"Níl Aon Tintéan Mar Do Thintéan Féin." An Irish AAR

Thanks for the comments guys. Just staying out of Britain's way will be half the early battle- the freaky "ghost bridge" between Belfast and Northern England is a worrying facet.

Zzzzz... said:

Good luck with the UK. How are you going to make yourself independent by the way?

Click to expand...

Thanks. To be honest, I went into this blind as to the limitations of being a satellite, diplomatically Ireland can do nothing as it is. I'm looking into seeing if that can change, I just don't want to trigger war with Britain if I try anything underhanded.

Yeah it doesn't seem to be possible. I'm a noob when it comes to modding stuff like that but I might give a shot all the same, thanks.
If I can't, then I'll continue with the aim of using pretige to climb the rungs and go from there.

Update I



Jan 1845: With military tactics updated to the Cabinet’s satisfaction for now, the Department of Health has launched a research program to consolidate our medical resources. Lord Victor Johnson, a Conservative of the Senate, made an impassioned speech in Trinity College on the 17th of this month that, rather than languishing in their barracks, Irish troops should be fighting for the Empire like good subjects. While the government was quick to dismiss this idea, the flurry of articles and responses would suggest a divide amongst the people- particularly along religious lines- with regards to Ireland’s place in the Empire.

Once more, Prussia and Austria bring war to central Europe. Britain too, sides with the Dutch as they seek to remove Belgian provinces for their own. The raised voices at the attempt to subjugate Belgium within so short a time after the signing of the Treaty of London do not travel far across the Irish Sea, with Lord Leith tearing up one MP’s letter of protest in front of his startled eyes outside the Chamber of the Lower House.

A worrying trend is reported by the Royal Irish Constabulary in Belfast: in several public houses throughout the city there is serious, concerted talk of establishing a separate Protestant state in Ulster that would rejoin the Union of Great Britain. Police describe the activists as British Pan-Nationalists, however the colloquial term heard in whispers on the streets of Belfast and Dublin is “Loyalists”.

Diary of Peter O’Mahony, 21/9/1848: “America is now (publicly) a house divided against itself. I wonder should such an insurrection that promises in the Americas ever be visited on this little island. Some band of zealots calling themselves Kelly’s Irish Brigade have invoked the name of an independent Ireland and sided with the Confederates. I can’t see either grouping succeeding with their aspirations...”

1 July 1849: A phenomenal victory for the Conservatives at the polls:



The Blues succeeded in bringing 100% of the seats to their side. Allegations of gerrymandering and rigging in the west of the country prompts the British to set up an ‘independent’ inquiry. The now ailing Brian Roberts-Rowe becomes Prime Minister once more, but the election victory is owed- for the most part- to the indefatigable campaigning of his deputy, and MP for Belfast city, Walter Connolly. As strong-willed as he is a strong speaker, Connolly played on middle class fears of further tax increases to bring many of the Catholic artisans in Leinster and the wider middle class back to the Conservatives.

Bread riots on the streets of Galway, Cork and Dublin lead to a hasty Cabinet reshuffle in January 1851. While the political upheaval of the election would suggest a very Conservative electorate, the national ideology may not be well-represented by this fact. The reshuffle also results in the unexpected promotion of the young upstart Conservative Walter Connolly from the empty gratuity of Minister of the Marine to the post of Chancellor of the Exchequer.

September 8th 1851: Britain and France are at war. Thus, most of Western Europe, and indeed the Asian colonies, are dragged into conflict. Skirmishes between French and British ships occur daily, just beyond Dingle Bay, and the government awaits requests from London for aid.

However, by January 1853, no such requests are forth-coming. Instead, the country is shocked by the sudden death of Daniel O’Connell while on a pilgrimage to Rome on the second of January. Tributes pour into Dublin Castle, praising the achievements of a great statesman and over 100,000 attend his funeral in the capital. Leaders from both sides of the divide, as well as the British Prime Minister, the Earl of Aberdeen were in attendance and spoke at the service.


O'Connell's funeral on Westmoreland Street, Dublin.

1854 saw another General Election, wherein Liberals and Reactionaries managed to reduce the Conservative majority to a mere 75%(!) Independents from Connacht also found success at the polls, taking 2.2% of the vote. Standing on Land Reform issues, many Independents gained in this election, however a first past the post system ensures their actual share is never realised with many seats in parliament.

From diary of Peter O’Mahony, 28/3/54: “This General Election was closer than many would like to think, there are increased calls on the streets for voting reform. Friends of mine have suggested that I stand for the local council, however I think my timid nature would make me unsuitable for such public exposure. But things are beginning to deteriorate around the city, poverty and the debauched behaviour of many militia men is creating a tension on the streets, coupled with chronic food shortages every other month.”


The Spanish conquest of Duoro brought Britain into the conflict on the side of Portugal. More interestingly, however, the Spanish consulate in Dublin has held several ‘informal’ meetings with Prime Minister Roberts-Rowe. Some say the Spanish are attempting to wrest control of Ireland from Britain’s sphere of influence. The government is not keen to be seen to be courting the Spanish, particularly given the popular support the peasants should give to a friendly Catholic power such as Spain.


Notice the comparative influence Britain and Spain are attempting to exert on Ireland.

January 1856: Building has begun on the National Transport Plan, the building of railways across the country. The port of Cork also received a grant from the government to expand, along with the fleet of transport vessels.
August 19th 1856: Tensions in Belfast have boiled over as the British Pan-Nationalists, lead by publican Bernhard Jones, launched an armed attack on the RIC barracks in the city. Quick reinforcement from Londonderry quashed the rising almost immediately. The Cabinet met in an emergency session to discuss these worrying developments. Police sources put the Loyalists numbers at well over 2000 strong.


