See main article: Celtic Alliance.
Targets
The immediate effects of Doomsday has been the complete and utter destruction of the centres of population of the former British mainland especially the heavily populated areas of England, central Scotland and Wales with an additional missile attacks on the city of Belfast (the only target on the island of Ireland) in Northern Ireland, with initial deaths nearing 40 million.
Post-Doomsday
The government of the Irish Republic declared immediate martial law and initiated emergency procedures for the anticipated massive thermonuclear attack. This direct attack on the Republic never happened as the Soviet Union saw no threat coming from the Irish state, which had on occasion been a critic of NATO and the U.K. Nevertheless, with the attack on Belfast and the UK government having been perceived to have been wiped out, the Republic and Northern Ireland Counties agreed to combine their efforts to restore order and acted to assist refugees and the masses of injured in the greater Belfast area. Within several days it became clear that radiation clouds would be the greatest threat to Ireland's long term survival, and for the next few weeks arctic winds drove the radiation across western Europe eastwards saving many lives in Ireland.
It was also clear by the 1st week that all communication with the main centres of the United Kingdom, the rest of the European Economic Community (EEC) and other nations had been lost.
Steps were taken to ration food, medical and fuel supplies. This was done with minimal civil disorder by bringing local communities together in communes to enable to supply of goods to those most in need. Two months after the war, a message was issued stating that people must concentrate their energies on agricultural production in order to remain alive.
The Church became a useful tool in maintaining communication across the country. Nevertheless, the state in its first emergency meeting surprisingly disestablished its historical links with the Roman Catholic Church to ensure full freedom of religion in the North.
4 weeks after DD, initial contact was made with the Isle of Lewis on the western fringe of Scotland. Communication was via morse code, instructing the Irish republic that several Scottish Members of the UK Parliament had been on a development meeting during the strike. The 5 members were all members of the Scottish National Party (pro-Scottish independence) even though, as their leader was a Privy Councillor, they were in fact the de facto government of the UK as all other MP had been at Parliament during the attack on Doomsday, including MP’s from Northern Ireland.
Military personnel or Óglaigh na h-Eireann were dispatched to review the situation on Lewis and returned with the MP’s.
Death and breakdown
1984 BBC docudrama on nuclear war and its effects (pt10of13)
Impact and outcome Sheffield
Initial visual documentary evidence from military sources of the impact of Doomsday was sourced from military archives this disturbing evidence has been shown across the Alliance.
Sporadic reports from emergency operation centres (EOC) across the British isles indicate high yield thermonuclear warheads have exploded across the majority of the UK. Initial deaths estimated at 40 million. What is left of the UK government structure at local level instigate the "Emergency Powers Act". "If at any time it appears to Her Majesty that any action has been taken or is immediately threatened by any persons or body of persons of such a nature and on so extensive a scale as to be calculated, by interfering with the supply and distribution of food, water, fuel, or light, or with the means of locomotion, to deprive the community, or any substantial portion of the community, of the essentials of life, Her Majesty may, by proclamation (hereinafter referred to as a proclamation of emergency), declare that a state of emergency exists"
It would seem that the population has or will fall to a minimum of 11 million. Authorities state that no efforts are made to bury the dead as the majority of the surviving population is too weak for physical labour. Burning the bodies is considered a waste of what little fuel remains, as is using fuel to power bulldozers in order to dig mass graves. Millions of bodies are left unburied throughout the UK, which leads to the outbreak of diseases such as cholera and typhus.
Initial reports across Ireland estimate that the first strike against Belfast had killed in excess of 550,000 people with casualties in the region of over 100,000. Refugees heading south and west to the republic number in excess of 200,000. The early UK death estimates can only be guessed at around 40 million. The population of the Scottish Islands stands at 60,000 with the provisional capital being designated as Stornaway on the Isle of Lewis.
In addition, casualties from radiation fall out and long term sickness have added considerable burden to the formative years of the Alliance. Each county or burgh reported continued and increasing deaths from radiation with the population of Ireland alone falling from 3.5 million to just over 2.5 million through sickness and starvation.
