Do you ever think that Ireland is an island?

JupiterKid · 11-02-2017 12:37AM #1

I know nearly all of us of call Ireland home, and it's the centre of our universes. But if you think about it, we are a just an island off the West of the European continent, not even that big an island and some would call disparagingly a windswept rock.

Personally I love islands, there's something very cosy and self-contained about them. But does it ever unnerve you - or keep you up at night, that you need to get on an airplane or a ship to travel any significant distance?

Do you ever dwell on the fact that we live on an island?

Johnboner · 11-02-2017 12:48AM

Yes and imagine if megatsunami happened, there would be no escape like in mainland Europe where you could just move more inland. I am sure it also affects the economy as it is more difficult to import. We don't have a tunnel like UK and France do

Tigger · 11-02-2017 12:50AM

Johnboner wrote: »

Yes and imagine if megatsunami happened, there would be no escape like in mainland Europe where you could just move more inland. I am sure it also affects the economy as it is more difficult to import. We don't have a tunnel like UK and France do

boats are acuslly a great way to shop (sic) stuff

doolox · 11-02-2017 12:51AM

Once the place you inhabit is big enough to have hospitals, Schools, Universities etc it doesn't really matter.

Unless you have the need for some really specialised skill then living on a relatively large island does not really make a difference.

Ireland suffers in comparison to being really close to the eight largest island and one even larger in population terms...only Java, Honshu are larger in population terms.

Ireland comes in at 20th position or thereabouts....big enough in world terms and more that enough to get by on most of lifes activities.

You certainly don't feel like Chuck Nowland on "Castaway" when Tom Hanks character climbs a cliff to the highest point of his island and finds himself surrounded by the vastness of the Pacific. You don't feel isolated in Ireland, an ioleán is fearr ins an domhain..

Mena Mitty · 11-02-2017 12:58AM

I live in the centre of the island.I've always referred to here as the island...or elsewhere on the island. At least once a year I try to get to see the sea. Whether in seaside restaurants or public houses North South East or West...when I say I'm from the centre of the island I get funny looks.

Senna · 11-02-2017 01:02AM

As a kid I was told the word Island came from the exploreres in ship who would ask "is that land" when they seen an island, the answer being "it IS LAND"
Sometimes the non-truths are best.

SkinnyBuddha · 11-02-2017 01:03AM

Johnboner wrote: »

Yes and imagine if megatsunami happened, there would be no escape like in mainland Europe where you could just move more inland. I am sure it also affects the economy as it is more difficult to import. We don't have a tunnel like UK and France do

you're one of those moany fuks...if you had any ambition you'd fuk off somewhere else and pollute the local forums with moany sh1te rather than forcing us to read your moany thread titles.

Johnboner · 11-02-2017 01:04AM

SkinnyBuddha wrote: »

you're one of those moany fuks...if you had any ambition you'd fuk off somewhere else and pollute the local forums with moany sh1te rather than forcing us to read your moany thread titles.

Do you have a problem with me son? Pm me

MadDog76 · 11-02-2017 01:05AM

I think .......... we need threads on After Hours to be of a much higher quality.

darkpagandeath · 11-02-2017 01:05AM

Is it like monster Island.. Except it was a peninsula ?

SkinnyBuddha · 11-02-2017 01:07AM

Johnboner wrote: »

Do you have a problem with me son? Pm me

and have you moaning into my inbox? not a hope

dd972 · 11-02-2017 01:35AM

If you think of all the boats and planes, even just to the UK alone on a daily basis, it's not really an island in the sense of how it really lives in today's world, geographically yes, but you could probably get to Berlin quicker on a plane than you could drive from Cork to Sligo for instance.

foxy farmer · 11-02-2017 01:50AM

To me Ireland looks like a teddy bear.

ChikiChiki · 11-02-2017 02:41AM

SkinnyBuddha wrote: »

you're one of those moany fuks...if you had any ambition you'd fuk off somewhere else and pollute the local forums with moany sh1te rather than forcing us to read your moany thread titles.

