History of Ireland Trivia Quiz

Answer: Battle of the Boyne

William III, a Dutch-speaking protestant, defeated ex-King James II (who had been deposed in the 1688 'Glorious Revolution'). The battle was actually fought on July 1, but is commemorated on the 12th due to the change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in 1751.

Answer: Theobalde Wolfe Tone

Wolfe Tone actually managed to get the French to muster an invasion force to support his cause, but they were forced to turn back due to stormy weather.

Answer: A potato blight

Although Ireland had suffered several other famines before (and since) the 1845 one was probably the worst. Over a million Irish died, and another 1.5 million emigrated to (among other locales) Canada, the U.S., and Britain. Many in Ireland felt that the British had not done enough to help the starving Irish, instead focusing on keeping the land rents and profits from food exports up.

This resentment boiled over into a 'rebellion' (mostly people refusing to pay their taxes and undertaking minor guerilla actions against landowners) in the late 1870's, which in turn led to a series of land reforms.

Answer: The Abbey Theatre

Although the original was destroyed by fire in 1951, a rebuilt building still stands on the Liffey River.

Answer: Monday

It took place on Easter Monday, not Easter Sunday. The rebellion itself was not very successful; although the rebels took and held the Dublin Post Office for several days, the populace didn't immediately rise up as one against the English. The ringleaders of the rebellion were later executed, which did more to galvanize the Irish people against the English than any living man could at the time.

Answer: Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith

Strangely enough De Valera, who served as president and diplomatic leader of the declared provisional government, instead chose the guerilla leader Michael Collins to serve in his stead. The 1990's movie 'Michael Collins' portrayed this as a calculated move; De Valera, knowing that it was impossible for England to meet the entire list of Irish demands, sent Collins as a fall guy to suffer the public anger for the flawed treaty.

His actual motive is unknown, however.

Answer: Ireland was made an independent republic

Instead of a republic, the Irish were (initially) only guaranteed a free state which owed fealty to England. These clauses caused a great deal of controversy, and the Irish parliament came very close to rejecting the treaty (64-57 in favor). The resulting furor led to civil war, with Collins helping lead the pro-treaty forces and De Valera the republican ones.

Answer: Republicans who rejected the treaty refused to take their seats

Taking seats in parliament would have required an oath of fealty to the English King, and some members were not yet willing to do that. After the Vice-President was assassinated in 1927, the republicans decided to take their seats, though they publicly denounced the oath as non-binding.

Answer: 1949

A new 1937 constitution had previously renamed the Irish Free State as Eire, and replaced the office of Governor General with that of President of Ireland. Functionally, Ireland was independent. However, King George VI of England still retained the title of "King of Ireland", and still controlled certain aspects of Ireland's diplomatic relations (the accreditation of ambassadors, for example).

In December 1948 an act removing these last powers from the British Monarch and declaring Ireland a republic passed the Dail (Irish parliament). On Easter Monday, 1949 (33 years after the rebellion), the Republic of Ireland Act formally separated Ireland from the British Commonwealth. Unlike some other nations (India and Canada, for example), Ireland did not choose to rejoin the Commonwealth after becoming a Republic.

Answer: Hibernia

Although it is not known whether the Romans themselves actually settled there (occupying it with military forts), a map from the Roman Geographer Ptolemy dating from 140 CE contains references to an island west of Britain called Hibernia.