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What might Ireland be like if it was still part of the UK?

24567…11

Comments

  • #32
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    mango salsa wrote: »
    NHS

    Decent public services provided through local council rates

    Less catholic influence over schools/hospitals/public policy

    Pro choice

    A less conservative population

    Less cancerous nationalism


    You realise the North stayed in and strayed rather considerably from what you outline above?


  • #33
    BeardySi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,708 ✭✭✭BeardySi


    Better beer, worse whiskey....


  • #34
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    Treadhead wrote: »
    Better beer, worse whiskey....

    ....if the flat stuff is to your taste. There are more highly regarded scotches than there are Irish in terms of variety, afaik.


  • #35
    CRM Ireland
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 350 ✭✭CRM Ireland


    Nodin wrote: »
    ....if the flat stuff is to your taste. There are more highly regarded scotches than there are Irish in terms of variety, afaik.

    "Scotch on the rocks"


  • #36
    superb choice of username
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 140 ✭✭superb choice of username


    DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »
    Ireland wasn't capable of running itself in the 1800s

    Some would say it still isn't :P

    And to add what it would be like - lower income taxes, free healthcare, less corruption within government, less ghost estates...


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  • #37
    Kidchameleon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,482 ✭✭✭Kidchameleon


    We'd all be a bunch of kants


  • #38
    KingOfFairview
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,388 ✭✭✭KingOfFairview


    A lot more war dead and PTSD sufferers.


  • #39
    handlemaster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,002 ✭✭✭handlemaster


    there would be a tunnel /rail link to the uk. probably from the north through to scotland


  • #40
    Richard Hillman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,033 ✭✭✭✭Richard Hillman


    No RTE


  • #41
    smcgiff
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,943 ✭✭✭smcgiff


    Augmerson wrote: »
    No RTE.
    Motorways everywhere.
    Possibly have Irish clubs in the Premier League.
    Wetherspoons all over the place.

    Anything else?

    No Fair City... tempting
    re motorways... look up north, so no.
    re prem league No, again see NI and Scotland.

    Wetherspoons? Dafuq?

    If the 1916 rising didn't happen we'd have most likely left by peaceful means by now. However, I suspect Scotland wont take that opportunity. But, we were never as part of the union as others. Britain did far too good a job of making us Catholics, they couldn't reverse it.


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  • #42
    dirtyden
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,745 ✭✭✭dirtyden


    DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »
    Somewhat better than Scotland. :pac:

    In fairness the British really tried with Ireland after the Act of Union, they wanted to make Dublin the second city of the Empire. They eventually took onboard our grievances and passed Home Rule in 14, the stepping stone to independence, remember they also had the unionist crowd in the North raging at the same time with their own little act of defiance. The 1916 Rising killed any potential peaceful resolution to this countries strife.

    What a silly comment.

    Do you know what else happened after the act of union? Have a think about it? Something that caused the population of the country to almost half. Thye made a real effort alright.


  • #43
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,968 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    NO EURO!

    Almost certainly no Anglo Irish Bank (ironically!)


  • #44
    DEFTLEFTHAND
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,499 ✭✭✭✭DEFTLEFTHAND


    dirtyden wrote: »
    What a silly comment.

    Do you know what else happened after the act of union? Have a think about it? Something that caused the population of the country to almost half. Thye made a real effort alright.

    I've already addressed the famine in a previous post.


  • #45
    dirtyden
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,745 ✭✭✭dirtyden


    DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »
    I've already addressed the famine in a previous post.


    For pretty much most of our existence under the crown we were simply a giant source of cheap food. If we were still part of the empire we would be a most likely be like the North of England, a decayng ignored backwater. Nothing in the history of British involvment in Ireland would suggest otherwise.

    You must be trolling otherwise how you can honestly say that Britain took an active interest in Ireland after the act of Union yet allowed millions to starve of hunger whilst exporting food out of the country. The interest they took was exploiting our resources.


  • #46
    BeardySi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,708 ✭✭✭BeardySi


    Nodin wrote: »
    ....if the flat stuff is to your taste...


    it is... tough I'm guessing you're missing out on a whole lot if you're lumping together the thousands of craft beers and real ales produced in the UK as flat stuff... Far better that than the generic alcoholic fizzy sugar water being sold under the various big brands...


  • #47
    goz83
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,778 ✭✭✭goz83


    dirtyden wrote: »
    The interest they took was exploiting our resources.

    Think of that when you're buying your "made in China" stuff.


  • #48
    dirtyden
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,745 ✭✭✭dirtyden


    goz83 wrote: »
    Think of that when you're buying your "made in China" stuff.

    What has that got to do with this thread? Has Ireland conquered china and the paddies pillaged the paddy fields?


