19th Century
| 1800 | Act of Union - Ireland governed henceforth by Westminster. |
| 1803 | Robert Emmet's rising, trial and execution (Sept. 20). |
| 1810 (June 20) | Unlawful Oaths Act extends powers against secret societies (reinforced 1823, 1839). |
| 1813 | First recorded "Twelth of July" sectarian riots in Belfast. |
| 1822 | Irish Constabulary Act (establishing county police forces and a salaried magistracy. |
| 1823 | Catholic Association founded, led by Daniel O'Connell. |
| 1825 | (Mar. 18) Catholic Association dissolved in accordance with Unlawful Societies Act; reconstituted , 13, July. |
| 1828 | Daniel O'Connell elected for County Clare. |
| 1829 | Catholic Emancipation passed, enabling Catholics to enter Parliament and hold civil and military offices. |
| 1834 | O'Connell introduces debate on the Repeal of the Union. |
| 1837 | Accession of Queen Victoria. |
| 1840 | O'Connell's Repeal Association founded. |
| 1841 | Census population, 8,175,124. |
| 1842 | Foundation of Young Ireland newspaper, The Nation founded by Thomas Davis. |
| 1843 | O'Connell's 'Monster Meetings' for Repeal of the Union. |
| 1845 | Blight in the potato harvest. Beginning of Great Famine (1845 - 1849). Nearly a million perish and another million emigrate, mainly to the U.S., Canada and Australia. Over the next fifty years the Irish population is halved, due mainly to emigration, from over 8 million in 1841 to 4.5 million in 1901. |
| 1846 | Repeal of Corn Laws. August sees Public Works started but stopped due to expectation of new harvest. Total failure of potato harvest. Public Works restarted. October sees first deaths from starvation.
Young Irelanders split from Daniel O'Connell's Repeal Association (over the issue of physical force) and form the Irish Confederation(Jan. 1847). |
| 1847 | Foundation of Irish Confederation. Free rations first handed out from Government soup kitchens, thus leading to distress thrown on localities. |
| 1848 - 1849 | (Feb. 12) John Mitchell starts the United Irishman. Mitchell arrested, tried and sentenced to transportation. Worst years of Great Famine. Rebellion by Young Ireland movement, led by William Smith O'Brien. Battle of the Widow MacCormack's Cabbage Garden at Ballingarry,Tipperary (Aug. 5). Rebels tried and sentenced to death, commuted to transportation. |
| 1851 | Census: population, 6,552,385. |
| 1852 | First St. Patrick's Day march in New York. |
| 1856 | Phoenix Society formed at Skibbereen by O'Donovan Rossa. |
| 1858 | After James Stephens returns from France, he establishes the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Fenian Brotherhood founded in U.S.A by John O'Mahoney. |
| 1861 | Beginning of American Civil War.
Census: population, 5,798,967 |
| 1866 | Archbishop Paul Cullen becomes the first Irish Cardinal. |
| 1867 | (Feb. 11-12)Fenian disturbances in England and Ireland, including attempted risings in Munster and Dublin.
(June 20) Clan na Gael founded in New York. Execution of 3 Fenians - the "Manchester Martyrs" - folowing the killing of a policeman during the resuce of 2 IRB prisoners in Manchester (Nov. 23). Fenian bomb outside Clerkenwell gaol (prison) explodes and kills a dozen people. |
| 1869 | Disestablishment of the Church of Ireland by W.E. Gladstone.
(Nov. 22) O'Donovan Rossa contests and wins Tipperary by-election in absentia; declared ineligible as convicted felon. |
| 1870 | Gladstone's first Land Act recognizing tenant's right (August) and the foundation of Home Government Association by Isacc Butt (on the platform of returning self-government to Ireland)(September). |
| 1871 | Census: population, 5,412,377. |
| 1874 | Butt's Home Rule motion defeated 458-61 in Commons. |
| 1875 | Charles Stewart Parnell elected MP for County Meath. |
| 1877 | Parnell becomes President of Home Rule Confederation of Great Britain. |
| 1879 | Threat of famine in Ireland. Irish National Land League founded, instigated by Michael Davitt and Charles Stewart Parnell, widespread evictions. |
| 1879 - 1882 | Land War. |
| 1881 | Gladstone's second Land Act.
Parnell arrested. Census: population, 5,174,836. |
| 1882 | (May 2) Parnell released under terms of 'Kilmainham Treaty'.
(May 6) Secretary of State for Ireland, Lord Frederick Cavendish, and Under-Secretary, T.H. Burke, stabbed to death in Dublin by the Irish Invincibles, known as the Phoenix Park Murders. (Oct. 17) Foundation of Irish National League. |
| 1884 | (Nov. 1) Foundation of Gaelic Athletic Association. |
| 1886 | (Feb. 16) Irish hierarchy formally endorse Home Rule.
(Feb. 22) Lord Randolph Churchill's militant speech to loyalists at Ulster Hall, Belfast. (June 8) Gladstone's Home Rule Bill defeated. |
| 1891 | Parnell marries Katharine O'Shea (June), dies at Brighton (October).
Census: population, 4,704,750. |
| 1893 | Second Home Rule Bill passed by Commons, rejected by Lords. Gaelic League founded. |
| 1898 | (Jan. 23) William O'Brien's, United Irish League founded.
(June 27-July 1)Ancient Order of Hibernians revived and strengthened by unity congress in USA; similar process in Ireland, Mar. 4, 1902. |