What have the Brits ever done for us?

Mr. FoggPatches

Apart from giving us a legal system, a system of government, their language, a place for bail skippers to disappear, fish and chips and Helena Bonham Carter's backside, what have the Brits ever done for us?

me_irl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc7HmhrgTuQ

Winterlong

They gave us something to whinge about.

JeffKenna

They've given us some fairly good soccer players!

5rtytry56

built the railways. and the branch lines off the mainlines, most of which are closed / abandoned now.

fizzypish

Mr. FoggPatches wrote: »

fish and chips

I thought this was the Italians?
They gave us a grudge that will endure the ages!

A Little Pony

Dead provos?

jimgoose

Many fine country houses and manors, on exquisite grounds sometimes right beside rivers, many of which have been converted into knocking-shop hotels by gawbeen Johnny Ireland types, with the main entrance at the back spilling out onto the car-park and boiler room, for some reason. We're back! By fuck, we're back!!

mahoganygas

Brought peace?

KERSPLAT!

Only Fools and Horses. Grandad was some character!

BalcombeSt4

Lots & lots of massacres.
Famines
Some of the most infamous miscarriages of justice in history.

andekwarhola

Provided a veritable munificence of thread material.

Sue Pa Key Pa

Given us someone to blame for our own failings

God Bless You Ma'am

StupidLikeAFox

You have just reminded me of internet history and transported me back to my younger days...

Anybody remember the langerland videos?

Robsweezie

A famine sized potato blighted chip on our shoulder

midnight city

Some nice buildings, not sure we should be grateful for English language though or their system of law. We probably would have been better off if we had been taken over by the French.

They also give us plenty of oppression and were the reason so many died in the 'potato famine'. It wasn't an actual famine as there was plenty of food around at the time.

Steve F

Something to aspire to?

razorblunt

A new City Hall in Cork ... after the B&Ts burnt down the previous one.

BalcombeSt4

A Little Pony wrote: »

Dead provos?

A lot of live ones as well, like the people who bombed Harrods.

armaghlad

A Little Pony wrote: »

Dead provos?

West brits

thomasj

Mr. FoggPatches wrote: »

Apart from giving us a legal system, a system of government, their language, a place for bail skippers to disappear, fish and chips and Helena Bonham Carter's backside, what have the Brits ever done for us?

How long have you got?

mahoganygas

thomasj wrote:

How long have you got?

800 years?

topper75

They looked down on the Irish and were happy to see tenants leave the land. Some Brits were bitter enough to be happy to see us die out.

But the one-crop-only, breed-like-rabbits, eternally-subdivide-the-wet-hillside ideas were our genius. Some price we paid. I'd like to think we have grown up as a nation on account of that. However, then I review the state dependence ratio in 2016. The amount of household that are dependent on the state for income is shocking. Seems like we have learned nothing.

BalcombeSt4

One of the most sectarian statelets in Europe.

Maximus Alexander

Ask not what the Brits have done for you, but what you have done for the Brits!

thomasj

Mr. FoggPatches wrote: »

Apart from giving us a legal system, a system of government, their language, a place for bail skippers to disappear, fish and chips and Helena Bonham Carter's backside, what have the Brits ever done for us?

Given us reason to look for independence.

But more recently (good or bad make of that what you will), satelite television, alot of shops over here, premier league football, Timezone (yes we used to have our own time zone) and having to put the clocks forward and back every year

And dare I say reason to have a unique sense of irishness

whisky_galore

armaghlad wrote: »

West brits

People in Devon and Cornwall?

kneemos

Industrial revolution. Jobs that saved many a household during our many recessions.The high moral ground on abortion.Cheap Postboxes.

mahoganygas

whisky_galore wrote:

People in Devon and Cornwall?

Splitters!

midnight city

midnight city wrote: »

Some nice buildings, not sure we should be grateful for English language though or their system of law. We probably would have been better off if we had been taken over by the French.

And even the building designs weren't British - unless one accepts their hilariously nationalist term "Georgian architecture" as a unique style rather than a renaming of Greco-Roman architecture or, in Ireland often a renaming of vernacular designs which were built when the English had one of those kings on the throne of their country.

whisky_galore

Winterlong wrote: »

They gave us something to whinge about.

The amount of fcuking moaning, p*ssing and whinging about them has filled many a Boards thread. Build a fcuking bridge and get over it.

I don't think there's another country in the world that obsesses about it's neighbour as much.

Widdershins

Our own legal system was good. It'd be fascinating to see it if it had continued and evolved to the present day.

They made some good television shows.

keeponhurling

A Little Pony wrote: »

Dead provos?

Plenty dead civilians too.

