The Potato Famine Between 1846 and 1851 almost a million Irish people died due to the Great Famine whereby hardly potatoes were harvested. As potatoes were and still are a staple food in the diets of the Irish, the lack of harvest left many to starve to death. The famine also made many people to emigrant to countries such as America in the hope of starting a better life. The cause of the famine was a potato disease called potato blight. Even with fewer crops, Ireland were still the number one in exports of grain crops however only the landowners reaped the rewards so now many people see this period as an indirect form of genocide.
The First & Second Home Rule Bills This was introduced in April 1886 by PM William Gladstone to create a devolved assembly in Ireland which would then go on to govern Ireland in certain areas. Britain would still have some 'reserved powers' over key policy issues such as war, foreign policy and defense. The second home rule bill was again proposed by Gladstone however unlike the first one it wasn't defeated in the commons. The Lords vetoed the proposed bill. Both bills were drafted in secret by Gladstone himself without the input of anyone else. This lead to there being a miscalculation as to the amount that Ireland should give to Britain which is why it was defeated both times.
The Easter Rising This is also known as the Easter Rebellion and was an armed uprising or 'insurrection' during the week of Easter in 1916. It occurred due to the Irish republicans wanting independence from Britain. They succeeded and that is how the Republic of Ireland came about. It is the most significant uprising in Irish history
Civil War This occurred between June 1922 and May 1923. The conflict was over whether they should accept the Anglo- Irish Treaty which would give Ireland the independence that they wanted. However, it meant that Ireland wouldn't be a full republic country and would still have to answer to Britain for a number of cases and this is why Irish nationalists such as the IRA didn't want to accept it. About 2,000 people died in the war.
Bloody Sunday This happened on 30th January 1972 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland where 26 civil right protesters and bystanders where killed by soldiers of the British Army. The first investigation into the incident happened almost immediately and the courts ruled that the soldiers in question were cleared of all charges. However, the Saville inquiry which was launched in 1998 found in 2010 controversial information which could re-open the investigation and lead to criminal charges bought against the soldiers. The report found that the killings were unjustifiable and unjustified especially as those killed were unarmed at the time. After the publication of the report, David Cameron made a public apology on behalf of the country.