History: Early days: The first people arrived in Ireland and came from Scandinavia to Scotland and then from Scotland to Ireland. They were a Stone Age people and lived by hunting, farming and fishing. The next groups were those from the Bronze Age of southern Europe who were skilled metal workers. The Celts followed around 200 BC arriving in Ireland from France and Spain. They brought their own language and iron weapons and tools. The beginning of Christianity: Saint Patrick was born in Great Britain. In 432 he came to Ireland to teach Christianity. The monks began building monasteries and wrote many manuscripts in Gaelic and Latin. "The island of saints and wise men". Ireland became an outpost of European civilization. The Viking Invasion: Seafaring raiders from Sweden, Denmark and Norway began establishing settlements on the east coast of Ireland. After a while the Viking groups settled and married the local Irish. An Irish king militarily defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Clontarf. Norman Invaders: The Anglo-Normans invaded Ireland. At first their influence was strong. The Irish language, manners and customs continue as before. Many Anglo-Normans, like the Vikings before them, married local Irish and became even more Irish than the Irish themselves. Religious Problems: Henry VIII replaced the Roman Catholic Church in England with the Protestant Church of England in 1536. He attempted to introduce his religious policies into Catholic Ireland by closing Catholic churches and monasteries. Queen Mary I attempted to give lands in Ireland to English, Scottish and Welsh settlers. This was the beginning of the Plantation of Ireland. Queen Elizabeth I sent a Protestant and succeeded in bringing the whole country under English rule. Irish land was systematically colonised. Elizabeth feared that the Spanish would use Ireland as a first step to invade England. The colonists did not mix with the native Catholic population. Irish Catholics rebelled against Protestant settlers. Oliver Cromwell arrived in Ireland to re-establish English rule. By 1651 the population had been halved due to conflict, hunger and disease. Cromwell introduced many anti-Irish laws. 17th and 18th centuries: James II rejected many of the anti-Irish laws. His Protestant enemies in England invited the Protestant William of Orange to become king. His smaller army was defeated by King William at the Battle of the Boyne on 12 July 1690. Laws known as the "Penal Laws" were introduced which discriminated against Catholics and covered the right to practice one's religion, have an education, own property and vote.