British and Irish Empire?

[White Horse]

I have just finished reading one the of the many books I received at Christmas: Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World (Niall Ferguson).

I was struck by the extend of the Irish involvement in building and running the Empire. Queen Victoria acknowledged this by referring to the Irish as being the "backbone of the Empire".

While I am not usually sensitive to terminology (I never objected to the British Isles, for example), should Ireland lobby for the empire to be called the British and Irish Empire.

Afterall, by accounts we were responsible to a significant extent for it's creation.

Is it time to reclaim the Empire?

[pogo]

Excellent point, White Horse.

I, for one, would like to see the British Empire renamed the British and Irish Empire to fully acknowledge the Irish input to this glorious institution.

[Shankill Browser]

should Ireland lobby for the empire to be called the British and Irish Empire.Is it time to reclaim the Empire?

I take it that you've said that with a certain amount of tongue in cheek White Horse
From what I've read on these boards, I don't doubt that many Irishmen would want nothing to do with an Empire of any kind.

[Respvblica]

[quote=Shankill Browser]

should Ireland lobby for the empire to be called the British and Irish Empire.Is it time to reclaim the Empire?

I take it that you've said that with a certain amount of tongue in cheek White Horse
From what I've read on these boards, I don't doubt that many Irishmen would want nothing to do with an Empire of any kind.[/quote:1728qny1]

As Empires go, I dont like the British Empire. Its like the Venetian Empire, built on trickery, great debt management, naval power and using other powers to do their dirty work for them. Give me the French, German or Roman Empires anyday. Brutal, in-your-face imperialism but at least the victims knew what to expect and they werent deliberatly divided to ease the conquest.

Something which I do appreciate British for is the advancement in Science. I think the Irish played a large and useful contribution in the environment provided by that Empire. I'm thinking about Hamilton,Parsons and Boyle.

[Jozer]

What I got from that bookm was that it should be called the Scottish Empire, as indeed should modern Britain.

[Shankill Browser]

What I got from that bookm was that it should be called the Scottish Empire, as indeed should modern Britain.

That's the impression I got too after watching a series of shows on the bbc a few months back. iirc Dan Cruickshank was the bloke making the series.

[Cael]

I have just finished reading one the of the many books I received at Christmas: Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World (Niall Ferguson).

I was struck by the extend of the Irish involvement in building and running the Empire. Queen Victoria acknowledged this by referring to the Irish as being the "backbone of the Empire".

While I am not usually sensitive to terminology (I never objected to the British Isles, for example), should Ireland lobby for the empire to be called the British and Irish Empire.

Afterall, by accounts we were responsible to a significant extent for it's creation.

Is it time to reclaim the Empire?

With a title like that you must have know that the book was just a sordid exercise in genocide denial, white washing murder and robbery on a massive scale. The vast majority of Irish people were victims of this empire of evil.

[pogo]

With a title like that you must have know that the book was just a sordid exercise in genocide denial, white washing murder and robbery on a massive scale. The vast majority of Irish people were victims of this empire of evil.

But not English, Scottish and Welsh people.

If not, why not :

What about Canadians and Australians. Were they also victims of the Empire of Evil. How exavtly did such 'victimisation' manifest itself :

[rockofcashel]

With a title like that you must have know that the book was just a sordid exercise in genocide denial, white washing murder and robbery on a massive scale. The vast majority of Irish people were victims of this empire of evil.

But not English, Scottish and Welsh people.

If not, why not :

What about Canadians and Australians. Were they also victims of the Empire of Evil. How exavtly did such 'victimisation' manifest itself :

Pogo .. are you in the employ of the British Government, with some role to educate the Paddies as to hwo great the Brits actually were for us ..

Most of us simply dont care about British history .. you are a seriously annoying poster..

[oreiley1]

The British Empire was plain evil. Ireland with its Dublin Castle English rule was but one part of this Empire.

To say Ireland was the backbone of this evil is so wrong. It was the English aristocracy who became rich at the expense of Empire. Indigenous peoples lost their land in a hugh land grab.

The Irish do not want to be associated with these crimes against humanity.