HOW WOULD YOU VOTE IN A BORDER POLL?

[Mario]

The FF/FG line is we aren't ready yet, we need to learn from the mistakes of Brexit etc. I think they will say this for all eternity. How much can you really resolve before hand, reach an agreement on the health service, education etc etc these things would take years even decades to sort out if there is no referendum, plus there will be no appetite from FG/FF/DUP to discuss them unless there is a vote for a UI that is successful. Is there a precedent for this type of thing. What happened with east and west Germany, didn't the whole process take about 18 months? And here we are discussing 2028 or 20never.

Have the vote soon and have longer transitional periods than Brexit (if it is successful) is my view or it will never happen.

[sid waddell]

Micheal is Micheal, the worse leader of any political party in the history of this Island.

You can find any opinion on the internet

[johnnycool]

Micheal is Micheal, the worse leader of any political party in the history of this Island.

You can find any opinion on the internet

Happy to be proved wrong when you show me an instance when he showed leadership or backbone!

[Louther]

Good debate and you got mainly what you expected from all parties.

The Unionist view - using the 2 as extreme ends was important to have. We know exactly their views and their intentions but if you leave them out you give them oxygen to fuel their exclusion in addition to their views. Including them gives the middle ground the chance to make up their own mind and take onboard all sides of the debate.

Trimble was interesting and he'd have the like of Rory McIlory in the same category - liked or not. Their is a large sway of people who are creating their own identity as Northern Irish from both sides and they will be key to whatever happens.

Brolly was Brolly and wanted to have his own debate. While his views on DUP are grounded, this wasn't the debate for that. Thought he started well but went where no else was going. He milking it on twitter to prove the point he was making was right, without recognising that no one needed that point made.

MM was his usual self, glittery and unconfident. Doesn't present well.

The teacher from Tyrone - think she was trying to interview for a house share in the holy lands.

[yellowcard]

It was a much better debate than I had anticipated beforehand. I had feared that it had the capacity to descend into bitter acrimony. But then Ian Og pulled out and Joe got cut off.

As others have stated Mary Lou and Leo whilst both holding different political views, do appear to have a sort of grudging mutual respect, certainly more than with Micheal Martin. Joe as usual came onto the programme with a pre ordained agenda of mud slinging at the DUP. Whilst he didn't say anything that wasn't true, it probably wasn't the forum to go off on a tangent. It is a tricky one though since I often fell that RTE does often pander to northern unionism, quite often at the expense of nationalism. They do need to have their say but they also need to be called out on certain topics. After all, if the country is reunified they will be in a smaller proportion of the overall population than those who are deemed foreign nationals.   

[Taylor]

Mary Lou & Leo had a reasoned debate - was actually refreshing to see that for a change and shows how things could be.

Poor Niamh from Carrickmore - she had a sheet in front of her and was clearly just trying to get everything in that was on the sheet. Had no intention of answering any question or having an informed debate.

Trimble is the type of person that will hold all of the aces in the UI debate - there are many more like him in the North and understanding and accepting their beliefs are vital.

Wee Seamie spoke surprisingly well for a change however his stance will never change. Gregory the same.

Joe wanted to run the show on his terms - was never going to happen in this format when he isnt in the studio but Claire Byrne was too quick to cut him off - she had obviously been warned. RTE bosses will be delighted to have got a cut at him.

Good show overall

[trailer]

Good debate and you got mainly what you expected from all parties.

The Unionist view - using the 2 as extreme ends was important to have. We know exactly their views and their intentions but if you leave them out you give them oxygen to fuel their exclusion in addition to their views. Including them gives the middle ground the chance to make up their own mind and take onboard all sides of the debate.

Trimble was interesting and he'd have the like of Rory McIlory in the same category - liked or not. Their is a large sway of people who are creating their own identity as Northern Irish from both sides and they will be key to whatever happens.

Brolly was Brolly and wanted to have his own debate. While his views on DUP are grounded, this wasn't the debate for that. Thought he started well but went where no else was going. He milking it on twitter to prove the point he was making was right, without recognising that no one needed that point made.

MM was his usual self, glittery and unconfident. Doesn't present well.

The teacher from Tyrone - think she was trying to interview for a house share in the holy lands.

I agree with all of this. Brolly might be right but if you want Unionists to come along you have to try and not attack them at every turnaround. He offered nothing regardless if he was right.
Trimble is the real interesting character in all of this. In our bubbles we might view this as a binary Y/N choice. In reality there is a big cohort of people who don't identify with the politics of the DUP or SF.
Thought Mary Lou was a bit disingenuous. The idea that Stormont is beacon of political light is fanciful. In reality not a day goes by that the DUP and SF aren't working against one another. Stormont needs to work firstly. If it doesn't Unionists will never even think about a possible UI settlement. The DUP are as much to blame as SF in this regard.
McElduff was a weird one. For some reason wanted to prove her Ultra Irish credentials. Strange.
Bryson in his first communion suit was a highlight in what was a very serious debate.

There's a huge job of work to do.

[Jeepers Creepers]

Good debate and you got mainly what you expected from all parties.

The Unionist view - using the 2 as extreme ends was important to have. We know exactly their views and their intentions but if you leave them out you give them oxygen to fuel their exclusion in addition to their views. Including them gives the middle ground the chance to make up their own mind and take onboard all sides of the debate.

