We chose 1801 as a significant date because it was the first time the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland united in the Act of Union.
This union was to be called the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland”. The new flag would incorporate a red diagonal cross (this was the flag of St Patrick) to represent Ireland. The monarch of Great Britain would now be the King of Great Britain and Ireland.
In the House of Lords, 28 peers were elected for Ireland for life, while 100 House of Commons MPs were elected. The protestant Church of Ireland and the Church of England united to create the “Established Church of England and Ireland”. Free trade between the two countries was allowed but a few duties kept for 20 years to protect some Irish manufacturing, such as cotton. The currency of the two countries remained different despite all these changes.
This was significant because it brought the countries closer together and changed the way Great Britain and Ireland were ruled.