As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
SPUDMASHER wrote:Far be it from me to be serious but this might be of interest.
In September 1939, the UK went to war with Germany when it invaded Poland ignoring British and French demands for it not to. Northern Ireland, as part of the UK, found itself at war too. Eire, being a small country with few military resources, immediately declared neutrality. The return of the naval ports had come just in time, since Eire would have had to oust the British to remain neutral. The Eire government looked with increasing anxiousness as Hitler invaded and took over 8 neutral European countries in 1940, since they knew that the Irish army wouldn't have a hope against the Germans in an invasion. (In fact documents found after the war showed that Hitler had genuine plans to invade Ireland. The operation, called "Operation Green", would have provided a springboard for invading mainland Britain through its unprotected west coast. The invasion never happened due to German distractions in the USSR.) Nevertheless, de Valera refused to join the war. When the IRA began collaborating with the Germans in 1940, the Eire government cracked down hard in order not to anger the British and provoke a strategic invasion.
Despite the government's official line, however, the Irish people sympathised with the British and 40,000 Irish joined the British army and over 150,000 worked for the war effort. Nevertheless, the Irish declaration of neutrality brought resentment in Northern Ireland where times had got hard with rationing and blackouts while Eire could still trade freely.
So that loosely explains how an Irishman was in a POW camp with Sylvester Stallone.
Also, thousands of Irishmen living in England, Canada, the States and Australia joined their new countries' armies and fought (and died) in both world wars.
There is a big misconception that only protestant Northern Irish men fought against the Germans, but actually, thousands of Catholic Southern Irish men did too. Our piss poor excuse for a government only recently saw fit to honour their sacrifice in our Garden of Remembrance in Dublin.
War sucks, but we should always honour the fallen.
i had family who were in the british forces ,it got polictical during the troubles up north but nowadays the poppy is sold for rememberance day and after years the british navy now docks in irish ports,,
and where would england be without us,, we built the bloody place
and where would england be without us,, we built the bloody place
There is a witty response but it is far too political and would no doubt offend some so I won't even attempt it
I've never been to either Ireland or NI but would love to go and play some of the whackf*ck courses. I'm told by almost everyone that they are a bit special. I've been lucky this last couple of years to have played Wentworth West Course (my personal favourite), Royal Birkdale and The Belfry but never an Irish course. I must get a couple of suppliers over there so I get a corporate invite.
ah jayus spud,, you need a good irish day ( wet and windy ) and play some of the links course's over here,, i play a bit but would be a 20 handicaper ,, my dad is a member of harbour point in cork,, so play there a bit when im home,, nice as well,, best course i ever playd was adare, where the irish open is now held
,it got polictical during the troubles up north but nowadays the poppy is sold for rememberance day and after years the british navy now docks in irish ports,,
,, my dad is a member of harbour point in cork,, so play there a bit when im home,, nice as well,, best course i ever playd was adare, where the irish open is now held 
