History Of Britain & Ireland Apr 2026

: Following the Roman departure, waves of Anglo-Saxon and Viking invaders reshaped the political landscape, including the Viking founding of Dublin around 800 AD. The Age of Conquest and Religious Reform

Human history on these islands began following the retreat of the Ice Age around 10,000 BCE, with the first settlers likely crossing from Scotland into Ireland via a land bridge.

: Henry VIII consolidated control, declaring himself King of Ireland in 1541 and initiating the dissolution of Irish monasteries following his break with the Catholic Church.

: In the 16th and 17th centuries, thousands of Protestant settlers from England and Scotland were "planted" in Ulster, displacing Catholic landholders and sowing seeds of sectarian conflict that lasted for centuries. Union, Struggle, and Modern Identity

: Roman legions occupied southern Britain but never fully conquered Ireland, which they referred to as "Hibernia" or "land of winter".