Spanish Ireland

Gunnerkid · 16-10-2010 4:46pm #1

What do you think Ireland would be like today if the Spanish Armada arrived and had been successful and had paved the way for the spanish to force the British out of Ireland, would we be speaking spanish and be part of Spain or would they have picked up and left after helping us ( which I doubt very much) anyways bored out of my head right now and just been thinking about this for awhile so just wondering what the rest of ye think

Biggins · 16-10-2010 4:48pm

Wow! Random question or what!
Honestly, I've no idea.

Stop thinking these questions and get back to your porn browser tab.

pablomakaveli · 16-10-2010 4:50pm

Annoying Spanish students would just be called "students".

Gunnerkid · 16-10-2010 4:50pm

Biggins wrote: »

Wow! Random question or what!
Honestly, I've no idea.

Stop thinking these questions and get back to your porn browser tab.

haha I know sitting here should be studying but day dreaming to much

Dardania · 16-10-2010 4:52pm

Admit it, you're really just fantasising about Spanish girls invading the country!

2ygb4cmqetsjhx · 16-10-2010 4:52pm

I for one would welcome our new spanish overlords. More senorita = less muffin top and don't the spanish rule the sun?

Alias G · 16-10-2010 4:54pm

I presume they would have handed us back to the Brits as soon as it was politcally convenient for them to do so.

Nichololas · 16-10-2010 4:56pm

The siesta I just took wouldn't be as frowned upon

Cheap Thrills! · 16-10-2010 4:57pm

All the men would look like Jesus and all the women would be highly strung bunny boilers!!! Not that I believe in cultural stereotypes of course!!!! :cool:

brianthebard · 16-10-2010 5:02pm

Its an interesting question. As an empire Spain was more interested in spreading Catholicism and exploiting resources than colonising a region and taxation. Without any need to convert the population and with very few natural resources at that time (Britain having used up all the trees) its hard to see what benefit the Spanish would get from their position in Ireland, apart from a launching pad for an attack on England, which would be a double edged sword at best.

southsiderosie · 16-10-2010 5:05pm

They would have lost Ireland to another major power just like all of the other islands they lost control of. Although I would like to think that the food today would be better.

Actually another way to think about it: there wouldn't be a Protestant population, because they would be kept out or forced to convert. They would hang onto Ireland until "El Desastre" of 1898 when they lost Cuba and the Philippines (because England, smelling weakness, probably would have joined the war on the side of the Americans and stepped in to snatch Ireland). But at this point, the island would be predominately Catholic, so even if Ireland briefly became part of the British Empire (which was dying anyway) independence would have happened without partition.

Or they would have traded it to the French for something, and then the world wouldn't all love the Irish.

Sisko · 16-10-2010 5:27pm

Doubt we'd be speaking Spanish, pretty sure the country would turn into a warzone for a decade or so. Who knows how different things would be as a result even outside Ireland. All the things the British Empire would have been interested in at the time would be eclipsed by the fact that an enemy empire had control of the Island right beside them.

Probably would have resulted in a free Ireland a lot sooner in the end though.

cleremy jarkson · 16-10-2010 5:34pm

All the events of world history couldn't have happened in any other way than they did happen.

Even if we ignore this and pretend that events in the universe that involve human-beings aren't deterministic and that things could have happened otherwise, is it not obvious to everybody that none of us would exist if spanish people came in and took over the place??

southsiderosie · 16-10-2010 5:35pm

If Ireland had been a flashpoint for great power struggles between Spain, France and England for 300 years, I'd guess that maybe today it would have a bi-lingual population, and that at least one of its port cities would be a New Orleans-esque free-for-all kind of place.

This would not be a bad thing.

Sisko · 16-10-2010 5:35pm

cleremy jarkson wrote: »

is it not obvious to everybody that none of us would exist if spanish people came in and took over the place??

darragh666 · 16-10-2010 5:36pm

Slightly off topic but:

Nobody expects the spanish inquisition!

The_Kew_Tour · 16-10-2010 5:37pm

We would have one **** hot football team

Biggins · 16-10-2010 5:38pm

adrian280582 wrote: »

We would have one **** hot football team

Dunno... They could be a load of bull!

cleremy jarkson · 16-10-2010 5:44pm

Sisko wrote: »

Every one of your ancestors had to follow the exact life path that they did in order for you to have ever been born. If some spanish guy got to one of your 17th century ancestors before the guy who historically actually did, then you could never have been born.

rossie1977 · 16-10-2010 5:54pm

would be like mexico today, just wetter and colder

brianthebard · 16-10-2010 5:54pm

cleremy jarkson wrote: »

Every one of your ancestors had to follow the exact life path that they did in order for you to have ever been born. If some spanish guy got to one of your 17th century ancestors before the guy who historically actually did, then you could never have been born.

