c120 Ireland appeared on Ptolemy’s map of the known world. Seven rivers and five towns were marked. c400 The Dal Riada of north-east Ulster planted their first settlements in western Scotland. c425 Emain Macha (Navan Fort), ancient capital of Ulster, was destroyed by the Connachta. 432 St Patrick arrived in Ireland. 447 St Patrick made Armagh the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland. 493 St Patrick dies (some sources give 461). 500 This was the beginning of the ‘Golden Age’ of the Irish Church. Over the next century monasteries were established throughout Ireland. 546 St Colmcille founded the Monastery of Daire Calgach on the site of modern Derry. 551 Nessan the Leper founded the monastery at Bangor, Co. Down. c560 Latin became established as the language of the Irish Church. 563 St Colmcille sailed to Scotland and established a monastery on the island of Iona. 575 The King of the Ui Neill claimed sovereignty over the Dal Riada. 587 St Columbanus left Ireland on a missionary journey to the continent of Europe. 591 St Columbanus established a monastery at Luxeuil in Gaul. 610 St Columbanus travelled to northern Italy and founded the Monastery of Bobbio. 615 St Columbanus died in Bobbio, Italy. 637 Congalo Claen, King of the Dal Riada of Antrim, was killed at the Battle of Mag Roth. The Ui Neill gained dominance in Ulster. c670 St Patrick’s Day (March 17th) was first mentioned in The Life of St Gertrude of Nivelles. c680 TheAntiphonary of Bangor was written. 714 The Killnasaggart Pillar Stone was carved in Co. Armagh. It is the oldest dated monument in Ireland. c770 Monks at Bangor, probably inspired by the works of the Greek chronicler Eusebio, compiled an Irish World Chronicle. 823 Bangor was raided by the Vikings and many monks were killed. 866 Aed Finnliath drove out the Viking raiders from Donegal to Antrim. 916 Niall Glundub Mac Aeda, founder of the O’Neill septs of Ulster, became High King. 1001 Brian Boru attacked the territory of the Ui Neill. 1005 Brian Boru gave 20 ounces of gold to the Church and recognised the Bishop of Armagh as Primate of all Ireland. 1006 Brian Boru carried out a Royal circuit of Ulster unchallenged. 1014 Brian Boru defeated the Vikings and the Irish at the Battle of Clontarf but after the battle he was slain in his tent and his body was taken to Armagh for burial. 1132 St Malachy was consecrated Archbishop of Armagh. 1137 St Malachy established the Augustinian Priory in Downpatrick. 1148 St Malachy died while visiting Rome for a second time. 1171 King Henry II of England landed at Crook, near Waterford, with a large army and established his headquarters in Dublin. The Kings of Leinster, Breifne, Ulster and Airgialla submitted to Henry II. 1171 John de Courcy invaded Ulster and built a castle in Downpatrick, Co. Down. c1180 John de Courcy started construction of Carrickfergus Castle, Co. Antrim. 1185 Prince John was sent to govern Ireland. 1205 Hugh de Lacey was granted all the land of Ulster. 1210 King John returned to Ireland and drove the de Laceys out of their lordships of Meath and Ulster. 1212 An Anglo-Norman army allied itself to Scots invaders in a concerted attack on the Irish of Ulster. 1260 The joint armies of Connacht and Ulster were defeated at Downpatrick and Brian O’Neill was killed in battle. 1263 Walter de Burgh was made Earl of Ulster. 1286 Richard de Burgh succeeded to the Earldom of Ulster – he became known as the ‘Red Earl’. 1315 Edward Bruce claimed the crown of Ireland. He landed at Larne, Co. Antrim with a large Scottish army, attacked the Anglo-Norman colony and caused widespread devastation. 1318 The Scots invasion and bad harvests caused famine in the country. Edward Bruce was killed in battle at Faughart by John de Bermingham. 1326 The Red Earl of Ulster died leaving a young heir, his grandson, William, later to be known as the ‘Brown Earl’. 1327 Robert the Bruce invaded Ulster but returned to Scotland by winter. 1332 Walter Burke was starved to death in Northburgh Castle by order of the Brown Earl of Ulster. 1333 The Brown Earl was murdered in retaliation for Walter Burke at Le Ford (present-day Belfast). Norman possessions in Ulster beyond the River Bann were lost to the Irish. 