HOW WOULD YOU VOTE IN A BORDER POLL?

[sid waddell]

I never realised how much Bwyson looks like TinTin

His head also looks like an egg - more than Stephen Donnelly does

[Substandard]

For a few reasons, I only saw bits of it- missed the whole Joe Brolly segment, although I gather it wasn't that long.

Mary Lou spoke well, I thought- carefully constructed, focused on being inclusive: buoyant and positive, and effective without getting snagged on what will undoubtedly be major thorny issues,  I thought.

I don't like Leo, full stop.  I think a lot of what comes from Fine Gael and Fianna Fail the last few years regarding Sinn Fein always seems to be snide and defensive.  It always seems so contrived that it becomes tiresome, and legitimate challenges therefore get diminished in the overall rhetoric. 

Micheal Martin reminds me so much of Enda Kenny, just less crude and more prissy.  I would class neither of them as a leader, let alone a statesman.  Maybe I just have an idealistic view of what I'd want politicians and cabinet members to be, but I try to imagine what a history book in 50 or 100 years time might read as defining or distinguishing features about them, and I can't see anything in them.  Bertie,  as despicable as he might be, will always have the Good Friday Agreement to his name.

I'm sorry I missed Trimble and the unionist take, although hearing Bryson and Campbell referenced shows the kind of span of a bridge that would be required.

So my conclusions from tonight, albeit on a limited basis,  would be the Irish government position is to sit on their hands and do nothing.  Yes, a huge amount of groundwork is required and all of this would take time, and yes it would be imperative to bring along the unionist population, including the most entrenched, but I didn't see any sign of impetus or desire from either Martin or Varadkar.

I get the feeling this will be a long, long thread before there is a poll, and then the aftermath.

[sid waddell]

Niamh McElduff sounds like she's auditioning for the Rose of Tralee

She has a signed St. Kilda jersey in the background

No loaf of Kingsmills

[Brick Tamlin]

Typical Tyrone dose.
Bring back the mucksavage thread

[Lar Naparka]

So if we don't admit to being wrong then you're Angelo?

Well, I won't disagree with you, yet  I can't agree with you. Because, either way, I don't understand you. 

[general_lee]

Mary Lou and Leo both very measured and cordial, thought there might have been a bit more bite with them to be honest. Both spoke well and even though I'm no fan of Leo he does deserve credit.

Brolly obviously getting dogs abuse for his cameo, no surprise there. Gregory Campbell with his usual sneering attitude added nothing to the programme and when Brolly called him on it he got  cut off. Nothing he said was untrue. That really annoyed me to be honest and I alluded to "pussyfooting" around Unionists before in this thread. Disappointing from RTÉ but no surprise at all.

Andrew Trimble and Naomi Long but spoke more diplomatically and sincerely and although they represent a small minority within the broader Unionism family they are the ones who will be pivotal in any future referendum.

Micheal Martin and John Bruton between them have about as much charisma as a bucket of shite.

[Dougal Maguire]

I would to have seen Bruton asked 'Would you like to see a United Ireland?' Personally I think he wouldn't.

[Never beat the deeler]

I never realised how much Bwyson looks like TinTin

His head also looks like an egg - more than Stephen Donnelly does

https://uncyclopedia.ca/wiki/Jamie_Bryson

[Armagh18]

Mary Lou and Leo both very measured and cordial, thought there might have been a bit more bite with them to be honest. Both spoke well and even though I'm no fan of Leo he does deserve credit.

Brolly obviously getting dogs abuse for his cameo, no surprise there. Gregory Campbell with his usual sneering attitude added nothing to the programme and when Brolly called him on it he got  cut off. Nothing he said was untrue. That really annoyed me to be honest and I alluded to "pussyfooting" around Unionists before in this thread. Disappointing from RTÉ but no surprise at all.

Andrew Trimble and Naomi Long but spoke more diplomatically and sincerely and although they represent a small minority within the broader Unionism family they are the ones who will be pivotal in any future referendum.

Micheal Martin and John Bruton between them have about as much charisma as a bucket of shite.