I don't think you get the point of the thread....

Agricola · 16-10-2010 5:58pm

We'd all be going to bed at 1 in the afternoon, despite the freezing fog outside. Oh, and the economy would be in an even worse state than it is now, if thats possible!

dlofnep · 16-10-2010 6:00pm

Our weather would still be shít. That's for one. We'd probably have a devolved Government like the Basque country, with ripe aspirations of full political independence.

cleremy jarkson · 16-10-2010 6:03pm

brianthebard wrote: »

I don't think you get the point of the thread....

Ah no I do. But I just wanted to force a few people into realising that they aren't in control of their own destiny, and that blind determinism will ensure their life's story will turn out the only way it ever could, even though their subjective experience is telling them that they have absolute agency over their choices.

brianthebard · 16-10-2010 6:04pm

cleremy jarkson wrote: »

Ah no I do. But I just wanted to force a few people into realising that they aren't in control of their own destiny, and that blind determinism will ensure there life's story will only ever have one outcome.

em, if you say so....are you a calvinist or something??

Seillejet · 16-10-2010 6:07pm

I think the Spanish Armada did land here and took control of Kinsale in the 1600's for three months or so before being forced out by the British. The first thing they did was set up an importation tax. As with all things Irish, they found commonality in alcohol and brewing wine I think!!

http://kinsale.ie/desmond-castle-the-international-museum-of-wine/

cleremy jarkson · 16-10-2010 6:08pm

brianthebard wrote: »

em, if you say so....are you a calvinist or something??

Not at all. I've just read up on and pondered the free will/ determinism problem and I've come to the, at first depressing, conclusion that all the stuff I've said above is true. I've seen you post in the history forum and you seem smart enough..what's your take on it??

RonMexico · 16-10-2010 6:20pm

Imagine Georgia Salpa with a Spanish mother.

Cheap Thrills! · 16-10-2010 6:33pm

RonMexico wrote: »

Imagine Georgia Salpa with a Spanish mother.

She's greek!!! Anyway she couldn't really be much hotter than she is now!!!!

Mars Bar · 16-10-2010 6:36pm

We'd be a sexy nation though!

Sea Sharp · 16-10-2010 6:39pm

It would have seriously undermined the formation of the British empire, making them poorer and so the industrial revolution might not have ever happened. Ireland in 2010 would be similar to Ireland in 1840.

FlutterinBantam · 16-10-2010 7:01pm

Jaysus, we would have young ones with a good coating of fur on their boxes, not like the wispy stuff we are getting now:mad:

Good thick coat to hold in the fent and make it easy to 'wood up big'.

wonton · 16-10-2010 7:07pm

one interesting angle there would not have been the same irish diaspora and therefore the world as we know it would be completely different.

so anyone with irish decent or any part of irish culture that influened the world would not have happened in that way.

Pauleta · 16-10-2010 7:07pm

We would of won the World Cup this year

Royal Irish · 16-10-2010 7:09pm

And Robbie Keane would be called Roberto Keano and he would actually score goals.

FlutterinBantam · 16-10-2010 7:10pm

Pauleta wrote: »

We would of won the World Cup this year

'Have won'

Dardania · 16-10-2010 7:12pm

wonton wrote: »

one interesting angle would not have been the same irish diaspora and therefore the world as we know it would be completely different.

so anyone with irish decent or any part of irish culture that influened the world would not have happened in that way.

Who'd step into the friendly drunks of the world spot? The Ruskies would get a better image?

southsiderosie · 16-10-2010 7:19pm

Dardania wrote: »

Who'd step into the friendly drunks of the world spot? The Ruskies would get a better image?

Nyet.

FlutterinBantam · 16-10-2010 7:19pm

Dardania wrote: »

Who'd step into the friendly drunks of the world spot? The Ruskies would get a better image?

Excellent point.

Would Olav Blotgeg shell out 5k for 'drinks' on a train and be carried shoulder high?

Would unemployed people from the stalags form an 'army 'and 'set up camp' in the nearest 'Russian bar and have a sing song after getting beat.

Would the local vintners of whoever was hosting Russia rub their hands and say .'We'll fleece these fookers who drink like gannetts and be on the pig's back for the year. How do the cunts do it? and the place in recession:eek:None of the fuckers seem to work.

