Celtic Alliance (2189)

The Celtic Nations Alliance, more commonly known as the Celtic Alliance, localy as The Alliance and sometimes the Celtic Union is a federation of over 9 states streching from Newfoundland to Brittany, from Scotland to the Basque County.

The Alliance formed as during WWIII England was defeated, the Already Independant Scotland and Ireland were forced to provide aid to to war stricken country, but increased Civil unrest in the area made it impossibe. Various parts of the UK became Independant as the Central Governement lost control. By the time law and order was restored in 2054, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man had gained Independance. All these countries became increasingly economicly unstable with the defeat of the West. In 2055 Brittany voted for Independance as the Documents for the Franco-Iberian Union were signed to improve the strenght of the crumbling mainland. By 2056 the Basque County and Gallicia had also declared Independance (although at the time it was unrecognized). On July 11th 2056 Scotland and Ireland entered a loose Alliance, with Wales, Cornwall and the Basque applying for membership. The three joined in 2057. In 2057, Gallicia joined. In 2061 Brittany applied to join, which was accepted in 2063. In 2066 the union entered it's current state and became a Federation after what was known as the Celtic Transition. In 2089 Newfoundland, newly independance of Qubec, Became a member.

Government
The Governemnt meets in the Alliance's capital, Dublin. The Parliment of the Alliance is located in the former Bank of Ireland Building which served as the Irish Parliment before the Act of Union in 1800. The Irish Parliment of the 19th Century was abandoned as a show that they were starting on a new political slate, while many pointed that since the Parliment had been used before that the statement made no sense, the plan continued.

The Country is divied into 9 States. And is run under a system of Cyber Direct Democracy. Each Citizen at the age of 15 is given a secure online account on gov.wiki where each citizen gets their say in laws, and petitions with over 20,000 signitures must end in referendum. Political Parties still exist but have all most entirely moved to the web. The main aim of a political party is to promote certain Beliefs and proposing laws close to their hearts

Politics
The Politics of The Celtic Alliance is based almost entirely on the web, most presentations occur via webcam conferences, many of which average citizens can view (political debates ect.)

The Nation is divided into 9 sectors.
 * Eire (Ireland
 * Alba (Scotland)
 * Ellan Vennin (Isle of Man)
 * Cymru (Wales)
 * Breizh (Brittany)
 * Galiza (Galicia)
 * Euskadi (The Basque Country)
 * Kernow (Cornwall)
 * Talamh an Éisc (Newfoundland)

Transport
Each member State is connected by air, rail, road and sea. The CIE (Córas Iompair Éireann), the semi-state owned transport company of Ireland was merged with the Scottish Board of Transport upon the formation of the Federation and became the CIC (Córas Iompair Ceilteach). The CIC provides most transport for citizens of the Alliance. A underground Maglev system connects the entire Alliance. There is the Europa Line and the Newfound line, both are differant but connected, mostly due to the shear distance. You can travel from Sligo, Eire to Nantes, Breizh in just 3 hours by Maglev train. AerEireann is the country's largest air travel service, overtaking AerLingus and RyanAir (3rd and 2nd respectively).

Language
The Gaelic Languages were in sharp decline (besides Irish) in the 21st Century. After the Neo-Celtic Party came into power in 2084 strict laws were introduced to bring a revival in Celtic Culture. All non-local native language schools were eliminated by 2124 after the fourty years plan to revive Celtic Culture. As of 2177, 76% of people in the Celtic Alliance spoke their local language at home and at work. In 2089 this is estimated to be 79%.

Holidays
Much of the Irish calendar still today reflects the old pagan customs, with later Christian traditions also having significant influence. Christmas in Ireland has several local traditions, some in no way connected with Christianity. On 26 December (St. Stephen's Day), there is a custom of "Wrenboys" who call door to door with an arrangement of assorted material (which changes in different localities) to represent a dead wren "caught in the furze", as their rhyme goes.

The un-offical national holiday in the Republic of Ireland is Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March and is marked by parades and festivals in cities and towns across the island of Ireland, and by the Irish diaspora around the world. The festival is in remembrance to Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Pious legend credits Patrick with banishing snakes from the island, and legend also credits Patrick with teaching the Irish about the concept of the Trinity by showing people the shamrock, a 3-leaved clover, using it to highlight the Christian belief of 'three divine persons in the one God'.

Brigid's Day (1 February, known as Imbolc or Candlemas) also does not have its origins in Christianity, being instead another religious observance superimposed at the beginning of spring. The Brigid's cross made from rushes on this day represents a pre-Christian solar wheel.