Trimble was interesting and he'd have the like of Rory McIlory in the same category - liked or not. Their is a large sway of people who are creating their own identity as Northern Irish from both sides and they will be key to whatever happens.

Brolly was Brolly and wanted to have his own debate. While his views on DUP are grounded, this wasn't the debate for that. Thought he started well but went where no else was going. He milking it on twitter to prove the point he was making was right, without recognising that no one needed that point made.

MM was his usual self, glittery and unconfident. Doesn't present well.

The teacher from Tyrone - think she was trying to interview for a house share in the holy lands.

I agree with all of this. Brolly might be right but if you want Unionists to come along you have to try and not attack them at every turnaround. He offered nothing regardless if he was right.
Trimble is the real interesting character in all of this. In our bubbles we might view this as a binary Y/N choice. In reality there is a big cohort of people who don't identify with the politics of the DUP or SF.
Thought Mary Lou was a bit disingenuous. The idea that Stormont is beacon of political light is fanciful. In reality not a day goes by that the DUP and SF aren't working against one another. Stormont needs to work firstly. If it doesn't Unionists will never even think about a possible UI settlement. The DUP are as much to blame as SF in this regard.
McElduff was a weird one. For some reason wanted to prove her Ultra Irish credentials. Strange.
Bryson in his first communion suit was a highlight in what was a very serious debate.

There's a huge job of work to do.

At least the discussion has started.

[yellowcard]

Good debate and you got mainly what you expected from all parties.

The Unionist view - using the 2 as extreme ends was important to have. We know exactly their views and their intentions but if you leave them out you give them oxygen to fuel their exclusion in addition to their views. Including them gives the middle ground the chance to make up their own mind and take onboard all sides of the debate.

Trimble was interesting and he'd have the like of Rory McIlory in the same category - liked or not. Their is a large sway of people who are creating their own identity as Northern Irish from both sides and they will be key to whatever happens.

Brolly was Brolly and wanted to have his own debate. While his views on DUP are grounded, this wasn't the debate for that. Thought he started well but went where no else was going. He milking it on twitter to prove the point he was making was right, without recognising that no one needed that point made.

MM was his usual self, glittery and unconfident. Doesn't present well.

The teacher from Tyrone - think she was trying to interview for a house share in the holy lands.

I agree with all of this. Brolly might be right but if you want Unionists to come along you have to try and not attack them at every turnaround. He offered nothing regardless if he was right.
Trimble is the real interesting character in all of this. In our bubbles we might view this as a binary Y/N choice. In reality there is a big cohort of people who don't identify with the politics of the DUP or SF.
Thought Mary Lou was a bit disingenuous. The idea that Stormont is beacon of political light is fanciful. In reality not a day goes by that the DUP and SF aren't working against one another. Stormont needs to work firstly. If it doesn't Unionists will never even think about a possible UI settlement. The DUP are as much to blame as SF in this regard.
McElduff was a weird one. For some reason wanted to prove her Ultra Irish credentials. Strange.
Bryson in his first communion suit was a highlight in what was a very serious debate.

There's a huge job of work to do.

I think that is correct but moreso with the softer unionist types like Trimble/McIlroy/Best. Those types need to be respected, welcomed and heard and I honestly think that they will. Those are the type of people who will be crucial to the result of any future border poll.

However there is a large mixture of loyalists, religious fundamentalists, suprermacists and sectarian types who would eat grass before they could be reasoned with. They will simply never consider or vote for a UI under any circumstances. They will feel threatened but that does not mean they should not be called out on their views simply to appease them. There is a significant younger generation of softer Unionists (probably a lot of Alliance voters) who are equally abhorred by the DUP and the Jim Allister types. I think it was too early in the debate for Joe Brolly to be bringng it up last night though.

[seafoid]

Would people accept a smaller NI enclave if it meant the rest of the 6 counties became part of the South ?

[imtommygunn]

A thing that grates on me is the use of the term "PUL" and I think the likes of the DUP are as guilty as anyone on creating this one. There are many different views in the "PUL". The extreme we hate everything Irish is not to be respected but I find it hard to believe the majority of people are like that. It's good to see that some of these shows have a more middle of the road person like Trimble on to represent these views.

[yellowcard]

Would people accept a smaller NI enclave if it meant the rest of the 6 counties became part of the South ?

I honestly couldn't think of a worse idea. The repartitioning of partition? Look how it worked first time, surely we have learned the lessons from that.

[johnnycool]

Would people accept a smaller NI enclave if it meant the rest of the 6 counties became part of the South ?

??

that's a big fat no from me. Jamie Bryson only lives 15 miles from me FFS. 

[Rossfan]

Duty called so I didn't see it.
Seems to have been decent enough so must try the player thingy.
I expected it would be a shouting match so didn't bother to record it.
The Referendum when or if it comes will be decided by the Alliance/"Northern Irish"/ soft unionist/middle ground people.

There was a survey in the Examiner back round November where 52% of young people said they were neither Nationalist nor Unionist.

[imtommygunn]

Would people accept a smaller NI enclave if it meant the rest of the 6 counties became part of the South ?

??

that's a big fat no from me. Jamie Bryson only lives 15 miles from me FFS. 

It doesn't make any sense to me either seafoid...

Middle of the road protestants (not unionists) and middle of the road catholics(not necessarily nationalists) are the areas need convinced like you say RF.