Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
If we do not hit our goal we will be forced to close the site.

Current status: https://keepboardsalive.com/

Annual subs are best for most impact. If you are still undecided on going Ad Free - you can also donate using the Paypal Donate option. All contribution helps. Thank you.

What would Ireland be like if the Famine never happened?

2

Comments

  • #32
    caustic 1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,314 ✭✭✭caustic 1


    Bush the retard, laughed out loud at that.


  • #33
    Sleepy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 24,621 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    I can't see how a larger population would have helped the Irish language at all...

    We'd still likely have a massive diaspora as the Famine was neither the start of, nor the end of, Ireland's economic problems and culture of emigration.

    A more densely populated country might be cheaper to run on a per capita basis and wouldn't necessarily have a higher level of unemployment amongst the extra numbers than we currently do. In fact, such numbers might actually make some economic activity viable here that otherwise wouldn't be (due to the increased size of the domestic economy). This could lead to lower taxes AND improved social services: particularly for rural dwellers.

    Dublin would be fierce over-crowded though presumably we'd have much higher density housing than we currently enjoy and public transport would have had to have improved in the capital at least.

    Boards.ie need your help to survive, subscribe here



  • #34
    ScumLord
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,788 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    Tom_Cruise wrote: »
    There is a famine every 30 years or so, so we are due one soon.

    With the aid of technology we can detect a famine and prepare for it.
    Do you mean there's a potato blight outbreak every 30 years? A famine is a lack of food, I don't see any chance of a famine in Ireland now that the political climate has changed.


    If Ireland never had the famine we would probably be a relatively unknown backwater right now. It's also probable something else would have happened instead. Ireland was probably very overpopulated back then so a disease could have come along, we wouldn't have been very welcome in other countries carrying diseases.


  • #35
    Tombo2001
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,860 ✭✭✭Tombo2001


    Dont mean to be pedantic but the vast majority of the population decline was due to emigration rather than the famine itself, and this took place over a much longer period.

    In addition, there were several famines in Ireland. The one in the late 1840s was the most severe one. The last one I believe was in the 1890s.

    Ultimately, I'd say the answer to your question is: more people would have emigrated if the famine hadnt happened.


  • #36
    Fratton Fred
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    Sleepy wrote: »
    Dublin would be fierce over-crowded though presumably we'd have much higher density housing than we currently enjoy and public transport would have had to have improved in the capital at least.

    Dublin would have loads of shoebox sized over priced but badly built apartments....


  • Advertisement
  • #37
    I Heart Internet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,678 ✭✭✭I Heart Internet


    We'd be the Netherlands of Europe by now.


  • #38
    MickFleetwood
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,148 ✭✭✭MickFleetwood


    We would be the world's leading superpower, and an economic mastermind of epic proportions.


  • #39
    DipStick McSwindler
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,460 ✭✭✭DipStick McSwindler


    This post has been deleted.


  • #40
    Birneybau
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,434 ✭✭✭✭Birneybau


    Tom_Cruise wrote: »
    There is a famine every 30 years or so, so we are due one soon.

    With the aid of technology we can detect a famine and prepare for it.

    If there's not enough to go around, feeding trolls would be consigned to the good old days of abundance.


  • #41
    MickFleetwood
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,148 ✭✭✭MickFleetwood


    In all seriousness though, it's virtually impossible to tell. Any number of things could be different, so much so that it's nigh-on impossible to even comprehend.


  • Advertisement
  • #42
    ScumLord
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,788 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    MickFleetwood wrote: »
    In all seriousness though, it's virtually impossible to tell. Any number of things could be different, so much so that it's nigh-on impossible to even comprehend.
    That's true but it can be interesting to think about the consequences of events we naturally see as bad.

    Even though the famine was a terrible event it presented opportunity and forced a significant number of Irish people into a new land all at once. If the Irish had slowly trickled into the US they might have lost their identity by arriving there in great numbers they could affirm their identity with each other promoting the motherland.

    It teaches us that life goes on and whenever something bad happens it can often be an opportunity.


  • #43
    Chinasea
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,568 ✭✭✭Chinasea


    Religion + overpopulation + drink =


  • #44
    Smithy90
    Site Banned Posts: 2 ✭Smithy90


    we'd have people to fill the ghost estates in longford, maybe even leitrim


  • #45
    Celly Smunt
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,463 ✭✭✭Celly Smunt


    We'd have built up,like every other sensible country in the world rather than spread like a disease across the island.