Famines also are good for population control, so, eh, thanks Britain

Pinch Flat

They gave us premiership football, so Irish fellas in Liverpool and Chelsea jerseys can moan about the Brits.

_Whimsical_

A currency whose weakness we can occasionally take advantage of to buy stuff cheaply online.

And according to Arlene Foster they're considering extending their border to include us!
Amongst other reasons, to keep us safe from terrorists apparently...because nothing makes a terrorist have feel warm and fuzzy feelings for you like wrapping yourself in a Union Jack.
https://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1130/835434-foster-northern-border/

jimgoose

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

...according to Arlene Foster they're considering extending their border to include us!
Amongst other reasons, to keep us safe from terrorists apparently...because nothing makes a terrorist feel warm and fuzzy feelings for you like wrapping yourself in a Union Jack.
https://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1130/835434-foster-northern-border/

'Scuse my ignorance chief, but wouldn't that sort of technically be an actual invasion??

Everlong1

The Beatles, The Stones, The Smiths, The Police, Kate Bush.

Winterlong

whisky_galore wrote: »

The amount of fcuking moaning, p*ssing and whinging about them has filled many a Boards thread. Build a fcuking bridge and get over it.

I don't think there's another country in the world that obsesses about it's neighbour as much.

We would give North Korea a run for their money in the 'Neighbour obsession' stakes.

kneemos

https://youtu.be/doN2ZcE7ov4

Lux23

I haven't watched the Brit awards in years.

davmol

I find it funny that the same IRA knuckle draggers blame the brits for everything.

the same lads that wear Man Utd,liverpool,chelsea jerseys and fight fellow Irishmen for supporting opposite teams.The same lads that watch corri,eastenders and go to Liverpool for stags weekends and cant get enough of English birds.

I remember some lads on the radio lambasting the BBC for lack of coverage of Ireland in the Olympics when our own national broadcaster had a full day of Ireland coverage but typical knobend wanted to blame the brits when we are not part of Britain so why should they cover the Irish teams.

Also,if there was a rogue plane coming towards Ireland full of explosives or on a Kamikaze tour to plough into the middle of Oconnell street,who would it be we call??The RAF,as we cannot even defend ourselves.
We are such a weak country that we are totally dependant on their airforce.

They also gave us Jobs,Plenty of Jobs.Hoards of Irish have headed for the UK to be builders,to work in Finance in the City and generally do very well for themselves.

I would say the Brits have done a good deal for Ireland but we will never admit it and always be the first to Blame the Brits for anyting we can.

Some people are still stuck in the 60'/70's.Time to move on ,

learn_more

They invented the World Wide Web so that you can ask on the internet what the Brits ever did for us.

FrancieBrady

How to lose an empire and still think you are a world leader when in fact you are a world power's gofor.
And Marmite, don't forget the Marmite.

jimgoose

learn_more wrote: »

They invented the World Wide Web so that you can ask on the internet what the Brits ever did for us.

They actually invented the computer. Twice!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Babbage

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Flowers

sondagefaux

Steve F wrote: »

Something to aspire to?

MRnotlob606

BalcombeSt4 wrote: »

Lots & lots of massacres.
Famines
Some of the most infamous miscarriages of justice in history.

and the development of the MOPE (Most Oppressed People Ever) mentality..

sondagefaux

FrancieBrady wrote: »

How to lose an empire and still think you are a world leader when in fact you are a world power's gofor.
And Marmite, don't forget the Marmite.

Mein Gott! 

The product that was to become Marmite was invented in the late 19th century when German scientist Justus von Liebig discovered that brewer's yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmite

sondagefaux

whisky_galore wrote: »

Winterlong wrote: »

They gave us something to whinge about.

The amount of fcuking moaning, p*ssing and whinging about them has filled many a Boards thread. Build a fcuking bridge and get over it.

I don't think there's another country in the world that obsesses about it's neighbour as much.

You've never been to Poland or Canada then?

5rtytry56

On the subject of computers,

2 mainstream 8 bit computers:

Clive Sinclair is responsible for the ZX Spectrum

Alan Sugar for the Amstrad CPC 464

yes, I know the other mainstream 8 bit was the Commodore 64 which had the biggest following, but magazines for all of the above were on sale in Easons here etc.

Graham

FrancieBrady wrote: »

How to lose an empire and still think you are a world leader when in fact you are a world power's gofor.

As opposed to delivering a bowl of foliage to The White House once a year?

trashcan

Everlong1 wrote: »

The Beatles, The Stones, The Smiths, The Police, Kate Bush.

3/4 of the Beatles had Irish roots, Morrissey and Marr (Maher) both had Irish parents, so technically they should be thanking us there.