Is it time for the British to apologise for the occupation of Ireland?

AMKC

The closest we have came to this that I can find is Tony Blair apologising in 1997 for the Famine and then the Queen in 2011 when she apologised for something but there has never been an official apology for there occupation of the Country. So do ye think it is about time they did or at least started thinking about when they will?
Maybe when we are a full United Country again maybe that would be the time

djr15

Seeing as they still haven't left yet i wouldn't be hopeful of an apology.

RWCNT

I can't say I'm bothered if they do or don't, what's done is done.

Absolutely zero chance of such a statement coming from the current government.
If Labour took power and floated the idea the red tops and the portion of the public who's opinions they influence would absolutely bury them as Britain-haters ashamed of their own history.

I live in England and you'd be amazed how many people think the British colonisation of much of the world was performed as some noble act of kindness - civilizing peoples and spreading enlightened values.

Fritzbox

AMKC wrote: »

The closest we have came to this that I can find is Tony Blair apologising in 1997 for the Famine and then the Queen in 2011 when she apologised for something but there has never been an official apology for there occupation of the Country. So do ye think it is about time they did or at least started thinking about when they will?
Maybe when we are a full United Country again maybe that would be the time

You mean the people who came over to Ireland from present-day Britain in or around the year 1170? They weren't British.

of course not.

Jimson

Shouldnt it be 60 countries they should be apologising to?

Good luck getting that out of them.

timmyntc

What difference would an apology make to anyone in Irelands life?

Unless they pay actual reparations, then what is the point

Oscar Madison

AMKC wrote: »

The closest we have came to this that I can find is Tony Blair apologising in 1997 for the Famine and then the Queen in 2011 when she apologised for something but there has never been an official apology for there occupation of the Country. So do ye think it is about time they did or at least started thinking about when they will?
Maybe when we are a full United Country again maybe that would be the time

You need to move on and stop looking for issues!

Total and utter sh***!

timmyntc

timmyntc wrote: »

What difference would an apology make to anyone in Irelands life?

Unless they pay actual reparations, then what is the point

We should ask Scandinavians to pay reparations for the actions of Vikings too...

Limpy

timmyntc wrote: »

What difference would an apology make to anyone in Irelands life?

Unless they pay actual reparations, then what is the point

Maybe it would show future generations that they were sorry for the pillaging and raping ect.

its called remorse, its accepted in a court.

Chips Lovell

For a start, I don't think "occupation" is the correct term for it, nor indeed "colonisation", which is another term bandied around. British presence in Ireland long pre-dated either concept, at least in the modern understanding of each.

What was it then? British rule is probably the best description. It has more similarities with Danish rule over Norway or Swedish (and then Russian) rule over Finland. It's no coincidence that Irish independence arrived at the end of an approximately 100 year period that witnessed the rise of nationalism as a political force and the decline of European, multi-ethnic empires.

VinLieger

Limpy wrote: »

Maybe it would show future generations that they were sorry for the pillaging and raping ect.

its called remorse, its accepted in a court.

But they arent because the vast majority of them don't know about it because they don't get taught it in school

Tordelback

Presumably the French will then have to apologize to the English for the Norman conquest, and the Scandinavians to pretty much everyone for the entire 9th and 10th Centuries. And heaven help the Italians, they'll never be done with the mi dispiaces.

Or we could just suggest everyone reflect on all the historical murdering and thievery that their celebrated national identities are actually based on before they puff up their chests, and focus on solving the current issues between our states instead.

Tordelback

Tordelback wrote: »

Presumably the French will then have to apologize to the English for the Norman conquest, and the Scandinavians to pretty much everyone for the entire 9th and 10th Centuries. And heaven help the Italians, they'll never be done with the mi dispiaces.

Or we could just suggest everyone reflect on all the historical murdering and thievery that their celebrated national identities are actually based on before they puff up their chests, and focus on solving the current issues between our states instead.

you monster!!!!!!

440Hertz

RWCNT wrote: »

I live in England and you'd be amazed how many people think the British colonisation of much of the world was performed as some noble act of kindness - civilizing peoples and spreading enlightened values.

In many cases you got Received Pronunciation lessons, cricket, bowler hats and football hooliganism classes in exchange for all your valuables, treasures and natural resources. You then got to take your place at the very bottom rung of a rigid class system that worked as a wealth vacuum cleaner for a small group of supremely wealthy oligarchs London.