The 1856 Loyalist Rising. Interestingly, British troops crossed to Ireland to help quash the Rising, despite the fact these were British Loyalists.

1858: The General Election this year saw power see-saw back to the liberals who captured 51% of the total votes. The Conservatives saw their 75% majority crumble to 38%, while the major news was the appearance of the new Unionist party. With its powerbase located mainly in the North-East, the party is a more respectable iteration of the Loyalist movement. The Independent Opposition, mostly now consisting of those who campaigned on Land Reform increased its share to 6.4% and was offered a place in government. The party’s leader, Charles Ferguson, becomes Minister for Land Affairs.


The 1858 Election

From diary of Peter O’Mahony, 12/07/1858: “After many months’ hard graft, the returning officer declared that I had been elected to Dublin City Council this evening. My abiding memory of that instant is one of utter confusion and the overwhelming sense of pressure. It is like being immersed in water- uncompromising and uncomfortable. But I am relieved; I intend to look for an increase in unemployment subsidies for the poor. I had the great pleasure to make the acquaintance of Mr Ferguson of the Independent Coalition at a reception this evening and he was accompanied by a charming young gentleman from Wicklow, Mr Parnell. Both had some very interesting ideas about land reform and I wish I could only have been in their company longer, but they appeared to be in great demand. Anyhow, to bed, there is much to be done.”

With the ascension of the Independent Opposition, land reform was now the talk of the nation. The Upper House remained firmly Conservative and refused to accept the premise of such a debate, saying that generational entitlements were sacrosanct to the future of the country’s stability.


Queen Victoria became the first British monarch to be photographed in 1860

May 1860: Remarkable events have unfolded as the upstart Walter Connolly defected from the Conservatives, joining the Unionist party, declaring that the Blues had become: “over-run with old men with too-old ideas.” What happened in the following days, as scores of Conservatives followed suit, the latter party collapsed in on itself. The Unionist manifesto had been refined in recent months to align themselves with the aristocratic landowners, against the Land Leaguers in government. Some of the more cynical Conservative backbenchers suggested to journalists that Connolly had orchestrated this shift in Unionist policy to allow him to take the reigns of the rising party.

Lord Leith, upon hearing of this betrayal of his beloved party by his protégé, took to his bed. Struck down with a fever soon thereafter, he was dead within days. Queen Victoria herself was said to have been deeply upset by the death of one of her favourites. In the West and South of the country, however, celebratory bonfires were lit and many a publican bought a round on the house. The last stalwart of old Conservatism in Ireland had passed and with that, a new and more insidious conservative, Loyalist opposition bided its time.

Update II

Ch 6: Loyalist Reckonings​

Jan 1st 1863: A new political party has been formed by a group of Irish nationalists in Dublin. Calling themselves Sinn Fein, the party has a distinctly Republican platform. Gaining significant support in southern Catholic areas, the party’s commitment to rejuvenating interest in the Irish language across the state has also attracted funds and sponsorship from academics and many capitalists, who have gained in the Upper House significantly.

The election results however have lead Walter Connolly and the Unionists to power, taking 52% of the vote. Sinn Fein gained a respectable 2.5%. Prime Minister Connolly preaches the bridging of the divide between Catholic and Protestant and between tenant and landowner.



May 20th 1863: Ireland’s military expansion continues apace as the Curragh camp in county Kildare is opened by the Prime Minister, followed by a military parade the following day in Dublin city. The Curragh battalion is to be commanded by the smart, able General Patrick Connolly (no relation to the PM). The army is shortly thereafter required to quell riots in Belfast as factory workers’ peaceful agitation turns to mob violence against management. Local Unionist leaders condemn the acts as Sinn Fein-devised.

Diary of Peter O’Mahony:18/12/1863: “I have decided that I shall indeed stand in the next General Election, for the Sinn Fein party. While never having entertained much of an interest in seeking higher office until recently, I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Mr Parnell speak at a rally in Galway. So vociferous was he in his advocacy for the “forgotten Irishmen” who could not vote or own the same land they had tilled for generations, that I was moved to sign up for the Sinn Fein party, which Mr Parnell has recently offered his open allegiance to. The upheaval in Belfast on a now daily basis is a worrying trend. Indeed it appears that, more and more, two capital cities are fast appearing. I had occasion to visit Kitty Donnelly this past week. Since the death of her great husband, Cathal, last year she has not been well. Her grief remains too much to bear at times. We need strong leaders like Cathal and Mr Parnell in such uneasy times as these.”


17th Jan 1867: General Patrick Connolly has lead a force from the Curragh to the West coast of Africa for training. The British consulate, concerned at what they see as diplomatic and expansionist agitation on the part of the Irish government, summoned the PM to Westminster. After a tense session with the British Foreign Minister, promises from Prime Minister Connolly to summon the force home lead to a satisfactory conclusion. Ireland’s education system continues to drive our intellectual prestige ever-higher. In a recent raking of world powers, Ireland stands at 17th.



6th July 1867: In a sweeping electoral victory, Sinn Fein galvanises enough support to take a remarkable 72% of the vote. Together with the Liberals, they form a coalition government. Pressure from Westminster lead to a “friendly invitation” from Sinn Fein to the Liberals to form said coalition, to maintain a sympathetic British influence in the Cabinet office. Charles Stewart Parnell is elected to parliament, while Eamon Grady becomes Prime Minister.

