The Neolithic Period, 4000BC - 2000BC
Around 4,000 years ago, people in Ireland started living in a new way. Instead of spending all their time hunting and gathering, they began to set up farms.
The early farmers chopped down trees so they could grow crops and vegetables. They kept cattle, sheep and pigs. People began to settle down in one place and build permanent homes.
The farms marked the start of a new age in Ireland – the Neolithic period (or new Stone Age). As well as setting up farms and permanent homes, they also built massive tombs and giant stone circles. Some of the monuments and homes they built can still be seen today.