Fritzbox

AMKC wrote: »

The closest we have came to this that I can find is Tony Blair apologising in 1997 for the Famine and then the Queen in 2011 when she apologised for something but there has never been an official apology for there occupation of the Country. So do ye think it is about time they did or at least started thinking about when they will?
Maybe when we are a full United Country again maybe that would be the time

Boards.ie turning more and more into Quora every day.

Fritzbox

Tordelback wrote: »

Presumably the French will then have to apologize to the English for the Norman conquest... ...And heaven help the Italians, they'll never be done with the mi dispiaces.

Both of those countries also had more recent empires in parallel with the British empire - are they apologising too I wonder?

imme

AMKC wrote: »

The closest we have came to this that I can find is Tony Blair apologising in 1997 for the Famine and then the Queen in 2011 when she apologised for something but there has never been an official apology for there occupation of the Country. So do ye think it is about time they did or at least started thinking about when they will?
Maybe when we are a full United Country again maybe that would be the time

When was Ireland a United country.

Damn pesky Brits. :rolleyes:

Eleven Benevolent Elephants

AMKC wrote: »

The closest we have came to this that I can find is Tony Blair apologising in 1997 for the Famine and then the Queen in 2011 when she apologised for something but there has never been an official apology for there occupation of the Country. So do ye think it is about time they did or at least started thinking about when they will?
Maybe when we are a full United Country again maybe that would be the time

She didn't.

She uttered something like "things were done that should not have been done".

That's not an apology.

imme

timmyntc wrote: »

What difference would an apology make to anyone in Irelands life?

Unless they pay actual reparations, then what is the point

Do you think Britain should pay reparations to ROI?

Eleven Benevolent Elephants

Tordelback wrote: »

Presumably the French will then have to apologize to the English for the Norman conquest, and the Scandinavians to pretty much everyone for the entire 9th and 10th Centuries.

[Deleted User] wrote: »

We should ask Scandinavians to pay reparations for the actions of Vikings too...

They happened centuries ago.

Some people who harmed Ireland are still alive today.

Using your logic should Germany not apologise for what Hitler's Nazis did?

Cluedo Monopoly

We feel the pull in the land of a thousand guilts and poured cement lamented and assure.

Eleven Benevolent Elephants

Eleven Benevolent Elephants wrote: »

Using your logic should Germany not apologise for what Hitler's Nazis did?

No.

I don't think they should.

They should acknowledge their history but I would not expect an apology. What a bizarre idea.

landofthetree

RWCNT wrote: »

I can't say I'm bothered if they do or don't, what's done is done.

Absolutely zero chance of such a statement coming from the current government.
If Labour took power and floated the idea the red tops and the portion of the public who's opinions they influence would absolutely bury them as Britain-haters ashamed of their own history.

I live in England and you'd be amazed how many people think the British colonisation of much of the world was performed as some noble act of kindness - civilizing peoples and spreading enlightened values.

If you live their voluntarily you are backing the colonisation project.

imme

landofthetree wrote: »

If you live their voluntarily you are backing the colonisation project.

.

Voluntarily. The poster could be in prison.

I haven't heard such a silly suggestion in a while.

GarIT

imme wrote: »

When was Ireland a United country.

Damn pesky Brits. :rolleyes:

Before invasion/colonisation we had a high king who ruled all of Ireland but power was delegated to lesser kings under him.

GarIT

GarIT wrote: »

Before invasion/colonisation we had a high kink who ruled all of Ireland but power was delegated to lesser kings under him.

Ooooh matron!!!

GarIT

Eleven Benevolent Elephants wrote: »

Using your logic should Germany not apologise for what Hitler's Nazis did?

Nah, the Nazis were the good guys, they fought against the British.

screamer

sure their queen could set the ball rolling and return all the diamonds and previous gems to the colonies to make her "crown jewels".

GarIT

There's a funny skit about British museums and countries asking for the stuff back. "How do they know it's stolen?" "We put a plaque below it telling you when and where we stole it". The countries ask for the stuff back and Britain says "No, we're still looking at it"

imme

GarIT wrote: »

Before invasion/colonisation we had a high king who ruled all of Ireland but power was delegated to lesser kings under him.

That is fairy story stuff. There were living in Ireland but there was no unified Ireland.

If someone asks what you want for Christmas ask for a history book.