1. Early Settlements and Conquests

• First settlers: From Scotland (~8000 BCE), followed by Celts (~600 BCE).
• Christianization: Began in 432 CE with Saint Patrick’s missions.
• Successive invasions: Vikings (795 CE) and Anglo-Normans (12th century).

2. Geopolitical and Religious Context

• Division of Ireland:
• South (Eire): Independent Republic.
• North (Ulster): Part of the UK.
• Ulster (Protestant-majority): Initially 9 counties; now 6 under UK rule.
• Historical tension: Resulting from religious divides (Catholic vs. Protestant) and colonialism.

3. Tudor and Stuart Periods (16th–17th Centuries)

• Henry VII and Poynings’ Law (1494): Irish laws needed English approval.
• Henry VIII: Religious tension began with England’s separation from Rome.
• Elizabeth I: Conquered Ireland but struggled to maintain control. Discrimination against Catholics through Penal Laws.

4. The Plantation Policy (1603–1625)

• James I: Introduced the Plantation of Ulster:
• Dispossessed Catholic landowners.
• Settled Protestants loyal to the Crown, mainly Presbyterians from Scotland.
• By the 19th century, 95% of Irish land was Protestant-owned.
• Flight of the Earls (1607): Irish nobles fled, paving the way for colonization.

5. Rebellion and Civil War (1641–1649)

• Charles I’s reign:
• Limited focus on Ireland; unrest grew.
• Irish Catholics rebelled in 1641, killing 10,000 Protestant settlers.
• Impact: The rebellion contributed to the English Civil War as tensions with Parliament escalated.