WI Ireland conquered GB?

It had a bigger effect than that. Spain did lose the cream of its fleet and requiring significant expenditure to replace the losses. That said it wasn't a deathblow. I'd compare it to the fall of Tunisia for Nazi Germany. A major defeat foreshadowing future downfall, yes. An unrecoverable disaster, no.
 
Getting back on topic.

For starters, Ireland isn't united. Secondly, the population difference is vast, and the Irish don't have the military tactical and technical edge the Normans had.

I'm going to call this ASB/near ASB really.
 
To get back to the original question. I see two possible ways for the Irish to conquer GB.

1) In ancient times (like the say in Star Trek, meaning before the Irish got totally behind in weapons tech and England developed into a strong nation, very roughly before 1000) the Irish get cocky and start raiding England as pirates. They are lucky and the natives are weakend by internal trouble and/or other invaders attacking at the same time. Beeing unexpectedly successful the Irish establish a permanent presence there and over time conquer the place.

This not so ASB as it sounds as it is basically what the Anglo-Saxons, Bretons and Normans did, the Danish almost did and the Irish did to Scotland.

The future is butterflies. Maybe not much changes (if only a small ruling class actually settles in GB), maybe all is undone by later invaders, maybe the UK becomes celtic.

A permanently unified state is unlikely because:
a) Ireland itself was never unified for a very long time
b) Never work for any of the other invaders

2) At some point during the medieval times (latest, allready unlikely chance: Civil War), after England had allready begun conquering Ireland. England / GB descends into a massive bloody battle for the crown. Through heavy luck, successful marriage strategy and alliances with english nobles an Anglo-Irish/Irish noble succeds.

But England can not permanently be ruled by the Irish (look at population and ressources). So either he is overthrown quickly or he adopts English customs and culture. So 100 years later everything is back to normal except for Irish symbols featuring more prominetly in the GB CoA and maybe the Irish a little better treated and motre loyal to the crown.
 
There are a few scenarios that'd let Ireland conquer the UK

o If Ireland unified itself before the UK

o If an ept Irish king attacked an inept British king; eptitude of command is the most important thing in battle - see the ARW.

o If Ireland adopted better gummint faster than the UK (checks and balances, voting, and/or freedoms); I have no idea how plausible that is.

Hanging onto it longterm, OTOH, wouldn't be easy.
 
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