What have the Brits ever done for us?

sondagefaux

Graham wrote: »

FrancieBrady wrote: »

How to lose an empire and still think you are a world leader when in fact you are a world power's gofor.

a bowl of foliage

That's no way to talk about Nigel Farage...

Graham

sondagefaux wrote: »

That's no way to talk about Nigel Farage...

You're confusing foliage and vegetables.

jimgoose

5rtytry56 wrote: »

...I know the other mainstream 8 bit was the Commodore 64 which had the biggest following, but magazines for all of the above were on sale in Easons here etc.

The C64 would have been considerably less popular without rock-star games programmers like Jeff Minter and Dennis Caswell - both Brits.

FrancieBrady

sondagefaux wrote: »

The product that was to become Marmite was invented in the late 19th century when German scientist Justus von Liebig discovered that brewer's yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmite

Forget the Marmite then.

The_Valeyard

MRnotlob606 wrote: »

and the development of the MOPE (Most Oppressed People Ever) mentality..

Black lives matter claimed that.

kneemos

Decent telly before satellite. On the east coast at least.

AgileMyth

They built Piers, harbours, breakwaters etc. back in the 1700s which we're still using to this day.

There'd be no maritime industry in the island nation of Ireland if our government had their way.

Capt'n Midnight

jimgoose wrote: »

They actually invented the computer. Twice!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Babbage

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Flowers

Three times if you include this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MONIAC :P

Of course the computer was really invented by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konrad_Zuse.

The_Valeyard

AgileMyth wrote: »

They built Piers, harbours, breakwaters etc. back in the 1700s which we're still using to this day.

Ah now, they just built them as an easy way to land their invasion armies.

5rtytry56

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Ah now, they just built them as an easy way to land their invasion armies.

Both of yee forgot the Martello Towers, a few of which hipster Paddy has turned into his own hangout crib.

The_Valeyard

5rtytry56 wrote: »

Both of yee forgot the Martello Towers, a few of which hipster Paddy has turned into his own hangout crib.

Was that to keep us in, or the Spanish and French out.

MeatTwoVeg

Their greatest gift was the English language. Without it we'd be fcuked.

Defeating the IRA was also a wonderful achievement, as well as preventing the Germans invading us in WW2.

5rtytry56

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Was that to keep us on, or the Spanish and French out.

All 3 as well as act as customs enforcement.

Good to see shoneenism is alive and well.

ygolometsipe

Mr. FoggPatches wrote: »

Apart from giving us a legal system, a system of government, their language, a place for bail skippers to disappear, fish and chips and Helena Bonham Carter's backside, what have the Brits ever done for us?

When you say a legal system you mean "common law". However early Irish law aka Brehon law is considered by some to be more "fair/right/moral" in terms of rights for women, non-heterosexual (LGBT did not exist as a term) property rights, personal right (human rights) e.t.c

In my opinion, the foundation of Breton law is morally superior to common law.

LordSutch

Mr. FoggPatches wrote: »

What have the Brits ever done for us?

MeatTwoVeg wrote: »

Their greatest gift was the English language. Without it we'd be fcuked.

Defeating the IRA was also a wonderful achievement, as well as preventing the Germans invading us in WW2.

I would add to that, much of our archictecture, heritage, many aspects of our culture, and much of our DNA too . . .

MeatTwoVeg

MeatTwoVeg wrote: »

Their greatest gift was the English language. Without it we'd be fcuked.

Defeating the IRA was also a wonderful achievement, as well as preventing the Germans invading us in WW2.

Funny how the Special Operations Executive (SOE), designed to bring mayhem to Nazi occupied Europe was modeled on the IRA's carry on....

jimmy blevins

The land acts.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Land_Acts

Lia_lia

Abortions.

Commotion Ocean

5rtytry56 wrote: »

built the railways. and the branch lines off the mainlines, most of which are closed / abandoned now.

Adolf Hitler also built railways ....... Which led straight into Auschwitz concentration camp.

railer201

Sold us condoms when we couldn't buy them here.

Randle P. McMurphy

H.P. Sauce.

Cortina_MK_IV

Comedians... Cuz the Irish ones are sh!te.

Mars Bar

Well they gave my parents a place to go to find work as teens and then they found each other! Then they delivered me safely in to the world. They gave my sister a chance to go to college and then start her career.

