History: Extracted from 'THE UNITED IRISHMEN' - 'OUTLINE OF HISTORY' *********************************************** Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives Islandwide Index Copyright ************************************************ File contributed by: C. Hunt & M. Taylor 'THE UNITED IRISHMEN' - 'OUTLINE OF HISTORY' CHRONOLOGICAL OUTLINE OF IRISH HISTORY FROM LEGENDARY DAYS TO THE EARLY PART OF THE THE TWENTIETH CENTURY Tabulated by Horace S. MEESE There is little but conjecture as to the earliest inhabitants of Ireland, known at the time of the Milesian invasion as Inis Ealga (The Noble Isle) The Phonecians certainly had an extensive trade with the inhabitants, but as to their manners and customs, all is lost in obscurity. There seems however to have been a marked difference between the Firbolgs, the pastoral inhabitants and the Tuathat-da-Danaans, the traders. The Milesian colonists reached Ireland from Spain, but were an Eastern people who bore the "Sacred Banner of the Milesians"; a flag on which was represented a dead serpent and the rod of Moses. This emblem was selected after the miraculous curing of young Gadelius, son of Niul, son of the king of Scythia, by Moses while the Israelites were in the wilderness. After the healing of the youth, who had been bitten by a poisonous serpent, the man of God prophesied that the posterity of the prince should inhabit a country where no venomous reptile could live, an island they should see and find in the track of the setting sun. The search for this promised land led the people of Gadelius across a wide expanse of Southern Europe, tarrying in Spain long enough to build the city of Brigantia. Finallt the third generation after Gadelius, Ith, an uncle of Milesius, in cruising along the Northern coast sighted the "promised Isle" and on landing to explore it, was attacked by the inhabitants, wounded and died while being conveyed homeward. The entire Milesian host joined in the invasion of Ireland to avenge the death of Ith and also to occupy the land promised them, "the isle they had seen in their dreams." The following chronology has been prepared after a careful comparison of the available data and where conflicting years were given the one used herein is that sustained by the majority of Irish historians. The most complete record previously published was prepared by Thomas DAVIS for "The Nation" and in general this has been followed, although many additions and changes have been made, by which it has been endeavored to make it more complete and instructive. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B.C. Pathholani landed in Ireland ............................. 2048 Descent of the Damonii ..................................... 1463 Settlement of Ireland by the Sons of Milesius ............... 1400 Establishment of the Feis Tara or Triennial Parliament of Tara by Ollamh Fodhla, or Ollav Folla ......... 1000 Thirty-two kings are said to have reigned between Ollamh Fodhla and Kimbaoth, whose sway terminated about ............................................. 300 (The Palace of Emania was built during Kimbaoth's reign) Conquovar, King of Ulster, reforms the Bardic or Literary Order ...................................... 40 (The reign of this monarch, variously known as Conquovar, Conchobhar or Conor Mac Nessa embraces the great Conorian cycle of Irish legendary history. The heroic characters, Cuchullin, Fergus, Queen Maev, Diedre, etc. were of this period) Revolt Against the Milesians by the Firbolgs and Tuatha-da-Danaans ...................................... 90 Recall of the Milesian Princes from Albion by Moran ..... 125 Re-establisment of the Milesian sway ....................... 130 Irish settlements founded in Scotland by Carbri Riada ....... 150 King Feidlim, the Legislator, establishes the "Laws of Eric"........... 164 Christianity first known in Ireland ....................... 200 Establishment of the Irish Legal Code and Chronicles at Tara by Ard-re-Cormac I ....................................... 250-266 The period just following marks the Zenith of the Fenian organization (the Fianna Eirion) under Finn Mac Cumhal, Ossian, Oscar, etc., which wasa finally destroyed at Gaura by the army under Carbri the Second ........................................ 280 The Palace of Emania destroyed during a civil war .............. 333 Birth of St. Patrick ........................................ 387 Invasion of Britain by Nial of the Nine Hostages ............... 396 Landing of St. Patrick in Ireland .............................. 432 Dathi, the last of Ireland's Pagan monarchs, [p239] killed at the foot of the Alps while on a military expedition .. 436 Establishment of Christianity ................................ 448 Death of St. Patrick ......................... Mar. 17 493 According to some Historians the year is given as .............. 465 Last Triennial council held at Tarra .................. 554 or 556 Great convention of Drumceat ................................ 573 Raiding of the Irish coast by King Ecgfrith of Northumbria ............. 684 Invasion by the Danes and Normans ........................... 775-795 Founding of Dublin ........................................ 800 Establishments of other settlements by the Danes ............ 800-840 Victory of Brian Boru over the Danes at Clontarf, Good Friday, April 23rd 1014 Synod of Kells: supremacy of the Church of Rome acknowledged ........................................ 