Apologies Beachcomber, I didn't mean to overlook you:

"Teribus, Please , please never accuse the British army of killing civilians deliberately." - I don't believe I ever have.

"Did you read my post about the effects of saturation bombing?" No, should I have done? Where is it? Would you in any event be making reference to the saturation bombing that took place after Guernica, Warsaw, Rotterdam, London, Coventry, Glasgow, Clydeside, etc.

"Further, I'm certain that any British underground resistance movement that might have been necessary, had Hitler's troops invaded you, would have found it necessary to act against any collaberation by British citizens with such an occupying force. What do you think they might otherwise have done?" Oh I dare say somebody might have had a quiet word, they would not have terrorised the entire population (What was it? Oh yes, 24 bombs set to off within 2 hours in Belfast City Centre - how considerate that all those collaborators got together in such a tidy fashion to allow the IRA to show them a lesson) Oh and the gallant tosser who stayed with his oozing bomb - if memory serves me right that was in response to the landlord of a pub serving British Army personnel - well, I would like to think that the resistance in the UK would have had more savvy, drunken soldiers talk, as a member of the 'resistance' I would lash them up to drink until the cows come home purely for the information that could be coaxed out of them - The Official IRA might have done that, the Provos of course would be too thick to see that opportunity, but would be all too keen and eager to terrorise their own.

"You seem to argue that the British Government was not susceptible to Industrial lobbyists at any time in history." - I don't believe I've argued anything of the sort, besides in this case it would be irrelevant.

"There was deliberate supression of Irish based industry, whoever funded it!in favour of that on the "mainland"." - Examples please. What Irish based industry? Your premise defies commercial logic. I don't believe that Harland & Wolff were suppressed. Set up after independence and funded with EU money, how did Verlome's fair down in Cork - oh yes that's right they went broke.

You miss the point about exploitation - there was damn all to exploit in the first place. Additionally I personally have never exploited Ireland.

My provocative language concerning the 1916 Rising arises from the amount of complete and utter clamp-trap that is spouted about it and the outlawed organisation that suceeded in killing and maiming thousands in the ensuing years.

The Irish have been ruled and conquered for as long as recorded history has acknowledged the existance of the place. There has never been a united Ireland or an "Irish Nation", your own inter-tribal feuds and squabbles ensured that down through the ages the front door to the place has been wide open to any who were organised - case in point look at what is happening now, today - where is the leadership and sense of common good - totally absent, not even considered, you're all still too busy scoring points.

Counter to what you seem to believe, I don't believe that "the British", as a whole, have ever given Ireland a thought, let alone voiced any preference whether or not they wanted to see the Irish on their knees, heads, elbows, or arses. Still I suppose there can't be much worse than total indifference - we probably should have gone along with A. J. P. Taylor back in the early 70's and just left, you guys could have had your civil war and that would have been that.

While "The Roman Catholic authorities" might have collaborated with the British Government, the Roman Catholic clergy did not with regard to education. What was the reason for the "backward " state of your majority?

In fact the many thousands of Irish people were given a fairly decent education, they were the ones lucky enough to attend the schools, colleges and universities set up and established by guess who? DeValera was an American by the way.