Irish Separatism

Today, after the ANZAC Day parade (which was ridiculously enjoyable. The sousa bruises were so worth it), I watched a movie called 'The Wind That Shakes the Barley'.

It was about the Irish insurrection against the occupation of Northern Ireland by the Black and Tans.

It was a fantastic movie - Cilian Murphy was fantastic, and the guy playing his brother kind of looked like that guy from Atonement (which I still haven't seen).

Nonetheless, it ended just like every other IRA movie - with the main character being shot for supporting the cause.

Irish history is depressing. Britain more or less used Ireland in order to keep the colonies under control.

If the colonies had an uprising, the Empire would say 'Look at what we did to Ireland when they had an uprising. We massacred them left, right and centre. And they're white. Just think what we'll do to you.'

If the colonies demanded republic status, or wanted out of the commonwealth, the Empire would say 'Ireland's been fighting for independence for a good three hundred or so years, and we still haven't given it to them. What on earth makes you think we'll grant it to you.'

And so on. It's just depressing. It's no wonder that in pretty much every war Britain fought in the late nineteenth and early to mid-twentieth centuries, England's enemies would do their utmost to get in contact with the Irish and supply them with weapons.

To some extent, they were to England what Sicily was to Rome: something to be regarded with caution, and shot to bits every so often just to make sure they weren't planning anything. That's why Hannibal approached Rome through Sicily. He was sure to have support.

On the upside, the game started by showing the men playing Hurling. It's like Shinty, but Irish.