Belfast as the main target on the island has seen the greatest destruction. The city was wiped of the map with huge numbers of casualties, nevertheless, like many cities and towns in the western UK notably in northern Ireland and Scotland the hilly geography reduced the over all impact on the wider countryside. This allowed large numbers of those in the suburbs of Belfast to escape, it also believed that large numbers in the periphery of the city of Glasgow due to its geography may have escaped though it was a prime target for over three missiles, there is still doubt if all three reached their target due to the number of refugees from Glasgow reaching the Islands. Glasgow was the third largest UK city and close to nuclear military facilities on the River Clyde. Consideration is being given to mounting an expedition to Glasgow when radiation levels drop to a palatable level.
Birth of a Celtic Alliance
Gordon Wilson M.P.
The Irish government after talks with the northern counties and remaining UK MP’s agreed to formal alliance to ensure effective democratic government of the remaining populated areas, though still claiming rights over the rest of the U.K. The formal alliance was signed by the Irish President Patrick J Hillery, Mayors of the Northern Irish Counties and Gordon Wilson (SNP) MP Privy Councillor of the UK, formally establishing the Celtic Alliance as a democratic successor state to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (Eire). This was signed on the 20th March 1986 on the spring equinox symbolizing Celtic rebirth and renewal.
The government has suffered many set backs in its initial attempts to provide basic food and supplies for the general population, yet there has been little civil unrest. The population seemed fully aware of the monumental task facing the country as well as the alternative to government action being anarchy. The principle concerns relate to contaminated supplies and the militaries ability to maintain supplies across the new alliance.
Limited local elections are held to appoint mayors (Ireland) and provosts (Scottish Islands) to the main areas of population to enable some form of government and legal representation in each area. The Catholic and Protestant churches in both Ireland and Scotland unify to ensure community cohesion. Most of the Northern Irish Protestants stayed out of this union (The majority of Scots, or what is left have rejected this idea and have embraced the Alliance governance project), and since the late 1980's over 90% of them have left for the Realm of New Britain, tempted to emigrate by generous land grants under the Whitelaw government, as well as the cleaner air and healthier lifestyle and their continuing loyalty to King Andrew. Many Northern Irish Protestants found that on arrival in New Britain that life was harsh and was fettered with the legacy of colonial rule. Evolving calls for a more indigenous South Africa are causing many to reconsider their allegiance to the British Crown, which in reality fled the U.K. leaving the nation and its survivors to fend for themselves, the monarchy is a non-issue to the Alliance population.
Since 1993 the President of the Alliance has been the former lawyer Mary Robinson and the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) was Andrew Welsh a former Scottish Nationalist MP. Andrew Welsh retired in 1999, the present Taoiseach is Adam Price who won a landslide victory in 2009.
The initial provisional Alliance government from 1984 to 1986 was based on the Irish Republic model (as the Republic had the largest population numbers this was seen as only fair by the other participants. Nevertheless, in 1986 new elections to a new Parliament were held with smaller numbers of MP's. Each MP is also the county Mayors of Ireland and Island Provosts from Scotland, Manx or the Isle of Mann though still having a provincial parliament appoints a commissioner to represent it in Dublin as does the Channel Islands. recent additions include Mayors from England, Channel Isles, Brittany and Normandy
The Rest of the Decade
Belfast on the day of attack
Further contact was established with the remnants of some Scottish western Islands as well as Orkney and Shetland, in addition EOC's have continued to relay information from various parts of the U.K, though EOC's are few and far between due to the surprise attack. In addition small expedition forces on the fringes of the toxic UK mainland noted utter devastation and the complete breakdown of the rule of law. The western Scottish Islands began to form militia and with the assistance of the government in Dublin who agreed to military posts to protect the islands from sporadic raids by marauders from the mainland. In addition landings were made in Oban to build a refugee 1st stage camp. The camps role is to co-ordinate the relief effort and ensure that those in dire need of medical attention receive at least basic pain relief as well as enabling healthy survivors to reach the Islands
Initial radiation patterns have reduced contact with the rest of the world to zero, with the Alliance considering that the majority of the globe having entered a period of complete social meltdown. The government maintains martial law and initiates the fuel and food laws to maintain supplies to agriculture and food production; formal discussions at government level begin lay the principle agreements for the Celtic Alliance. Mass starvation is still a great worry, though vast swaths of land have been turned over to food production even public parks and areas on the seashore. The Scottish Islands come under further stress by the influx of refugees from the greater Glasgow area especially from the north of the city. The refugees tell of mass death and destruction with marauding hordes across what is left. There are reports of cannibalism and emerging feuds as well as mutated births. Radiation sickness is the main killer in the Alliance
Initial aerial reconnaissance over Liverpool and Glasgow found fortified groups of survivors in encampments in each city, contact has been limited to food and medical supply drops in the Liverpool area. Radio contact has been made with Glasgow, numbers of survivors is now estimated to be in the thousands. Due to the high levels of radiation in eastern Scotland and southern England the use of drones has been limited.
