Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Quiz
Quiz: How much do you know about the history of Anglo-Irish relations?
The topic made headlines again this week.
THE HISTORY OF Anglo-Irish relations was in the news again this week, after reports emerged that Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny showed a “motivational video” to his players before last week’s friendly with England.
It’s a topic many Irish people have learned about in school, and it’s provided plenty of cultural inspiration to authors and filmmakers over the years.
But how much of this part of Ireland’s history do you actually know about? Test your knowledge below.
The popular narrative dictates that British rule in Ireland lasted 800 years. But how many years actually passed between the Anglo-Norman invasion and the foundation of the Irish Free State?
664
753
812
856
Who was the first King of England to set foot on Irish soil?
Henry II
Henry V
Henry VIII
Richard III
Which Kildare nobleman went into open rebellion against Henry VIII in 1536?
The Earl of Desmond
Aodh Mag Uidhir
Silken Thomas
Brian Boru
What was the name of the policy under which Irish clans were converted from a structure rooted in kin loyalties, to the feudal-based English legal system?
Surrender and regrant
The Penal Laws
The Flight of the Earls
The Ulster Plantation
Which queen was Queen's County - now known as Laois - named after?
Mary I
Elizabeth I
Mary II
Gráinne Mhaol
Which of the following was not besieged during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland?
Drogheda
Wexford
Limerick
Cork
What year was the Battle of the Boyne?
1688
1690
1692
1694
Which of the following was NOT one of the Penal Laws?
Catholics were banned from inheriting Protestant land
Catholics were banned from owning a horse valued at over £5
Catholics were barred from holding firearms or serving in the armed forces
Catholics were barred from owning land
What was the name of the secret group formed by Wolfe Tone in the wake of the French Revolution to secure "an equal representation of all the people"?
The Irish Republican Brotherhood
The Fenian Brotherhood
The Society of United Irishmen
The Irish Citizen Army
What year did the Act of Union come into effect, abolishing the Irish Parliament?
1798
1801
1829
1912
Which British official was in charge of the administration of government relief during the Great Famine?
Sir Charles Trevelyan
Lord John Russell
Sir Robert Peel
Queen Victoria
And finally, whose name appears first on the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic?
P.H. Pearse
Sean Mac Diarmada
Thomas MacDonagh
Thomas J. Clarke
You scored out of !
Boris Johnson
You've been to Ireland and you've heard about the border. The rest of your knowledge is patchy at best
You scored out of !
Sky Sports News
No, Ireland is not part of the UK
You scored out of !
Queen Elizabeth I
Not bad, but you're missing a couple of hundred years worth of knowledge
You scored out of !
Bill Clinton
You don't know everything, but you're deeply aware of the sensitive history of These Islands
You scored out of !
Stephen Kenny
You could almost give a lecture about the storied history of Anglo-Irish relations
You scored out of !
Michael Collins
Yerra, they'll never shoot you in your own country
have your say