Grady advocates turning away from violence and confrontation and instead attempting to rekindle the spirit of the “Island of Saints and Scholars” to elevate Ireland to world-wide renown and respect. Ireland must focus in artistic and financial prestige, while maintaining vigilant in the face of British interference.

This speech was as a direct result of the loss of national prestige and loss of favour within Britain’s common market upon the election of the anachro-liberal Sinn Fein party. On the verge of colonising several states in Africa, the rug was pulled from underneath as the British ambassador expressly forbade the pursuit of independent Irish interests in Africa.

Over following years, with industrial expansion, especially in Leinster/Connacht, industrial strife and labour conflicts were a distraction to the academic revolution in Ireland. An already quite accomplished state school system was the driving force behind this push for prestige.

March 1870: Anarchy reigns throughout the island as a concerted uprising across the country leads to the destruction of massive amounts of property and the imprisonment of hundreds of “enemies of the state”. Although the army capably deals with these Loyalist rebels, anti-british sentiment on the streets, especially in the polarised North, leads to increased sectarian attacks and the rise of Irish reactionary rebels in response to the Loyalist paramilitaries. Politicians on both side of the divide call for calm, even as several Sinn Fein backbenchers accuse Britain of collusion with and providing funding for the uprising. Britain is not without its own rebel problems at this point either, as Jacobin rebels seize Scotland within a year.


The 1870 Uprising

The 1872 election saw Sinn Fein and the Liberals retain power and their coalition. Anti-Unionist feeling and the expulsion of several high profile aristocrats in the wake of the 1870 uprising saw the Unionist base crumble and the party failed to return a single MP.


The 1872 election results

Update III

Chapter: 8: The Celtic Tiger.​

By November 1875, Ireland had entered the secondary tier of world nations, due to industrialisation and the pursuit of cultural prestige. Now the task was to maintain this ‘Tiger Economy’ in the face of an uncertain world situation. A distinct shortage of craftsmen in Leinster causes problems initially for several factories in the province. Without a doubt, rapid industrialisation has lead to a massice growth in support for the Labour party in the country. Socialists continue to gain in the Upper House every year.

1876: The Labour party sweeps to victory in this election as in-fighting in Sinn Fein, as well as converts to the socialist-leaning Labour force the former out of government. Trends across the country, regardless of cultural background are colouring red, mostly at the expense of anarcho-Liberals and Conservatives.



1st Jan 1881: By now, a rebel uprising in Britain has forced the government and Queen Victoria to flee into exile. Victoria finds herself in Hannover. This is just one example of the rebel problem crippling ‘old Europe’. As Jacobin rebels seize control of Britain, Ireland remains free of insurrection during the election of the Labour party again. The Conservatives are being pushed out of the Upper House too, hanging on to the slimmest of majorities.

Jan 1883: The Irish Guards are founded under General Christopher Mulcahy. Stationed in Dublin, these elite troops are drawn from the best of the best of the considerably large armed forces . The Conservative majority in the Senate is no more, as Socialists and Communists find their numbers building in the preceding decade. Martin deBurca, the Conservative leader of the Senate had been long-considered a poor replacement for Lord Leith and indeed his inability to utilise the influence of the Upper House and Westminster to dampen Republican political zeal had been seen as an embarrassment to the (now considerably depleted) ranks of Conservatives and Unionists.

The inadvertent diplomatic conundrum of the Senate having to appoint a markedly non-Unionist Consul to the Westminster Parliament forced a crisis for the government. Labour’s Peadar de Paor, the Minister for Justice, suggested the opportunity was ripe for an overhaul in the role of the Upper House and, indeed, in Anglo-Irish relations:

“Having seen our great nation rise ever-higher in status, how can British politicians deny the Irish people an organic self-determination. Our military can match any this side of the Orient, yet we struggle to breath through the diplomatic muzzle London imposes. How can one of the most prominent Catholic nations in this continent be denied a consulate in Rome? The people of this nation deserve better from their servants in government.”


William Gladstone, British Prime Minister 1883.

Needless to say, the fiery rhetoric and poorly-disguised belligerence of the language struck a chord with the British government, under William Gladstone, that was only now coming to terms with a domestic rebellion of Jacobites. British troops in India boarded ships, set for the Irish Sea. The French government, with the blessing of the Vatican, arranged a conference in Paris between Sean Kavanagh- the Irish Prime Minister- and Gladstone. Over a weekend in February, both men found common ground on the subject of Irish independence and Britain’s future in the country.


Scene of the Paris Conference in 1883 between Kavanagh and Gladstone.

While no formal agreement was arranged, both parties agreed in principal to Ireland’s eventual separation from Britain should certain economic prerequisites be met. In return, Kavanagh agreed ensure the appointment of the pro-British Liberal Thomas Bradley to be the Irish consul in London. Gladstone’s position was obviously weakened by the rebel conflagration in England and Scotland. British naval might could yet threaten the Irish, but militarily the war could be over before Ireland would starve. Personal sympathies with the cause of the Irish also struck a chord with Gladstone who, despite the entreaties of his exiled monarch, believed that the time had indeed come for Ireland to realise its own future. In any case, he reasoned to his cabinet colleagues, having grown into such an advanced nation, Ireland would be a far more valuable ally with diplomatic clout than it would be without it.

April 1883: Having returned with positive news for his fellow countrymen, Prime Minister Kavanagh promised major reforms in the Upper House. With Ireland growing ever stronger economically, and with the intellectual potential of the education system bearing fruit, the socialists and Liberals managed to pass Upper House reform that would base the Senate on population trends, bringing it closer to a more democratic system.