Fuel: Due to Scotland’s high oil reserves small oil platforms on its western fringes have been put into full production. Though smaller than those in the North Sea, which were destroyed they nonetheless are helping greatly in maintaining basic supplies to what is left of the population. Nevertheless, draconian laws have limited the use to purely agricultural, military and medical use
Food: Given Ireland and Scotland’s histories with famine, it has been of no surprise to the population for the need to cut back on food consumption. All arable land has been turned to cultivation of diverse crops with a marked reduction in meat production. Further to this the western fringes of Ireland and Scotland have once again become havens for the re-emerging fishing industry though much of the waters are heavily polluted. Nevertheless, food production is limited and the general population has become increasingly concerned about the raise in cases of starvation in the main centres of population. Fish production is stepped up as is the usage of the humble potato.
Food policy 1983 - 1995: Those who work get more food than those who don't and the more people die, the more food there is for the rest.
The Celtic Alliance is formally constituted during the spring equinox of 1986 on the 20th March (Using traditional timings the government hope to maintain some notion of history for the new nation) bringing to an end the UK founded in 1707 and the Irish Republic declared in 1922, yet strangely it brings back under one nation the Isle of Ireland and Scotland as was under the old Celtic Kingdom of Dalriada. Nevertheless, the new Alliance also claims sovereignty over the UK and dependencies with legitimation from the former UK MP's, and it is hoped to re-establish some form of legitimate government in the future on the rest of the British Islands. The last two years have seen profound change in the Isle of Ireland, Scottish Islands, Isle of Man and Channel Islands with starvation and death on a biblical scale. Nevertheless, in a interesting twist just like the Celts of the dark ages, they have used their Celtic ingenuity and a their ability to invent to develop structures which have maintained the structure of government and ensuring that entire communities work to restore some vestige of civilization to the European fringe. The onset of the nuclear winter is not as bad as many predicted but the nuclear summer is a profound awakening for the usually cloudy nation. The population work the fields either in the early morning or late evening and if needed cover completely to work during the day. A major boost to the population is the maintenance of the primary education system, enabling parents and carers to work in the production of food as well as maintaining an educated workforce for the future.
It becomes clear that the three missiles that targeted Glasgow did not all reach their target, with one missile reaching the nuclear base on the river Clyde, the western fringes of the city and towns notably Greenock, Clydebank and Dumbarton receive heavy damage. Nevertheless, the majority of the city remains intact. Contact with Dublin is restored and long supply lines are started via Oban as the lower Clyde is contaminated. Glasgow formally appoints a new Senator Provost (as opposed to OTL Lord Provost) who will sit in the Dublin Parliament. The Senator Provost is Jim Sillers a well known trade unionist and Scottish Nationalist.
1992 -1993- First Contact
21st January 1992 a ham radio signal is received from the Azores re-establishing contact with the outside world.
October 1st, 1993 The new Celtic Alliance government formally welcomes the Nimitz to Galway the port city of the Alliance. Bringing much relief to the beleaguered government and hard pressed population. Discussions begin in Canberra about the legal right of British dependencies and former colonies with the New Celtic Alliance. The Alliance though in no way wishing to become a global power asks for time to deliberate on the impact of giving up sovereignty on the populations so socially and historically connected to the old UK especially the Falkland Islands & Gibraltar. The remainder of the U.K. naval operations in the Island are transferred back to Galway with several naval ships notably HMS Hermes making its way to the Alliance after spending time under ANZC command. The Alliance asks for plebiscites in each area dependency and seeks to maintain a neutral role hoping most colonies will choose new alliances or strike out on their own.
Former U.K. diplomats in ANZC become the official voice of the new Alliance at the League of Nations discussions, nevertheless, the Alliance feels compelled to replace the British & Irish Ambassadors who died in the initial attacks on Australia as soon as possible with a new appointment; a prominent former Scottish Nationalist Alex Salmond is appointed. Further contact is established with Brazil and Australia. Formal relations are agreed upon and the Nimitz returns to Australia with the Alliance's 1st ambassador.
