20the Century in Ireland - Match the Decade Quiz

Answer: 1910s

The Lusitania was a British trans-Atlantic cruise liner. On May 7th, 1915, she was torpedoed by a German submarine around 11 miles from the Irish coast. Nearly 1,200 passengers and crew lost their lives in the incident.

Answer: 1920s

Michael Collins was a member of the Irish Republican Army, who played a part in Easter Uprising of 1916. When the Irish Free State was declared in 1921, Collins became a leading member of the provisional government. A civil war broke out shortly afterwards, with hard-line republicans demanding that the six counties of Northern Ireland be included in a united independent Ireland. Collins was shot dead in an ambush on August 22nd, 1922.

Answer: 1990s

Mary Robinson was born in County Mayo in 1944, and was a member of the Senate form 1969 until 1989. In November 1990, she narrowly defeated Brian Lenihan in the Irish presidential election. In 1997, she resigned her post to take up an appointment as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. She was succeeded as President by another woman, Mary McAleese.

Answer: 1960s

Nelson's Pillar was erected in 1809 in Sackville Street (now O'Connell Street), a large granite column with a statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson on top. On March 8th, 1966, dissident republicans blew it up. In 2003, the site of the pillar was filled with the Spire of Dublin.

Answer: 1930s

Aer Lingus was founded on 15th April, 1936, and made its first flight on 27th May of that year, between Dublin and Bristol in England. The airline's planes are painted green and white with a distinctive shamrock on the tail.

Answer: 1950s

Ireland was admitted to the United Nations on 14th December, 1955. Frederick Boland, who had been Ireland's first Ambassador to the United Kingdom, became Ireland's first UN Ambassador in 1956.

Answer: 1900s

Sinn Fein was founded by Arthur Griffith in 1905. Although mostly associated with Northern Ireland, the party's headquarters are located south of the border in Dublin. Members stand for election to both the British and Irish parliaments, although winning candidates traditionally don't take up their seats in the UK version.

Answer: 1980s

In March, 1981, during the height of the "troubles" in Northern Ireland, IRA members at HMP Prison Maze began a hunger strike, demanding, among other things, political status. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher refused to give in to their demands, and, between May and August of that year, ten prisoners died, the most famous of them being Bobby Sands.

Answer: 1940s

On 17th April 1949, southern Ireland left the Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland officially came into being.

Answer: 1970s

On 30th January, 1972, a civil rights march in the city of Derry was disrupted when British soldiers opened fire, hitting 26 unarmed marchers. Thirteen died on the day, with another passing away some four months later.