History of Ireland

Prehistoric Ireland spans a period from the first known settlement around 8000 BCE until the emergence of "protohistoric" Gaelic Ireland at the time of Christianization in the 5th century. Christianity subsumed or replaced the earlier polytheism and other forms of Celtic Christianity by the end of the 7th century.

The Norman invasion of the late 12th century marked the beginning of more than 700 years of direct English rule and, later, British involvement in Ireland. In 1177 Prince John Lackland was made Lord of Ireland by his father Henry II of England at the Council of Oxford. The Crown did not attempt to assert full control of the island until the rebellion of the Earl of Kildare threatened English hegemony. Henry VIII proclaimed himself King of Ireland and also tried to introduce the English Reformation, which failed in Ireland. Attempts to either conquer or assimilate the Irish lordships into the Kingdom of Ireland provided the initial impetus for a series of Irish military campaigns between 1534 and 1603. This period was marked by a Crown policy of plantation, involving the arrival of thousands of English and Scottish Protestant settlers, and the consequent displacement of the pre-plantation Catholic landholders. As the military and political defeat of Gaelic Ireland became more pronounced in the early seventeenth century, sectarian conflict became a recurrent theme in Irish history.

History of Ireland (1801–1923)

Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1801 to 1922. For almost all of this period, the island was governed by the UK Parliament in London through its Dublin Castle administration in Ireland. Ireland faced considerable economic difficulties in the 19th century, including the Great Famine of the 1840s. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw a vigorous campaign for Irish Home Rule. While legislation enabling Irish Home Rule was eventually passed, militant and armed opposition from Irish unionists, particularly in Ulster, opposed it. Proclamation was shelved for the duration following the outbreak of the Great War. By 1918, however, moderate Irish nationalism had been eclipsed by militant republican separatism.

In 1919, war broke out between republican separatists and British Government forces. In 1921, the British Government partitioned Ireland into two semi-autonomous regions: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland, intended to be co-ordinated by a Council of Ireland. Upon Royal Assent, the Parliament of Northern Ireland came into being in 1921. However, the institutions of Southern Ireland never became functional. On 11 July 1921, a ceasefire was agreed between the separatists and the British Government. Subsequent negotiations between Sinn Féin, the major Irish party, and the UK government led to the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty which resulted in five-sixths of Ireland seceding from the United Kingdom. Under the terms of The Treaty, the whole island of Ireland was granted Dominion status as the Irish Free State. An opt-out provision for the Northern Ireland region resulted in its decision to remain part of the UK, while the remainder became the Irish Free State.

Junior Certificate

The Junior Certificate (Irish: Teastas Sóisearach) is an educational qualification awarded in Ireland by the Department of Education and Skills to students who have successfully completed the junior cycle of secondary education, and achieved a minimum standard in their Junior Certification examinations. These exams, like those for the Leaving Certificate, are supervised by the State Examinations Commission. A "recognised pupil"<ref name"">Definitions, Rules and Programme for Secondary Education, Department of Education, Ireland, 2004</ref> who commences the Junior Cycle must reach at least 12 years of age on 1 January of the school year of admission and must have completed primary education; the examination is normally taken after three years' study in a secondary school. Typically a student takes 9 to 13 subjects – including English, Irish and Mathematics – as part of the Junior Cycle. The examination does not reach the standards for college or university entrance; instead a school leaver in Ireland will typically take the Leaving Certificate Examination two or three years after completion of the Junior Certificate to reach that standard.

Irish History Junior Certificate Examination

The Irish History Junior Certificate Examination is an achievement test offered in Ireland. It is one of a suite of Junior Certificate Examinations the country uses to assess students. It has two difficulty levels, Higher and Ordinary. This subject is not required at a national level. However, many schools make it compulsory. Most students choose to complete the Higher Level exam.

Ordinary level

The Ordinary Level exam lasts 90 minutes. It includes four questions. The maximum score is 180.

Higher level

The exam lasts 150 minutes. It includes six questions. The maximum score is 270.

Questions 1, 2 and 5 are mandatory. Only 10 of the 20 sub-questions in Question 3 are required. Question 4 includes two sections. One sub-question from each section must be answered. In Question 6, only two of four possible sub-questions need to be completed. The four sub-question topics are: