Should Ireland re-join the Commonwealth?

[deiseach]

Reading your posts here, and the only thing coming to my mind is that your a bunch of British lackeys.

What need you, being come to sense...

[Rossfan]

Very easy for a 26 Co resident to get "into the UK" - just one small step from Donegal.Leitrim,Cavan,Monaghan or Louth will have you there

I said Britain, not the UK. If you're going to put quotation marks, then at least quote accurately

I hope you won't be too disappointed but I wasn't even thinking of your post AZ  - I meant to say "the UK" as that is the short version of their official name for their State, which unfortunately contains at present Ireland's 6 North Eastern (roughly) counties. Hence my sad face at the end.

[AZOffaly]

Very easy for a 26 Co resident to get "into the UK" - just one small step from Donegal.Leitrim,Cavan,Monaghan or Louth will have you there

I said Britain, not the UK. If you're going to put quotation marks, then at least quote accurately

I hope you won't be too disappointed but I wasn't even thinking of your post AZ  - I meant to say "the UK" as that is the short version of their official name for their State, which unfortunately contains at present Ireland's 6 North Eastern (roughly) counties. Hence my sad face at the end.

Damnit I thought you were referring to my point about it being easier to get into Britain as an Irishman than someone from Jamiaca or India (commonwealth countries). I used the term quite deliberately.

[seafoid]

I don't know too much about the bauld Nigel, but it would appear to me that his motivation would be anything that looked like movement towards the restoration of the long extinct great British Empire. That as far as I can see is what is in it for him. I am glad to see many people not dismissing this out of hand immediately as, a all what's in it for us' approach could be productive.

Some guys have mentioned a 32 county Ireland. I think that would be worth it, personally, obviously as long as we were to retain our sovereignty.

There are 28 counties in the 26 counties now since Dublin was divided in 3
So it would be a 34 county Ireland

Or maybe the 32 county Ireland  would still exclude Down and Antrim where most Unionists live

[ziggysego]

I don't know too much about the bauld Nigel, but it would appear to me that his motivation would be anything that looked like movement towards the restoration of the long extinct great British Empire. That as far as I can see is what is in it for him. I am glad to see many people not dismissing this out of hand immediately as, a all what's in it for us' approach could be productive.

Some guys have mentioned a 32 county Ireland. I think that would be worth it, personally, obviously as long as we were to retain our sovereignty.

There are 28 counties in the 26 counties now since Dublin was divided in 3
So it would be a 34 county Ireland

Or maybe the 32 county Ireland  would still exclude Down and Antrim where most Unionists live

Or 11 in the north when the new councils start on 1st April. 39 County Ireland.

[armaghniac]

Or maybe the 32 county Ireland  would still exclude Down and Antrim where most Unionists live

This idea has merit, throw them out of the all Ireland as well.

[Eamonnca1]

I'm not exactly sure what joining the Commonwealth would mean bar competing in the Commonwealth Games (medals for our boxers) but my stance regards Britain has mellowed over the years. Sadly, they're probably our best friends and still our main trading partner. They see the EU and particularly the Euro for the German 3 card trick that it is and I'd imagine they'd treat us a little more fairly than the Germans have (I know they didn't treat us well in the past but I hope and believe things are a little different now). It could benefit us as a nation/island so I'd consider it.

I think EamonnCA's point is (Eamonn - correct me if I'm wrong) that the way to bring about Irish unity is to integrate so well that you wouldn't know the difference.

The way to bring about Irish unity is to make northern protestants feel welcome in a future united Ireland, and if Commonwealth membership is part of that process then so be it. It's one of those gestures that probably wouldn't mean much to us but would mean a lot to them. If we're so bitter and twisted that we hate all things British, and as long as that attitude exists and is widely held, unionism will remain in the ascendency in the north.

The fact is, Britain is a friendly neighbouring country and Ireland's biggest trading partner. Pretending that they don't exist, and pretending that we can look past them to Brussels, is a large part of what caused the current financial mess. A more realistic monetary policy would have retained the Punt and kept it closer in value to Sterling. But oh no, we had to prove something about how independent we were and didn't need to follow the UK's economic cycle.

[AZOffaly]

Prove how independent we are by joining a single currency that is Europe wide, and subjecting ourselves to European Law? I don't think the decision to buy into the Euro was driven by independence.

[Eamonnca1]

By independent I mean independent from Britain. It had little to do with economic reality and everything to do with trying to escape England's gravitational pull for emotional reasons. It seems we'd rather be ruled by Brussels and Frankfurt than London.

[Rossfan]

Belgium and Germany never subjected us to Centuries of murder, oppression, land grabbing, outlawing our language,culture, religion etc etc.

[muppet]

Belgium and Germany never subjected us to Centuries of murder, oppression, land grabbing, outlawing our language,culture, religion etc etc.

Belgium was notoriously one of the worst colonists in Africa, and that took some doing.

[Eamonnca1]

Belgium and Germany never subjected us to Centuries of murder, oppression, land grabbing, outlawing our language,culture, religion etc etc.

Jesus Christ are we ever going to get over this victim complex? When are you going to grow up and move on?

[theticklemister]

I really don't know how joining the Commonwealth progresses us to an united Ireland.

[muppet]

I really don't know how joining the Commonwealth progresses us to an united Ireland.

It doesn't.

The suggestion was that if a UI was offered in return for re-joining the Commonwealth, would it be worth it?

[Eamonnca1]

I really don't know how joining the Commonwealth progresses us to an united Ireland.

It reassures northern protestants that they won't be uniting with a bitter and twisted shower of self-pitying Brit haters.