Brexit.

[Hardy]

Says it all, really

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/17/opinion/sunday/brexit-ireland-empire.html

That's a great piece.

"... partition — the British Empire's ruinous exit strategy — has come home. In a grotesque irony, borders imposed in 1921 on Ireland, England's first colony, have proved to be the biggest stumbling block for the English Brexiteers chasing imperial virility. Moreover, Britain itself faces the prospect of partition if Brexit, a primarily English demand, is achieved and Scottish nationalists renew their call for independence."

[Rossfan]

No Deal seems more and more to be what the Brit Government wanted all along??

[GJL]

No Deal seems more and more to be what the Brit Government wanted all along??

Not sure about that. There seems to be a large majority against no deal in parliament. They want a deal and I suspect if the DUP were not involved a deal would already be done. A deal will be completed at the 11th hour. Just a matter of who blinks first..

[Applesisapples]

I'd say your knowledge of "The South" is fairly limited.

That actually cuts both ways many from the south do not understand nationalists in the North, or their motivations. They criticise without the benefit of the experience many nationalists had of the state in which they grew up. Prime example are those FF Republicans sniping at SF for not swearing an oath to the Queen, they don't get that people voted SF on that basis. I would not swear an oath to the Queen why would I expect my MP to do so? There are other examples as well.

Mark Durkan never swore an oath of allegiance to the Queen
SF defences of abstentionism are bollocks

You will find that he affirmed allegiance, call it what you will but as a Republican who wants and end to British jurisdiction in NI it is a principled stand. You might not like it that is your prerogative and you should vote accordingly.

[Applesisapples]

SF swear an oath at Stormont. A British manufactured political assembly that recognises Northern Ireland and partition. What's the difference swearing an oath to this than at Westminster?

It's government on the island of Ireland for the north of Ireland and no allegiance to a foreign sovereign state. I would have thought this much is obvious.

The north is under British rule. It's part of the uk. It's a British political entity. It may have its own assembly like Scotland and Wales, but it's a British state. As hard as that is for some people to admit, that's the reality.

It's a power sharing assembly.

Well, that was the theory anyway.

But it's still an assembly governing a part of the UK. That will be the case until there's a UI.

Look it's their policy, I vote for them on that basis, they swear allegiance they lose my vote. my position on SF is like true blue, they are fcukin annoying in many ways but they most accurately reflect my political view. You don't like it, tough.

[johnnycool]

The Poles are the first to weaken the EU stance, Coveney should box the head off him;

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/dublin-sees-hand-of-british-in-polish-hint-over-brexit-backstop-37735329.html

[Rossfan]

He did but in a nice soft spoken Cork way.
I presume Poland is still a net beneficiary of EU funds.

[seafoid]

He did but in a nice soft spoken Cork way.
I presume Poland is still a net beneficiary of EU funds.

the brits have been trying to separate individual countries from the EU herd in order to wangle some movement on the backstop
but Barnier is very solid

Diarmuid Ferriter

" Much of the commentary in the UK still fails to understand our motivation in seeking to avoid a hard border on this island – the welfare of those living in the North, and the maintenance of peace on the island. "

[RedHand88]

The Poles are the first to weaken the EU stance, Coveney should box the head off him;

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/dublin-sees-hand-of-british-in-polish-hint-over-brexit-backstop-37735329.html

Unionist/British media all over this obviously, it's the first chink in the armour and they'll exploit it for all its worth. Coveney and Barnier need to be explicit that the backstop is not for changing.

[weareros]

He did but in a nice soft spoken Cork way.
I presume Poland is still a net beneficiary of EU funds.

the brits have been trying to separate individual countries from the EU herd in order to wangle some movement on the backstop
but Barnier is very solid

Diarmuid Ferriter

" Much of the commentary in the UK still fails to understand our motivation in seeking to avoid a hard border on this island – the welfare of those living in the North, and the maintenance of peace on the island. "

And even beyond that as Fintan O'Toole expressed well on Clare Byrne, Brexit without a backstop will devastate the agricultural industry in Ireland, as how could you stop a lorry load of hormone injected beef from entering at Larne and then crossing the border thereby introducing lower and questionable standards into the Irish market and putting our own sizable beef exports at risk. I see the EU commission have just come out and said there will be a hard border in the event of a hard brexit. Of course, there will. And there will be a hard border in a Brexit without the backstop. And really the Brits or DUP do not care about the economic consequences for Ireland.

