: Well, I'm not the best person to ask but I'll do me best.
I'm probably the best person here to ask so my best better be good enough (though Ghôlsbanes the Irish legend expert)
: I haven't seen the whole of Braveheart, but the real life
: climatic battle for William Wallace, the infamous
: Battle of Falkirk was lost horribily.
: English (Welsh technically) longbowmen tore apart the
: Scots ranks and then English knights destroyed the
: rest of the army.
: However, about...*Thinks of a moment* 10? 15? years
: latter, at the Battle of Bannockburn, Edward II got
: his butt kicked, and that's the only thing I can think
: of that qualifies for a "win" for the Scots
: that could happen late in the movie.
Thats the victory we see at the end of Braveheart
: Several centuries later, the late 1500s or early 1600s,
: Scotland was conquered, and I'm not sure about the
: details offhand, I just know that's how come the
: English made it part of the United Kingdom, since I
: think technically Great Britan is the island.
Actually it wasn't conquered, Queen Elizibeth I died without an heir so her nearest relative was James the VI or Scotland who became the James the I of England and united both countires under one ruler.
: In any case, I'm not sure about most of this, and I'd
: also welcome more information.
The Irish tale is a little different. About a hundred years after the defeat of the Vikings a discontent Irish King (Of Leinster), Dermot Mc.Murough or something akin to it (I can;t remeber it exactly because of an aching headache which also explains the spelling). He invited over the Normans to beat the current High King, Rory O'Conner. Inexchange they got land etc. Now Henry II wasn;t too happy and went to Ireland with a large army to say to the Normans follow me or I'll kick your arse. This was the beggining of English rule.
The English rule was localised for several hundred years around Dublin, and he rest of the country had little difficulty. Until the plantations, a series of removal of Irish and insertion of English settlers on their land, after 4 of them by 3 Monarchs and a Prime Minster, (Cromwell who decided to brutally massacre several towns, nasty guy. Was voted man of the millenium in some poll in Britain for some insane reason, crazy bastard though.)
History here is a little fizzy for my cos I haven;t studied it recently but Catholic Irish were treated fairly badly with various nasty laws. In 1798 their was a rebellion, it failed and the Irish lost their Parliament, the Act of Union was put in place and the British Empire was born.
around 60 years later a party was formed to get a parliament in Ireland again eventually it succeeded, in 1914, World War I began, it was delayed and by the end of WWI we had almost gained independance anyway. We were basically a Commenwealth Nation, still part of the Empire and still reuled by the King of England, in 1936 an Act was passed almost sperating us completely form the Commenwealth and in 1949 we left in completely. The Troubles in the north started in the 60's though I don;t know a great deal about them since my studies have focused on far older history.
This is an extremely compressed version, I was going to include another few revolutions and oppersions, but I din;t have time, that's the extreme basics.
: By the way, on the present issues, is anyone in here on
: one side or the other of the question of Ireland?
: (Catholic or Protestant side?)
Personally I'm for a united Ireland, but I'm not for or against either religion and believe that Irish unification should be done peacefully. (Its ironic that I'm so interested in Myth and I'm a pacifist.)
: P.S. Maybe that's way you were so firery earlier...yer
: Irish temper?
: *Laughs out Loud*
Hey there's no F*****G thing as a f****** irish temper you little piece of S***, :P
-zeph