On the 28th of December 1883, British troops wrest control of London back from rebels. When the rebel leader, Sir Richard Smollet, attempted to escape to Belfast, the Irish government promptly arrested him and returned him to London for trial. While many within and outside the government saw this as a sign that Ireland remained an eternal toady to British imperial interests. In response, Kavanagh made an impassioned speech on the floor of the Lower House defending “the higher place of peaceful negotiation” against the “callous, myopia of violence” that Smollet had embraced. He continued: “If Ireland is to be a free country, we must not stand by while other civilised states find their democracy troubled by the quake of cannon fire. If we are to stand as a people, we must stand on our principles and not upon the bodies of rebels and Redcoats.”


Sean Francis Kavanagh, Irish Prime Minister, 1884

This stand in favour of democracy and the rule of law and order won the respect of many European governments, especially in London. In June 1884, a delegation of Irish political figures including Kavanagh, Parnell and the newly-elected Sinn Fein leader, Peter O’Mahony, reconvened negotiations in Oxford with the British government. Gladstone had only recently convinced Queen Victoria to accept an inevitable Irish secession and was eager for the negotiations to be swiftly concluded. It was agreed that a plebiscite should be held in August, thus allowing the Irish electorate to decide for themselves whether they wished to leave Britain. Economically Ireland had proven itself self-sufficient and Gladstone and Kavanagh agreed that a mutual non-aggression pact between both countries should be signed, as well as a favourable trade agreement for the British.

That August, the plebiscite returned a massive vote in favour of independence. Unionist agitation was carefully contained by the security forces and British observers were content that the results were legitimate.

Chapter 9: Rise of the New Republic.​

On September 14th 1884, the steamship HMS Victoria docked in Galway Bay and William Gladstone disembarked. He was met by Sean Kavanagh and an honour guard of the 1st Irish Guards. The party arrived by coach at O’Sullivan’s Hotel overlooking the bay. In the spacious ballroom, the Treaty of Galway was signed by the British Prime Minister and the Irish Prime Minister, releasing Ireland from centuries of British control and acknowledging Ireland’s legitimacy as an independent, autonomous country.

Presidential elections were immediately announced, with the role of the President outlined in the new Irish constitution as a figurehead role- that of a diplomatic heavyweight, rather than a domestic administrator. The election, held in late December 1884, brought victory for Charles Stewart Parnell, running as an Independent, who took 70% of the vote. The election of the moderate Parnell represented a desire on the part of the electorate to establish a sense of calm and order in the immediate aftermath of independence.


C.S. Parnell, 1st President of the Republic of Ireland, seen here during the 'Land Wars' of the 1850's.

By January 1885, a concerted project of ‘Gaelic revival’ was underway. Government ministers and activists such as Douglas Hyde were encouraging the embrace of Irish cultural and lingual traditions. The Lower House was now called ‘the Dáil’; Sackville Street in Dublin was renamed O’Connell Street and the Irish language was added to the national curriculum as a mandatory subject. Needless to say, this attempt was criticised for its ambiguous attitude to Unionists, who were becoming more marginalised in Irish culture. Conservatives lost over 30% of their seats in the Senate as a result of the reforms passed in the previous year. Labour were re-elected to government and a number of prominent archaeological discoveries in Egypt increased the nation’s prestige immeasurably.

On the diplomatic front, Ireland found itself in contention for advancement amongst world powers. Spain and Mexico, both close advocates of Irish independence, found their place as great nations threatened by Ireland’s cultural and military prowess. Admittedly, the pro-worker stance of the Labour government slowed industrial progress outside of Leinster, this was an area that Ireland would have to improve immeasurably if it was to contend with the world’s economic giants.

From the diary of Peter O’Mahony, member of Dáil Éireann, January 28th 1888: “News of the outbreak of war between the vile Mexicans and our American cousins is most welcome to our ears. The Yankees hope to liberate Texas from Mexico and I have every faith that they will succeed. The Mexican army haven’t sufficient men to clean a latrine and this war will seal their demise in world prestige. Spain continue to harass us diplomatically but this will come to nothing, harmless horseplay amongst friends. However, I am sure we in the [Sinn Fein] party will benefit from this Spanish spat at the next election. Time will tell though...

“May 15th 1889: Ireland sits as the 5th most powerful nation in the world. Despite the fact that she is crippled by rebel incursions, Austria continues to diplomatically harass us. Our advances towards the Prussians as well as Hamburg have been met with stiff rebukes from Vienna. Fortunately, Vienna has also met with an army of Venitian separatists. Talk of a split in Sinn Fein that is causing many to leave the party. Indeed, the outright belligerence of several members who would will some sort of war of vengeance against Britain is disturbing in the extreme...

“Recently, President Parnell was addressing a meeting of several old heads in the party and Arthur Duggan stood and called him a traitor. Needless to say we took the party whip from the man the following morning, but there is a distinct wedge in the party. The next election will prove to me once and for all if we can muster ourselves to take on Labour.”



1890: Labour win the General Election with 63% of the vote. Sinn Fein takes 33% of the vote and a motion of no-confidence in Peter O’Mahony leads to his dismissal as the head of the party. Days later, Arthur Duggan, an arch-Republican and ardent Catholic, is reinstated to the party and promptly elected as party leader. Moderate Sinn Fein party members resign in disgust at the evident coup against a popular leader, a man pushing for reform of the party’s policy in the wake of independence. Prime Minister Kavanagh personally offers O’Mahony a place in the Labour party. Having been friends and colleagues since their university days; and considering his own personal political shift to the left, O’Mahony accepts and becomes Minister for Fisheries, a valuable portfolio, concerned with Ireland’s most profitable export.

