Scotland-Ireland Bridge

[Yossarian]

There's been talk this week about a road and rail bridge from Larne to Dumfries and Galloway to create a "Celtic powerhouse."

Bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland 'could create Celtic powerhouse' - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Apparently one of the many stumbling blocks is the fact that it would have to cross the Beaufort's Dyke sea trench, which was used as a dumping ground for more than a million tonnes of munitions, including "incendiary bombs containing phosphorus which ignite on contact with air, as well as chemical weapons, including mustard gas, tear gas, phosgene, and the nerve agents tabun and sarin."

Ireland-Scotland bridge is scuppered by the MoD | The National

 

[bemused]

What's wrong with the Larne ferry?

 

[maomao]

What's wrong with the Larne ferry?

Its capacity and speed.

 

[bemused]

Its capacity and speed.

But it's a ferry, so has charm.

 

[danny la rouge]

But it's a ferry, so has charm.

Your brain must be excessively charming then.

 

[danny la rouge]

There's been talk this week about a road and rail bridge from Larne to Dumfries and Galloway to create a "Celtic powerhouse."

Bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland 'could create Celtic powerhouse' - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Apparently one of the many stumbling blocks is the fact that it would have to cross the Beaufort's Dyke sea trench, which was used as a dumping ground for more than a million tonnes of munitions, including "incendiary bombs containing phosphorus which ignite on contact with air, as well as chemical weapons, including mustard gas, tear gas, phosgene, and the nerve agents tabun and sarin."

Ireland-Scotland bridge is scuppered by the MoD | The National

Hmm. Not sold.

 

[bemused]

Your brain must be excessively charming then.

I like trains and the odd ferry.

 

[JimW]

Just extend Giants Causeway, pay for itself in no time with increased tourist capacity too.

 

[Supine]

Just move Ireland closer to England and Wales. It'd fit snuggly. We just need to be careful not to crush the isle of man in the process.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Just move Ireland closer to England and Wales. It'd fit snuggly. We just need to be careful not to crush the isle of man in the process.

When the government was looking to close the offshore pirate stations in the 60s, Radio Caroline used to play a piss-take sketch of a 'man at the ministry' proposing putting outboard motors along the west coast & shifting the UK a couple of miles to the east, thus bringing the pirates inside British waters.

 

[danny la rouge]

Just move Ireland closer to England and Wales. It'd fit snuggly. We just need to be careful not to crush the isle of man in the process.

If it wasn't for the Irish Sea so narrow with no reef,
Dublin Lady wouldn't have to sit and weep all in her grief.

 

[editor]

There's been talk this week about a road and rail bridge from Larne to Dumfries and Galloway to create a "Celtic powerhouse."

Bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland 'could create Celtic powerhouse' - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Apparently one of the many stumbling blocks is the fact that it would have to cross the Beaufort's Dyke sea trench, which was used as a dumping ground for more than a million tonnes of munitions, including "incendiary bombs containing phosphorus which ignite on contact with air, as well as chemical weapons, including mustard gas, tear gas, phosgene, and the nerve agents tabun and sarin."

Ireland-Scotland bridge is scuppered by the MoD | The National

It'll be a buzzword-spawned bridge!

"A bridge is much better than a tunnel for it is a dramatic, visual marker for the aspirations and ambition of a country in the 21st century and beyond."

 

[JimW]

If it wasn't for the Irish Sea so narrow with no reef,
Dublin Lady wouldn't have to sit and weep all in her grief.

