Ireland History

The territory of modern Ireland was inhabited by several tribes. They lived separately in so-called clans, which were ruled by the hereditary chiefs. The tribes were engaged in farming and cattle-breeding. Ireland was rather separated from other lands, and by the 5th century it became a center of western science. The monks, graduated from the monastic schools of Ireland, preached the Christianity on the mainland. English domination on the territory of Ireland was evidently felt by 1600’s. English barons seized Irish lands and introduced their own laws. The conquered territory of Ireland was called “the pale”, the rest – “wild Ireland”, which became the object of desire of the Englishmen.

In 1541 Ireland was proclaimed a kingdom with Henry II as the king. Despite all the efforts, the Englishmen failed to impose the Protestantism to Irish people. In 1801 Ireland became the part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The country served as a source of British capital accumulation and stimulated the development of English industry. All the same the beginning of the 19th century was a tragic period in Irish history. The famine was the reason of emigration wave and high percentage of death.

The Irish Free State was created after the Irish war of independence (1921) which ended with the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Northern Ireland, representing 6 out of 32 counties, remained within the United Kingdom. Only in 1949 Ireland definitely gained its independence and left the Commonwealth. In 1973 both parts of Ireland joined European community, the economy was stabilized, nowadays, the price levels are ranked among the highest in Europe. As for the tourism the country is not enough explored by the visitors; that’s why it remains very attractive for the tourists.