A United Ireland. Opening up the discussion.

[johnnycool]

There's a lot of work for Nolan to do, save Ulster from disaster.

well he's certainly not going to save Ulster from Sodomy...

Was talking to a few lads the other night and the health thing seems to be important in their thinking as the NHS is still held up as a bastion of greatness, but after digging in a bit and reminding one lad who's mother died of cancer who's diagnosis and subsequent delayed treatment was botched to put it mildly and the waiting lists in NI are at record levels etc etc the ignorance of the Southern healthcare system is staggering and that needs challenged.

The southern system may have its flaws but the level of nonsense spouted by northerners needs challenged and corrected.

Is it not a general consensus that the Tories will and are most likely already planning to flog off the NHS to the highest bidder when the opportunity arises?

certainly in England it looks that way, but it's devolved in NI, Scotland and Wales and still officially nationalised but the budgets have been cut to bits and people are taking on medical insurance anyway in NI...

[Saffrongael]

There's a lot of work for Nolan to do, save Ulster from disaster.

well he's certainly not going to save Ulster from Sodomy...

Was talking to a few lads the other night and the health thing seems to be important in their thinking as the NHS is still held up as a bastion of greatness, but after digging in a bit and reminding one lad who's mother died of cancer who's diagnosis and subsequent delayed treatment was botched to put it mildly and the waiting lists in NI are at record levels etc etc the ignorance of the Southern healthcare system is staggering and that needs challenged.

The southern system may have its flaws but the level of nonsense spouted by northerners needs challenged and corrected.

Is it not a general consensus that the Tories will and are most likely already planning to flog off the NHS to the highest bidder when the opportunity arises?

Privatisation in the NHS started with the Labour government

The NHS here could and should be so much better, and it's nothing to do with the bogey men Tories. I read that patient outcomes & waiting lists much worse here compared to England. How many "reviews" have been done and then not implemented ?

[grounded]

https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/0705/1233040-north-south-research-programme/

Helping the poor relations

Hopefully will help everyone's relations.

[johnnycool]

There's a lot of work for Nolan to do, save Ulster from disaster.

well he's certainly not going to save Ulster from Sodomy...

Was talking to a few lads the other night and the health thing seems to be important in their thinking as the NHS is still held up as a bastion of greatness, but after digging in a bit and reminding one lad who's mother died of cancer who's diagnosis and subsequent delayed treatment was botched to put it mildly and the waiting lists in NI are at record levels etc etc the ignorance of the Southern healthcare system is staggering and that needs challenged.

The southern system may have its flaws but the level of nonsense spouted by northerners needs challenged and corrected.

Is it not a general consensus that the Tories will and are most likely already planning to flog off the NHS to the highest bidder when the opportunity arises?

Privatisation in the NHS started with the Labour government

The NHS here could and should be so much better, and it's nothing to do with the bogey men Tories. I read that patient outcomes & waiting lists much worse here compared to England. How many "reviews" have been done and then not implemented ?

It went as far back as Thatcher if the truth was told. She saw the NHS as a burden on the taxpayers and started bringing in the consultants to "streamline" the NHS and the hoards of middle management were brought in and services like cleaning and contract nursing was the norm..

[seafoid]

https://www.ft.com/content/6be4834c-fdd1-4127-8e90-8b10fd25af97


   

   Ban Ki-moon ("The US should back a new approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict", Opinion, June 30) is correct, but is a new approach the answer? The situation has some similarity with that in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic and in both cases the only long-term solution is that of a single state incorporating both parties. Despite hardliners in both camps, this is inevitable and will develop over time.

Jeffrey Pike
Malaga, Spain

[Rossfan]

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/fine-gaels-first-north-branch-will-reach-out-to-moderates-40610394.html

[Snapchap]

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/fine-gaels-first-north-branch-will-reach-out-to-moderates-40610394.html

A northern branch. Or an "overseas branch" as Leo calls it, which will not be allowed to stand candidates in elections. What a bit of tokenistic PR nonsense.

[armaghniac]

Interesting thread over on Slugger about the 6 county votes broken by county. This data also has relevance for the GAA pick in each county, on this basis Armagh has a smaller pick than Tyrone, Derry, Antrim or Down.  The numbers are votes, not population.

County	Unionist Bloc %	Nationalist Bloc %	Middle-Ground Bloc %
Antrim	49.90%	33.90%	16.10%
(est. votes: 213,233)	-106,497	-72,375	-34,361
	{±0.52%}	{±0.35%}	{±0.17%}
Armagh	39.90%	53.90%	6.20%
-72,566	-28,963	-39,134	-4,469
	{±1.11%}	{±1.50%}	{±0.17%}
Down	49.10%	24.50%	26.40%
-190,256	-93,458	-46,665	-50,133
	{±0.82%}	{±0.41%}	{±0.44%}
Fermanagh	39.60%	53.40%	7.00%
-29,390	-11,636	-15,702	-2,052
	{±1.19%}	{±1.60%}	{±0.21%}
Derry	33.10%	61.60%	5.30%
-90,287	-29,899	-55,568	-4,820
	{±0.55%}	{±1.03%}	{±0.09%}
Tyrone	34.80%	59.40%	5.70%
-82,253	-28,637	-48,895	-4,721
	{±0.94%}	{±1.60%}	{±0.15%}
OVERALL:	44.10%	41.10%	14.80%
-677,986	-299,091	-278,339	-100,556

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Interesting thread over on Slugger about the 6 county votes broken by county. This data also has relevance for the GAA pick in each county, on this basis Armagh has a smaller pick than Tyrone, Derry, Antrim or Down.  The numbers are votes, not population.