[johnnycool]

He did but in a nice soft spoken Cork way.
I presume Poland is still a net beneficiary of EU funds.

the brits have been trying to separate individual countries from the EU herd in order to wangle some movement on the backstop
but Barnier is very solid

Diarmuid Ferriter

" Much of the commentary in the UK still fails to understand our motivation in seeking to avoid a hard border on this island – the welfare of those living in the North, and the maintenance of peace on the island. "

And even beyond that as Fintan O'Toole expressed well on Clare Byrne, Brexit without a backstop will devastate the agricultural industry in Ireland, as how could you stop a lorry load of hormone injected beef from entering at Larne and then crossing the border thereby introducing lower and questionable standards into the Irish market and putting our own sizable beef exports at risk. I see the EU commission have just come out and said there will be a hard border in the event of a hard brexit. Of course, there will. And there will be a hard border in a Brexit without the backstop. And really the Brits or DUP do not care about the economic consequences for Ireland.

But they won't be the ones enforcing it will be their cry. The DUP will be loving this outbreak.

[Tony Baloney]

Victoria Bar and Hole in the Wall probably the only 2, with honourable mentions to the British Legion & Cricket Club.

To be fair in the last few years both bars would get more Catholic customers. The Cricket Club not so many.

Never been brave enough to tackle the Victoria Bar but The Hole in the Wall would be fairly mixed these days. The Victoria would be mostly themmuns, especially during the marching season (which is most of the year!) as you see a lot of lads dressed as toy soldiers about it.

[seafoid]

He did but in a nice soft spoken Cork way.
I presume Poland is still a net beneficiary of EU funds.

the brits have been trying to separate individual countries from the EU herd in order to wangle some movement on the backstop
but Barnier is very solid

Diarmuid Ferriter

" Much of the commentary in the UK still fails to understand our motivation in seeking to avoid a hard border on this island – the welfare of those living in the North, and the maintenance of peace on the island. "

And even beyond that as Fintan O'Toole expressed well on Clare Byrne, Brexit without a backstop will devastate the agricultural industry in Ireland, as how could you stop a lorry load of hormone injected beef from entering at Larne and then crossing the border thereby introducing lower and questionable standards into the Irish market and putting our own sizable beef exports at risk. I see the EU commission have just come out and said there will be a hard border in the event of a hard brexit. Of course, there will. And there will be a hard border in a Brexit without the backstop. And really the Brits or DUP do not care about the economic consequences for Ireland.

It's pity Fearon isn't around to see this.
The backstop is staying because the Brits can't be trusted and the only guarantor of nationalist rights in NI when London is nuts is the RoI
with the backing of the EU.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

He did but in a nice soft spoken Cork way.
I presume Poland is still a net beneficiary of EU funds.

the brits have been trying to separate individual countries from the EU herd in order to wangle some movement on the backstop
but Barnier is very solid

Diarmuid Ferriter

" Much of the commentary in the UK still fails to understand our motivation in seeking to avoid a hard border on this island – the welfare of those living in the North, and the maintenance of peace on the island. "

And even beyond that as Fintan O'Toole expressed well on Clare Byrne, Brexit without a backstop will devastate the agricultural industry in Ireland, as how could you stop a lorry load of hormone injected beef from entering at Larne and then crossing the border thereby introducing lower and questionable standards into the Irish market and putting our own sizable beef exports at risk. I see the EU commission have just come out and said there will be a hard border in the event of a hard brexit. Of course, there will. And there will be a hard border in a Brexit without the backstop. And really the Brits or DUP do not care about the economic consequences for Ireland.