I don't mind the Brits, to be honest.

Cortina_MK_IV

Mars bars,

Mars Bar

Cortina_MK_IV wrote: »

Mars bars,

osarusan

Callard and Bowser Butterscotch.

Badly Drunk Boy

5rtytry56 wrote: »

built the railways. and the branch lines off the mainlines, most of which are closed / abandoned now.

They might have paid for the railways but Irish navvies built theirs.

Joe prim

Deleted User wrote: »

Good to see shoneenism is alive and well.

What in the holy and sacred name of jeaaayzus is that?

Beasty

JeffKenna wrote: »

They've given us some fairly good soccer players!

Don't forget they actually invented the beautiful game....


.....of cricket

(as well as soccer, plus a few minor sports)

Junkyard Tom

Beasty wrote: »

Don't forget they actually invented the beautiful game....

It's more accurate to say they codified those games as there have been versions of Cricket, Rugby and Soccer for eons in various locations around the world.

FrancieBrady

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

It's more accurate to say they codified those games as there have been versions of Cricket, Rugby and Soccer for eons in various locations around the world.

Isn't that the history of any empire anywhere? They plunder their dominion and assimilate anything they take a fancy to.
Maybe that is why they are currently taking the ball home with them from Europe. Empire builders and imperialists never quite grasped 'sharing is caring'.

Comhrá

They gave us Roy Keane, Terry Wogan, Wayne Rooney, Graham Norton, Shane McGowan, Val Doonican and many other stars.

Junkyard Tom

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Isn't that the history of any empire anywhere? They plunder their dominion and assimilate anything they take a fancy to.
Maybe that is why they are currently taking the ball home with them from Europe. Empire builders and imperialists never quite grasped 'sharing is caring'.

Well it's impossible to talk about England/Britain without considering the effect caused by the repatriation of vast profits from brigandage and slavery. The profits helped fuel the Industrial Revolution which led eventually to the codifying of Association Football.

When trains came along teams (and supporters) were able to travel to away games routinely for the first time so everything would have to be codified to ensure a fair contest. You couldn't have 120 minute games with 8 feet wide goals in Birmingham and 90 minute games with 12 feet wide goals in London.

Capt'n Midnight

Didn't Michael Collins say that if he knew about the underground they were going to build for Dublin he would have delayed the War of Independence by a few years ?


Colonies were to be useful. They might create revenue. They might be strategically important. But they were ditched fairly rapid when they weren't worth keeping economically.

Yes we adopted a lot of UK culture , but they adopted some of ours too.

It's a pity we lost our language. There are many countries and areas in Europe where people speak one language at home but know the big ones too. Spain and Italy have lots of regional dialects and languages. Services like satellite TV and Netflix have found that people will watch English services. But will migrate en masse to the local language if it's available.

Donald Trump

topper75 wrote: »

But the one-crop-only, breed-like-rabbits, eternally-subdivide-the-wet-hillside ideas were our genius.

How do people spend 13 or 14 years between primary and secondary school and not know basic things?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popery_Act

Granted it says "Irish Parliament" but we all know that was controlled by the Protestant Ascendancy who were puppets of the Brits

Junkyard Tom

Donald Trump wrote: »

the Protestant Ascendancy who were puppets of the Brits

Enforcers of the toxic sectarian anti-Irish legacy that remains to this day most evident in northern Protestants.

whisky_galore

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

They might have paid for the railways but Irish navvies built theirs.

The navvies that built the railways in Britian were a mixture. Roughly 1 in 3 were Irish.

Beasty

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

It's more accurate to say they codified those games as there have been versions of Cricket, Rugby and Soccer for eons in various locations around the world.

They also introduced the concept of yellow and red cards, without which who knows what may have become of this site....

The flying mouse

Mushy peas.

A Little Pony

davmol wrote: »

I find it funny that the same IRA knuckle draggers blame the brits for everything.

the same lads that wear Man Utd,liverpool,chelsea jerseys and fight fellow Irishmen for supporting opposite teams.The same lads that watch corri,eastenders and go to Liverpool for stags weekends and cant get enough of English birds.

