Shipbucket

Best advice I can give is work on how you are going to fund your ship buiding projects. Handy having Harland and Wolff on your door step.

Thanks I haven't yet finished deciding on the GDP/population yet but it will be a bit bigger than OTL, I don't expect building ships to be a problem due to HW and the proximity of UK so as long as I can afford them we will be ok.

JSB

Sounds good, but the big question is, where is Ireland supposed to get the money to pay for your AU Navy. Just as a real life point. New Zealand gifted the BC New Zealand to UK and had to take out loans to pay for it. Despite the ship being scrapped due to Washington Treaty, NZ did not actually clear the last loan payment till 1944-45.

Ireland has no bigger economy than NZ, and most of the money made in Ireland goes across to England as a lot of the land is 'owned' by the absentee Lords during the time period you are using 1845+. Since 1800-01 Ireland has been part of the Great Britain and Ireland Union. Ireland being no better off than Scotland or Wales. Ireland would not have any separate armed forces till Ireland becomes independent.

Harland and Wolf of course is funded by Great Britain, all the coal, iron etc to make HW run is also imported. If Ireland becomes independent too early, before HW is formed, then Ireland would have to find the funds to create its own industry.

Some fair points but bare in mind the suggestion that the Famine is going to be reduced/not happen, if that's so, ireland would have a population twice as large as NZ has now. Yes the majority was poor but if you do have an Irish Parliament then that might be different by post 1900. Maybe earlier land reform schemes then otl for example.

In terms of the navy Cobh would have to be built up during this period (and much larger than otl), pre 1800 (I think have to check) Kinsale was the main southern RN base, so Ireland would have to fund the fortifications of Cobh and the base as well.

I think you could easily have a 15-20million population by 2014 (working on better numbers/GDP etc)

Any ideas welcome,
JSB

I think I would have to disagree with the suggestion of 15-20 million. Even if you do butterfly away the Famine you are getting to the stage where Irish rural areas where operating at very extreme areas (ie the Burren) by the time of the famine. Add in the natural flow that would be there for emigration and I'd say something from 10-15 million would be more likely for the population than 15-20 million, that still puts Ireland second after England in the isles but more than that I'd doubt no matter how you game it.

might I suggest a different shade of green or perhaps orange for the cross on the RIN CW?

Yes Im not totaly happy with the flags (and need to firm up the time line)

Early on I will use sometthing very RN like, but when its when to swap to something else (and may just lose the cross) ?
JSB

For flag try this: all red with UK flag left upper corner and the Irish emblem (the harp) in right down corner. A layout based on British Colonian Flag. Also background could be blue instead of red (like Austalian flag).

For the flag, I'd say if you are keeping the Red Cross it should be the St Patrick Saltire rather than one you have at the moment, or go with Harp on green which was the historical flag in use by Irish ships during the 18th and 19th century.