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History of Ireland

Ireland has been inhabited since neolithic times (6000 BC). Celts invaded about the 4th century BC. Since English invasions started in the 12th century AD, the Anglo-Irish struggle has continued. From 1800 to 1921, Ireland was part of the United Kingdom. The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 established the Irish Free State which, after World War II, left the British Commonwealth and became a republic. Six northern counties on the island of Ireland--Northern Ireland--remain part of the United Kingdom. Irish politics remain dominated by the two political parties that grew out of Ireland's bitter 1922-23 civil war. Fianna Fail was formed by those who opposed the 1921 treaty that partitioned the island. Although treaty opponents lost the civil war, Fianna Fail soon became Ireland's largest political party. Fine Gael, representative of the pro-treaty forces, remains the country's second-largest party. In recent years, however, there have been signs that this largely two-party structure is evolving. Mary Robinson of the Labour Party shocked the political establishment by winning the 1990 presidential election. Articulating a progressive agenda for Ireland's future, and outspoken on social issues, Robinson represented a distinct break from the conservative politics of the two major parties. The November 1992 general election confirmed this trend. The two main parties lost ground as the Labour Party scored a historic breakthrough, winning 19% of the vote and 33 seats in the House. As a result of the election, Labour held the balance of power between the two largest parties and initially chose to go into coalition with Fianna Fail. That government collapsed in November 1994, and Labour again demonstrated its new role when it dictated the terms of a new "rainbow" government coalition with Fine Gael and the Democratic Left. In 1997, however, there was a return to a more traditional model. In the June general election, Labour lost heavily and was reduced to 18 seats in the Dail. Though Fianna Fail did not win an outright majority, it increased its seats to 76 and was able to form a coalition with the much smaller (4 seats) Progressive Democrats. Fine Gael also picked up seats but was unable to form a coalition with the much-reduced Labour Party. In the November 1997 presidential election, Fianna Fail candidate Mary McAleese, a lawyer from Northern Ireland, won a record victory over four other candidates.