The sea, oh the sea is the gradh geal mo croide
Long may it stay between England and me
It's a sure guarantee that some hour we'll be free
Oh thank God we're surrounded by water

ETA Just c&p'd that, sure I remember a version with third line, 'God help the poor Scotsmen they'll never be free"

 

[rekil]

Ian Paisley McPaisleyface Bridge

 

[DotCommunist]

The Bruce had this idea ages ago. Turn the map around a bit and you can see ireland, a good chnk of scotland and surrounding areas as the main chunk of britain

The Bruce was after complete dominion through bloody war against the saes rather than an economic powerhouse via a bridge. But the idea is the same

 

[JimW]

The Bruce had this idea ages ago. Turn the map around a bit and you can see ireland, a good chnk of scotland and surrounding areas as the main chunk of britain

The Bruce was after complete dominion through bloody war against the saes rather than an economic powerhouse via a bridge. But the idea is the same

His younger brother Edward was declared High King of Ireland, which I only learned a bit ago

 

[editor]

I think urban75 needs a visual marker for the aspirations and ambition of a website in the 21st century and beyond.

 

[Yossarian]

It'll be a buzzword-spawned bridge!

"Time to brainstorm - what visual marker could we come up with to represent the concept of bridging the two countries?"

 

[Fedayn]

This may be an issue...... Beaufort's Dyke - Wikipedia

 

[pogofish]

What's wrong with the Larne ferry?

I take it you don't use it much then...?

Also, a lot more boats go direct to the middle of Belfast now leaving Larne even more of a backwater than before.

Am I right in remembering the big turbine factory in Larne has/is about to close? That will hit the place badly.

 

[pogofish]

I like trains and the odd ferry.

Same here but getting to Stranraer from almost anywhere in Scotland by train is a right pain in the arse. Never mind Cairnryan which is some miles beyond the end of the railway!

In some ways a bridge/causeway is a great idea because IME the North Channel boats are unquestionably the 'odd' ferries!

 

[pogofish]

This may be an issue...... Beaufort's Dyke - Wikipedia

The MOD/British Gas borrowed our research boat to survey Beauforts Dyke back in the 1990s - what they found down and around (ie where it shouldn't be) put the wind-up them big time!

 

[Poi E]

I like how incendiary munitions washed up on the shores of Scotland and Ireland while British Gas were putting in a pipeline.

Million tons of stuff dumped down there, including phosgene gas and radioactive waste.

 

[seeformiles]

I take it you don't use it much then...?

Also, a lot more boats go direct to the middle of Belfast now leaving Larne even more of a backwater than before.

Am I right in remembering the big turbine factory in Larne has/is about to close? That will hit the place badly.

I don’t go back home (NI) often but when I have in the last ten years or so, I’m pleased to see that the ferry has speeded up considerably and heading straight to Belfast is wonderful. Larne is miserable (as is Stranraer) but I suppose it’s tough being a place where people only visit to go somewhere else . Mind you, as a kid, I enjoyed seeing the Ark Royal in various stages of being scrapped as we sailed past Cairn Ryan.

 

[geminisnake]

Same here but getting to Stranraer from almost anywhere in Scotland is a right pain in the arse. N/QUOTE]

Fixed it

 

[Baronage-Phase]

I don’t go back home (NI) often but when I have in the last ten years or so, I’m pleased to see that the ferry has speeded up considerably and heading straight to Belfast is wonderful.

You do know that time speeds up the older you get?

 

[seeformiles]

You do know that time speeds up the older you get?

True - but as a kid it was at least 3 hours. Just under 2 is wonderful. Plus, as you say, the older I get the less time I have to waste

 

[HoratioCuthbert]

True - but as a kid it was at least 3 hours. Just under 2 is wonderful. Plus, as you say, the older I get the less time I have to waste

That's proper fast, it's 1 hr 30 to Orkney but 2 hr 30 from Mainland Orkney to the most northern Isles. Aberdeen Ferry 6 hrs from here 12 from Shetland

 

[krtek a houby]

It's like Doggerland all over again

Doggerland - The Europe That Was

 

[seeformiles]

That's proper fast, it's 1 hr 30 to Orkney but 2 hr 30 from Mainland Orkney to the most northern Isles. Aberdeen Ferry 6 hrs from here 12 from Shetland

Crikey - I used to think the Liverpool to Belfast at 9 hours was pretty hardcore