Ireland is a Tier II nation located in Northern Europe 
.
Background[]
Ireland, officially known as the Republic of Ireland, has been inhabited since around 7,000 BC. The country has been inhabited by various groups such as by the Celtic Gaelic Irish, Vikings, Normans and British settlers with the irish Ethnic group being the dominant demographic. Although never apart of the 
Roman Empire, Ireland was given the nickname Hibernia ("The Land of Winter") by the Romans.
Ireland has had a long history of oppression from Britain, which still leaves an impact on the island. Today, English is predominantly spoken. As well as this, six counties remain part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland.
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The first people who came to Ireland arrived 9'000 years ago. By the time of the Neolithic the islands inhabitants had adopted agriculture and would develop a complex society capable of creating monuments similar to the likes of Stonehenge in England. The most prominent of these is is the Passage Tomb Newgrange. By the Bronze Age the Irish metalworking tradition had its beginnings, with crafted ornaments many made out of gold. It was in the Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age that the first Celts began to migrate to Ireland, with their superior iron tools helping them to conquer and assimilate the previous inhabitants. The fusion of these migrating Celts and the Bronze age People, along with Ireland's isolation from the continent all lead to the development of the Celtic Gaelic culture.
During British rule, the Irish would be treated terribly by British rulers, most notably during the Great Famine of 1845 to 1852, which saw more than 1,000,000 Irish lose their lives, and another 1,000,000 Irish people emigrating to places such as the United States. The mistreatment of the famine situation inspired many to rebel against British rule. Throughout the 1800s and into the 1900s Irish politicians would seek a "Home Rule" bill which would see a parliament set up in Dublin to manage Irish affairs that would otherwise be ignored by the British. In the 1910s Ireland would come close to securing a "Home Rule" deal which would see the parliament set up in the coming years. During World War I, the plans for Home Rule would be suspended to focus on the war effort and Irish Politicians urged their fellow Irishmen to fight for the British to prove they were worthy of Home Rule (e.g. John Redmond). Others however, saw this as a great opportunity to rebel against the British, inspiring the 1916 Easter Rising. This saw numerous militia groups seize key locations around Dublin's city centre. This rising was defeated by the British and the leaders were executed. Many Irish people initially disagreed with the rising as it had ruined their chances of getting the Home Rule deal, but opinion changed after the executions, with many seeing them as an overreaction. This would lead to the Irish War of Independence, a guerrilla style conflict. This would see the British introduction of a group that would become known as the "Black and Tans" due to their uniform colours. The war would conclude with the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922. Later on, this would be succeeded by the Republic of Ireland in 1949 when Ireland would leave the Commonwealth. After the War of Independence, Ireland was left partitioned, with 6 northern counties remaining apart of the United Kingdom due to it having the highest population of those loyal to the crown (Unionists). During World War II, Ireland would remain officially neutral whilst assisting the Allied Powers. During the 1950s, Ireland would remain a poor country, with many emigrating abroad. In 1955, Ireland would join the United Nations after previously having its membership vetoed by the Soviet Union. Ireland would later join the European Union (Formally the European Economic Community (EEC)) in 1973 along with the United Kingdom and Denmark. In Northern Ireland, Catholics were refused the same privileges as Protestant citizens; privileges such as housing and job opportunities. In the late, 1960s tensions would rise, causing a republican group known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army (commonly known as the IRA) began to conduct terrorist activities in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. In response, loyalist groups would retaliate against the IRA; a period known as The Troubles. In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement saw peace return to the north, as well as a restructuring of government institutions such as the Royal Ulster Constabulary (The former Northern Irish Police force) which was abolished and replaced with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The IRA would later be disarmed in 2005. Ireland has been a very stable and prosperous country, being ranked 3rd on the 2018 Human Development Index. |
Base Statistics[]
Economy[]
Ireland has a base income of $193,584.
Resources[]
Ireland produces no resources. So, trade is recommended if you hope to start an industry.
Military[]
Ireland has a max manpower cap of 60,000. Its standard manpower increase is 412 with volunteer recruitment laws, but can be increased to an underwhelming 888 with recruitment centres and the 'limited' recruitment law, both things that can be achieved relatively early in-game.
| Base Manpower Capacity of Ireland per Conscription Law | |
|---|---|
| The following columns below present the manpower capacity from lowest (Disarmed) to highest (Required). RP stands for "Recruitable Population". | |
| Disarmed [1% RP] |
|
| Volunteer [2% RP] |
|
| Limited [5% RP] |
|
| Extensive [10% RP] |
|
| Required [25% RP] |
|
Strategy[]
In terms of neighbors Ireland has bad ones, it is common to get invaded by the British. The only defensive advantage Ireland has is the Muir Éireann (the Irish Sea), so keep a decent navy to ward off enemy transports.
In the event of an attack from the British, provided that your army is strong enough, the best course of action is to hit the northern tip of 
Scotland and spread down from there, maintaining a stable base in the North. If this is not possible, your only other options are to recruit a powerful ally like 
France or 
Germany, or to simply retreat to what colonies you have, and hope that they do not follow you there.
If you somehow manage to ally the 
United Kingdom and avoid total annexation, your best course of action is to simply colonise. Most of the European land is either beyond your capabilities, or will simply get snatched up by the largest country in the region. 
Portugal and 
Cabo Verde are both suitable outposts for African colonisation, as is 
Haiti or 
Suriname for the Caribbean/South America. Here you are likely to encounter the least resistance, and will be able to establish a decent overseas population to supplement the lacking size of your homeland.
Overall, Ireland is not recommended as a country to play as due to its hostile neighbours and limited resources. It is however a good choice for players who either go for colonising play styles, or those who believe they can take Europe while severely outclassed.
You can also try collapsing the United Kingdom and regain Northern Ireland through releasing, though this isn't very easy due to all problems listed above.
Threats[]
This is a list of threats to look out for while playing as Ireland.
- Obviously, the main threat is the
United Kingdom. They will almost always take Ireland. Either expanding or trying to form the British Empire and/or Angevin Empire. COMMON
- The United States may use you as a base to expand into Europe . UNCOMMON
- France using you as a base if they'd like to invade the United Kingdom. RARE
- If the United Kingdom collapses, all of the released countries will be threats.
- Celtic nations need you to form the Celtic League.
- Any European country trying to form the European Union. The most dangerous threats are France and Germany. SUPER RARE
Trivia[]
- Due to Ireland coring Northern Ireland, this area will be ceded to Ireland upon being released by the United Kingdom.
