AHC: Make Ireland as strong or influential as possible

Genghis Kawaii

Gone Fishin'
The challenge is to see how powerful Ireland can be in the year 1900, with any POD. Now, powerful is a relative term. Ireland has some serious limitations in population and natural resources, and lacks natural defenses against the English, so it is not going to be a European or Overseas Power. So, with that in mind, let's focus on increasing Ireland's political or cultural power as much as possible, and improving the lot of the average Irish citizen.

I get the feeling that, whatever improvements are made to Ireland's situation, it will still be a part of the British Empire. Bonus points if you can avoid that, or if you can do the exact opposite and make it so that the Irish are content with being in the UK and the independence movement is a fringe thing.
 
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