Hi guys, this is my first thread (WOOO!) and I was looking at the European Map thread, and I couldn't understand why people seemed to have such an issue with Ireland being a world power. I think the argument spanned two pages, even after the fact that ireland being a powerful nation WAS possible (at least just as possible as any of the other countries on the map). To drive this point home, I decided to make a thread where it is possible for Ireland to become a major power in Europe, and eventually the world. DONT TELL ME IT'S ASB!
Now, the POD in the map thread was 1200, but to make things more interesting, I'm starting earlier... It's rough, but hopefully it will be good. Hope you enjoy!
Sooo, the Romans invaded Britain later than I guestimated, so lets push this bad boy to around 60 A.D. As Irish legend goes, the King Connor McNessa died around this time after a brain-ball lodged in his head for seven years fell out after having heard about the crucifixion of Christ. This is likely just a healthy mix of Catholicism and ancient legend, but there must be some truth to it. My bet is McNessa was planning an invasion of Roman Britannia, for one reason or another, and then the brain ball fell out, and he died. ITTL, however, the brain ball does not fall out, and an army of Irish clansmen land on the coast of Britain, and start ransacking the countryside.
Well, as Romans are apt to do, they did not take this invasion lightly, so they sent a small army and completely destroyed the decentralized and, though strong and courageous, altogether weaker Irish army. But this is not enough. Roman honor has been defiled. By the end of the year, Roman Legions arrive on the East Coast of Ireland, near modern day Waterford, and practically reenact the British campaign.
Roman gold was worth quite a lot, and Gaelic tribes were more than willing to attack each other to get their hands on it. Divided and fighting amungst themselves, the Romans quickly take over the island, and make Hibernia a Roman territory. It takes years to pacify the wild and unruly Irish tribes, but from the Roman stronghold at Hibernicum (Waterford), no force was strong enough to expel the Romans.
Under the hand of the Caesar, Hibernia did not experience much linguistic change. The aristocrats spoke Latin, but the tribes and their leaders continued to speak Gaelic. Irish men were, however, prized fighters, and those not enslaved and made into gladiators were enlisted, and trained in the Roman legions.
As a frontier, Hibernia was much like Britannia, but with slightly more internal tribal struggles and less raids from Picts (Actually Hibernian troops would often raid the Picts, who would in turn raid the British).
Hibernian Troops backed Constantine, and after his famous conversion, became largely Catholic. St. Patrick (OTL's converter of the Irish) brought Irish monks with him to convert the Picts and Caledonians to the North of Hadrian's Wall. Hibernia was a major trade port in the Atlantic, and artifacts from as far away as China have been found in the homes of its aristocrats. But then in 410 AD, everything changed.