Gaelic tribal society converted to Christianity by St. Patrick in the 5th century, becoming a center of medieval learning.
12th–17th Century: Sequential Anglo-Norman invasions and Tudor plantations bring Ireland under complete English crown rule.
1845–1852: Great Famine causes widespread starvation and triggers mass international emigration.
1916–1921: Easter Rising and War of Independence lead to the Government of Ireland Act (1920), which partitions the island, and the Anglo-Irish Treaty (1921), which creates the Irish Free State.
1949: Formally declares a Republic, leaving the British Commonwealth.
1990s–2000s: Transitions from an agrarian economy into the "Celtic Tiger," becoming a European hub for global tech and pharmaceuticals.