AHC: Ireland an American State(s)?

Is there any plausible POD or series of butterflies in which Ireland becomes American?

That seems a simple enough description...

No; Only through an extremely implausible and convoluted series of PODs, handwavium and butterflies could this come to pass. Ireland joining the union is even more unlikely then Quebec joining the union.
 
We'll have to see how Tex handles it in Ameriwank first to be able to judge any point in time's plausibility thereof.
 
Considering the Irish people spent pretty much 700 years fighting to have an independent Irish nation...I'm guessing no.

There would have to be an implausibly huge benefit in joining the USA to justify the idea.
 
Without really wild divergences from OTL it's impossible.

Remember, America's love affair with romanticised Irish culture is a (relatively) recent development. Remember, up to probably the 1900s or so the Irish were regarded by mainstream American culture as little more than lower class scum (certainly in comparison to the German and Scandinavian immigrant populations). The Irish Americans, as a whole only really started gentrifying in the first decade of the 20th century. Without Irish entry into mainstream American culture why would there be any interest in Ireland at all? To most 19th century WASPS it would merely be perceived as a disgusting boggy island full of Papists.

For the other side, as others have pointed out, the Irish nationalist movement was already quite well developed. I doubt they would want to be part of yet another distant and bigger polity.
 
Remember, America's love affair with romanticised Irish culture is a (relatively) recent development. Remember, up to probably the 1900s or so the Irish were regarded by mainstream American culture as little more than lower class scum (certainly in comparison to the German and Scandinavian immigrant populations). The Irish Americans, as a whole only really started gentrifying in the first decade of the 20th century. Without Irish entry into mainstream American culture why would there be any interest in Ireland at all? To most 19th century WASPS it would merely be perceived as a disgusting boggy island full of Papists.

I'm not so sure. The Americans certainly saw Grattan's struggle for legislative independence as parallel to their own. Indeed, they grabbed the idea of a "patriot" cause from the Irish grouping. It should also be remembered that at this time the ruling class of Ireland was Anglican, so antagonism to Gaelic Celts wouldn't be any problematic here than it would be to letting in Virginia's Cohees and Africans. Also, if Ireland is one of the founding states of equal status in what was a pretty decentralised confederation to start, they may well feel like they have their "independence" anyway.

The biggest problem isn't identity and sympathies, but logistics. You really would need the British curb stomped to let go an island right next door. Perhaps a successful invasion force?
 
My thought was better Franco-American relations in the aftermath of the ARW and worse Anglo-American relations. Perhaps incidents leading up to the Treaty of Paris combined with the pro-French proto-Republicans getting enough power to affect foreign policy against Britain - whatever.

Then there's semi-heavy American involvement in the United Irishmen's uprising, which would be used as leverage for a U.S. call for American ports in Ireland near the UK as a deal. It's a pyrrhic victory for Ireland but the wounded Republic becomes a protected ally of the U.S., supposedly this will be temporary.

An increased American presence on the isle combined with an earlier wave of immigration to the U.S. (post-war famine?) helps to increase not only good relations but Irish dependency on the U.S.

As time passes, after another war with Britain and then some time of Anglo-American peace the question begins to arise on what to do with Ireland. America is gaining strength and momentum throughout the 19th Century and three distinct factions emerge in Ireland: Those who want to join Britain in an act of union, those who want Ireland to be a free state (which is preferable to both the Irish and Americans but is the worst option with the Irish economy in the shape it's in), and a third American faction which believes Ireland can only truly be independent as an American state.

What all is wrong with all of that so far?
 
No; Only through an extremely implausible and convoluted series of PODs, handwavium and butterflies could this come to pass.

Agreed, but so are most Alternate History Challenges; they are challenges because there are no readily apparent PODs.

The only way I see it is that

1) Ireland becomes independent at some point prior to when it did IOTL
2) British power collapses for some reason
3) When British power rises again, Ireland appeals to union with the US in order to escape a potential British invasion
4) At that time, the US is both a burgeoning great power that could deter Britain, and is willing to do so.

This is a tall order. The most likely POD is sometime within the Napoleonic Wars. Ireland might need a more successful 1798 Rising, and Napoleon must be able to land troops in Britain. France doesn't need to conquer Britain, just devastate it enough so that British priorities aren't in recapturing Ireland. The next several decades in the 19th century are about Britain struggling against a French dominated Europe. By the time the French domination ends, the US has entered its own 1890s-1910s high and agrees to bring in Ireland.

Not very likely, but the closest idea I could see as being viable.
 

67th Tigers

Banned
Done:

Stars_And_Stripes_In_Peril_f.jpeg
 
The American Revolution spreads to the UK, the United States is founded with its capital in London and Irish one of the constituant states.
Or it would be but luckily the title says American.
So no.

The world isn't lining up to join the USA and nor would any sane American want the world to join.
 
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