# Did an independent Ireland ever consider joining the United States? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 18, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146 "2011-08-18T12:49:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/1 "2011-08-18T12:49:35Z")
I was thinking about how both the US and the Republic of Ireland share a background of oppression by and hatred of the British Crown, and was wondering if there was ever any serious proposal to bring them together as one country. I do know that there was quite a bit of anti-Irish prejudice in places like New York that saw a lot of Irish immigration in the 1800’s - could that have destroyed any hopes? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/2 "2011-08-18T13:05:13Z")
To the best of my knowledge there has never been any serious consideration of Ireland joining the United States. If, on the other hand, the United States would like to become a county of Ireland, then perhaps an arrangement could be made. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/3 "2011-08-18T13:30:45Z")
Ireland? Why not India, then, or much of Africa? It would make about as much sense. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/4 "2011-08-18T13:40:01Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I was thinking about how both the US and the Republic of Ireland share a background of oppression by and hatred of the British Crown Are you seriously equating the two things? Seriously? Wow. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/5 "2011-08-18T13:41:50Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > To the best of my knowledge there has never been any serious consideration of Ireland joining the United States. If, on the other hand, the United States would like to become a county of Ireland, then perhaps an arrangement could be made. Put them in the north, just for a laugh. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/6 "2011-08-18T13:42:36Z")
The United States Of America and Ireland ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/7 "2011-08-18T14:01:41Z")
I don’t think the OP understands the concept of “independence”. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/8 "2011-08-18T14:31:39Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I was thinking about how both the US and the Republic of Ireland share a background of oppression by and hatred of the British Crown If nothing else…by the time that the Republic of Ireland had gained its own independence from England, the U.S. and England had gotten over any bad feelings towards each other (we _had_ been independent for well over 100 years by that point), and were allies. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/9 "2011-08-18T15:07:41Z")
De Valera was American. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/10 "2011-08-18T15:27:38Z")
Ireland has been secretly invading America since the 19th century. There are millions of us here and ready to take over when the signal is given. It would already have happened except for that damned Brit Lee Harvey Oswald. ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/11 "2011-08-18T17:05:28Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > To the best of my knowledge there has never been any serious consideration of Ireland joining the United States. If, on the other hand, the United States would like to become a county of Ireland, then perhaps an arrangement could be made. Oh great, then we’ll have to listen to “Ireland’s 82” played over and over on St. Patrick’s day… ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/12 "2011-08-18T17:54:10Z")
If that happens, does that mean I have to like U2? ---
**Author:** ![isaiahrobinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/13 "2011-08-18T17:58:33Z")
Ireland is a lot closer to the US than Guam, and that’s a US territory… ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/14 "2011-08-18T19:01:38Z")
[Turiddu Giuliano](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvatore_Giuliano) (a rebel bandit/thug or a freedom fighter, depending on who you talk to) seriously wanted to detach Sicily from the Italian Republic and join the US as the 49th state. He wrote to President Truman, who ignored him. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/15 "2011-08-18T19:40:47Z")
> [@isaiahrobinson](#): > > Ireland is a lot closer to the US than Guam, and that’s a US territory… I don’t know anything much about Guam’s history but there are various reasons why distance wouldn’t be the main consideration for Ireland joining the US. > [@SirRay](#): > > Oh great, then we’ll have to listen to “Ireland’s 82” played over and over on St. Patrick’s day… No, you misunderstand, Ireland’s 33. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/16 "2011-08-18T19:44:58Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I don’t know anything much about Guam’s history but there are various reasons why distance wouldn’t be the main consideration for Ireland joining the US. > … Well, based on my reading we apparently got pretty close to having a State of Newfoundland, and we wanted to have a State of Nova Scotia but they weren’t terribly interested. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/17 "2011-08-18T21:29:34Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > If that happens, does that mean I have to like U2? I fucking hate U2, so you should be alright. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/18 "2011-08-18T21:30:38Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > If that happens, does that mean I have to like U2? Not any more than you have to like Metallica if your country joins the US. ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/19 "2011-08-18T21:52:37Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > No, you misunderstand, Ireland’s 33. 😉 Looks like the Irish parliament, beside having funky names (Dáil Éireann? Ack!) is proportionally representative. Therefore, 310million \> 6.2million means WE get to decide the number of Irish Counties (again, Contaetha na hÉireann? ack!), NOT you! This whole Gaeilge nonsense will have to go too… ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146/20 "2011-08-18T21:56:55Z")
> [@SirRay](#): > > Contaetha na hÉireann? Yes. I’m impressed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-independent-ireland-ever-consider-joining-the-united-states/593146.md?page=2)