Historical Definitions
Act of Union: the law that came into force on January 1, 1801, abolishing Ireland’s independent parliament in Dublin and uniting Ireland in a single political body with England, Scotland and Wales, ruled by the British Houses of Parliament at Westminster in London.
Catholic/Roman Catholic: a Christian who recognizes the pope as God’s representative on earth and accepts his teachings and interpretations of the Bible as God’s truth.
Celts: an ancient people who dominated western and central Europe from about 500 B.C. to 1 B.C. Celtic tribes landed in Ireland around 400 B.C.
Celtic: A subfamily of the Indo-European language family, including Welsh, Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic
Home Rule: a campaign in Ireland and Britain in the late 19th century to allow the Irish to make their own laws concerning local issues, such as education and taxation, while allowing Britain to keep control of matters like foreign affairs and defense.
Industrial Revolution: the period of rapid economic change in the late 18th and early 19th centuries Britain, marked by the growth of factories and machinery to manufacture products cheaply and in large numbers.
Irish Republican Army (IRA): Irish military group, founded in about 1919, to fight for Irish independence. Since the 1960's it has carried on a terrorist campaign in both Britain and Northern Ireland designed to defeat British rule in Northern Ireland.
Normans: Vikings that have settled in France. They conquered England in 1066 A.D.
''Plantation'' Method: Invented by Queen Mary I. Rebel Irish families were evicted from their lands and English settlers or loyal Irish were then ''planted'' on those lands.
Protestant: a Christian who does not believe that the pope is God’s leader on earth and who rejects some of the practices and beliefs of the Roman Catholic church. The first Protestants separated from the Roman Catholic church in the 16th century in a movement known as The Reformation.
Saint Patrick’s Day: an annual celebration on March 17 of parades, dances and church services commemorating Saint Patrick’s introduction of Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century.
Sinn Fein: Irish political party, meaning “Ourselves Alone,” founded in 1905 to campaign for Irish independence. Sine the creation of the Irish Free State in 1921, Sinn Fein has campaigned for the British to leave Northern Ireland and for the north and south to be reunited under one independent Irish government.
Vikings: the fiercest warriors who have ever lived. They also built some of the fastest ships at that time. They invaded Ireland in 795 A.D.
Catholic/Roman Catholic: a Christian who recognizes the pope as God’s representative on earth and accepts his teachings and interpretations of the Bible as God’s truth.
Celts: an ancient people who dominated western and central Europe from about 500 B.C. to 1 B.C. Celtic tribes landed in Ireland around 400 B.C.
Celtic: A subfamily of the Indo-European language family, including Welsh, Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic
Home Rule: a campaign in Ireland and Britain in the late 19th century to allow the Irish to make their own laws concerning local issues, such as education and taxation, while allowing Britain to keep control of matters like foreign affairs and defense.
Industrial Revolution: the period of rapid economic change in the late 18th and early 19th centuries Britain, marked by the growth of factories and machinery to manufacture products cheaply and in large numbers.
Irish Republican Army (IRA): Irish military group, founded in about 1919, to fight for Irish independence. Since the 1960's it has carried on a terrorist campaign in both Britain and Northern Ireland designed to defeat British rule in Northern Ireland.
Normans: Vikings that have settled in France. They conquered England in 1066 A.D.
''Plantation'' Method: Invented by Queen Mary I. Rebel Irish families were evicted from their lands and English settlers or loyal Irish were then ''planted'' on those lands.
Protestant: a Christian who does not believe that the pope is God’s leader on earth and who rejects some of the practices and beliefs of the Roman Catholic church. The first Protestants separated from the Roman Catholic church in the 16th century in a movement known as The Reformation.
Saint Patrick’s Day: an annual celebration on March 17 of parades, dances and church services commemorating Saint Patrick’s introduction of Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century.
Sinn Fein: Irish political party, meaning “Ourselves Alone,” founded in 1905 to campaign for Irish independence. Sine the creation of the Irish Free State in 1921, Sinn Fein has campaigned for the British to leave Northern Ireland and for the north and south to be reunited under one independent Irish government.
Vikings: the fiercest warriors who have ever lived. They also built some of the fastest ships at that time. They invaded Ireland in 795 A.D.