Ireland in a nuclear war and aftermath

[theirishdreamer]

yeah

Especially considering how we secretly planned to throw in with the British in the event of a nuclear war. Shanon highly likely, Dublin maybe though ive always my doubts about that.

 

[Sanderford]

Especially considering how we secretly planned to throw in with the British in the event of a nuclear war.

Is that so? You mean something along these lines?

 

[theirishdreamer]

Yup

Evidently that was the plan, I remember reading the originals at the time but can't locate them now.

 

[Bernard Woolley]

At least one British Civil Defence exercise from, IIRC, the '50s, or '60s assumed that Dublin would get a dose of instant sunshine. Now I'm no expert on Irish civil defence planning during the Cold War, but they don't seem to have looked at dispersing their government, so a strike on Dublin could have resulted in decapitating the Irish state.

 

[Rapparee]

According to Soviet sources Ulster would have received five bombs, Belfast was first on the Soviet hitlist, alongside Ballykelly army barracks and the former US naval facilities at Lishally, both outside Derry. They would also hit the airfield at St Angelo near Enniskillen as well as the US Navy transmitters along the Sperrin mountains that span Derry and Tyrone. I've read that the Soviets also planned to hit Eire with a handful of nuclear weapons, to render them unable to assist a British recovery, though evidence for this is harder to come by.

Ulster is nine counties mate, not just the North. Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal are in there as well.


Still have some of the old iodine tablets and stuff like that at home. My mother remembers all these leaflets that were handed out advising people to hide under the stairs and stuff.

I think Twilight 2000 had it in their scenario plan that Haulbowline (the navy base near Cork) and Belfast were hit. I'm glad we're sparsely populated!

 

[Delta Force]

At least one British Civil Defence exercise from, IIRC, the '50s, or '60s assumed that Dublin would get a dose of instant sunshine. Now I'm no expert on Irish civil defence planning during the Cold War, but they don't seem to have looked at dispersing their government, so a strike on Dublin could have resulted in decapitating the Irish state.

If the capital gets hit that basically takes out the country, especially before the the growth and development in the 1990s. Ireland isn't the largest or most populated nation.

 

[sparky42]

If the capital gets hit that basically takes out the country, especially before the the growth and development in the 1990s. Ireland isn't the largest or most populated nation.

I wonder about that, Dublin's population while large even then would have grown more by the economic boom than the rest of the Republic. Though it certainly would have decapitated the State.

 

[theirishdreamer]

Hmmm

Well revenue and civil service are gone along with a lot of the cabinet depending on the day but a lot of tds will be outside of Dublin. County councils intact along with most of the political organisations

 

[The Red]

Ulster is nine counties mate, not just the North. Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal are in there as well.

Granted, though the term Northern Ireland is at least equally vague.

 

[Pangur]

At least one British Civil Defence exercise from, IIRC, the '50s, or '60s assumed that Dublin would get a dose of instant sunshine. Now I'm no expert on Irish civil defence planning during the Cold War, but they don't seem to have looked at dispersing their government, so a strike on Dublin could have resulted in decapitating the Irish state.

There was plans as it happens, to a bunker in Athlone to be precise

 

[Rapparee]

Granted, though the term Northern Ireland is at least equally vague.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/northern+ireland

How?

Northern Ireland is it's legal name, it's one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom. If I was a republican and saying "the Six Counties", "the North" or "North-East Ireland" then yes it would be vague.

 

[The Red]

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/northern+ireland

How?

Northern Ireland is it's legal name, it's one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom. If I was a republican and saying "the Six Counties", "the North" or "North-East Ireland" then yes it would be vague.

How about East Ulster then?

 

[Sanderford]

Evidently that was the plan, I remember reading the originals at the time but can't locate them now.

My problem with that is there is no way Ireland could raise an army that large by themselves.

Even so, there were apparently bunkers constructed in some places in Ireland, and plans drawn in the event of a strike. Obviously at least some Irish military and political leaders had considered the chance of it happening.

 

[theirishdreamer]

as

As best i can recall we'd provide the troops and the British provide the arms. I vaguely remember there was some mention of "security actions" that may be required in the UK mainland and NI that might require Irish "support" in the event of break down of law and order. Its hard to find definite information on what the plans were but I do know some bunkers were constructed and most of the Ministers had pre designated plans for what to do in the event of an attack - which is very much at odds with what we said in public and too the electorate.

In brutal terms knocking out Dublin would hurt badly, but its not likely to do more than eliminate large parts of the civil service and some of the government (very few TDs and Ministers tend to be in Dublin from personal experience in the 90's) and kill alot of civilians (probably including me). Though in brutal numbers its probably eliminating alot of mouths to feed in the event of the following post-exchange world. The UK will be much worse off without the capacity to import the food shortfall.