1152 Sovereignty of Ireland granted by Henry II by Papal Bull of Adrian IV ........................................ 1154 or 1159 Dermond M'MURROUGH, King of Leinster driven from his throne ............. 1166 Strongbow lands at Waterford .............................. May 1169 Death of DERMOND .............................................. 1171 landing of Henry II near Waterford; submission of the princes accepted ..................................Oct. 18 1171 First Parliament or Council held by Henry II at Lismore ................. 1172 Prince John sent at Lord Lieutenant of Ireland ................. 1185 English settlers adopt Irish names, manners and clothing ............... 1200 Ireland temporarily subdued by King John ........................ 1210 Magna Charta granted to Ireland by Henry III .................... 1216 Sovereignty of Ireland granted under certain conditions to Prince Edward by Henry III ..................................................... 1254 Irish petition Edward I for an extension of English laws and usages to them ................................ 1277 Kilkenny Parliament held by Sir John WOGAN Lord Justice ................. 1295 Second Parliament at Kilkenny; the enactments of this session, under Sir John WOGAN, are known as BOLTON'S IRISH STATUTES ...................................... 1309 Edward BRUCE invades Ireland landing at Antrim, ........May 25 1315 Crowned King of Ireland near Dundalk ............................ 1316 Defeat and death of BRUCE at Foughart (Faghard) near Dundalk ... Oct. 14 1318 Irish Parliament meets at Kilkenny to protest against decree of Edward III to allow none to hold official position in Ireland unless absolutely free from family or financial interest in that country: ........................... Nov. 1342 Lionel, Duke of Clarence, third son of Edward III sent as Lord Lieutenant ............................. 1360 Lionel marries Elizabeth de Burgh, daughter of the King of Ulster ...... 1361 Kilkenny Parliament assembled by Lionel and celebrated anti-Irish statute passed prohibiting adoption of Irish costume or customs and intermarriage with the Irish to the Anglo-Irish of the Pale. ....................................... 1367 Uprising against English restrictions culminating in the battle of Limerick ................................. 1369 First act against absentees passed ......................... 1379 Richard III lands at Waterford with many nobles. four thousand men-at-arms and thirty thousand archers; knighthood conferred on many chiefs. ......................................................... 1394 Second landing of Richard in Ireland ......................... 1399 Colleges at Youghla and Drogheda founded by the Earl of Desmond, Lord Deputy ................................. 1463 Sanguinary head act passed at Trim by the Earl of Desmond ............... 1465 Irish ordered to dress like the English and adopt surnames (Apparel and surname act.) ............................. 1465 Institution of the Brotherhood of St. George for the protection of the Pale. ................................. 1472 Lambert SIMNEL and Perkin WARBECK supported by the Irish ................ 1487 Sir Edward POYNING made Lord Deputy by Henry VII ................ 1493 "POYNING'S LAW" passed, subjecting the Irish Parliament's acts to the supervision of Council ................. 1494 Great Rebellion of the Geraldines ............................... 1534 First step of the Reformation in Ireland ........................ 1534 Henry VIII's supremacy enacted by statute ....................... 1536 Suppression of religious houses ordered by law .................. 1537 Henry VIII asumes title of King instead of Lord of Ireland. ............. 1542 Revolt of John O'NEILL the Proud ................................ 1567 Ireland finally divided into shires ............................. 1569 Printing in Irish characters introduced by N. WALSH, Chancellor of St. Patrick's ............................................. 1571 Massacre of Mulaghmast ......................................... 1577 Organization of the Geraldine League and last Earl of Desmond proclaimed a traitor ............................ 1579 Seven hundred Italians, headed by FITZMAURICE, land in Kerry and are treacherously butchered by the Earl of Ormond ............. 1580 Earl of Desmond assassinated ................ 1583 Attainder of Desmond's followers: forfeiture of his estates - 574,682 Irish acres - and institution of the plantation system by Elizabeth ......................................................... 1586 Escape of Aodh O'DONNELL (Hugh ROE) from Dublin Castle ..................................Dec. 25 1592 University of Dublin founded ................................. 1592 Revolt of Hugh O'NEILL ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 1595 Defeat of the English at Blackwatwer .....................Aug 14 1598 Spaniards settle at Kinsale ..................................... 1601 Defeat of O'DONNELL and O'NEILL at Kinsale by Lord Deputy Mountjoy ...... 1602 Lord Deputy Mountjoy poisoned at Simancas, Spain by contrivance of CAREW, President of Munster ...................... 1602 Submission of O'NEILL (Tyrone) to Mountjoy ...............Mar 30 1603 Flight of Tyrone and Tyrconnell and seizure of six entire counties (Cavan, Fermanagh, Armagh, Derry, Tyrone and Tyrconnell, now Donegal) amounting to 511,456 Irish acres. ....................................... 