[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Ireland ] The earliest known evidence of human presence in Ireland dates to about 12,500 years ago. The receding of the ice after the Younger Dryas cold phase of the Quaternary around 9700 BC heralds the beginning of Prehistoric Ireland, which includes the archaeological periods known as the Mesolithic, the Neolithic from about 4000 BC, the Copper and Bronze Age from about 2300 BC and Iron Age beginning about 600 BC. Ireland's bronze age begins with the emergence of "protohistoric" Gaelic Ireland in the 2nd Millennium BC and ends with arrival of Celtic la Tène culture by central Europe Medieval Ireland existed from about 590 to 1536, when Henry II's son John was made Lord of Ireland. ------------------------------------------------------ History of Ireland (400–800) The early medieval history of Ireland (often called Early Christian Ireland) spans the 5th to 7th centuries, from the gradual emergence out of the protohistoric period (Ogham inscriptions in Primitive Irish, mentions Greco-Roman ethnography) to the beginning of the Viking Age. The period notably includes the Hiberno-Scottish mission of Christianized Ireland to regions of pagan Britain and the spread of Irish cultural influence to Continental Europe History of Ireland (800–1169) This period is from the first Viking raids to the Norman invasion. The first two centuries of this period are characterized by Viking raids and the subsequent Norse settlements along the coast. Viking ports were established at Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Cork and Limerick, which became the first large towns in Ireland. Ireland at that time consisted of many semi-independent túatha, and during the entire period, attempts were made by various factions to gain political control over the whole of the island. For the first two centuries of this period, this was mainly a rivalry between putative High Kings of Ireland from the northern and southern branches of the Uí Néill. The one who came closest to being de facto king over the whole of Ireland, however, was Brian Boru, the first high king in this period not belonging to the Uí Néill. Following Brian's death at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, the political situation became more complex with rivalry for high kingship from several clans and dynasties. Brian's descendants failed to maintain a unified throne, and regional squabbling over territory led indirectly to the invasion of the Norman's under Richard de Clare in 1169 History of Ireland (1169–1536) This period is from the arrival of the Cambro-Norman's to the reign of Henry II of England, who made his son, Prince John, Lord of Ireland. After the Norman invasions of 1169 and 1171, Ireland was under an alternating level of control from Norman lords and the King of England. Previously, Ireland had seen intermittent warfare between provincial kingdoms over the position of High King. This situation was transformed by intervention in these conflicts by Norman mercenaries and later the English crown. After their successful conquest of England, the Norman's turned their attention to Ireland. Ireland was made a Lordship of the King of England and much of its land was seized by Norman barons. With time, Hiberno-Norman rule shrank to a territory known as the Pale, stretching from Dublin to Dundalk. The Hiberno-Norman lords elsewhere in the country became Gaelicised and integrated in Gaelic society [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland_in_the_Middle_Ages ] Ireland became a more-or-less independent country in 1534 with the Tudor conquest of Ireland. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Northern Ireland (Irish: Tuaisceart Éireann / Ulster-Scots: Norlin Airlann) is variously described as a country, province or region which is today a part of the United Kingdom. It is located in the northeast of the island of Ireland, and shares a border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland Six counties (Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone) and two local urban county boroughs, Derry (geographically part of the County of Londonderry) and Belfast (geographically split between the counties of Antrim and Down) were split off as N. Ireland in May 3rd, 1921… this was merged into the United Kingdom in 1922 along with England, Scotland and Wales [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counties_of_Northern_Ireland ] See place note in Ireland for more details See place note in Ireland for more details