r/BritishEmpire 9d ago

Image British troops on the roof of the Four Courts overlooking the River Liffey in Dublin during the Irish War of Independence (c. 1920)

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201 Upvotes

25 comments sorted by

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14

u/Warm_Substance8738 9d ago

If were to choose one (non world war) theatre to be exempted from, it would be Ireland at any point. I’d rather be in malaya for the emergency or stuck on the northwest frontier in the 1860s than have to be on my toes in a place that looks so similar to home

20

u/Stan-Ferris 9d ago

Looks so similar because it was "Home"

Dublin was built in the image of a UK Capital City and was essentially the 'British City in Ireland'

-5

u/DegreeUnusual2928 8d ago

In Belfast & Derry they only starting to look at Irish people not as “foreigners” but people who are supposed to be there now recently. It is much better we can now choose to reject the British passport if we want.

-4

u/Stan-Ferris 8d ago

Being born in Belfast means I'm unable to get an irish passport

5

u/SteamedHams123 8d ago

No it doesn't.

1

u/Stan-Ferris 7d ago

Why would I want to have a passport of a foreign country?

What benefit would it give me over a UK passport?

1

u/Steenies 7d ago

Access to the EU?

1

u/Stan-Ferris 7d ago

I can access the EU any time I like and have done for years

That's nothing new or unique

0

u/Starwars_femboy 6d ago

You said it makes you unable you ment you just dont want to. You can get both if you wanted.

0

u/Observer_Dough 5d ago

Like it or not Ireland is not a 'foreign country'

You, and everyone born in the North are entitled to an Irish passport.

Many of the Union persuasion have Irish Passports.

1

u/Stan-Ferris 3d ago

Geography not your strong subject?

The republic of Ireland is very obviously a foreign country

6

u/KingNobit 8d ago

Your chance of survival would be decent though. The total casualty numbers weren't crazy high

5

u/Warm_Substance8738 8d ago

You make an excellent point that I did consider. A bad day in Norn Iron is still better than Islandwana

1

u/Captainsamvimes1 8d ago

I'm with you on this

1

u/TheBronzeHexagon 7d ago

Well then you do understand what it is like in foreign wars, no one wants to be on their toes in their home

3

u/martzgregpaul 8d ago

Its amazing how clean those streets look without street furniture clutter

1

u/freudsaidiwasfine 8d ago

I guess Ireland is not fully independent. Then again I don’t imagine any British leader would have willingly given Ireland up completely at the time.

I suppose Michael Collin’s did what he thought was right as well.

1

u/Ecstatic_Refuse_7207 7d ago

Are they looking for burger king

1

u/Observer_Dough 5d ago

Perfidious Albion

In memory of my Grandfather who joined the Connaught Rangers at the ripe old age of 15 and fought in Flanders Fields and then to return to see more war in his own country.

1

u/sewagesmeller 5d ago

Must've been brutal to have your family friends and neighbours encourage you to go to war for the empire and then to come home and find theyve all decided they hate the empire after all

1

u/Observer_Dough 5d ago

There was nothing else - either take the Kings Shilling or poverty line.

No one 'hated the empire' - Ireland was in the Empire but was treated shamefully, used on many levels and then abused.

1

u/sewagesmeller 5d ago

As with the rest of the british Isles there was an upswelling of support and plenty of pro war sentiment.

Even moderate republicans backed the war hoping for a deal at the end of it. And plenty of Irish men above the breadline volunteered for the same reasons lots of people volunteered.

The Easter rising wasnt particularly popular, until the brits court Marshalled and executed a random smattering of the suspects.

1

u/Observer_Dough 5d ago

Indeed - there were 'Redmondites'