Welsh Periphery
Recovery missions across the Welsh coast in the early 1990's identified large numbers of survivors. The majority coming from the coast, notably Pembrokeshire, Anglesey, Conway, and Ceredigion.
The whole of Wales became part of the Celtic Alliance in 2002.
Southern England
From the early 1990's Celtic Alliance medical teams continue to investigate areas around London and the counties of Kent and Sussex establishing medical bases and strategic commands to enable better delivery of food and supplies.
Initial population estimates range between 200,000 to 600,000 with law and order being a major problem particularly in Kent. Armed militia continue to harass medical services, though local designated police forces are starting to gain the upper hand over lawlessness. The appointed head of the interim County and appointed interim M.P.is Paul Carter.
In 1992 the Celtic Alliance assisted the newly formed Confederation of Wight and Hastings in the removal of a dictatorship from the town of Worthing in West Sussex.
At Christmas 1992 the Confederation was dissolved and the Federal Republic of the Isle of Wight and Sussex (or Southern England) is formed.
From the year 2001 the reliance of the Republic on the Celtic Alliance slowly ebbed away as the nation grew and became self reliant.
From 2005 the majority of Celtic Alliance troops had been withdrawn leaving only medical personnel and engineers, as Celtic trained Republic troops and police forces took over the law and order of the Republic.
1993 - A shipping nation again
Galway becomes the principle staging post for missions to mainland Europe as well as the main ship building port of the alliance, many survivors from both Belfast and Glasgow the great shipping cities play a major part in rebuilding the alliances communication via shipping along its coast lines (in a twist of fate this was why the ancient celtic kingdoms where often called the sea kingdoms). Nevertheless, due to lack of supplies most of the limited numbers of ships are built from recycled materials and are used primarily to maintain contact between the main centres of population. It will take another 20 years before the Alliance in conjunction with the Nordic Alliance agree the terms of a European Navy that will assist the European states to reach further into mainland Europe with the necessary supplies for relief.
Life Choices - 1993
Substantial losses in life continue to effect the recovery of the new alliance, though population numbers stabilize around 2m. The state passes the "Abortion (Eire) Act" 1993 to deal with the amount of births with profound deformities caused by radiation and pollution, the act is contested in the supreme court by religious groups and liberal pro-lifers who due to the war now defend human life at all costs but passes in to law making abortion legal in Ireland for the 1st time.
Liver bird takes flight
After the initial contact with Liverpool in 1995, the Alliance continues to send supplies to the main settlement in Birkenhead. The main sections of the city have been hit by a high yield atomic bomb on its northern edge, this has allowed refugees to pour over the River Mersey to Birkinhead.
In the October of 1995 the city is formally reconstituted with its temporary HQ being based in Birkenhead, the authorities assume the Liver Bird symbol which sits atop the Liver Building on Liverpool's waterfront as the city's new symbol. The 1st election to the Parliament in Dublin takes place on Thursday November 2nd, the hotly contested election is won by Paul O'Grady a Drag Queen known as Lilly Savage, he wins by a landslide on a ticket of anti-corruption, human rights and good financial management. Mayor O'Grady MP also has a keen interest in agriculture and sets about diversifying the local economy based on local produce and fishing.
When the first democratic elections took place Merseyside and western Cheshire joined the Celtic Alliance.
The population of the city stands at 12.000, with over 708,000 known to have perished through the initial blast and subsequent radiation sickness and starvation
Yorkshire Coast
- Main article: Kingdom of Cleveland
During a fishing trip from off the east coast of Yorkshire in 1997 a small Celtic Alliance trawler comes across a cobble (small open fishing boat) longline fishing.
The two crews make contact and the Scots discover that the two Atomic bombs aimed at the Tees Valley missed one hitting 7 miles north east of the intended target, off the coast of Hartlepool, the other 12 miles south of the target over the North Yorkshire Moors. The towns in the Tees Valley were exposed to large radioactive fallout blown inland by the prevailing winds causing many tens of thousands of deaths. One survivor of note is Princess Anne (only daughter of the former Queen Elizabeth II)
The Kingdom of Cleveland is due to vote on a referendum on becoming part of the Celtic Alliance on 21st May 2010. However popular opinion is that the Kingdom of Cleveland will remain independent.