Other pre-Christian festivals, whose names survive as Irish month names, are Bealtaine (May), Lúnasa (August) and Samhain (November). The last is still widely observed as Halloween which is celebrated all over the world, including in the United States

Irish Mythology
The Leprechaun has been estimated to figure to a large degree in Irish folklore mainly due to popularity overseas, particularly in the United States of America. The leprechaun tales are not, contrary to popular belief, well known in Ireland and are perceived by the native Irish to be a caricature of a minor tale in the culture of Ireland. According to the tales, a mischievous fairy type creature in emerald green clothing who when not playing tricks spend all their time busily making shoes, the Leprechaun is said to have a pot of gold hidden at the end of the rainbow, and if ever captured by a human it has the magical power to grant three wishes in exchange for release. More acknowledged and respected in Ireland are the stories of Fionn mac Cumhaill and his followers, the Fianna, form the Fenian cycle. Legend has it he built the Giant's Causeway as stepping-stones to Scotland, so as not to get his feet wet; he also once scooped up part of Ireland to fling it at a rival, but it missed and landed in the Irish Sea — the clump became the Isle of Man and the pebble became Rockall, the void became Lough Neagh. The Irish king Brian Boru who ended the domination of the so-called High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill, is part of the historical cycle. The Irish princess Iseult is the adulterous lover of Tristan in the Arthurian romance and tragedy Tristan and Iseult. The many legends of ancient Ireland were captured by Lady Gregory in two volumes with forwards by W.B. Yeats. These stories depict the unusual power and status that Celtic women held in ancient times. Scottish Mythology In The Shetland Islands, a species of Werewolf known as the Wulvers are said to leave food out for poor families

The Loch Ness Monster is the most well known Scottish Myth, first spotted by the Irish Monk Columbia  in 565 AD. A group of Pagan Picts came running towards him, warning of a "Water Beast" in the lake. The Monk sent one of his followers to swim across the lake, the follower was about to be attacked but Columbia ordered to the beast to go back, it fled in terror and supposedly the Pagan Picts praised God and converted to Christianity.

Ireland and Scotland

 Halloween is a traditional and much celebrated holiday in Ireland on the night of 31 October.The name Halloween is first attested in the 16th century as a Scottish shortening of the fuller All-Hallows-Eve, and has its roots in the gaelic festival Samhain, where the Gaels believed the border between this world and the otherworld became thin, and the dead would revisit the mortal world. In Ireland, traditional Halloween customs include; Guising — children disguised in costume going from door to door requesting food or coins – which became practice by the late 19th century, turnips hollowed-out and carved with faces to make lanterns, holding parties where games such as apple bobbing are played. Other practices in Ireland include lighting bonfires, and having firework displays. Mass transatlantic Irish and Scottish immigration in the 19th century popularised Halloween in North America.

he stories of Finn (Irish: Fionn) mac Cumhaill and his band of soldiers the Fianna, appear to be set around the 3rd century in Gaelic Ireland and Scotland. They differ from other Gaelic mythological cycles in the strength of their links with the Gaelic-speaking community in Scotland and there are many extant texts from that country. They also differ from the Ulster Cycle in that the stories are told mainly in verse and that in tone they are nearer to the tradition of romance than the tradition of epic. The single most important source for the Fenian Cycle is the Acallam na Senórach (Colloquy of the Old Men), which is found in two 15th-century manuscripts, the Book of Lismore and Laud 610, as well as a 17th-century manuscript from Killiney, County Dublin. The text is dated from linguistic evidence to the 12th century. The text records conversations between the last surviving members of the Fianna and Saint Patrick and runs to some 8,000 lines. The late dates of the manuscripts may reflect a longer oral tradition for the Fenian stories, the same oral tradition which was interpreted from Gaelic to English by James MacPherson in the Ossian stories. The Fianna of the story are divided into the Clann Baiscne, led by Fionnghall, and the Clann Morna, led by his enemy, Goll mac Morna. Goll killed Fionnghall's father, Cumhal, in battle and the boy Fionn was brought up in secrecy. As a youth, while being trained in the art of poetry, he accidentally burned his thumb while cooking the Salmon of Knowledge, which allowed him to suck or bite his thumb in order to receive bursts of stupendous wisdom. He took his place as the leader of his band and numerous tales are told of their adventures. Two of the greatest Gaelic tales, Tóraigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne (The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne) and Oisin in Tir na nOg form part of the cycle. The Diarmuid and Grainne story, which is one of the few Fenian prose tales, is a probable source of Tristan and Iseult. The world of the Fenian Cycle is one in which professional warriors spend their time hunting, fighting, and engaging in adventures in the spirit world. New entrants into the band are expected to be knowledgeable in poetry as well as undergo a number of physical tests or ordeals. There is no religious element in these tales unless it is one of hero-worship.

