRAL ON EITHER SIDE
KING CORMAC III OF MEATH BUILT IT  IN 1127
THE CATHEDRAL WAS BUILT IN 1235 - 1270

Rock Cashel was the seat of the kings of Munster for about 1000 years before the Norman invasion. Few of the original structure survived. It was built between 12th century and 13th century. Apparently it was at Cashel where St Patrick converted the king of Meath to Christianity, in the 5th century.

According to legend the rock of Cashel came from the Devil Bit. It is a mountain 30km north of Cashel. St Patrick banished Satan from the cave and the rock landed in Cashel.

CASHEL - OLD VIEW

CASHEL IN 1986

In the 8th century there were five major kingdoms: Munster, Leinster, Connought, Ulster and Meath. They were ruled by a High King (Ard Ri) who had his hall in Meath at Tara.

St Patrick arrived in Ireland in 432 AD and was travelling all over the country. He was preaching and converting the people to Christianity. He worked very hard to organize a network of priests and bishops. When he died, they continued his work and within 100 years  Ireland was mostly Christians.

Ireland played a great part in keeping Christianity alive in the following turbulent years in Western Europe during the 6th century. It became known as the island of saints and scholars. Irish missionaries spread out into Western Europe and built monasteries and universities.

St Columbia went from Ireland to Scotland and spread Christianity there. He built a monastery in Iona and the gospel was spread to Northumberland and Lindisfarne. St Columbanus was another famous monk. He travelled to Burgundy and Switzerland to teach Christianity. St Killian went to Italy.

Stories and legends grew about Irish saints and poets (filidh) and they spread with the increasing literacy among the clergy. A tradition developed of illuminated manuscripts. The Book of Kells is the best known example.

THE BOOK OF KELL

At the beginning of 500 AD and for the next 300 years Ireland had its golden age. It was safe from invasion of the pagan tribes and therefore became a mainstay of Western European culture. The Clonmacnoise has books by all the Fathers of the Church. Monasteries became the centre for art, law and literature. Libraries in Kildare, Chlonard and Clonmacnoise had books by all the Fathers of the Church. 

These books were used for issuing legal documents. The Collectio canonum hibernesis of 730 AD contained all the law of the church and was used throughout Western Europe. Irish teachers were employed in the royal schools of Charlemagne's court.

Irish people became world famous for their craftsmanship in gold, silver and other metals. They richly decorated the wine chalices, book covers, bishop's croziers and altar pieces. The Ardagh and Derrynaflan chalices and the Tara Brooch became famous for their fine workmanship.

In the 9th century Ireland was disrupted by the Vikings. They invaded many coastal towns and villages, including monasteries. In spite of never being able to conquer Ireland the Viking still managed to change its Celtic nature forever.

Around 840 DC the Vikings started to build bases called 'long-phorts' where Dublin is standing now. They lived there over the winter months. These basis developed into a town. It was that sort of thing which changed the Irish landscape.

PLANTATION AND PIRACY

TEA  PLANTATION

It was not a strange coincidence that as the plantations developed and the shipping increased it piracy also grew.

Right through, from the earliest centuries, where there were ships, there were pirates.

Even Julius Caesar was captured in 78 BC and held for ransom. However, once released the pirates lived to regret it.

The Vikings were notorious for raiding the settlements along the shores of England and Ireland from 834 till 930 BC.

Corsar, a Mediterranean pirate captured Christians and sold them as slaves in North America.

Drake Hawkins and Walter Raleigh were encouraged by Queen Elizabeth I to pirate the Spanish Ships and bring her the treasures.

COTTON PLANTATION 
AT THE BEGINNING 
OF THE 20TH CENTURY

PIRACY  FLAG OR 
JUST A BLACK FLAG

Piracy was at its height from 1500 till 1750.  Merchant ships laden with treasures plied the seas without protection. When the navy grew bigger, they could protect the ships and piracy was declining.

After they discovered America and a route to India, the trade really began to increase by the 100-fold. That also encouraged the pirates. Ships went from Europe to Africa and America. Or from Europe to Africa and the East. They carried tea, coffee, spices, sugar, tobacco and slaves.

Indian and Arab pirates operated once in the Indian Ocean only. After the European discovered the route round the Cape of Good Hope pirates came from every nation to get their hands on those merchant ships.

