Irish ethnicity is common in the world, as many people are descended from Ireland or share an Irish heritage.

Descent

In the Republic of Ireland most people consider themselves to be descended from a mixture of three broad groups; the prehistoric indigenous people of the isles, the successive waves of Gaels from continental Europe who began arriving here as far back as 5,000 BC ; and several subsequent ones (Vikings, Normans, English and Lowland Scots) who either invaded or settled from the Middle Ages onwards. The word indigenous is derived from the latin word indigena, meaning nativ, indigenous, aboriginal, and has several, related meanings: The native people of a place; see the article indigenous people. ... Gael (Ancient people) : A Gael is a member of a distinct culture existing in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man whose language is one that is Gaelic. ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, Europe and the British Isles from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. ... The Normans (adapted from the name Northmen or Norsemen) were Scandinavian invaders (especially Danish Vikings) who began to occupy the northern area of France now known as Normandy in the latter half of the 9th century. ... The English are an ethnic group originating in the lowlands of Great Britain and are descended primarily from the Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians, with minor influences from the Celts and other groups. ... Scots (or Lallans, meaning Lowlands), properly Lowland Scots, is used in Lowland Scotland, as well as parts of Northern Ireland and border areas of the Republic of Ireland, where it is known in official circles as Ulster Scots or Ullans but by speakers simply as Scotch or Scots. On the... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

Within even these broad groupings, there is much diversity. The races, nations or peoples of ancient Ireland included the Fir Ol nEchmacht, Delbhna, Fir Bolg, Érainn, Éoganachta, Conmaicne and Ulaid. The Vikings were mainly Norwegians but included some Danes. The arrival of the Normans brought Welsh, Flemish, Norman, Anglo-Saxon and Bretons. The late medieval era saw Scots gallowglas families of mixed Scots-Norse-Pict descent settle, mainly in the north and west. The plantations of the 17th centuary introduced great numbers of Scots, English and in some cases French Hugneouts. The last two centuries have seen numbers of Jewish, African (initally as slaves in the 18th century), Brazillian, Vietnamise, Chinese, east and central European, to name but a few, make Ireland their home. Fir Ol nEchmacht was the name of a group or race of people living in pre-historic Ireland. ... The Delbhna were a race of Ireland. ... In Irish mythology and pseudohistory, the Fir Bolg (Fir Bholg, Firbolg, Irish men of Builg) were one of the races that inhabited Ireland before the coming of the Gaels. ... The Ulaid, also known as the Ulaidh and the Ulad, are a people of Early Ireland who gave their name to the Irish Province of Ulster. ...

Despite this, the overwhelming majority of the Irish population are descendants of the intial settlers whom first came here after the end of the last Ice Age. 1 Events The first full year in the life of Jesus as assigned by Dionysius Exiguus in his Anno Domini era. ...

Surnames

See also: Irish name

It is common for some Irish surnames to be anglicized, meaning that they were changed to sound more English. This usually occurred with Irish immigrants arriving in the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries. A traditional Irish Gaelic name consists of a given name and a surname, as in English. ... Anglicized refers to foreign words, often surnames, that are changed from a foreign language into English. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

It is also very common for people of Gaelic origin to have surnames beginning with "O" or "Mc" (less frequently "Mac" and occasionally shortened to just "Ma" at the beginning of the name). "O" comes from Ua (originally hUa) which means "grandson", or "descendant" of a named person. For example, the descendants of High King of Ireland Brian Boru were known as the O'Brien clan. "Mc", as with Scottish prefix of "Mac" (the Irish and Highland Scots sharing a similar Gaelic heritage), meant "son of"; many names also begin with this. Some common surnames that begin with O are: O Niell, O Brien, O Leary, O Shaugnessy, O Donnell, O Toole, O Meara, O Malley, O Hara, and O Bradaigh. Some names that begin with Mc are: McGonigle, McGroyn, McGuinty, McStiofain, McDonagh, McDonald, McGuinness, McGonigle, McGuire and many others. A family name, or surname, is that part of a persons name that indicates to what family he or she belongs. ... This article is about the domestic group. ... Kinship and descent is one of the major concepts of cultural anthropology. ... The High Kingship of Ireland was a pseudohistorical construct of the eighth century AD, a projection into the distant past of a political entity that did not become reality until the ninth century. ... Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig, known as Brian Boru born probably 941 (near Killaloe in modern County Clare). ... OBrien is a common surname of Irish origin. ... A clan is a group of people united by kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor. ... Scotland (Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a country in northwest Europe, occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain. ... Son can refer to various things: A male child (descendant), That boy is my son. ...

"Fitz" is an Irish version of the old Norman word "fils" meaning son. A few names that begin with Fitz are: FitzGerald, FitzSimmons, FitzGibbons, FitzPatrick and FitzHenry. Certain names that begin with the Norman Fitz were originally like Irish, but were then Normanized through intermarriages and alliances. For example, FitzSimmons comes from MacSioman; Mac Giolla Padhraig became FitzPatrick. The Norman language is a Romance language, one of the Oïl languages. ... Intermarriage normally refers to marriage to a person belonging to a different religion, tribe, nationality or ethnic background. ... An alliance can be: an agreement between two parties, made in order to advance common goals and to secure common interests. ...

