c. 8000-6000 bce
Early Mesolithic people (hunters and gathers) begin to populate Ireland from the North East over a land bridge from Scotland and from the South, by migrating peoples from Iberia.

c. 3100 bce
New Grange and other megaliths of the Boyne valley are built

c. 1200s bce
Troy is destroyed by the Greeks

c. 750 bce
Greek writing begins

c. 600 bce
From this date, Bronze Age Ireland is influenced by Iron Age Celtic culture. The exact nature of this influence, including its starting date, is debated, but may be in line with the culture of the Hallstatt Celts around the headwaters of the Rhine, Rhone and Danube.

c. 200 bce – 200 ce
Ireland has developed or been deeply influenced by Celtic culture.

c. 0-300 ce
Ulster grows in power and wealth, overshadowing other areas of Ireland. The bases for the Ulster Cycle are laid.

379-405 ce
Niall of the Nine Hostages rules north central Ireland. The rise of the Ui Neill dynasty has begun; they will drive the waning culture of Ulster North and East. They will later to refer to their “ancestors” as Milesians.

c. 432 ce
This is a traditional date, though debated, for St. Patrick’s arrival in Ireland. Scholars agree that he arrives during the fifth century.

500s ce
Ui Neill strengthen hold on Tara and Northern and Central Ireland; writing begins in earnest

600s-700s and beyond ce
Ui Neill become a dominant Irish dynasty; Ui Neill filid keep busy “creating” Milesian history

543-577
St Columbanus lives

c. 600-651
St Aidan lives

795
The Vikings begin raiding Ireland

841
The Vikings found Dublin

976
Brian Boru becomes king of Munster

1002
Brian Boru becomes Ard Ri

1014
The battle of Clontarf. The Irish defeat the Vikings; Brian Boru is killed.

1155
Pope Adrian IV (an Englishman) grants the English king the right to invade Ireland to sort out the Irish Church

1166
Rory O’Connor becomes High King of Ireland; Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster, is deposed

1167
Dermot returns to Ireland with promises of aid from Richard de Clare (Strongbow).

1169
The first English soldiers arrive in Ireland and capture Wexford

1170
Strongbow brings more soldiers. They capture Waterford and Dublin.

1171
Dermot dies; Henry II leads an army to Waterford. Strongbow submits to the king and is rewarded by being made Lord of Leinster.

1175
The Treaty of Windsor between King Henry II and Rory O’Connor. Henry agrees to let Rory rule all Ireland outside Leinster, Meath and Waterford. In return Rory submits to Henry as his overlord.

c. 1192-1250
The English extend their rule to parts of western Ireland

c. 1250-1350 The English hold on Ireland weakens. Norman landowners are gradually absorbed into Irish society.

1366
The Statutes of Kikenny.

1400-1450
The English lose control of Ireland except for Dublin and the surrounding area known as the Pale

1495
Poyning’s law emasculates the Irish Parliament within the Pale.

1541
King Henry VIII changes his title from Lord of Ireland to king. The Irish parliament assents.

1556
Queen Mary plants English settlers on land confiscated from Irish rebels in Laois and Offaly.

1586
Queen Elizabeth plants lands confiscated from the Irish rebels in Munster

1593-1603
The Nine Years War

1607
The flight of the Earls

1610
The start of the planting of Ulster