1500-1900
| 1900-59
| 1960-79
| 1980-89
| 1990-98
| 1999-2000
|
The Division and Independence of
Ireland (1900-59) |
| 1900-1919 |
By the early 1900's, most Irish Catholics favored complete independence from Britain. But most of the Protestants in Ulster opposed independence because they did not want to be a minority in a Catholic country.
1914: The British Parliament passed a home rule bill, but the bill never took effect because of the outbreak of World War I.
April 24, 1916: The Easter Rising begins in Dublin. About 1,500 rebels
declare the creation of an Irish republic. They surrender after five days of
fighting in which more than 400 die and over 2,500 are wounded. The rebels
gain citizen support when Britain executes 15 of their leaders.
December 1918: The IRB gained control of the political organization called Sinn Fein, a Gaelic term meaning We Ourselves, and won a majority of Ireland's seats
in general elections to the
British Parliament. But instead of taking their seats in London, they create
their own parliament in Dublin in January 1919.
1919: Seventy-three Irish members of the British Parliament met in Dublin and declared all Ireland an independent state. Guerrilla warfare then broke out between the Irish rebels and British forces. The beginning of the War of Independence. A truce is signed
July 9, 1921.
|
| 1920-59 |
Nov. 21, 1920: Bloody Sunday in Dublin. The IRA kills 14 men
suspected of being British secret agents. Black and Tans, demobilized British
soldiers recruited and trained to aid British police, fire on crowd at an
afternoon football match, killing 12.
Dec. 23, 1920: The Government of Ireland Act passes in the British
Parliament. It provides for two Home Rule parliaments, one in Belfast for the
unionists and another in Dublin for the nationalists. Both remain part of
Britain. Ulster Protestants accepted the act, and the state of Northern Ireland was formed from six counties in Ulster.
But southern Catholics rejected the act and demanded complete independence for a single, united Irish republic.
December 1921: The Anglo-Irish Treaty is signed in London. It
creates the Irish Free State, comprising 26 of the country's 32 counties, 23 southern counties and 3 counties of Ulster.
1922: The Irish civil war breaks out between pro- and anti-treaty
parties. Armed groups crossed into Northern Ireland and attacked British installations. They hoped to force the British to give up control of Northern Ireland. Today's IRA stems from anti-treaty forces.
May 1923: The civil war ends and Northern Ireland was still part of
the United Kingdom.
1937: A new constitution ratified by the Irish government changes
the name of the Irish Free State to Ireland.
1949: Ireland formally declares its independence from Britain. Ireland
had cut all ties with the United Kingdom and became an independent republic.
|
|
The 'Troubles' Begin (1960-79) |
| 1960-72 |
1966: Ian Paisley, leader, extremist Protestant, forms the Ulster
Protestant Volunteers.
1968: Northern Ireland's Roman Catholic minority launch civil rights
campaign for better deal from Protestants. When the government tried to stop
the civil rights demonstration in Londonderry in 1968, bloody riots broke out.
1969: The Troubles begin. The Irish Republican Army denounces
violence as a way to unite Ireland. A breakaway faction, Provisional IRA,
becomes a paramilitary group. British army sent to Northern Ireland to keep
peace, but failed to prevent further rioting. Worst clashes in 50 years despite civil rights reforms.
1970: SDLP founded under leaders John Hume and Gerry Fitt.
1971: Internment without trial of suspected guerrillas on both sides.
1972: British government suspends Protestant-dominated
administration based in Stormont, east Belfast, and introduces direct rule.
January 30, 1972: Bloody Sunday. British troops kill fourteen Catholics and 17
more are injured by the British army in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, after taking
part in a banned civil rights march.
July 21, 1972: Bloody Friday. The IRA claims responsibility for
detonating 26 car bombs within 40 minutes in Belfast after attempts to
negotiate a united Ireland fail. Eleven are killed, 130 injured.
|
| 1973-79 |
1974: Northern Ireland assembly introduced in January and 78 members are
elected by proportional representation. Executive administration collapses in
May after strike by workers from Protestant majority against power-sharing.
Direct rule resumes. Twenty-one people killed in IRA bombing of two pubs in
Birmingham, England.
1975: The end of Internment. 2000 people had been jailed without
trial.
1976: IRA assassinates British ambassador to Dublin, Christopher
Ewart-Biggs.
1976: Peace People founded by Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan,
for which they won the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize.
1979: IRA steps up attacks on prominent Britons, killing ambassador
to Netherlands, Sir Richard Sykes, the Conservative party spokesman on
Northern Ireland, Airey Neave, and Lord Mountbatten, cousin of Queen
Elizabeth, in separate incidents.
1979: The Shankill Butchers (Protestants) sentenced to life
for murdering 19 people. |
|
The Conflict's Extremes (1980-89) |
| 1980-84 |
1980: The Internment Law was finally repealed.
1981: Ten IRA prisoners starve to death in hunger strike designed to
secure political prisoner status.
1982: Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) republican guerrillas
bomb Ballykelly pub, killing 17 people. New Northern Ireland assembly elected
but boycotted by Catholics.
1983: IRA bomb at London Harrods store kills six.
1984: IRA bomb at British Conservative party conference kills five.
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher escapes injury.
|
| 1985-89 |
November 1985: The Anglo-Irish Agreement is signed by Britain and
ratified by the Irish government. It gives Dublin government consultative
voice in daily running of Northern Ireland, prompting Protestant
demonstrations and it determines that a united Ireland can only
be achieved by a majority vote of Northern Ireland's citizens.
1987: Eight IRA gunmen killed in ambush by British Special Air
Service commandos. IRA bomb kills 11 at Inniskillen war memorial ceremony.
1988: Three members of IRA active service unit shot dead by British
troops in Gibraltar. John Hume and Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein begin secret
talks. Westminster government bans broadcasts by Sinn Fein members.
1989: Eleven killed in IRA bomb at marines music school in southern
England. |
Conflict Timeline was compiled from
information gathered on the web by Matthew Schlukebier.
A more extensive chronology is available on the CAIN Project Web Site
(click here)
|
