Ages 9 to 14 years. Ireland's people have been divided and united through a turbulent history of battles and shared hardships. Celts, Vikings, and others have shaped the Ireland of today. Ireland the people, presents a history of the ancient peoples, the arrival of more recent settlers, and the country's struggle for independence. Ireland's city and country life are presented showing the contrasts of Ireland's people and their influences on contemporary Irish society. Other topics include: Mesolithic and Neolithic settlers; British colonisation and plantations; Ireland's new economy; Easter Rising and Irish independence; The Potato Famine and Irish Diaspora; 'The Troubles" in Northern Ireland.