A United Ireland. Opening up the discussion.

[seafoid]

If the Tory Eurosceptics are willing to throw the City of London under the bus they can shaft the Unionists who have mismanaged their Protestant shangri-la since day 1. . Brexit is not government as usual. Every couple of hundred years England goes postal.

[No wides]

The fact remains that a referendum under the GFA terms,commits both Govts to do absolutely nothing in terms of implementing the outcome of a vote for unity.Look at the prevarication over the Brexit vote,by the UK government

I cannot at any stage remember,during talks which have been going on for decades,before and after the GFA,where the freestate govt did anything other than support the British view,that partition must be maintained.

Therefore what is the point of wasting your life aspiring to Irish Unity?

Why would you want to somehow trick or force the majority in the north into a united Ireland against their wishes? Do you not think it'd be better to wait until there's a majority in the north in favour of it so that reunification goes more smoothly?

Why do you care you have abandoned Ireland and are living the dream with all the minorities in America.

[Eamonnca1]

Why do you care you have abandoned Ireland and are living the dream with all the minorities in America.

Living in a different country from you is "living the dream" all right.

[No wides]

Why do you care you have abandoned Ireland and are living the dream with all the minorities in America.

Living in a different country from you is "living the dream" all right.

Good man don't hurry back anytime ever. 

[Eamonnca1]

Why do you care you have abandoned Ireland and are living the dream with all the minorities in America.

Living in a different country from you is "living the dream" all right.

Good man don't hurry back anytime ever. 

You make that easy.

[No wides]

Why do you care you have abandoned Ireland and are living the dream with all the minorities in America.

Living in a different country from you is "living the dream" all right.

Good man don't hurry back anytime ever. 

You make that easy.

You are probably an illegal and cant come anyway. Bet your old neighbours are devastated. 😊

[T Fearon]

In all seriousness does anyone on this Board,even teenage members if there are any,seriously  believe a United Ireland will come about in their lifetime? Forget Seafoid's scenarios,the fact is no significant proportion of people want it,North or South for various reasons, there is no vision among any political party North or South,never mind a plan,so what is the point of wasting time even discussing it?

[Eamonnca1]

You are probably an illegal and cant come anyway. Bet your old neighbours are devastated. 😊

Sorry to disappoint you but I have a green card and I'll be visiting your side of the water in the summer.

[Eamonnca1]

In all seriousness does anyone on this Board,even teenage members if there are any,seriously  believe a United Ireland will come about in their lifetime? Forget Seafoid's scenarios,the fact is no significant proportion of people want it,North or South for various reasons, there is no vision among any political party North or South,never mind a plan,so what is the point of wasting time even discussing it?

I think it's an achievable goal in my lifetime, and I'm seeing some progress on some of the things that could make it happen. But the biggest obstacle (and one that you're going to disagree with) is segregated education. As long as there's no willingness to tackle that elephant in the room, progress is going to be limited.

[Chief]

In all seriousness does anyone on this Board,even teenage members if there are any,seriously  believe a United Ireland will come about in their lifetime? Forget Seafoid's scenarios,the fact is no significant proportion of people want it,North or South for various reasons, there is no vision among any political party North or South,never mind a plan,so what is the point of wasting time even discussing it?

Yeah to be honest, I do.

We are likely to witness a nationalist voting majority in the next decade. Amongst that demographic there is strong discontent with the current constitutional status. There is an historic hostility to partition and a recent hostility to the Brexit vote.

In addition to this there are now solid economic arguments in favour of a united Ireland. (Well as solid as economic arguments can ever be). There will be those who disagree but an economic argument in favour of a united Ireland is at least as valid as one against it.

Thirdly there is a rising independence movement across Europe. Scotland and Catalonia being the fashionable examples.Success for any of these places will inevitably raise old passions here as well.

Whilst none of the above makes a United Ireland inevitable, it makes it a realistic possibility if enough people are willing to agitate or work for it.

[T Fearon]

While I don't disagree with any of the points you make,there still won't be a United Ireland.A nationalist majority will not make it happen,same way as the Brexit majority hasn't or won't make that happen.If economic arguments worked,northern nationalists would have accepted British Rule in the North decades ago,or unionists would have been swayed by the Celtic Tiger era.

[No wides]

You are probably an illegal and cant come anyway. Bet your old neighbours are devastated. 😊

Sorry to disappoint you but I have a green card and I'll be visiting your side of the water in the summer.

You bringing your kids?

[seafoid]

While I don't disagree with any of the points you make,there still won't be a United Ireland.A nationalist majority will not make it happen,same way as the Brexit majority hasn't or won't make that happen.If economic arguments worked,northern nationalists would have accepted British Rule in the North decades ago,or unionists would have been swayed by the Celtic Tiger era.

The UK was stable up until the end of last June.
It looks as though the Eurosceptics want to leave without a deal. That will have implications for everything from Marks and Spencer to the NHS. Britishness will be economically downgraded. The Eurosceptics are a cargo cult and they are calling the shots in London.   

It was financial ineptitude that killed Fianna Fail in 2010. When people realise the Government is useless is when the unexpected can happen.

[T Fearon]

We have had nothing but useless Governments North and South,and will have many more but it will not change a thing.As Alex Kane said last week if Britain does exit the EU it will be so lame that no one will spot the difference.In any event it won't change the fundamentals,a United Ireland is neither affordable nor wanted by any significant number of people,North and South.

[vallankumous]

We have had nothing but useless Governments North and South,and will have many more but it will not change a thing.As Alex Kane said last week if Britain does exit the EU it will be so lame that no one will spot the difference.In any event it won't change the fundamentals,a United Ireland is neither affordable nor wanted by any significant number of people,North and South.

I'd say the same was said about partition but then I'm too young to remember. The same was said about a united Europe and so on and so on.
The fact that this discussion is happening all over Ireland and abroad only goes against the status quo. As it is with the Gandi qoute.
First the idea is ignored, then laughed at, then debated and eventually a decision is made. This is stage 3.