Good point horse.

df1985 · 16-10-2010 7:30pm

skangers would only have to go to bray instead of santa ponsa.

instead of a paddys day parade we'd have a running of the bulls.

we would have a terrible eurovision record.

cigarettes would cost sweet feck all.

guinness??? nah, ill have a san miguel or some sangria.

starbelgrade · 16-10-2010 7:35pm

Royal Irish wrote: »

And Robbie Keane would be called Roberto Keano and he would actually score goals.

Would that be the same Robbie Keane that's Ireland's all time top goal scorer, with 45 goals?

The same Robbie Keane that's scored a total of 208 goals in 425 goals at club level?

And the same Robbie Keane who is 29th in all time list of top international goal scorers for their country, beating the likes of Kenny Daglish, Dennis Law, David Villa, Michael Owen and Ian Rush ?

Oh yeah - he couldn't score to save his life.

Paddy Samurai · 16-10-2010 7:36pm

Gunnerkid wrote: »

What do you think Ireland would be like today if the Spanish Armada arrived and had been successful and had paved the way for the spanish to force the British out of Ireland, would we be speaking spanish and be part of Spain or would they have picked up and left after helping us ( which I doubt very much) anyways bored out of my head right now and just been thinking about this for awhile so just wondering what the rest of ye think

Theres a good chance we might now ,have a government that knows whats its doing.:eek:

southsiderosie · 16-10-2010 7:38pm

Paddy Samurai wrote: »

Theres a good chance we might now ,have a government that knows whats its doing.:eek:

You obviously don't read the Spanish papers. :P

starbelgrade · 16-10-2010 7:42pm

Paddy Samurai wrote: »

Theres a good chance we might now ,have a government that knows whats its doing.:eek:

How do you figure that one out? The Spanish economy was battered by the recession & their public deficit is massive.

Their unemployment rate stands at 20% - the highest in Europe. Public sector workers are facing a 5% paycut in the next budget, which is also set to see €15 billion in austerity cuts on top of the €50 billion cuts they announced in January.

In comparison to the Irish government, they are hardly models of what we should be aiming for.

ScumLord · 16-10-2010 7:43pm

I don't know how much of the Spanish culture would have crossed over to us, their weather has a huge effect on their lifestyle. Siestas and the food are regional because of the weather they get.

I don't think the English would have rested until they drove the Spanish out of Ireland so we would have been a war zone until that happened and I'd have to tip the Brits to win out due to ease of access.

If the Spanish did hold control over Ireland and we didn't go through the hardship we did we may just be some small island no bodies ever heard of.

Mint Sauce · 16-10-2010 7:50pm

Spanish girls for life, not just for summer.

southsiderosie · 16-10-2010 7:56pm

ScumLord wrote: »

I don't know how much of the Spanish culture would have crossed over to us, their weather has a huge effect on their lifestyle. Siestas and the food are regional because of the weather they get.

True, but the best food is in the green, rainy northern regions. Maybe Ireland would have been a global foodie paradise the way the Basque Country is today.

If Ireland were still a province of Spain when the Spanish Civil War broke out (which is unlikely, but lets entertain the notion nonetheless), that could have really changed the course of European history. Who would the Irish have sided with: Franco or the Republic? If they were Republicans, or had used the opportunity to declare independence, would Franco have allowed the Germans to destroy Dublin the way they destroyed Guernica? Would Britain have intervened in order to prevent the Germans from gaining a foothold right across the Irish Sea? Would Britain and France have taken the German threat more seriously?

gbee · 16-10-2010 8:03pm

Assuming the invasion of Kinsale took hold, could be reinforced and defended. In another 150 years the Spanish might have had a better chance in her invasion attempt of Britain.

But seriously, someone should have invented meteorology ~ for such a powerful nation to have so much destruction done to her fleet from storms is inexcusable in the first instance.

RonMexico · 16-10-2010 8:06pm

Cheap Thrills! wrote: »

She's greek!!! Anyway she couldn't really be much hotter than she is now!!!!

Her father is. Her mother is Irish. Imagine the outcome of a Greek&Spanish combo.

And yes she could be hotter. She could be single.:D

ScumLord · 16-10-2010 8:10pm

southsiderosie wrote: »

True, but the best food is in the green, rainy northern regions. Maybe Ireland would have been a global foodie paradise the way the Basque Country is today.

I suppose fish is big in Spanish food but then the whole aversion to fish comes from the Catholic church and we'd probably be a very Catholic country if we where under Spanish rule.

KindOfIrish · 16-10-2010 8:11pm

I have just imagined Spanish language with an Irish accent... he he he:D

Spanish Ireland

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