AHC: make Ireland the Portugal of the north

Now Ireland does not have many trees.
In the past Ireland was a Major source of OAK for ships of the Royal Navy.

*snip*

Only for a very short time. And if Ireland had had a major shipbuilding tradition and became a more powerful nation such as Portugal those trees are going to disappear even faster, either as ships, fuel or charcoal. All the English were doing was pillaging the only remaining source of timber they had, after which they increasingly relied on the Baltic trade.

Even if a seafaring Ireland did take off it is unlikely that they could compete with the English for the Baltic trade and hence they will need to be established in North America by 1600-1700
 
Only for a very short time. And if Ireland had had a major shipbuilding tradition and became a more powerful nation such as Portugal those trees are going to disappear even faster, either as ships, fuel or charcoal. All the English were doing was pillaging the only remaining source of timber they had, after which they increasingly relied on the Baltic trade.

Even if a seafaring Ireland did take off it is unlikely that they could compete with the English for the Baltic trade and hence they will need to be established in North America by 1600-1700

or they will need to buy their ships outside of Ireland.
If ships were important the Irish would have planted more forests.
 
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Just like the English did?

Or perhaps its more difficult than that

A cultural link back to Scandinavia would help.

Once the Irish get establish in North America they will be plenty of lumber to make ships.

It would be interesting to Irish settlement in North America using Brehon law.
 
@ Derek Pullem: not to mention the Irish will have to compete with more than the English for the Baltic trade, the Dutch also played a major role in the Baltic trade.
 

Morty Vicar

Banned
I have rather limited knowledge of the Viking era in Ireland, but I believe there have been times when a High King managed to unite the island. Perhaps the Viking threat can be used by a ruler to push towards unification and centralization?

Alternatively how about the Vikings or Normans are more successful, they conquer the whole of Ireland, and when the Irish rebel and overthrow them, their leader becomes a King of all Ireland?

Other ideas: if the Irish keep the western isles and highlands from the Dalriada kingdom that's the tree shortage solved, Scotland also had a navy of sorts, or at least a lot of ships and piracy. Maybe you can get the Isle of Man and Wales in there as some sort of united kingdom of celts alliance. IOTL England had a pagan revival after Norman Conquests, maybe with the churches support the Hiberno-Scots missionaries become an occupying force, at least long enough to plunder some resources. They also took English as slaves, St Patrick was an English slave in Ireland I think. Portugal was the first major slave trader, if England remains largely pagan the church will sanction Irish enslaving English and shipping them off to plantations.
 
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