From the islands on the east coast of Africa, especially Madagascar, the goods were silk. jewels, ivory and spices. The pirates took the lot plus clothing, food and tools.

Drake and his sailors used to pirate the Spanish merchants ships coming from the Spanish Main loaded with treasures. The mass islands were a paradise for pirates' ships with their deep harbours and secluded inlets for hiding out.

Treasure ships were less in the 16th century and those few were heavily guarded. The merchant shipping increased because of the New World which was being colonized rapidly.

The settlers in the Spanish West Indies, the English colonies in Virginia and Georgia and the Portuguese and Dutch colonies in South America were planters and grew rich on growing sugar and tobacco for the European market.

Tea and coffee became fashionable and demand of sugar grew. Tobacco were smoked or chewed by many people.

Plantations multiplied and so did the demand for people to work on it. The Caribs and Native Americans had been either killed off or died of diseases brought over by Europeans for which they had no resistance. Therefore, slaves were brought over from Africa and sold to planters.

With that a triangular was slowly established and proved to be very lucrative. The ships took manufactured goods to West Africa and exchanged them for human cargo. They were shipped in appalling conditions to the Caribbeans and colonies in North and South America to be sold. From that money they bought sugar and tobacco to be taken to Europe.

The trade companies tried to reduce cost and increase profits. They shipped the goods in undermanned and under gunned ships which were an easy target for pirates. National government directly or indirectly encouraged piracy. To 'unload' an enemies' ship when you are at war with the country was thought of as patriotic act.

Another reason for becoming a pirate was that in the national navies the conditions were appalling and low pay. They turned into pirates because they would get rich on the loot although the conditions weren't any different.

There were three types of sea villains operating:

PIRATES who were sea-going thieves.

PRIVATEERS who were licensed by government or shipping companies but just the same sea-going thieves.

BUCCANEERS who belonged to a band of sea-going thieves.

Many of those people have been settlers but after being dispossessed by the Spaniards turned to be sea-going thieves to survive.

The status of one of those three types was important. Piracy was punishable by death or branding. However, if you did it for someone else, you could get away with it or even got a reward from some king.

The pirates of the Caribbean or elsewhere did not died out. Owners of luxury yacht are given guns to protect themselves. These pirates are now after luxury goods which are easily to carry.

Pirates also operate in the South China Sea and have high-speed motor vessels. Kidnapping and demand for ransom is mostly their businesses and rapidly increasing.

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EAMON DE VALERA IRISH STATESMAN

An Irish statesman Eamon de Valera worked all his life to achieve the independence for Ireland from Britain.

De Valera took part in the Easter Rising in 1916 and was taken prisoner. If he weren't born in America he would have been executed. He gained freedom under an amnesty in 1917 and became president of Sinn Fein. This got him imprisoned again in 1918 but was able to escape. He joined the Irish Republican Army for two years as a guerrilla fighter. He became a Sinn Fein MP and after that president of the independent Government (Dail Eireann), which was set up by the Sinn Fein.

De Valera sent his representative to London and negotiations lead to the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921. He completely disagrees with his representatives having signed that treaty. The Treaty they signed was for an Irish Free State excluding six Ulster states.

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He opposed William Cosgrave, president of the executive council of the Free State from 1922 to 1932. De Valera founded the Fianna Fail in 1926 and led his party to victory in 1932.

He ended the oath of allegiance to the British crown. In 1937 he established a new constitution and announced Ireland as a 'sovereign independent democratic state'.

During the Second World War Britain offered to unite Ireland in return of entering the war. De Valera refused and Ireland was neutral.

He stopped payment to Britain and demanded the return of navel basis which were part of the 1921 treaty.

De Valera was president of Ireland twice and he was 90 years when he was president until 1973.

What a man. He stood up and believed in his course till the end. He must have been proud that he achieved it.

SUMMARY:   Eamon de Valera was a politician we all could do with today. He purely worked for the good of Ireland. All his life he did not waver or change but stood by what he believed in. 

If the other politician would have listen to de Valera when they met the English government in London and didn't sign the treaty, Ireland would have been united and never had all that bloodshed and trouble. Even in those politicians weren't as good as Eamon de Valera

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