1607 St. Cathair O'DOUGHERTY'S rising ..........................May 1 1608 Creation of 14 peers and 40 new boroughs and assembling of a Parliament to support the new plantation of Ulster by attainder and outlawry of the inhabitants .......................................May 18 1613 Lands of Ulster divided among Scottish and English settlers by James I ... 1613 Commission for inquiry into defective titles .................. 1616 Lord WENTWORTH'S oppressive proceedings to find title in the crown to the province of Connaught ................................. 1635 Ulster Civil War; MORE and MAQUIRE'S rebellion; Catholics said to be conspiring to expel the English and massacre the Protestant settlers in Ulster; commenced on St. Ignatius' Day; (some doubt the massacre) ....................................Oct 23 1641 The confederated Catholics form a general assembly and supreme council at Kilkenny "Pro Deo, pro rege, et patria Hibernia, unanimes - " their motto. .......................................................... 1642 Owen Roe O'NEILL defeats the English under MONROE at Benburb, near Armagh ............................June 5 1646 Revolt ended by treaty ....................................Jan 17 1649 CROMWELL arrives in Dublin .................................Aug 15 1649 Siege, storming and massacre of Drogheda ..............Sept. 2-15 1649 Siege and massacre of Wexford ...........................Oct. 1 1649 Death of Owen Roe O'NEILL at Cloch-Nachdar, Castle, County Cavan ..Nov 6 1649 Cromwell returns to England ............................... May 29 1650 Irish war proclaimed ended by act of Parliament ............ Sept 26 1653 Act of Grace, ordering Irish Catholics to retire to Connaught on pain of death - "To hell or Connaught -" before March 1 ............. 1654 Acts of settlement and explanation ................,, May 8 1661 7,800.000 acres confiscated and distributed .............................. 1666 James II lands at Kinsale ................................ Mar 12 1689 Irish Parliament summoned .................................May 7 1689 Three thousand Protestants attained ...................... July 1689 William III lands at Carrickfergus ...................... June 14 1690 Battle of the Boyne, James defeated ......................July 1 1690 Siege of Limerick under William III raised by SARSFIELD .. Aug 30 1690 Athlone taken after a gallant defence ..........................June 30 1691 Battle of Aughrim ..................................July 12 1691 Capitulation and treaty of Limerick ......................Oct 3 1691 Treaty confirmed by William III ......................... April 5 1692 Violation of the treaty of Limerick - 7 William III c. 67 - Catholic education at home and abroad prohibited .......................... Aug. 1695 Banishment of Catholics archbishops, bishops, vicar-general and all regular clergy on pain of death - 9 William III, c. 1 ............... 1697 MOLYNEUX published his famous "Case of Ireland being bound by acts of Parliament passed in England" ........................ 1698 Petition of the Irish House of Commons for legislative independence or union ......................................... 1703 "Act to Prevent the further growth of Popery" passed Mar 4 1704 English Parliament passes act to secure the dependency of Ireland, 6 Geo. I ................................. 1720 WOOD'S half-pence patent granted and unanimous opposition by all Irish sects and parties; the first time all the elements of Irish patriotism worked in harmony ...................................................... 1724 Roman Catholics disfranchised 1 Geo. II,c.9 s.8 ......................... 1728 Irish gentry transfer the burden of the tithe of agistment to the farmers and peasantry ......................... 1737 Dr. LUCAS becomes prominent in Dublin ......................... 1743 Battle of Fontenoy ....................................Apr 30 1745 Dr. Lucas driven from Ireland ................................. 1749 House of Commons successfully asserts its control over surplus revenue, in oppostion to Government ........................................ Dec 17 1753 First public effort by O'CONNOR and CURRY to instill a spirit of freedom into the Irish people regardless of religion .................. 1756 THUROT'S invasion; small French naval force plunders Carrickfergus .............................................Feb 1760 WYSE and CURRY organize the Catholic Committee .......Mar. & Apr 1760 Dr. LUCAS sent to the first parliament of George III. as representative of the city of Dublin .................................. 1761 Oak Boy movement ................................................1761-2 Establishment of the "Freeman's Journal" by Dr. Lucas - the first independent Irish newspaper ................................. 1763 Duration of Parliament limited to eight years ................. 1768 Hearts of Steel organized ....................................... 1771 First relaxation of the penal code. Catholics allowed long tenures of land, etc. .............................................. 1778 Formation of "The Volunteers" ................................... 1778 Ireland admitted to free trade ................................. 1779 Peep-o'- day Boys activities .................................... 1780 -------------------------------------------- Transcriber's Note: Preceding excerpt covers Ireland from the years 40 BC to 1780 A D - contained in pages 236 through 245 of the following source: (to be continued) -------------------------------------------- Source: Madden, Richard Robert, "The United Irishmen Their Lives And Times". 1916. New York: The Catholic Publication Society of America