February 1891: Mexico was indeed annihilated by the Americans and has tumbled from the table of international greats. With the status of Russia slipping and Spain and Ireland continuing their economic spat, Lord Salisbury, the British PM, and Benjamin Harrison, the US President, convened a conference in Montreal, Canada of the leaders of the world’s eight Great Nations. While no discernable benefit to any nation materialised from the conference, Irish PM Kavanagh impressed the delegates with Salisbury in particular warming to the charms of the Irish man.

On his return to Ireland, Kavanagh faced a crisis. While he was addressing graduates at University College Dublin, a number of Sinn Fein supporters pelted President Parnell with eggs. The aged Parnell stepped from the podium to confront the angry students but succumbed to a heart attack on the steps. Within a day, the President was dead. Protests on the street- fuelled as much by Labour party agitators as well as genuine anger- called for the egg-throwers to be tried for murder. Police baton-charged several protests on O’Connell Street. Legally, the young men were in new territory; they could not be effectively be tried for premeditated murder, but they were certainly culpable. The Minister for Justice, Peadar de Paor, called the act “treason” in an interview with a British journalist, which caused uproar in government. De Paor refused to retract his comment, calling it subjective and personal and insisting that Ireland’s independent judiciary would and should not take their lead from him, as Minister for Justice. Peter O’Mahony found his former position in Sinn Fein put him in a perfect position to act as a go-between for the political parties. Ultimately, the students were convicted of criminal negligence and issued long prison terms, satisfying the majority of people. However, for extremists on both sides of the divide, the men were either martyrs for the Nationalist cause (to whom Parnell’s Protestantism had long been a bugbear) or terrorists who should be executed for their crimes. The Parnell Case would divide Irish politics for decades.

Update IV

Chapter 10: Spheres of Influence and “Ost-Irland”.​

The first nation to enter Ireland's sphere of influence, Prussian culture became very fashionable amonsgt the Irish elite at the turn of the century.

Sept 1892: After years of diplomatic negotiation, the Prussian government approved a military pact with Ireland, having now entered the latter’s sphere of influence. In recent times, Prussia has been subject to Austrian and Russian aggression. Given the tense diplomatic situation between Austria and Ireland, the Prussian government reached out to Dublin for a controlling influence to counter-balance Austria in central Europe. While anti-military elements within the government were not eager to commit Irish troops to such a volatile region, Prime Minister Kavanagh convinced his Cabinet that, in the first place, Prussia requested this assistance from Ireland and, secondly, as one of the world’s leading powers, Ireland now had a duty to keep other powers from over-reaching. Some nationalist Prussian newspapers derisively refer to Prussia now as “Ost-Irland” and question the supposed peaceful motives of the island nation. Halloween 1892 was celebrated by a grand reception held at the Prussian Ambassador’s residence.

1894: While an Irish Expeditionary Force leaves Cork, bound for Prussia, to aid in crushing a rebellion in the state’s eastern provinces, word comes to Dublin that the nation of Germany has risen to the west of Prussia. Several Germanic states, deciding to pool resources and given their potential influence together, formed Germany and immediately declared war on Austria. Such was the influence of this new state, that the Netherlands was unceremoniously dumped out of the Great 8 nations. The Irish government assured the Prussians that any untoward aggression would be met with Irish steel and fury. However, the internal pressure in Prussia to join Germany meant that it was only a matter of time before Ireland’s first protectorate slipped through her fingers. In spite of this, the Irish people embraced our German cousins and speeches were made in the Dáil in favour of militarily supporting Prussia, a state that remained in a position Ireland once occupied: surrounded and influenced by larger empires that would surely subjugate their people. With Austria and Germany now a major presence in Europe, Dublin began to foster better relations with the French and British governments. By July of that year, Ireland’s diplomatic nous provided another windfall as the Ottoman Empire joined our sphere of influence. The efforts of the Labour government were rewarded at the polls as they were re-elected.

This diplomatic honeymoon was short-lived however as within two years, both Prussia and the Ottomans fall from our sphere of influence. While defensive treaties remain in place with the Ottomans, the Prussians succumbed to German pressure and formed a greater German state. Government attitudes to Germany had, by now, softened and this was compounded by the position of Germany as a buffer to Austrian aggression.

1897: The Netherlands, long a neutral state buffeted by diplomatic winds from one sphere of influence to another, agreed to a defensive pact with Ireland and entered its sphere of influence. In March 1898 the Upper House introduced minimum wage reform for the first time and Labour called a snap election, hoping to capitalise on the increase in public support for the measure. Far-flung military alliances now lead to pressure from military leaders to invest more money in naval infrastructure and technology.


The Great Powers, 1897.

Sept 1898: Labour wins with a 71% majority. Debate on foreign policy and Ireland’s neutrality come to the fore: Can we remain a peaceful nation while attempting to forge military pacts with countries? A sizeable portion of Cabinet members and particularly backbenchers remain staunchly anti-war and anti-military and they claim that the ideological foundations of the state demand that we abstain from armed conflict. Kavanagh counters these objections by emphatically stating that Ireland’s position in the world is no longer that of a weak, economically backward vassal state, instead it is among the top five countries in the world. With this immense influence comes the responsibility of leadership. Rather than subverting the guiding principles of the state since its inception, military spending and pacts allow Ireland to guarantee the autonomy of other states that was denied to Ireland for generations. Such pacts are defensive agreements and do not represent a shift in policy from neutral to aggressive. Ireland has, he continued, entered “an era of grand entitlement, but also great accountability.”


