AHC: Make Ireland's Population 50 Million by 2012

[Laqueesha]

With a POD of 1835, how could the island of Ireland, and to a lesser extent, the Republic of Ireland, have a population of 50 million people by January 2012? This can be through a number of factors, including birth rate, emigration/immigration, etc.

Note that the territory of the Republic of Ireland remains the same as it was in January 2012, and Northern Ireland remains a part of the United Kingdom by January 2012. However, you can include wars and other military conflicts in your answer(s) if you so choose, but no ASB scenarios like total nuclear warfare or asteroid impacts.

Bonus points if the population is 100 million, 150 million, or even, 200 million.

EDIT: POD is now 1800.

[Tallest Skil]

Just not possible. What, they'll import ALL of their food? And what will they be exporting in exchange?

[Beedok]

Europe teams up on Britain, and gives Ireland some of the colonies?

[Laqueesha]

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil

Just not possible. What, they'll import ALL of their food? And what will they be exporting in exchange?

It's not necessarily impossible; the United Kingdom has a population of over 60 million people and the size of the island of Great Britain is comparable to that of Ireland.

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by Laqueesha

It's not necessarily impossible; the United Kingdom has a population of over 60 million people and the size of the island of Great Britain is comparable to that of Ireland.

Not really. Britain is more than twice the size of Ireland.

[Tallest Skil]

Originally Posted by Landshark

Not really. Britain is more than twice the size of Ireland.

And also isn't solid rock.

[Pangur]

The issue about producing food is a red herring. Could Ireland grow enough food for 50 million ? highly unlikely, would it have to import all its food? even more unlilkely.

How could you the polulation to 50 Million? - not sure thats possible however butterfly away the famine, industrialise early and fully might get you to 20/25 million. To get the remainder, make the UK and Europe uninhabitable for some reason and have 25 million refuges

Got to say that this would be stretch the abilities of the average ASB

[Dalmighty]

How are the Irish going to feed themselves?

After 1835, there's not many places left to colonize --

Although, technically, in a nuclear holocaust scenario, Ireland becomes one of the last places in the world not hit by nukes?

Still, 50 million is an insane number.

If Ireland somehow becomes the global financial and banking capital, you could get populations pushing 20 million. The population of Haiti is 10 million. Madagascar, 20 million.

The only islands that beat your number are Sumatra and Java in Indonesia, with 50 and 138 million people. Java is twice as big as Ireland, Sumatra, 5 times. Those places are highly fertile with volcanic activity.

[Pangur]

Originally Posted by Dalmighty

How are the Irish going to feed themselves?

After 1835, there's not many places left to colonize --

Although, technically, in a nuclear holocaust scenario, Ireland becomes one of the last places in the world not hit by nukes?

Still, 50 million is an insane number.

If Ireland somehow becomes the global financial and banking capital, you could get populations pushing 20 million. The population of Haiti is 10 million. Madagascar, 20 million.

The only islands that beat your number are Sumatra and Java in Indonesia, with 50 and 138 million people. Java is twice as big as Ireland, Sumatra, 5 times. Those places are highly fertile with volcanic activity.

Ireland is fertile, not sure where the idea that its not came from. I did not suggest what the even was that would make the UK and Europe uninhabitable however I would think that nuclear war is not an option.

[Noravea]

I'd say you can get 10-15 million tops without ASB intervention, and Ireland would still have to import some food.

[Æsir]

Originally Posted by Dalmighty

The only islands that beat your number are Sumatra and Java in Indonesia, with 50 and 138 million people.

Great Britain? Honshu?

[JoeMulk]

simple, no potato famine and no mass emigration. ITTL the US would retain Know-Nothing demographics and would probably be a lot more boring as a result.

[wormyguy]

Originally Posted by Æsir

Great Britain? Honshu?

Eurasia-Africa?

[Tsochar]

10 million, easy. No potato famine, earlier independence, higher birth rate, less emigration, better hospitals and lower death rate...
20 million, harder but doable, though not with the POD specified. You would need Ireland to become some kind of major economic center. Maybe if Britain collapsed into a long-term civil war, or never conquered Ireland.
30 million, pretty difficult. I think Ireland would have to be some kind of historical great power. Maybe on top of the 20 million scenario, Ireland becomes a main colonial power?
40 million and up, I'm going to say that's ASB. I would put an absolute cap at 35 million.

[Dalmighty]

Originally Posted by Æsir

Great Britain? Honshu?

Those ones are the obvious ones, and they don't have a similar size to Ireland or the specified population.

But you make a good point about Japan - and we know how a high population island with insufficient domestic resources turned out - only that Ireland is under the thumb of the British.

[wormyguy]

Anyways, the POD for this is obvious. They find the gold at the end of the rainbow.

[Laqueesha]

If the Republic of Ireland had a population of 50 million people, that would be just around 1,842 people per square mile, which would make the Republic of Ireland have a population density ranked 15th in the world.

Originally Posted by wormyguy

Anyways, the POD for this is obvious. They find the gold at the end of the rainbow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...Y0ilNUAoE#t=3s

[Justin Pickard]

No potato famine, Dominion of Ireland, Irish Gandhi (allohistorical offspring of a famine victim) gains independence from the British Empire in the 1940s, Green Revolution boosted by Irish scientists' work on plant genetics in the 1950s, Irish Quiet Revolution in the late 1960s, Dublin arcologies and managed immigration in the 1990s and 2000s.

Ireland as 'the Singapore of Europe'.

[kspence92]

Well, and this may be bordering on asb, but lets say Ireland manages to remain independent from the UK, and set up a few colonies maybe in the America's or some place or Africa ? and make itself a small empire.

More wealth will be brought in, more wealth means a better of population and an improved economy, allowing more food to be imported.

Yes, i have a feeling i will be ripped for this, and deservedly so...lol

[Francisco Cojuanco]

Originally Posted by Justin Pickard

No potato famine, Dominion of Ireland, Irish Gandhi (allohistorical offspring of a famine victim) gains independence from the British Empire in the 1940s, Green Revolution boosted by Irish scientists' work on plant genetics in the 1950s, Irish Quiet Revolution in the late 1960s, Dublin arcologies and managed immigration in the 1990s and 2000s.

Ireland as 'the Singapore of Europe'.

Wait, didn't the Quiet Revolution exert negative population pressures?

OP is, of course, ASB.