Definition of irony right there.

me_irl · 11-02-2017 02:43AM

Pen Island.

Esel · 11-02-2017 03:24AM

Senna wrote: »

As a kid I was told the word Island came from the exploreres in ship who would ask "is that land" when they seen an island, the answer being "it IS LAND"
Sometimes the non-truths are best.

Aye, land!

11-02-2017 03:32AM

Everywhere is an island if you look at it like that.. Ireland is big enough that it doesn't matter and the things it lacks are also missing in other landlocked countries.

learn_more · 11-02-2017 03:39AM

This is what I consider an island

Is Australia an island ?

darkpagandeath · 11-02-2017 03:49AM

me_irl wrote: »

Pen Island.

Power gen Italia.

Mountainsandh · 11-02-2017 04:08AM

I'm always aware I'm on an island in Ireland. I'm close enough to the sea I guess, and it's just the fact that whatever discovery trips I organize for myself here in Ireland, they can all include a new part of coast if I wish them to.

I grew up in France, in Lyon. The sea was a 4 hour drive.

I love that island aspect of Ireland. Makes it feel more cosy, more like "f off you others, we're grand over here", if you want it to be.

(I mean that in a teenager den kind of way, or home kind of way, not a dig or reference to refugees or anything)

11-02-2017 05:07AM

JupiterKid wrote: »

Personally I love islands, there's something very cosy and self-contained about them. But does it ever unnerve you - or keep you up at night, that you need to get on an airplane or a ship to travel any significant distance?

Do you ever dwell on the fact that we live on an island?

I know of an island on a lake, which makes it an island surrounded by water surrounded by an island.

It's 4am, and it's keeping me up tonight and unnerving me.

11-02-2017 05:17AM

Never occurred to me.

Mad, Ted.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 11-02-2017 03:08PM

I've always been aware we are on an island but spent many months at a time on small islands doing research decades ago.

When you have spent a couple of weeks on an island only 1.5 km2 in area, you sure are know you are on an island.

I always felt a sense of security on an island, particularly if there are no other inhabitants.

Conservative · 11-02-2017 03:11PM

Have never thought of it as anything rlse but have always lived on the coast. I'd imagine living in the Midlands gives you a different sense of place.

Noddyholder · 11-02-2017 03:28PM

OT
When/if Scotland leaves the UK & is independent & no part of Britain, will Britain cease to become an Island or what's the story ?

11-02-2017 03:40PM

Noddyholder wrote: »

OT
When/if Scotland leaves the UK & is independent & no part of Britain, will Britain cease to become an Island or what's the story ?

Britain is the physical island which Scotland, England and Wales make up. It's a geographical term rather than a political one. The United Kingdom isn't an island as it includes Northern Ireland. ThIs is a great video that clears it all up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10

11-02-2017 03:40PM

Conservative wrote: »

Have never thought of it as anything rlse but have always lived on the coast. I'd imagine living in the Midlands gives you a different sense of place.

Hell!

Mountainsandh · 11-02-2017 08:38PM

There, there.

You'll be glad when sea levels rise.

Speedsie · 11-02-2017 08:59PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I know of an island on a lake, which makes it an island surrounded by water surrounded by an island.

It's 4am, and it's keeping me up tonight and unnerving me.

That's called an eyot, there's another word for a lake on an island in a lake on an island, but the the life of me, I can remember what it is!

ToddyDoody · 11-02-2017 09:15PM

JupiterKid wrote: »

But does it ever unnerve you - or keep you up at night, that you need to get on an airplane or a ship to travel any significant distance?

That seems like the type of thing that'd bug me if I was going through some sort of a mid life crisis tbh.

It would be great perhaps to live on the continent and be able to travel to various cities on the bullet trains each weekend.

Britain is also an island obviously and they're just plain brilliant

so it can't be that bad.

LordSutch · 11-02-2017 09:19PM

JupiterKid wrote: »

Do you ever think that Ireland is an island?

It is an island, as are Great Britain, Malta, Gozo, Lanzarote & the Isle of Man

Do you ever think that Ireland is an island?

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