I remember some lads on the radio lambasting the BBC for lack of coverage of Ireland in the Olympics when our own national broadcaster had a full day of Ireland coverage but typical knobend wanted to blame the brits when we are not part of Britain so why should they cover the Irish teams.

Also,if there was a rogue plane coming towards Ireland full of explosives or on a Kamikaze tour to plough into the middle of Oconnell street,who would it be we call??The RAF,as we cannot even defend ourselves.
We are such a weak country that we are totally dependant on their airforce.

They also gave us Jobs,Plenty of Jobs.Hoards of Irish have headed for the UK to be builders,to work in Finance in the City and generally do very well for themselves.

I would say the Brits have done a good deal for Ireland but we will never admit it and always be the first to Blame the Brits for anyting we can.

Some people are still stuck in the 60'/70's.Time to move on ,

Britain still rules Ireland in many ways.

somesoldiers

The flying mouse wrote: »

Mushy peas.

I have a question on mushy peas. I had them for the first time in Asda Enniskillen last week where I was doing my Christmas shopping (yeah I know anti-patriotic and all that but feck it I did save a packet), to me they tasted exactly like Bachelors Processed tin of peas just mushed up. I suppose I was expecting them to be more Marrowfat or at least have some different taste, did I get dodgy peas or is this just what they are, a mushed up Bachelors Processed tin?

FrancieBrady

A Little Pony wrote: »

Britain still rules Ireland in many ways.

You are agreeing with somebody who has a cliche overload? Very good old chap!

jimgoose

somesoldiers wrote: »

I have a question on mushy peas. I had them for the first time in Asda Enniskillen last week where I was doing my Christmas shopping (yeah I know anti-patriotic and all that but feck it I did save a packet), to me they tasted exactly like Bachelors Processed tin of peas just mushed up. I suppose I was expecting them to be more Marrowfat or at least have some different taste, did I get dodgy peas or is this just what they are mushed up Bachelors tin

Mushy peas (known as "Puddly Peas" in Cork, FYI) are marrowfat peas that have been soaked in baking soda overnight and then simmered in salt and sugar.

A Little Pony

FrancieBrady wrote: »

A Little Pony wrote: »

Britain still rules Ireland in many ways.

You are agreeing with somebody who has a cliche overload? Very good old chap!

What are you on about? I agree with him, chip on the shoulder and hypocrisy is true when it comes to Irish people.

FrancieBrady

A Little Pony wrote: »

What are you on about? I agree with him, chip on the shoulder and hypocrisy is true when it comes to Irish people.

So sadly hilarious. You being a cliched Irish person with a hat (bowler no doubt) doffing inferiority complex.

dd972

midnight city wrote: »

Some nice buildings, not sure we should be grateful for English language though or their system of law. We probably would have been better off if we had been taken over by the French.

They also give us plenty of oppression and were the reason so many died in the 'potato famine'. It wasn't an actual famine as there was plenty of food around at the time.

Worth remembering is that we were Brits at the time, in the same way that the Scots are Brits now, even though a growing proportion of them don't want to be anymore. The authorities in London at the time probably didn't consider us to be anymore different or foreign as Lancastrian mill workers.

A Little Pony

FrancieBrady wrote: »

A Little Pony wrote: »

What are you on about? I agree with him, chip on the shoulder and hypocrisy is true when it comes to Irish people.

So sadly hilarious. You being a cliched Irish person with a hat (bowler no doubt) doffing inferiority complex.

So you deny that Irish people don't have a chip on the shoulder when it comes to Britain?

FrancieBrady

A Little Pony wrote: »

So you deny that Irish people don't have a chip on the shoulder when it comes to Britain?

No more than other country's have about colonists or immigrants.
What these threads show again and again is that those who think their presence was solely benign and beneficial are sad self deprecating apologists mostly, given that they have to denigrate their own in an attempt to feel superior.

riffmongous

dd972 wrote: »

Worth remembering is that we were Brits at the time, in the same way that the Scots are Brits now, even though a growing proportion of them don't want to be anymore. The authorities in London at the time probably didn't consider us to be anymore different or foreign as Lancastrian mill workers.

I doubt it, the Irish were Catholic which always marked them as different, not to mention the depictions of Irish as some sort of subhuman that were common in the 2nd half of the 19th century when racial theories were becoming popular