But they won't be the ones enforcing it will be their cry. The DUP will be loving this outbreak.

Yes but hard brexit with any sort of border and its game over for NI in the UK according to actual recent polls and not the flawed crap the DUP seem to want to believe. The DUP are playing high stakes poker with a pair of 2's against a full house and are not even bluffing.  At least if they folded they would save some dignity but nope its all in for Arlene and co.

[seafoid]

https://www.ft.com/content/05114d7e-1e42-11e9-b126-46fc3ad87c65

   No-deal Brexit would trigger Irish 'hard border': Brussels
European Commission says without UK deal peace process would be 'at risk'

Alex Barker in Brussels, Arthur Beesley in Dublin and George Parker in London

         The European Commission has explicitly acknowledged that a no-deal Brexit will lead to the return of "a hard border" on the island of Ireland, a scenario Brussels and Dublin have deliberately avoided discussing until now.However, the Irish government said it would not accept any border checks between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic in the event of a no deal and warned that "very difficult" talks with Brussels would be required in such an event.In unusually candid remarks, Margaritis Schinas, the commission's chief spokesperson, said it was "pretty obvious" that Britain's exit from the EU without a deal would prompt the return of border infrastructure, even at the risk of undermining peace in Northern Ireland. He made clear the commission's willingness to discuss the issue reflected the increased possibility of a no-deal Brexit."If you want to push me on what would happen in a no-deal scenario in Ireland, I think it is pretty obvious. You would have a hard border," Mr Schinas said at the commission's daily press conference. "Our commitment to the Good Friday Agreement . . . will have to inevitably take into account this fact."Of course we are for peace. Of course we stand behind the Good Friday Agreement," he added. "But that is what a no-deal scenario entails. I will not speculate on this plan B because we are for plan A."The question of the hard border is one of the most sensitive in Brexit negotiations, both for its potential impact on the peace process and the shape of the Brexit agreement, which includes a backstop arrangement to maintain an open border under all circumstances.Leo Varadkar, the Irish premier, has said that " no preparations whatsoever" have been made to introduce a hard border on the island, saying such contingency planning would become "a self-fulfilling prophecy". While EU diplomats have avoided discussing the subject, many privately admit the EU would have no choice but to require Ireland to enforce checks on trade to protect the common border of the single market.Mr Varadkar's spokesman said on Tuesday that retaining an open border "would require very difficult discussions with our EU partners". Working out suitable customs and trade arrangements compatible with our EU membership will require detailed discussion with the commission, while the UK will also need to live up to its responsibilities."In a statement, the spokesman said Dublin was under "no illusions" about the challenge. "But as [Mr Varadkar] recently told [parliament]: 'The only way we can avoid a hard border in the long term is having a customs agreement and regulatory alignment'."Regardless of Brexit, the Irish spokesman said the British government would always have responsibilities as co-guarantor of the Good Friday pact to ensure there was no return to a border "even in a no-deal".British ministers have been advised that no systematic checks would be required for revenue collection purposes on the island — a recommendation that Brexiters have pointed to as proof that no backstop compromises are required in order to maintain the open border.Theresa May's spokesman said on Tuesday that while Britain would do everything possible to prevent a hard border in Ireland in the event of a no-deal exit, the matter was not solely in the UK's hands."The prime minister has stated in the past we will do everything we can to prevent a hard border," he said. "But simply saying that isn't sufficient."Downing Street said Mrs May believed it was "overwhelmingly in our interest to leave with a deal", but she had not ruled out the possibility of a hard exit on March 29.The EU has released detailed contingency plans for a no-deal exit covering all sectors of the economy, but no specific arrangements have been made public regarding Northern Ireland, the only open UK-EU land border.Mr Schinas said a no-deal Brexit would put many of the advances made in the peace process "at risk" because of the need for border infrastructure to return. "That is something we want to address in the framework of our contingency work with Ireland," he added, while declining to say when any EU contingency plans would be published.