1. 1916 Rising
Rebels led by Patrick Pearse and James Connolly proclaim a republic in Dublin on Easter Monday, April 24. Five hundred people die in a week of fighting against British forces. Initially hostile to the rebels, public opinion begins to soften following executions of republican leaders.
2. 1919 The First Dáil
Led by De Valera, Sinn Féin wins 73 of 105 Irish seats in the House of Commons in the 1918 General Election and declares independence in the First Dáil on January 21, 1919. The same day, Irish Volunteers kill two RIC officers.
3. 1919-1921 War of Independence
Organised by Michael Collins and largely supported by the Dáil, the IRA wages a guerrilla war that escalates from November 1920 onwards, concentrated in Dublin, Cork and Belfast. A truce is called on July 11, 1921.
4. 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty
Sent to London against his will, Collins signs the Treaty on December 6, 1921. It provides for an Irish Free State with most of the symbols and powers of independence, albeit within the Commonwealth. “Think what I have got for Ireland,” Collins wrote that morning. “Will anyone be satisfied? I tell you this. Early this morning I signed my own death warrant.”
5. 1922 Irish Free State
The Treaty is ratified 64-57 by the Second Dáil on January 7, 1922. Pro-Treaty parties secure 75 per cent of the vote in an ensuing election. De Valera and IRA hardliners refuse to recognise the result. A bloody Civil War breaks out, killing Collins, Cathal Brugha and thousands more. The Free State comes into being on December 6, 1922. WT Cosgrave is head of Government.
6. 1937 Constitution
A narrow majority of the electorate ratifies a new Constitution, the culmination of De Valera’s efforts to remove any vestiges of British authority in Ireland. Yet the document did not (and does not) call Ireland a Republic.
7. 1948 Republic
John A. Costello’s Fine Gael-led Government signs the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 into law on December 21.
8. 1973 Europe entry
On January 1, 1973, 10 years after a first bid was suspended, Ireland joins the European Economic Community, forerunner to the EU. More than 83 per cent vote in favour.
9. 1998 Belfast Agreement
Voters across the island ratify the Belfast Agreement, heralding the end of The Troubles – and Dublin’s territorial claim on the North.
10. 2013 Bailout Exit
In December 2013, Taoiseach Enda Kenny announces Ireland’s exit from a €67.5 billion troika bailout programme, restoring “Ireland’s economic sovereignty”.