1348 The Black Death arrived in Ireland. 1349 The plague spread throughout the Anglo-Norman areas. The Bishop of Armagh estimated that two-thirds of the English colony had been killed by the Black Death. 1350 The Black Death swept through Irish-held areas. 1361 There was a second outbreak of the Black Death. 1502 Bad weather caused famine and disease in many areas. 1508 The O’Donnells captured Enniskillen Castle, Co. Fermanagh from the Maguires. 1511 Hugh Dubh O’Donnell, the Great Earl’s greatest ally in Ulster, was knighted by Henry VIII. 1512 O’Donnell raised a mercenary army and defeated the Burkes of Connacht. He then forced the submission of Art O’Neill of Tyrone. 1517 Dundrum Castle, Co. Down was recaptured from the Irish MacGuinness sept. 1532 English forces demolished Dungannon Castle, the main seat of O’Neill of Tyrone. 1533 The Irish Parliament confirmed the supremacy of the See of Armagh over Dublin. 1540 Henry VIII inaugurated a ‘surrender and regrant’ policy, offering titles and favourable terms to Irish and Gaelicised English lords who submitted to English authority and law. 1542 Many important Irish and Anglo-Norman chieftains submitted. Con O’Neill was created Earl of Tyrone. 1557 Armagh was burnt by the English. 1558 Shane O’Neill murdered Matthew, Baron of Dungannon, his half-brother and rival to the Earldom of Tyrone. 1559 Shane O’Neill seized the cheiftainship of the O’Neills on the death of his father Con Bacach. Hugh O’Neill, the son of the Baron of Dungannon, was taken to England for his safety and raised as an English nobleman. 1560 The Acts Of Uniformity and Supremacy restored the Protestant faith in Ireland. 1561 Shane O’Neill was declared a traitor. 1562 Shane O’Neill went to London, where his Irish bodyguards caused much comment at Court and he submitted to Elizabeth I. 1563 Shane O’Neill was defeated at Tullahogue by Sussex. 1564 Shane O’Neill campaigned against the MacDonnells of Antrim. 1565 Shane O’Neill crushed the Scots of Antrim at Glenshesk, near Ballycastle. 1566 Shane O’Neill burned Armagh Cathedral and attacked the English garrison at Derry. 1567 The O’Donnells defeated Shane O’Neill at Farsetmore. He fled to the MacDonnells and is killed by them at Cushendun, Co. Antrim. 1571 Elizabeth I authorised a scheme to colonise the Ards Peninsula in eastern Ulster. 1573 The Earl of Ulster landed at Carrickfergus with plans to colonise Ulster. 1574 The Earl of Essex treacherously killed several thousand Irishmen at a banquet he held in Belfast. 1575 Essex was ordered to abandon his attempts to establish settlements in Ulster. Sir James Norrys massacred the MacDonnell inhabitants of Rathlin Island. 1585 Richard Creagh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh, died in the Tower of London where he had been held prisoner for 18 years. 1587 Hugh O’Neill was granted the title of Earl of Tyrone. 1588 At least 23 ships from the fleeing Spanish Armada were wrecked off the western coast of Ireland, including the galleon Girona off Dunluce Castle, Co. Antrim. 1591 Red Hugh O’Donnell, heir to the Earl of Tyrconnell, escaped from Dublin Castle and found refuge in the Wicklow Mountains with the O’Byrnes. 1592 Red Hugh O’Donnell succeeded to the chieftainship of the O’Donnells. 1593 Hugh O’Neill was inaugurated as ‘The O’Neill’. Red Hugh O’Donnell led a rebellion of O’Donnells and Maguires in Ulster. 1595 Hugh O’Neill openly joined the Ulster rebellion. O’Neill and O’Donnell petitioned King Phillip II of Spain for aid. 1596 The Ulster leaders met Alonso Cobos, a Spanish envoy. 1597 Sir John Chichester, Governor of Carrickfergus, was killed by the MacDonnells of Antrim. 1598 At the Battle of the Yellow Ford the combined forces of O’Neill, O’Donnell and Maguire overwhelmed an English army led by Sir Henry Bagenal outside Armagh. Rebellion broke out throughout Ireland. 1599 Robert Dudley, Earl of Essex, was sent to restore order in Ireland. After defeats for the English forces he agreed a truce with Hugh O’Neill and returned to England.   [Home] [What's New] [Quick Guide] [Admin Divisions] [Civil Registration] [Census] [Church Records] [Wills] [Emigrants] [Land and Property] [Other Sources] [Chronology] [Contacts] [Other Links]