28th May 2010
At 10am the results of the referendum on the Kingdom of Cleveland joining the Celtic Alliance. The vote was as follows:
- Yes - 17%
- No - 83%
the voter turn out was 78%.
Prime Minster Mallon makes a statement at 11am, that the people of Cleveland had spoken, but just because the vote had been no, that trade relations were just as good as before the referendum.
In early 2010 the governments of the Kingdoms of Cleveland and Northumbria approached the Celtic Alliance with the possibility of linking the countries by a rail line.
The line currently travels north from the former county of Yorkshire and stops at Berwick upon Tweed but surveys north along the line show that the Forth Bridge is still relatively intact and with some repairs will be possible, the main problem is with putting a rail line through the heavily irradiated remains of Edinburgh. However the Kingdoms have experience of building lines through irradiated areas having put a line through the bombed out remains of the Tyne and Wears valleys in the mid 2000's.On the 29th March 2010 five engineers working on the former east coast mainline are killed by a derailment caused by a landslide across the tracks just north of Berwick. Ongoing repairs should mean that the line will between Berwick and Glasgow in late 2010, and between Berwick and Fife (across the Forth Rail Bridge) sometime in late 2011.
The first train linking the Kingdoms of Cleveland and Northumbria with the Celtic Alliance in Glasgow arrives in Glasgow main rail station on the 13th November 2010.
New London
New London was founded in 1987 in the former Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire. The Mayor is a former civil rights worker Diane Abbot.
New London became part of the Celtic Alliance in 2002.
Mayor Diane Abbot of New London
In addition to medical supplies and militia development in the south east, commanders have sought to rebuild connection to the communities near the obliterated landmass of London.
Initial research has identified various communities even in the outskirts the city, though there are large areas of radiation. Due to limited medical supplies in the immediate aftermath of DD radiation related illness is a major and debilitating factor of life for many. In addition, only now are the majority of births not affected by dreadful debilitating conditions and deformities.
The Alliance government issues the following declaration to retain political control of the south east.
“In so much as this Alliance is the heir of the former Irish and British States and is imbued with their powers and rights, we the people restate our right and duty to maintain the freedom, liberty, community, security and dignity of these Islands by appointing the Interim Mayor of the City of London, with all the powers that this Parliament sees fit to retain the said rights of the Alliance and maintain the dignity of the people.”
The first elections in New London took place in 2000 with Interim Mayor Diane Abbott winning with 68% of the vote she was proclaimed Mayor on the 23rd October 2000.
The New Millennium
In 2004, the Parliament in conjunction with the WRCB begins the formal count of survivors inside contaminated areas, in addition to initial contact over the last 10 years medical staging points are bolstered by supplies from ANZ. Highest levels of radiation are being measured in Greater London, Manchester, Portsmouth, Southampton, Plymouth, and Birmingham.
Medical staging points: MSP's have been in operation since 1987, with the first being placed in Oban. They have proved useful in restoring contact with communities and individuals as well as offering medical and food supplies to contaminated areas.
As well as providing medical aid MSP's offer the opportunity for life ending, via ECC's (End Cycle Centres), these centres offer a pain free method of euthanasia. Highly contentious, these centres are often only to be found at the outlying MSP's and never near the main centres of population. The church and a vocal minority are opposed to the centres with early centres being destroyed in civil disorder.
In 2007, the Atlantic Defense Community is founded, which is constituted of what remains of the old NATO powers commit to cooperating militarily in the present and future. The Atlantic Defense Community is established. It includes what is now Spain, Portugal, the Celtic Alliance, the Nordic Union, and Canada. The Alliance appoint LT GEN D EARLEY as the Alliances Command representative based in the Azores.
2009 General Election
In 2009, the incumbent Taoiseach Mark Cosgrove tries to hold together the Dalriadic Party in the face of a political fall out with the Kingdom of Cleveland and the pressure of the new left of centre Celtic Democratic Bloc. Its leader Adam Price is social progressive making huge strides in the heartlands of the Daldriadic Party notably Scottish Islands, Armagh and the Welsh districts. The Bloc is denouncing the old political elite and demands changes to the constitution for devolution to the Alliance members given the huge international political changes sine DD.
The Bloc is leading in all polls and is in position to be the largest party in the Dublin Parliament, though it will have to form a coalition