The History of Ireland in two words: . The Invasion by the Vikings: . The Invasion by the Normans. The Flight of the Earls, Mr Oliver Cromwell. Daniel O'Connell, Robert Emmett, The Famine, Charles Stewart Parnell, Easter Rising, Michael Collins, Eamon De Valera, Eamon De Valera again (Dear Germany, so sorry to learn of the death of your Mr Hitler), Eamon De Valera again, the Troubles, the Tribunals, the Fianna Fail Party, The Church, the Banks, the eight hundred years of rain: . In the Aeneid Virgil tells it as , which in Robert Fitzgerald's translation means 'They weep for how the world goes', which is more eloquent than but means the same thing.