Were Ireland and Britain once joined by a land bridge?

Pitts: Things have developed in Ireland recently. The issue of North and South is firmly on the democratic hands of all the people of the Island. As it stands now: The South has renounced any legal claim to the North and have agreed that the North can join the South and 'leave' Britain if and when they express that wish. Meantime, cross-border Instruments are in place to deal with issues of mutual interest. At the moment, the polls all show the majority of the population of the North ~ including 'Catholic/Republicans' wish to retain the British connection. The Queens recent visit has stunned many in the South and highlighted how little difference there is between the two Islands anyway, and with goodwill, peace and humility we can build an even stronger friendship in the future.

More Ulster propaganda, which ties Northern Ireland to Britain. I often wonder, whether Northern Ireland is a good ecomonic deal for England. Of course the Belfast industrial complex payed it way in the first half of the 20th Century. Since 1968, Northern Ireland has been a drain on the fading British Empire. At some point Britian is going to have to consider cutting Northern Ireland lose for economic reasons. If Britian cut Northern Ireland lose, would it be economically practical for Ireland to assume Northern Ireland. The real economic force that will finally pull Ireland away from Britian is the Catholic Woman's ability to out produce babies.

The answer it the headline is of course: Yes. Not only to Britain - but everywhere else as well! At a time when the world was just water and one single Landmass (Pangea) what we now call Britain, Europe and Africa and yes even America was only in the next field! Since then we have drifted apart to form many separate Continents and Oceans. Some have pointed out that what we now call "Ireland" was at the centre of this 'Pangean Continent'.You can draw your own conclusions as to why everyone drifted away from it! Me? I blame "d'English!"

@katiemac: as the above article stated, the project is headed by a Professor from Northern Ireland and funded by NERC which is based in the United Kingdom. I agree with your post in general though. Surely there are better research projects that NERC could be supporting.

I'm surprised that people don't already have strong opinions and information about this (the British navy?). The North Channel or the Straits of Moyle (between the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, is only 12 miles wide, at it's narrowest, between Torr Head or Fair Head and the Mull of Kintyre. Maps show the deepest part (a trench called Beaufort's Dyke (and here you thought that a dyke was something long and narrow that stood above the ground) is more than 200 meters deep (and perhaps close to 300 meters) and several miles wide. Not an insurmountable obstacle, but probably not dry land, either. Unless, of course, there was traversable land to the north of the end of Beaufort's Dyke,where the sea is shallower between Malin Head in Donegal and some of the Scottish islands, as some have suggested. And one would have to consider the problems with a long sea migration if there were not a bridge. Not only would you have to get the wife and kids into the boat, you would also have to get the cows, the goats, the pigs, the dogs etc, etc, etc.

@katiemac -- Yes, my initial reaction was that this was proved long ago, and I was surprised that this research is being undertaken. Perhaps I am thinking of England (Cliffs of Dover area) and France? Anyway, I'd be interested in knowing where the land bridge(s) were.

They will probably find a bit of Africa down there as well.

fastjack7: True and a great idea! ... Wait,not so fast Jack - where will we drain it to?

"If you drain all the water from the face of the earth,you will find that all land is locked together"

I'm betting there was a bridge.