  • #46
    major bill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,421 ✭✭✭major bill


    We would have a better football league for starters!!

    Bohs couldve been European Champions


  • #47
    Celly Smunt
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,463 ✭✭✭Celly Smunt


    major bill wrote: »
    We would have a better football league for starters!!

    Bohs couldve been European Champions

    Bleeding bohs,pah! I say pah!


  • #48
    welkin
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 397 ✭✭welkin


    The Famine wiped out the weak and forced the poor to emigrate.

    The people left were only the very strong and rich, making us the nation of Übermensch that we are today.

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_djbBpuvECoA/RwLc9IgZVSI/AAAAAAAAAWs/h2cZZI2mDgg/s400/orange%2Btinkers.jpg

    https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT7l89LlnXOpif9Aqrf-A9ja_b4bBotv-biWbyNnY1W1IJxuBaq


  • #49
    niallers1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 798 ✭✭✭niallers1


    We were huge exporters of food in the 1840's. it was the policy of our government at the time not to interfere or supply food to the hungry as it would have interfered with the free market. So to say it was a famine is not really true. It was more like a genocide.


  • #50
    welkin
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 397 ✭✭welkin


    niallers1 wrote: »
    We were huge exporters of food in the 1840's. it was the policy of our government at the time not to interfere or supply food to the hungry as it would have interfered with the free market. So to say it was a famine is not really true. It was more like a genocide.

    Ah Trevelyn imported us some corn from America or India or somewhere to be fair to him!


  • #51
    Celly Smunt
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,463 ✭✭✭Celly Smunt


    welkin wrote: »
    Ah Trevelyn imported us some corn from America or India or somewhere to be fair to him!

    Then some bleedlin gob****e robbed it all for himself down in athenry.


  • Advertisement
  • #52
    Mully_2011
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 385 ✭✭Mully_2011


    People wouldn't shout "Up the RA" during the Fields of Athenry


  • #53
    jobeenfitz
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,454 ✭✭✭jobeenfitz


    pmcmahon wrote: »
    Then some bleedlin gob****e robbed it all for himself down in athenry.

    Well, ya couldn't expect him to be hungry as well as lonely?


  • #54
    UCDVet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,894 ✭✭✭UCDVet


    TNT2k_ wrote: »
    We wouldn't have 90% of America think they have Irish roots because their great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother emigrated there and then they wouldn't believe they're "half Irish" because of it, somehow.

    Meh - it goes both ways....

    Random American claims to be Irish because his great-great-great whatever and we roll our eyes....

    Famous American is 1/64th Irish and we're all, 'Would ye look at the Great Things the Irish have done All over the world? Why Famous American X is Irish!'


  • #55
    Stojkovic
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 981 ✭✭✭Stojkovic


    Another 15million gombeen pixie heads.


  • #56
    For Forks Sake
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,906 ✭✭✭✭For Forks Sake


    Chinasea wrote: »
    Religion + overpopulation + drink =

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogLoJv9WfEE


  • #57
    T-Maxx
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,354 ✭✭✭T-Maxx


    More inbreeding.


  • #58
    For Forks Sake
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,906 ✭✭✭✭For Forks Sake


    T-Maxx wrote: »
    More inbreeding.

    Take a day trip to Mayo and tell me afterwards if you think that's actually possible.


  • #59
    MadsL
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    pmcmahon wrote: »
    We'd have built up,like every other sensible country in the world rather than spread like a disease across the island.

    What's this obsession with Ireland not having high-rise. Some bang of inferiority complex that Ireland doesn't have more crap high-rise.


  • #60
    Kichote
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 305 ✭✭Kichote


    MadsL wrote: »
    What's this obsession with Ireland not having high-rise. Some bang of inferiority complex that Ireland doesn't have more crap high-rise.

    Because they look impressive and modern from the outside. However they are usually filled with office cubicles, stale air and board rooms with artificial plants .. and a few Cisco phones.


    That or crappy apartments with high management fees. The slums of tomorrow


  • Advertisement
  • #61
    BillyMitchel
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,324 ✭✭✭BillyMitchel


    AH would be jammed packed every night so we wouldn't have to listen to Tommy boy Cruise going on about playing hide the sausage with his sister or brother or both :O

    Anyway was it not a genocide?

    Oh no I didn't.


Advertisement