Did you know that a poet named William Drennan was the first to name Ireland the "Emerald Island"?

He was referring to the green hills of Ireland's countryside in his poem "When Erin first rose." The countryside is what defines Ireland probably the best since, for a long time, it played a major role in the economy and culture of the nation. From early primitive settlements to 20th-century villages, Ireland's countryside remains a mystical place where an idealized and romanticized life awaits. But not everything about Ireland is as magical and beautiful as so many modern tourists believe.

The Emerald Island was a place of conflict that developed throughout the centuries and perhaps lingers even today. By overcoming the difficulties that troubled the Emerald Island since the medieval ages, the proud Irish men and women forged a wealthy nation, turning Ireland into a role model for many European countries.

This guide through Ireland's history offers a new and unique perspective on the events and people who shaped the island's landscape and its nation. This book will take you across time and into the past, all the way to the mythological Tuatha Dé Danann and the first inhabitants. Find out about the first settlers, nature worshiping druids, high kings, and the many wars they fought. Learn about how Christianity came to the island and the myth of St. Patrick. Dwell into the early days of the Norman invasion, and learn about the first division of the island-a division that will never mend itself as it became normality for life in Ireland.

By opening the pages of this book, you will open the door into the past of one island nestled on the western fringes of Europe, and you will discover:

• How the Celts first arrived in Ireland
• How Christianity became entangled in the very fabric of Ireland's existence
• How the Romans influenced this island
• What the Vikings were searching for
• How the Irish come to invite the Norman invasion
• Why the Protestant minority ruled over the Catholic majority
• How Ireland became part of the United Kingdom
• How it gained its independence
• The sad and destructive period of the Troubles
• Why Ireland is one of the richest economies of Europe today
• And what the relations are like between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland today
• And much more!

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