 Ancient Laws 

Brehon Law, was the ancient laws of Ireland before the English established control of the Island. They were  the most Liberal set of laws in Europe. Women were permitted to divorce their husbands if he cheated on her, or it turned out he was gay. Men were allowed to hit their wives but if it bruised her he could be sued by her. Property was mutualy owned by couples and had to have both of their permission before it's sale or destruction. Women could own property and have high standing jobs such as Judges, these laws were even more liberal before the introduction of Christianity. In commemeration of this the Constitution was named the Brehon.

Scotland retains Scots Law, its own unique legal system, based on Roman law, which combines features of both civil law and common law. The terms of union with England specified the retention of separate systems. The barristers are called advocates, and the judges of the high court for civil cases are also the judges for the high court for criminal cases. Scots Law differs from England's common law system. Formerly, there were several regional law systems in Scotland, one of which was Udal Law (also called allodail or odal law) in Shetland and Orkney. This was a direct descendant of Old Norse Law, but was abolished in 1611. Despite this, Scottish courts have acknowledged the supremacy of udal law in some property cases as recently as the 1990s.

Literature
For a comparatively small place, the island of Ireland has made a disproportionate contribution to world literature in all its branches, in both the Irish and English languages. The island's most widely known literary works are undoubtedly in English. Particularly famous examples of such works are those of  James Joyce,  Bram Stoker,  Jonathan Swift,  Oscar Wilde and Ireland's four winners of the  Nobel Prize for Literature;  William Butler Yeats,  George Bernard Shaw<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">,  Samuel Beckett<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;"> and  Seamus Heaney<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">. Three of the four Nobel prize winners were born in Dublin (Heaney being the exception, having lived in Dublin but being born in  County Derry<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">), making it the birthplace of more Nobel literary laureates than any other city in the world. <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:11px;">  <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">The Irish language has the third oldest literature in Europe (after  Greek<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;"> and  Latin<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">), <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:11px;">  <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">the most significant body of written literature (both ancient and recent) of any  Celtic language<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;">, as well as a strong oral tradition of legends and poetry. Poetry in Irish represents the oldest  vernacular<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;line-height:22.3999996185303px;"> poetry in Europe, with the earliest examples dating from the 6th century.

Sports
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Gaelic  a s well as being known as "football", the sport may be referred to as  Gaelic football  or  Gaelic, if confusion might otherwise arise with soccer. Though it has existed for centuries in Ireland as  Caid, Gaelic football was formally arranged into an organised playing code by the  Gaelic Athletic Association  (GAA) in the late nineteenth century. It is the most popular sport in Ireland in terms of match attendance – in the senior football championship in the summer, attendance is upwards of 300,000 for the most prestigious fixtures.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Players advance the football, a spherical leather ball, up the field with a combination of carrying, bouncing, kicking, hand-passing, and soloing (dropping the ball and then toe-kicking the ball upward into the hands). In the game, two types of scores are possible: points and goals. Positions in Gaelic football are similar to that in other football codes, and comprise one goalkeeper, six backs, two midfielders, and six forwards, with a variable number of substitutes.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;"> Hurling is a sport native to Ireland, organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association. In terms of attendance figures, hurling is second only to Gaelic football. Hurling is the fastest field sport in the world.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The game has similarities to shinty and hockey. However the ball (or sliotar) is rarely played along the ground. Hurling is also played on a large pitch and is considerably faster than hockey. Hocky was invented by Irish emigrants playing Hurling on the Ice in Canada.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Before Bloodsport was banned in The Celtic Alliance in 2141, a form of Hurling using sycth-like hurls was very popular and briefly surpassed MMA as the most popular sport to view on TV

Scotland is the "Home of Golf", and is well known for its courses. As well as its world famous Highland Games (athletic competitions), it is also the home of curling, and shinty, a stick game similar to Ireland's hurling. Scottish cricket is a minority game

Scotland
Although the deep-fried Mars bar is jokingly said to exemplify the modern Scottish diet, Scottish cuisine offers traditional dishes such as fish and chips, haggis, the Arbroath Smokie, salmon, venison, cranachan, the bannock, Scotch broth, and shortbread.

Scotland is also known for its Scotch whisky distilleries, as well as for Scottish beer.

The soft drink Irn-Bru is cited by its manufacturer A.G. Barr as Scotland's 'other' national drink owing to its large market share in Scotland outselling major international brands such as Coca-Cola

Ireland
Irish cuisine is a style of cooking originating from Ireland or developed by Irish people. It evolved from centuries of social and political change. The cuisine takes its influence from the crops grown and animals farmed in its temperate climate. The introduction of the potato in the second half of the 16th century heavily influenced Ireland's cuisine thereafter and, as a result, is often closely associated with Ireland. Representative Irish dishes include Irish stew, bacon and cabbage, boxty, coddle, and colcannon.

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