1900: Turn of the century celebrations in Dublin are high-spirited and extended as the people (encouraged by the government) look back at how far the small island nation has come in the last hundred years. Culturally, Ireland is the sixth most influential country in the world, with the seventh largest industrial base and fifth largest standing military. In the Presidential election, Douglas Hyde is elected and is the first President to move into new accommodation at the old Viceregal Lodge in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, with the lodge now to be known as Áras an Uachtaráin.


Ireland's domestic, scientific and prestige situation, 1900.

1901: With the union of Germany and Prussia, Ireland’s alliance with the Prussians is now defunct and our returning expeditionary forces recoup in the port cities of Cork and Waterford. Irishman Elliot Fitzgerald of Trinity College Dublin wins the Nobel Prize for Physics in this year, bringing much cultural prestige to Ireland. . National pride is swept into further frenzy as the following year, Prime Minister Kavanagh wins the Nobel Peace Prize for his arbitration of the German/ Prussian reunification, as well as his part in Ireland’s peaceful gaining of independence from Britain. The Prime Minister, overjoyed at this recognition, dedicates the prize to those who strive for peaceful resolution to conflict everywhere. These sentiments are not shared by Germany and Austria who return to war with each other soon thereafter. The Netherlands is removed from our sphere of influence, though our defensive treaty remains. On the other hand, Greece joins our sphere of influence, much to the chagrin of the Russians and Austrians.

Diary of Peter O’Mahony, MP and Minister for the Navy: Sept 21 1902: “This war in the east is a troubling development. I can see our numerous pacts drawing us into a conflict on the other side of the world. I worry not so much for an old man such as myself, but rather for the countless generations yet to come. My own son, David, has recently entered politics for Labour and should he ever have to make such a decision that now weekly afflicts our Foreign Office, namely signing a pact with some lesser power or other. For then I fear that even one card from the stack will bring the whole house down around his ears. We remain an island nation- almost one living beyond our means in terms of influence- and we are not yet strong enough militarily to stave off concerted opposition.

"There is talk of expanding our interests into West Africa. The French already have a sizeable presence there and would surely not look kindly on our imposition, but our supply needs only accelerate with each month. In fact my own Ministry is looking to expand the fleet by some twenty cruisers or so. A heady task lies ahead, not forgetting the election campaign too.”


The 1903 Election results.

1903: The rise of Unionists again in the North and in Dublin saw the Labour vote divided and Sinn Fein takes the election by 2% of the vote. Observers put the Unionist ascension down to pro-war activists within Labour, as well as Ulster’s capitalists, protesting the industrial stagnation of the Irish economy since 1900 in their province. The new government promises swift action on the matter.

August 5th 1903: Ireland is the first nation to reach the North Pole. Cheering crowds assemble in Belfast dock as the expedition lead by Dennis Dougan returns.


The glorious North Pole expedition.

Irishmen undertake another adventure of sorts, as the government, now lead by Michael Kennedy of Sinn Fein, sends an expeditionary force to Western Africa, to the Warri region, to attempt to start the first Irish overseas colony. The French presence is immediately obvious, with 36 divisions stationed perilously close to the Irish camp. Good relations fostered between the two nations means that there is little conflict, as the French spend their resources expanding north. The Austrian/German war was ultimately beneficial to Irish expansion as Austria takes a prestige hit with the loss of Bavaria to the Germans. Ireland is now ranked fourth in the world.


The 1st Irish Expeditionary Force and 2nd Irish Republican Guards in the Africas, 1903.

1st January 1904: Pension reform is enacted by the Socialist dominated Senate. Low as popular unrest was before, it is now almost non-existent, with the security forces reporting no rebel acivity in over a decade. Factory expansion in Leinster continues apace. On a wider European scale, Germany declares war on Russia. War exhaustion and a battered military may prove to be the undoing of Germany against the green hordes of Imperialist Russia.

October 9th 1904: The Foreign Office reports the successful colonisation of the Warri region in Africa. We continue to foster good relations with France, to act as a buffer to any inroads they would wish to make into our new territories. Valuable coal resources in the Calabar region mean that Irish fleet expansion will be catered for. The Minister for Administrative Affairs has begun lobbying for advancing our mining and coal technologies in the wake of this welcome discovery. On a related note, earlier this month the first High Seas fleet of cruisers was launched from Cork Naval Base. In March 1905 the tiny nation of Montenegro joined our SOI. Ireland also finally signed a defensive pact with Greece.

Feb 1906: The ancient civilization of Benin has been colonised. President Hyde pays a visit soon thereafter. Further good news follows in March as an Irishman wins win the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. The Ottoman Empire and the Netherlands return to our SOI in September following trade negotiations in Dublin.

1907 was to prove a mixed year for the Sinn Fein government as the Minister for the Interior, Seamus O’Donnell was forced to resign in the midst of a sex scandal. Allegations that he had instigated an affair with a Dublin socialite named Margaret Kelly-Dunne, proved too much for O’Donnell and the government to take. The departure of the Interior Minister so soon after the colonisation of the Douala and Bafoussam regions meant that the administrative complexities of subsuming the provinces were complicated further. Better news was to come for Sinn Fein in September as they retained control of the government during the election.