Yeah I'd agree with most of that.

[Itchy]

Its quite amusing to see the abuse here for Brolly. His crime? Calling out Gregory Campbell as rascist and homophobic. Well sorry folks thats exactly what he and his party are. I think Joe left out sectarian but maybe he was cut off too early. Very little ire for Gregory though, says a lot about some contributors.

However, I will say that Joe would have been better to make his point for a united Ireland instead of going the route he went but that doesn't make what he said untrue.

[johnnycool]

I never realised how much Bwyson looks like TinTin

His head also looks like an egg - more than Stephen Donnelly does

Wonder if the Kinihan drug cartel had a "spokesperson" would they get as much airtime as wee Jamie on RTE?

Gregory being Gregory but needs to be asked how democratic he actually is when a majority decide on a UI. He's so used to the unionist veto on everything that its almost expected that they can do what they want when they want up North. 
Their centenary stone pish is emblematic of their attitude and those uppity croppys now putting a stop to it.

MaryLou and Vardakar talked sense with maybe varying timelines but thats to be expected. The 2040 nonsense spouted on here is ridiculous, 2028 is the date we should be preparing for.

Didn't get to see Joe but he's a soapbox and was always going to use it. Micheal is Micheal, the worse leader of any political party in the history of this Island. He's dire.

[sid waddell]

Its quite amusing to see the abuse here for Brolly. His crime? Calling out Gregory Campbell as rascist and homophobic. Well sorry folks thats exactly what he and his party are. I think Joe left out sectarian but maybe he was cut off too early. Very little ire for Gregory though, says a lot about some contributors.

However, I will say that Joe would have been better to make his point for a united Ireland instead of going the route he went but that doesn't make what he said untrue.

You've grudgingly pointed out what the problem with Joe's contribution was in your second paragraph

He wasn't constructive, he just descended into mudslinging

[Itchy]

Its quite amusing to see the abuse here for Brolly. His crime? Calling out Gregory Campbell as rascist and homophobic. Well sorry folks thats exactly what he and his party are. I think Joe left out sectarian but maybe he was cut off too early. Very little ire for Gregory though, says a lot about some contributors.

However, I will say that Joe would have been better to make his point for a united Ireland instead of going the route he went but that doesn't make what he said untrue.

You've grudgingly pointed out what the problem with Joe's contribution was in your second paragraph

He wasn't constructive, he just descended into mudslinging

[seafoid]

The partitionists can keep angling against it but it will happen in this decade despite all their efforts to prevent it.

What will happen in this decade? A poll, a referendum, a plan for a poll or a plan for a referendum?

I think there is enough groundswell of support both sides of the border for a poll to be called and the demographics are only trending more in support of it.

The demographics include a lot of nationalist kids who don't have a vote. Nothing will happen this decade.

[sid waddell]

I would to have seen Bruton asked 'Would you like to see a United Ireland?' Personally I think he wouldn't.

Let's just say for hypotheticals Bruton had been asked that question and said no

What do you think the reaction would have been?

In my view, what likely would have happened is that he would have been subjected to a torrent of vicious abuse on social media and would likely have received death threats

Why? Because it's seen as taboo for a Catholic from the Republic to not want a united Ireland, or not care about whether a united Ireland happens

And that is not a healthy situation at all, it's a very unhealthy situation

It should not be seen as taboo for a southern Catholic to be against a united Ireland - that view should be afforded the same respect as any other

Presumably given you wanted Bruton to be put on the spot in a hectoring "YES/NO" manner, you'd like to have seen Trimble put on the spot in the same manner

"Andrew, are you in favour of a United Ireland - YES or NO"

"Well I'd prefer to talk about things we all have in common across the island and how we can work to work to build a better island based on mutual respect"

"No, Andrew, ANSWER THE QUESTION - are you in favour of a united Ireland or not?!"

Don't think think that would have been a good line of questioning

Interestingly, it hasn't been noted that Brolly said it wasn't a concern to him whether a united Ireland happened or not

Which I thought was the most interesting and considered part of his contribution