In the late 12th and 13th centuries Norman, Welsh, Flemish and Breton arrived in Ireland at the request of King Diarmait Mac Murchada of Lenister, and took over parts of the island. During the next three hundred years, they intermarried with ruling Irish clans, adopted Irish culture and the Irish language and as the English put it "became as Irish as the Irish themselves". (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Diarmait Mac Murchada, anglicized as Dermot MacMurrough (died 1 January 1171) is considered the most notorious traitor in Irish history. ...

Recent History

In Northern Ireland a small majority of the population are Protestant, whilst a large minority are Roman Catholic. Northern Ireland is one of four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...

After Ireland became subdued by England in 1603 the English - under James I of England (reigned 1603 - 1625), Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell (term 1653 - 1658) , William III of England (reigned 1689 - 1702) and their successors - began the settling of Protestant English and later Scottish colonists into the northern province of Ulster. However they did not intermarry heavily or integrate upon arrival with the native Irish like the Normans did centuries earlier. Events March 24 - Elizabeth I of England dies and is succeeded by her cousin King James VI of Scotland, uniting the crowns of Scotland and England April 28 – Funeral of Elizabeth I of England in Westminster Abbey July 17 or July 19 - Sir Walter Raleigh arrested for treason. ... James VI of Scotland and I of England (Charles James) (19 June 1566–27 March 1625) was a King who ruled over England, Scotland and Ireland, and was the first Sovereign to reign in the three realms simultaneously. ... Events March 24 - Elizabeth I of England dies and is succeeded by her cousin King James VI of Scotland, uniting the crowns of Scotland and England April 28 – Funeral of Elizabeth I of England in Westminster Abbey July 17 or July 19 - Sir Walter Raleigh arrested for treason. ... Events March 27 - Prince Charles Stuart becomes King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland. ... The Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland was the title of the head of state during part of the Commonwealth period. ... Unfinished portrait miniature of Oliver Cromwell by Samuel Cooper, 1657. ... Events February 2 - New Amsterdam (later renamed New York City) is incorporated. ... Events January 13 - Edward Sexby, who has plotted against Oliver Cromwell, dies in Tower of London February 6 - Swedish troops of Charles X Gustav of Sweden cross from Sweden to Denmark over frozen sea May 1 - Publication of Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial and The Garden of Cyrus by Thomas Browne September... William III and II (14 November 1650–8 March 1702; also known as William Henry and William of Orange) was a Dutch Prince of Orange from his birth, King of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scotland from 11 April 1689, in each case until his... Events Louis XIV of France passed the Code Noir, allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies. ... Events March 8 - William III died; Princess Anne Stuart becomes Queen Anne of England, Scotland and Ireland. ... This article refers to a colony in politics and history. ... During late Gaelic and early historic times Ireland was divided into provinces to replace the earlier system of the tuatha. ... Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh) is one of the four provinces on the island of Ireland. ...

Hundreds of thousands of native Irish were forcibly removed during the 17th and 18th centuries from parts of Ulster and replaced by loyalist communities. (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

It is predominately religion, history and political differences (Irish nationalism vs. British unionism) that divide the two communities, as most of the Scotch-Irish settlers are of Gaelic origin themselves and therefore related to their Irish Catholic neighbours. An Irish nationalist is generally one who seeks (greater) independence of Ireland from Great Britain, including since 1921 the goal of a United Ireland. ... Ulster-Scots is a term mainly used in Ireland and Britain (Scotch-Irish or Scots-Irishis commonly used in North America) primarily to refer to Presbyterian Scots, or their descendents, who migrated from the Scottish Lowlands to Ulster (the northern province of Ireland), largely across the 17th century. ...

In 1921, with Irish independence, the six counties in Ulster which held protestant majorities were established as a separate British provice called Northern Ireland. That is why Northern Ireland is almost split in half between Catholics and Protestants, while the Republic of Ireland is almost 96% Roman Catholic. 1921 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) was (1922–1937) the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties which were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and Irish... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...

"Ulster-Irish" surnames tend to differ based on which community families originate from. Ulster Protestants tend to have either English or Scottish surnames while Irish Catholics tend to have Irish surnames. Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... Scotland (Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a country in northwest Europe, occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain. ... Irish Catholics are persons of predominantly Irish descent who adhere to the Roman Catholic faith. ...

The Irish diaspora refers to the emigration millions of people of Irish descent to other countries following the Irish potato famine. The Irish diaspora consists of Irish emigrants and their descendants in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, South Africa and nations of the Caribbean. ... Starvation during the famine The Irish Potato Famine, also called The Great Famine or The Great Hunger (Irish: An Gorta Mór), is the name given to a famine which struck Ireland between 1846 and 1849. ...

External Links

• 1 - Y-chromosome variation and Irish origins http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/heaven/dnairish.pdf.pdf#search='Ychromosome%20variation%20and%20Irish%20origins'