  • #49
    gurramok
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,992 ✭✭✭✭gurramok


    mango salsa wrote: »
    Decent public services provided through local council rates

    Fancy paying £1000+ in rates on your standard 3bed semi? Jayzus, we have it so easy here that there was uproar over the property tax which most pay under €400!


  • #50
    DEFTLEFTHAND
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,499 ✭✭✭✭DEFTLEFTHAND


    dirtyden wrote: »
    For pretty much most of our existence under the crown we were simply a giant source of cheap food. If we were still part of the empire we would be a most likely be like the North of England, a decayng ignored backwater. Nothing in the history of British involvment in Ireland would suggest otherwise.

    You must be trolling otherwise how you can honestly say that Britain took an active interest in Ireland after the act of Union yet allowed millions to starve of hunger whilst exporting food out of the country. The interest they took was exploiting our resources.

    It was a territory which they owned, of course they were going to develop it, that was the argument against Home Rule, more investment and focus on Ireland.

    You know we didn't get our bad name abroad for nothing. There was a reason why those signs went up.


  • #51
    Birroc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,070 ✭✭✭Birroc


    More of the Catholic hierarchy in jail for child abuse cover-ups.

    More Protestants (which is essentially what most Irish Catholics are these days).


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  • #52
    Birroc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,070 ✭✭✭Birroc


    DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »
    Remember Churchill proclaimed that Dev denied the Irish the chance to show their ancient valour in his VE Day speech.

    When times were desperate he asked Dev for the treaty ports and assistance in the war. In return he said he would give the 6 counties to the free state in the aftermath, they'd force through Unionist opposition and all. Dev refused the proposal.

    Dev was a shi-ite negotiator and it cost us several times.


  • #53
    dirtyden
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,745 ✭✭✭dirtyden


    DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »
    It was a territory which they owned, of course they were going to develop it, that was the argument against Home Rule, more investment and focus on Ireland.

    You know we didn't get our bad name abroad for nothing. There was a reason why those signs went up.


    For the sake of your argument we will ignore the famine the mass emigration, the cultural suppression etc.

    What developments were made by Britain in Ireland, apart from halving our population and decimating the countryside?


  • #54
    Toby Take a Bow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭Toby Take a Bow


    DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »
    The Industrial revolution could have took hold at a later date, look at the ship building enterprises in the north which could have been better served in Dublin or Cork.

    If it hadn't happened by the outbreak of WWI, what makes you think it would happen afterwards? Policy towards Ireland (outside of a few counties in the north) would suggest otherwise.
    DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »
    Remember the Irish were viewed upon as wild animals yet to be tamed, they kept them away from industry for a reason. Members of Parliament listened to Redmond and Dillon and fell asleep. The grand goal of Westminster in the late 1800s was to develop the country as a whole. Home Rule was years away, and any bills which passed the Commons were shot down by the House Of Lords.

    Gladstone admitted his desire to see Ireland become an equal empire recipient without HR.

    None of the major policy initiatives by the parliament in Westminster would suggest they were really trying to 'develop' the country: it was subjugation and a fairly large whack of getting our resources (under a deeply ironic 'free trade' philosophy). As I've said before, after the Act of Union, indigenous industries in Ireland collapsed and there was little or no help in developing industrial industries outside of a few counties in the north of Ireland (coincidentally in counties that were staunchly unionist towards the Crown).


  • #55
    CRM Ireland
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 350 ✭✭CRM Ireland


    You would have a lot less religion. It would have fizzled out a lot more than it already has done. That would be amazing, no more communion drivel. Im sure it wouldnt vanish altogether, as there are still lost people out there clinging onto the concept of religion, but its starting to diminish with each passing generation.


  • #56
    mikemac1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,395 ✭✭✭✭mikemac1


    No red lemonade :(


  • #57
    CRM Ireland
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 350 ✭✭CRM Ireland


    mikemac1 wrote: »
    No red lemonade :(

    You would have more Tizer!


  • #58
    smcgiff
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,943 ✭✭✭smcgiff


    Birroc wrote: »
    Dev was a shi-ite negotiator and it cost us several times.


    No fan of Dev's, but he was right in that instance. The help provided by the free state would be eaten bread at the end of the war. You'd have to be very naive to think that would have been honoured. No way would the loyal six counties be handed over for the use of our ports.


  • #59
    KingOfFairview
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,388 ✭✭✭KingOfFairview


    Agreed, it wasn't going to happen.


  • #60
    branie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,429 ✭✭✭branie


    Better choice in channels if RTE wasn't there. We'd still have a TV licence though.


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  • #61
    CRM Ireland
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 350 ✭✭CRM Ireland


    branie wrote: »
    Better choice in channels if RTE wasn't there. We'd still have a TV licence though.

    But at least you would get good quality programmes without having to endure adverts too!


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