2011 Census

[Armamike]

Some interesting points here. The recent flags issue would appear to be more about the disappearance of the unionist majority than any threat to their culture or flag. There will most likely be a Catholic/Nationalist majority in the next 20 years and at that stage the debate about the future of the Island will intensify. It would be helpful in the interim if SF and the SDLP could agree a strategy and an approach to this new dispensation. It has to be said that unlike councils with unionist majorities those with nationalist majorities have taken the sensible no flags route or a civic flag as opposed to the tricolour. I suppose though in the first instance the SDLP would need to get agreement amonst themselves.

NI catholics would need to think about developing an economy that pays for itself.
Same as the relations in the South really

Jaysus, we can do the impossible, miracles are a bit more difficult.

In reality the border and the "two state" solution are here to stay for the foreseeable future, that's what we voted for in the GFA.  I see myself as an Irish person who lives in N Ireland, the same way as there are Irish people who live in England, USA, Germany etc.  I don't live in the Republic but that doesn't make me any less (or more) Irish than someone from Ballyshannon, Cork or Dublin.  There is this place called Ireland that is made up of two parts.  I'm comfortable with that and if the guy next door sees himself as British well that's OK.  In principle I'm for a "United Ireland" and I would have an emotional rather than practical attachment to that ideal.  However it's not something I think about every day and I'm unsure what a UI would actually look like. 

To answer Rossfan's point, I can see the two parts of Ireland becoming closer over the next 10-15 years.  Areas like the postal system, the phone system, and there is a consultation going on at the moment to allow kids in southern border areas to go to school in the north and vice versa.  There will IMO be close practical cooperation.  There will be more interaction between the politicos either side of the border in areas like agriculture and fisheries etc.  There is an AI Tourism initiative and there are moves afoot for an AI food processing cooperation.  That's the way I think things will go in the short to medium term.  I wouldn't like to speculate what things might be like in 30 years.

Pretty much sums up my take on it.

I've been surprised how mooted the coverage has been this week to the census stats.  There's been a big shift in the catholic/protestant percentages, now more or less pretty even, but not much made of it by either side.  Maybe with the flags story it's not got the coverage it would have, but strange all the same.

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Whether people like it or not the path IS being laid out long term and I mean long term for a United Ireland. The border will become less and less practical. It will happen bit by bit over a long time, cross border bodies will grow, develop and become the norm. It has already begun. New radiography department part funded by both governments due to open at Altnagelvin to serve both sides of the border is only one recent example.