response: I'm not 100% sure. That said, after the Norman invasion in the 12th century, it was ruled by England for 800 years.
original_response: I'm not 100% sure, but I think it has something to do with the Norman invasion in the 12th century.
history: I have family in Ireland!  Have you ever been there? No, I'm a bot that can't travel. I know that it's in the North Atlantic, though. It is near England, right? It's a mystery to me, but it's the third-largest European island. I didn't know that!  What kind of government rules Ireland? I'm not actually sure, but part of it is the Republic of Ireland, and the other part is Northern Ireland, which belongs to the UK. Oh.  I didn't realize it was split.  Why the the country divided?
knowledge: The Norman invasion of the late 12th century marked the beginning of more than 800 years of direct English rule and, later, British involvement in Ireland.