Nov 23rd 1908: Gabon, with its precious supplies of iron, is now an Irish colony. The uncivilised nation of Sokoto has come up again and again in political discussions. It is all-but-inevitable that the French will annex the large country if we do not. But this would be the first declaration of war that the Republic has ever issued. The normally expansionist-sympathetic Sinn Fein party is split on the issue while the remainder of the Dáil chamber, as well as the Senate, remain firmly against such belligerence against a pre-existing nation. Colonization is already a controversial issue at home, but most of the political parties agree that once the same rights are extended to the colonised citizens as Irish citizens receive, then the positives outweigh the negatives. It is agreed during a debate on the issue that if Ireland is to stay true to her neutral philosophy then she must avoid declaring war on another country for purely expansionist reasons. “If expansion can be achieved peacefully, then so be it,” were Prime Minister Kennedy’s final words on the subject.


Irish colonial expansion, 1909.

Raph said:

Just wanted to say, great AAR! You're doing well with Ireland and I like your style of writing, nicely done making the gameplay events feel real.

Click to expand...

Thanks Ralph, it's reassuring to hear that people like this, hopefully some more updates by the weekend

Zzzzz... said:

Invade Sokoto! and introduce them to the beauty of Celtic music!

EDIT: Forgot to ask, are you going to spread your influence to South America and Asia?

Click to expand...

The next update should answer the Sokoto question, but really the French force a solution to this problem on us.

Yeah, I started to influence certain Middle Eastern countries, while mainly focussing on African nations using diplomatic points. All will be revealed soon.

Update V

Chapter 12: Expansion and Expiration.​

3rd February 1910: An Irish expedition to Antarctica has the inestimable honour of becoming the first to reach the South Pole. Ireland’s prestige in the sciences has seen a rapid acceleration in the past decade. The unspoken national focus of the Sinn Fein government is now to overturn the British and French as the world’s leading cultural nation. Further along in the year, Ireland’s African colonies are bolstered by the addition of the Bangui region in west of the continent. Irish expeditionary forces are leaving for Africa with greater frequency. The national security situation on the island of Ireland is suitably calm, allowing for increased colonial endeavours.


Another successful Irish expedition.

As much as international prestige and economic benefits recommend themselves to Irish colonial expansion, the fact remains that controversy about the subject rages among middle class Irish people. While the Upper House socialists deny the Liberals an opportunity to vote on women’s suffrage, Ireland remains a progressive nation. Thus, early colonisation was downplayed by the government-controlled press until major, tangible results from this expansionist experiment could be exhibited.


The 1912 election results.

The 1911/12 General Election marked the first such occasion that any Irish party campaigned on a pro-colonial message. The Sinn Fein and Irish Nationalist parties both gave voice to their advocacy of the African colonies for Ireland. The Nationalists in particular advocate an aggressive expansion, even hinting that war with the French may be a viable route to opening up more seaports to Irish fleets along the West African coast. In response to such open jingoism, the French colonial governor stations a garrison of 36 divisions in Lagos, just over the Franco-Irish border of Benin. Such was the sea-change amongst the electorate in favour of colonial glory that March 20th 1912 returned a resounding victory for Sinn Fein and the Irish Nationalists. The latter were forced to jettison some of their more radical members in order for Sinn Fein to accept them as a coalition partner. The lasting effect of the 1911/12 election campaign was the instigation of an arms race by the French and Irish in Africa as each country looked to expand their colonial holdings.

June 14th 1914: Taken from ‘The Times’ of Dublin:

“Peter O’Mahony: Politician, Diplomat, Diarist. (1819-1914)

Today is surely a black day as the genial elder statesman of Irish politics, Peter O’Mahony, having passed away in his Dublin apartments on Friday, will be laid to rest today. Survived by his son, David (himself an MP for Dublin South) Peter O’Mahony had recently been forced to retire from active politics in 1910, at the intimidating age of 91, due to ill health. Having moved from Sinn Fein to Labour during his career, many considered O’Mahony a closeted Liberal, always willing to rock the political boat for the sake of helping his fellow man. He eventually settled into the Labour fold sufficiently to be appointed Minister for Fisheries, later to the Navy department and finally as Foreign Secretary.

Following Labour’s successive electoral defeats to Sinn Fein, O’Mahony became a voice for political change in the Lower House, in particular advocating universal suffrage. He encouraged a close relation between Britain and Ireland and was the driving force behind diplomatic improvements with France in the early part of this century. While never voicing his personal opinions on colonialism on the record in Parliament, his silence spoke volumes when he abstained from the vote to send the First Expeditionary Force to the Warri region of Africa in 1904.

Despite many attempts to convince him to take up the reigns of Labour leadership, O’Mahony felt he could best serve his country as a co-operator, not a coordinator. In reality, he never enjoyed the popular support in his adoptive party, despite having a very loyal voting record. Having fallen foul of the petty suspicions of Irish parochial party politics, Peter O’Mahony may, in fact, have been the greatest Prime Minister Ireland never head. President Hyde will give a eulogy at Mr O’Mahony’s funeral in St Patrick’s Cathedral today.”​

August 17th 1914: Ireland continues to colonise and the national population, including colonial citizens, stands at over 33 million. Irish diplomats return from Lisbon with a defensive pact with the Portuguese, who briefly flirt with Ireland’s SOI, until Spain and France cat-scratching over Portugal leads the Irish government to invest resources elsewhere. Several philosophical breakthroughs lead Ireland to 3rd in the world for cultural prestige.

Chapter 13: “Irishmen, glory and the future beckon: to arms!”​

1916 through to 1920 were amongst the most tense in the history of the state, certainly since achieving independence as the spectre of war with France whispered with its icy breath in the face of the Irish. As has already been alluded to, a cold-war of sorts had flared up between the rival colonies in since the beginning of the twentieth century. Irish troops left Belfast, Dublin and Cork, bound for the colonial capital of Benin, all under the watchful eye of France. On a wider scale again, Ireland was fast approaching France in prestige levels also, though she still had some way to go. Both countries fought a diplomatic war ferociously over the uncivilised, though considerably large, nation of Sokoto.