County	Unionist Bloc %	Nationalist Bloc %	Middle-Ground Bloc %
Antrim	49.90%	33.90%	16.10%
(est. votes: 213,233)	-106,497	-72,375	-34,361
	{±0.52%}	{±0.35%}	{±0.17%}
Armagh	39.90%	53.90%	6.20%
-72,566	-28,963	-39,134	-4,469
	{±1.11%}	{±1.50%}	{±0.17%}
Down	49.10%	24.50%	26.40%
-190,256	-93,458	-46,665	-50,133
	{±0.82%}	{±0.41%}	{±0.44%}
Fermanagh	39.60%	53.40%	7.00%
-29,390	-11,636	-15,702	-2,052
	{±1.19%}	{±1.60%}	{±0.21%}
Derry	33.10%	61.60%	5.30%
-90,287	-29,899	-55,568	-4,820
	{±0.55%}	{±1.03%}	{±0.09%}
Tyrone	34.80%	59.40%	5.70%
-82,253	-28,637	-48,895	-4,721
	{±0.94%}	{±1.60%}	{±0.15%}
OVERALL:	44.10%	41.10%	14.80%
-677,986	-299,091	-278,339	-100,556

Considering 50 percent at least of that Derry vote is the city id say Derry has lower pick ..which is why the culchies need to get behind a Derry gaelfast

[armaghniac]

Considering 50 percent at least of that Derry vote is the city id say Derry has lower pick ..which is why the culchies need to get behind a Derry gaelfast

I am not sure that Gaelfast has yet had dramatic results. But the GAA should certainly look at what has been done in Dublin and extend this to both Belfast and Derry.

[Rossfan]

Not the best thread for this but couldn't find anything better.
Someone needs to explain the concept of a Republic and republicanism to that lad , and Christianity too!

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/ex-ira-gunrunner-gerry-mcgeough-attacked-while-saying-rosary-at-pride-parade-40869298.html

[Bord na Mona man]

There's a lot of work for Nolan to do, save Ulster from disaster.

well he's certainly not going to save Ulster from Sodomy...

Was talking to a few lads the other night and the health thing seems to be important in their thinking as the NHS is still held up as a bastion of greatness, but after digging in a bit and reminding one lad who's mother died of cancer who's diagnosis and subsequent delayed treatment was botched to put it mildly and the waiting lists in NI are at record levels etc etc the ignorance of the Southern healthcare system is staggering and that needs challenged.

The southern system may have its flaws but the level of nonsense spouted by northerners needs challenged and corrected.

Seems to be a trend. The NHS is definitely not what it used to be. Interestingly, many people who cite it is an important advantage of life in the North would qualify for a medical card down South, so the difference wouldn't be as pronounced.

[Saffrongael]

There's a lot of work for Nolan to do, save Ulster from disaster.

well he's certainly not going to save Ulster from Sodomy...

Was talking to a few lads the other night and the health thing seems to be important in their thinking as the NHS is still held up as a bastion of greatness, but after digging in a bit and reminding one lad who's mother died of cancer who's diagnosis and subsequent delayed treatment was botched to put it mildly and the waiting lists in NI are at record levels etc etc the ignorance of the Southern healthcare system is staggering and that needs challenged.

The southern system may have its flaws but the level of nonsense spouted by northerners needs challenged and corrected.

Seems to be a trend. The NHS is definitely not what it used to be. Interestingly, many people who cite it is an important advantage of life in the North would qualify for a medical card down South, so the difference wouldn't be as pronounced.

It's a lot worse here than across the water, waiting lists much worse in 6 counties. Badly managed & our feckless politicians haven't helped

[armaghniac]

It's a lot worse here than across the water, waiting lists much worse in 6 counties. Badly managed & our feckless politicians haven't helped

Back 15 years ago or so, the devolved administration made a reasonable effort on the health side of things, things have slipped badly.
In the South things are not good, but there is a fair amount of publicity about A&E and so on, and things have improved a bit. In the North the media doesn't seem to have mapped the decline. 

[balladmaker]

My daughter attends a Catholic grammar school in the 6 counties.  She arrived home this evening to tell me about a poll their history teacher did today ... Hands up everyone in the class who would vote for a United Ireland in a border poll.  From a class of 26 14/15 year olds, only 4 hands went up in favour of a UI.

She asked me to guess before telling me the answer, I guessed 18 for a UI, a long way off.  The dominant theme for the vast majority of the class not voting in favour of a UI was having to pay to see a doctor in the south.  A rather fickle reason in my opinion, and I do hope this generation of voters will be more in tune with the positives vs the negatives of a UI by the time they get their chance to vote ... which in all likelihood will be in the next 10 years.

By no means a scientific poll, but one which I found a little shocking for a Catholic school in the north.