UK General Election 2017

[T Fearon]

I believe as Gerry Fitt said northern catholics and protestants have more in common with each other than they have with Corkonians or Mancunians.When I go South or to England I am conscious immediately I am in a different countrt

[seafoid]

Rubbish.There is no comparison even with culture in Newry and Dundalk.Unionism and nationalism have cross fertilised in many ways.Bands and parading are common to both sides,as is plain speaking,thriftiness etc.North of Ireland has a culture and way of life separate and distinct from Britain and the South of Ireland.

That is an insult to Louth football. And  the idea that NI has a unique culture that is alien to the rest of the island is bullshit. When northern prods go to London they become indistinguable from Irish people.  Not as stressed as big city people, more laid back, provincial,.smile etc. Small  town.
Talking to them on a one to one basis they are great. The group is the problem.

[Avondhu star]

I believe as Gerry Fitt said northern catholics and protestants have more in common with each other than they have with Corkonians or Mancunians.When I go South or to England I am conscious immediately I am in a different countrt

Its probably the medication they give you to keep you calm kicking in.

[yellowcard]

Rubbish.There is no comparison even with culture in Newry and Dundalk.Unionism and nationalism have cross fertilised in many ways.Bands and parading are common to both sides,as is plain speaking,thriftiness etc.North of Ireland has a culture and way of life separate and distinct from Britain and the South of Ireland.

That is an insult to Louth football. And  the idea that NI has a unique culture that is alien to the rest of the island is bullshit. When northern prods go to London they become indistinguable from Irish people.  Not as stressed as big city people, more laid back, provincial,.smile etc. Small  town.
Talking to them on a one to one basis they are great. The group is the problem.

That's very true, it's the toxic environment they are brought up in when they congregate in large groups at home. By and large they are fine in smaller groups or one to one. Greater integrated education is the way forward but it's a slow process of improving relations and may take at least a generation.

[tonto1888]

It will take a new political movement,to energise the youth and those of us who have seen the light to promote an inclusive Northern Irish culture and identity,trumping misguided allegiances to Britain and the Freestate,which are toxic and have and will continue to bring nothing but misery,division etc.The basis is already there with the Alliance and Green Party and it may not take all that much to persuade UUP and SDLP voters.Also there are huge swathes of people who don't vote currently,presumably because they are not enamoured by Unionism or Nationalism.

What is this northern Irish identity? Can you explain it

[yellowcard]

I believe as Gerry Fitt said northern catholics and protestants have more in common with each other than they have with Corkonians or Mancunians.When I go South or to England I am conscious immediately I am in a different countrt

Travelling to England I imagine you are well aware having got off your flight and passed through security checks.

As you drive over the invisible border on the M1 do you have an alert going off in your pocket to remind you to immediately act differently. These are a Willie Frazer level of bizarre comments.

[Avondhu star]

It will take a new political movement,to energise the youth and those of us who have seen the light to promote an inclusive Northern Irish culture and identity,trumping misguided allegiances to Britain and the Freestate,which are toxic and have and will continue to bring nothing but misery,division etc.The basis is already there with the Alliance and Green Party and it may not take all that much to persuade UUP and SDLP voters.Also there are huge swathes of people who don't vote currently,presumably because they are not enamoured by Unionism or Nationalism.

What is this northern Irish identity? Can you explain it

Just think May McFetteridge and Julian Simpson

[T Fearon]

Last time I visited the Freestate I had to use different currency,encountered bilingual Road signage,tolls,people spoke with different accents etc.

Last time I visited Britain people spoke with different accents,and Northern Irish Bank notes,legal Sterling,were not acceptable.

So we should continue on with the status quo,hankering after Unity with Britain or the South,neither of who wants us,with all the divisive bitterness this generates?

[Milltown Row2]

Jesus lads there's a fair amount of stereotyping going on.... are we talking about all prods here? Or just the fuckwits that follow the bands?

[BennyCake]

It will take a new political movement,to energise the youth and those of us who have seen the light to promote an inclusive Northern Irish culture and identity,trumping misguided allegiances to Britain and the Freestate,which are toxic and have and will continue to bring nothing but misery,division etc.The basis is already there with the Alliance and Green Party and it may not take all that much to persuade UUP and SDLP voters.Also there are huge swathes of people who don't vote currently,presumably because they are not enamoured by Unionism or Nationalism.

What is this northern Irish identity? Can you explain it

Just think May McFetteridge and Julian Simpson

Julian Simmons.

[BennyCake]

I believe as Gerry Fitt said northern catholics and protestants have more in common with each other than they have with Corkonians or Mancunians.When I go South or to England I am conscious immediately I am in a different countrt

Travelling to England I imagine you are well aware having got off your flight and passed through security checks.

As you drive over the invisible border on the M1 do you have an alert going off in your pocket to remind you to immediately act differently. These are a Willie Frazer level of bizarre comments.

That's it. Does T subconsciously (or consciously) behave differently when in the South? Does he not make an effort to talk/meet with people because in his own head, sure we'd have nothing in common? Does T want to be treated differently so that fits in with his irrational thinking that up North, "we're different"?

[seafoid]

I lived in England for a while and I have to say any time I was in the north it never felt as alien as England does. Maybe it's partly because of the smaller scale of the space. But there is something else very Irish about the unionists.  I never felt it with people from anywhere else. Scottish peple are different.for example.  Unionists are not exactly the same as Irish Catholics but they are very close imo.

You can't live in Ireland without Ireland becoming part of you.

[yellowcard]

Last time I visited the Freestate I had to use different currency,encountered bilingual Road signage,tolls,people spoke with different accents etc.

Last time I visited Britain people spoke with different accents,and Northern Irish Bank notes,legal Sterling,were not acceptable.

So we should continue on with the status quo,hankering after Unity with Britain or the South,neither of who wants us,with all the divisive bitterness this generates?

Last time I went to a different pub other than my local, there were different bar staff in it and they had different beer on draft, different furniture, no food and they had a different band playing too.It was all very unfamiliar, different culture altogether.

[tonto1888]

Last time I visited the Freestate I had to use different currency,encountered bilingual Road signage,tolls,people spoke with different accents etc.

Last time I visited Britain people spoke with different accents,and Northern Irish Bank notes,legal Sterling,were not acceptable.

So we should continue on with the status quo,hankering after Unity with Britain or the South,neither of who wants us,with all the divisive bitterness this generates?

Have you never been anywhere else in the north other than portadown? Or have you never noticed the differences between a portadown and a Derry accent? A Belfast and a Ballymena accent? Oh, and on my return to London today I had no problem spending a Northern Irish banknote.

[never kickt a ball]

Last time I visited the Freestate I had to use different currency,encountered bilingual Road signage,tolls,people spoke with different accents etc.

Last time I visited Britain people spoke with different accents,and Northern Irish Bank notes,legal Sterling,were not acceptable.

So we should continue on with the status quo,hankering after Unity with Britain or the South,neither of who wants us,with all the divisive bitterness this generates?

Have you never been anywhere else in the north other than portadown? Or have you never noticed the differences between a portadown and a Derry accent? A Belfast and a Ballymena accent? Oh, and on my return to London today I had no problem spending a Northern Irish banknote.

"Confidence and supply" working a treat then?