This potent atmosphere was exploded in July 1916 as the French Foreign Legion invaded Sokoto from the west. Irish diplomats had noted that the French government had slowly been reducing their opinion of Ireland, through slight diplomatic snubs. Fear of war with France left those ‘in the know’ in Dublin stricken with fear. Militarily, Ireland was capable of competing but slow naval investment and the potential for complete blockade by French ships concerned political leaders. President Hyde offered to visit Paris for reassurances, but Prime Minister Kennedy felt that to show Ireland’s hand too soon would provoke a French reaction not conducive to Ireland’s interests. Amidst this turmoil, Sinn Fein were able to win re-election to government, however, internal party politics were soon to erupt into the public sphere.

Several Irish Nationalist and Sinn Fein backbenchers, lead by Guy Martin- a schoolteacher from Clare, turned MP- advocated pre-emptive war with the French. The government moved quickly to remove these agitators from their respective parties. The rebel MPs continued their harassment of government politicians, promising that appeasement would end in ruin for the Irish Republic. Martin and his cohorts began to conspire to overthrow what he saw as the “weak-willed Anglicised” government, by force if necessary.

1917: French troops continue to swarm across Sokoto. The government invests heavily in fortifications along the Franco-Irish colonial borders. In spite of the tensions, colonisation in east Africa continues at an accelerated level, thanks to the tireless endeavours of the 1st Expeditionary Force. The Portuguese forces on the east coast of Africa continue to expand north, as do the British from South Africa. The government appoints David O’Mahony, MP, to the position of Colonial Administrator, effectively entrusting the growth and expansion of the colonies to the outspoken Labour MP. The reasons for this, in the mind of Prime Minister Kennedy were, in the first place, to assuage liberals and socialists who continued to criticise government expansion at the expense of the indigenous peoples and resources. O’Mahony, like his father, was sceptical of colonial endeavours but was now offered a position to establish progressive foundations in Irish Africa. The more cynical reason for such an appointment allowed the Sinn Fein government to isolate an outspoken critic of the government from the country for an extended period of time. Momentum was gathering behind O’Mahony within the Labour party and, although not yet in a position to challenge Albert Byrne as party leader, the young man was none-the-less a high profile figure, and one who ought to be marginalised for the sake of future Sinn Fein interests.


The Irish African colonies, 1917.

24th August 1917: Sinn Fein’s Robert Dunne, in his capacity as Justice Minister placed a controversial Penal Colonies Bill before the House that would open the way for Irish convicts to be shipped to penal colonies in Africa indefinitely. Popular outrage found voice in country-wide rallies and the government was put in the awkward position of actually voting against a measure that it had put forward, such was the weight of public opinion against the measures. In any case, government backbenchers and the remainder of the Lower House voted against the bill. Both the Senate and President Hyde had earlier made it known that they would veto such a bill in any case. Dunne resigned in embarrassment and the country appeared on the verge of a snap election.

Events were to conspire against this however.

Militant aspects of Sinn Fein and the Irish Nationalists, lead by Guy Martin- a former MP- and now joined by disgraced former Justice Minister, Robert Dunne, put a plan into action that would plunge Ireland into chaos. Having spent the better part of a year arming themselves, this cadre of reactionaries felt that the time was ripe to launch a coup in Dublin. Agents from the secret police intercepted two assassins in Galway, sent to murder the visiting Interior Minister on the night of the 25th of October. Under interrogation the two men, with only a limited access to the overall plan, outlined the conspiracy for the police.

Risings were planned across the country by small bands of Nationalists who would seize vital infrastructure. At the same time, larger forces would attempt to seize government buildings in Dublin and Belfast. Martin was to then declare himself head of state.

The government moved quickly, cracking down on subversives, while co-ordinating social reforms with the Upper House to ensure militancy was kept to a minimum. While the captured assassins were not aware of a fixed date for the insurrection, it was thought that the weeks leading to Christmas, when the entire government would be in Dublin, would prove the most opportune. Little was leaked to the press, though the localised whisper campaigns across the country spread a story that was close enough to the truth to concern the government.

In the colonies, security was elevated. Concerned that word of a potential coup in the home provinces would lead to similar risings in Africa, David O’Mahony, imposed a temporary press blackout in the more volatile regions. Rumours spread- and spies confirmed- that certain reactionary French paramilitaries were arming and funding the Irish Nationalist Army, as it was now called. Diplomatic heavy-hitters set off on the steamer ‘Baile Átha Cliath’ for Paris for emergency meetings with the French government who insisted that they would deal with the funding coming from their country. Offers of aid in quelling potential violence, and even the offer of a non-aggression pact convinced the Irish government that France had no current designs on territorial expansion.

News of the potential rising crashed into the public sphere on the 10th of December when, at a speech in Waterford, shots were fired at Prime Minister Kennedy. Though the PM remained unscathed, the government was forced to disclose the INA’s machinations. This lead to a groundswell of support for the government as the thoughts of a bloody putsch terrified the wider population. But the INA leadership were not to be denied, Martin and Dunne set the date for the rising for the 20th of December 1917, the day Parliament would take its Christmas break. Although popular opinion was against them, they mustered sufficient forces to launch risings in Cork, Waterford, Belfast and Dublin. As he addressed a small group of rebels in a public house in north county Dublin, Guy Dunne finished is rousing speech by clutching his revolver, pointing it towards the ceiling and bellowing: “Irishmen, glory and the future beckon: to arms!”