Pan-Celtic Nation

Is the creation of a Pan-Celtic Nation in Europe plausible? I was thinking that the POD should be Scotland being the imperious force in the British Isles, conquering Wales and Ireland but Scotland's economy could not suffice such an adventure and the Scottish king did not have such an ambition.
 
If I am not mistaken, and please correct me if I am wrong, but Robert the Bruce had intentions of taking over Ireland when he started to rule over Scotland. He had intended to place his brother as ruler over the Ireland but the expedition ultimately failed.
 
If I am not mistaken, and please correct me if I am wrong, but Robert the Bruce had intentions of taking over Ireland when he started to rule over Scotland. He had intended to place his brother as ruler over the Ireland but the expedition ultimately failed.
Indeed, that is correct and England even played Ireland's friend during the conflict.
 

Indeed, that is correct and England even played Ireland's friend during the conflict.

Its a bit more complicated than that; The Bruce's brother had support, especially in Ulster at the time (including the Ui Neill). However, he proved to be rather inept and his army came to be seen as a worse threat than the English in the Pale. Its important to remember just how divided Ireland was during that era in its loyalties. It would have been possible to unite the island at this time under a cadet branch of the Bruce dynasty; but Edward Bruce wasn't the man to do it. What really seemed to doom the expedition was that famine that broke out and the fact that Robert returned to Scotland and was not there to offer assistance to his brother.

Honestly, I think had a more capable figure than Edward Bruce been given the task, it would have been successful. What you really needed was someone who was a gifted military commander in his own right, and who would have been able to win the loyalty of the Anglo-Irish lords of the Pale. Really, any effort to secure Ireland during this era will have to make accommodations to the Anglo-Irish.
 
Do you think that if Robert Bruce had stepped up and not put his brother in that position that it would have been successful? I am not too familiar with the Scottish side but I did make note that Robert's family had ties to Brian Boru.

I have to agree with Dan on this one. Ireland was divided into smaller kingdoms and uniting all of them would still be a daunting task.
 
You could always have the Celts fight back against the Roman Legions long enough to federate, some genius develops sublime tactics against said legions and continue hegemony over Gaul et Brittania. Or butterfly Rome away and they'd federate like the Teutons sooner or later.
 
You could always have the Celts fight back against the Roman Legions long enough to federate, some genius develops sublime tactics against said legions and continue hegemony over Gaul et Brittania. Or butterfly Rome away and they'd federate like the Teutons sooner or later.

If we were to step away from Gaul and look at Britannia, the Iceni and allied tribes under Boudica had done enough to make Nero consider abandoning the island. If you could butterfly away Suetonius re-establishing Roman dominance in the area, then there may be a chance for unification.
 
If we were to step away from Gaul and look at Britannia, the Iceni and allied tribes under Boudica had done enough to make Nero consider abandoning the island. If you could butterfly away Suetonius re-establishing Roman dominance in the area, then there may be a chance for unification.

Unlikely. The main source for the claim Nero considered abandoning the isle was an author who is only two steps above a tabloid in terms of historical accuracy (meaning some of the stuff in Suetonius' The Twelve Caesars is in the category of useful tidbits, a lot is more like salacious gossip) and no Roman Emperor could have abandoned a territory falling to tribal rebellion without losing a lot of face and possibly even being assassinated and replaced. Even if Suetonius the general's campaign fails Rome will send more troops to crush the Iceni rebellion lest other provinces start getting bad ideas.
 
Chance, not definite. I forget who the source is but I cannot comment on the reliability.

But to answer the OP, the possibility of a Pan-Celtic nation is unlikely due to divisions between clans/tribes.
 
Highly doubtful if you have a POD after the Anglo-Saxons displace/assimilate the Celtic peoples of England. Best POD would be no/much less Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, and a strong state still emerges in now-Celtic Britain. Over the years through conquest and inheritance, it manages to gain enough land to rule the British Isles, and then through more inheritance manages to gain Brittany. Nationalism still emerges, and *Britain appeals to pan-Celtic nationalism to keep the state together through to modern times.
 
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