France and Ireland have long enjoyed close ties. Irish soldiers served in France’s army during World War I.
Most people don’t realize that Charles de Gaulle was part Irish – his maternal great-grandmother being Patrick McCartan’s daughter who fled Ireland for France in 1645 in search of freedom and exile.
Normans
The Normans or Norsemen as they were known due to their Viking heritage first emerged on European history as a force during the late 9th century. Led by Rollo/Hrolfr they used land trades with local kings in northern France (Duchy of Normandy) to gain access and protection by them; later settling there and adopting Christianity, spreading it throughout their territory they conquered.
Soon they began intermarrying and speaking French that was heavily influenced by Nordic dialect. Their culture began blending with that of Frankish people they had conquered; they adopted Frankish feudalism, legal systems and even created their own type of castles.
Many Irish people possess some degree of Norman ancestry, which may have had an impact on their DNA. This is particularly likely for individuals who belong to clusters associated with “Gaelic Irish” ancestry where French DNA makes up roughly 50% of their profile.
Huguenots
As The British Huguenot Museum points out, no one truly understands what “Huguenot” stands for; there may be some theories, but no definitive answers available.
Huguenots (or Hugonots), during religious tension in France in the 1500s and 1600s, were persecuted and fled abroad en masse – often to non-Catholic nations like England, Ireland, Netherlands Germany (especially Prussia) or Switzerland – while some traveled further afield, including South African colonies or America colonies.
Huguenots settled throughout Ireland in Portarlington, Youghal, Dublin and Waterford where they became well known for their weaving, lace making and glove crafting skills. Over time they integrated themselves into Irish society through intermarriage as well as adopting English. Today their legacy can still be found in many streets and towns named after them.
The Reformation
Reformation was not an overnight phenomenon and its roots can be found in multiple contributory factors: secular currents such as nationalism and mercantilism; religious sentiment (the desire for freedom from Church authority); intellectual developments like Scholasticism and Renaissance; technological advances like printing; as well as colorful personalities contributing their voice. One key element was people becoming less tolerant of Church corruption – whether moral or doctrinal corruption.
The Reformation swept across Germany and spread with new technology to England, Scotland, Switzerland and France under Martin Luther’s, Ulrich Zwingli’s, John Knox’s and Jean Calvin’s leadership, respectively. It led to an outbreak of religiously motivated wars until 1648’s Treaty of Westphalia brought peace between these respective factions.
Ireland was an exception; Reformation failed to gain traction there and contemporary estimates estimate there were only 40 or 120 Protestants before Elizabeth’s reign. Although mundane factors may have played their part, most likely its failure can be traced back to not having any Protestant pastors that could advance its cause in Ireland.
The Irish Tricolor
Irish tricolor flag can trace its history back to March of 1848 when Thomas Francis Meagher, a revolutionary leader, first hoisted it over Wolfe Tone Club in Waterford city.
Meagher was inspired by the revolutions occurring throughout Europe at that time and traveled with a group of Young Irelanders to France in April 1848. They received a tricolor Irish flag made out of French silk fabric from local French women who sympathized with their struggle.
Meagher used it as a symbol of his hopes that Irish Catholics and Protestants could come together in their own revolution to overthrow British rule. But it didn’t gain widespread recognition until 1916, when raised alongside the green harp flag at Dublin’s General Post Office during Easter Rising. After being adopted as official flag of Irish Republic in 1919 and included into constitution later on.