I want to take a moment to address something personal and important.
As many of you know, I founded the United People of Ireland Party back in March. The reason I started it was simple. We had a racist leader called Rag, also known as the Angry Canadian. He went on a racist rant. I lost my shit. I started a whole fucking war. I split Ireland right down the middle when there were only about 30 to 40 of us.
Look how far we have come.
The racist is banned from the Discord server and banned in game. He no longer represents Ireland. We have made a great name for ourselves as friends, as allies, as good fun, and as an actual international power. We went from 25 to 30 active citizens to nearly 190 to 200. I could not be more proud of the people who have put in the effort.
To be honest, it is just a shitty fucking game. But it still gives me pride. Putting this much time and effort in, seeing other people do the same, and seeing Ireland actually represented in the game. In any game you can think of, Ireland is 0.000001% of the population or the leaderboards or whatever. But in War Era, the 200 or so of us make a difference. And that is what matters to me.
But I did not build the UPI alone. Kyle, Smoke and Prop helped build it. Kyle did the majority of the heavy lifting. He swayed public opinion. People love Kyle. People love Smoke. They are the people. They are the ones who made the party what it was. Nina also helped in the foundation of the UPI, even though we have had our differences. Even though I find it impossible to talk to her at times, she is a very genuine person. She put in a lot of work. She has done a great job, and I personally do not think Ireland would be as good or in the position it is today if it was not for her help as well.
As for me? I was the one who would get angry. I was the one who would cause a scene. I would throw the tantrum so Kyle and Smoke did not have to. I was immature. I was toxic. I was an asshole. I was a cunt. I personally regret my behavior. I am a very volatile person, and that is not something I am proud of.
I have been active in Irish politics since I joined in mid February. I have been a congressman nearly every term since March. I have been vice president once. I have written and passed the first amendment to the Constitution and contributed to several others. I have been part of the Discord server revamp crew that helped turn this place around from what it used to be, and trust me, it was a lot worse back in the day.
I was also Minister of Foreign Affairs for nearly every term since Smoke first won the presidency back in April. I only gave up MoFA this term. During my time as MoFA, I forged some great alliances for Ireland, particularly with Romania, along with several other countries. I believe I helped give Ireland a great reputation on the international stage with many of the nations that are now our friends and allies. I would also like to thank the great team of ambassadors I had, such as Woodsman, BoomBox, Nina, AlpacaRedFox, and others. They made my job easier and they represented Ireland well.
But the UPI is no longer the right place for me.
I want to be absolutely clear about something. There is no drama between me and Kyle or Smoke. There is no tension. There are no hard feelings. The things that have happened recently are in my real life, not in the game. Personal reasons. Private stuff. And because of that, I have decided to turn over a new leaf in my real life, and I want to do the same in the game as well.
I am leaving the party and closing that chapter. It is time to move on and focus on what comes next. I am looking to change. I want to be better. I know I have a long way to go, but I am willing to try.
I want to say a genuine thank you to every single person who joined the UPI, who supported it, who believed in it, and who helped make it what it was. You are the reason it succeeded. You are the reason it became the biggest party in Ireland. That was never about me. It was about all of us coming together.
I also want to say something about Nina. Me and Nina do not agree. We fight constantly. We even had a fight today. But I would like to bury the hatchet and show her that even though I do not always get along with her, I do respect the effort and time she put into Ireland. I do not believe Ireland would be the same if it was not for her. I do not believe we would have won if it was not for her helping us along the way.
So for now, I am stepping away from party leadership. I am going to focus on my journalism with The Irish Cassette and being a productive member of this community in other ways. I am not disappearing. I am just shifting my focus.
With that said, I will also be putting my efforts into founding the Independents of Ireland Party (IOI). Despite the name, the IOI will not be a traditional political party. Instead, it will serve as a completely neutral home for independent candidates and players who want to be involved in Irish politics without feeling pressured to follow the direction, internal politics, or core principles of any established party.
The reason for creating the IOI is simple. In War Era, if an independent candidate wins the presidency without belonging to a party, Ireland is left without party ethics, putting the country at a disadvantage. The IOI solves that problem by giving independent candidates a neutral party to run under, allowing Ireland to retain its ethics while still giving independents the freedom to govern without being tied to the agenda of an established political party.
My hope is to create a place where independents can work together, have their voices heard, and contribute to Ireland while remaining true to their own beliefs.
I will definitely be running for president in September. Originally, I only did it for the badge and the in game achievement. But the more I think about it, the more I realise I would really love the chance to serve Ireland as president. Not just for the badge, but to show that I can be a good representative and not just an absolute tool when it comes to interacting with people.
I would like to take a moment to thank Toie, KyleTheTank, Smoke, PropulsionFalls, LouTangClan, MartyDempC, BoomBox, and a few others for showing me my flaws in many ways and helping me become a better person. I would not be standing here saying any of this if it were not for them.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey with me. The UPI was a great chapter, but I am ready for the next one.
Slán go fóill,
The Fatican,
Founder of the UPI (March 2026 – August 2026)