6 county politics - Its starting to hot up now

[Evil Genius]

Surely Ireland hasn't been a single political entity since 1800. When was Queens founded?

I know we shouldn't really quote Wikipedia, but this seems reliable enough:

"The present university was first chartered as "Queen's College, Belfast" in 1845, when it was associated with the simultaneously founded Queen's College, Cork and Queen's College, Galway as part of the Queen's University of Ireland -- founded in 1845 to encourage higher education for Catholics and Presbyterians as a counterpart to the Trinity College, Dublin, then an Anglican institution -- and later the Royal University of Ireland (1880). The Irish Universities Act, 1908 dissolved the Royal University of Ireland and created two separate universities - the current National University of Ireland and the Queen's University of Belfast. At its opening in 1849 as a Queen's College, it had 23 professors and 343 students"
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen's_University_Belfast )

[Fiodoir Ard Mhacha]

I always thought Northern Ireland is everywhere above a straight line from Sligo to Dundalk Bay.

No, that would be northern Ireland, or the north of Ireland, if you prefer. Northern Ireland (capital "N") is a proper noun which refers to the illegally occupied six county statelet etc

Err, thank you for that. It really should have been called North-Eastern Ireland, though.

[Evil Genius]

Indeed QUB is an Irish university in a part of Ireland which is in the UK. The one thing it is not is British.

I don't follow your logic, but can we agree that it is a Northern Irish University, then? Or would that be unacceptable to Conor Murphy and the like?

P.S. You do all accept that it is still correct to refer to it as "Queen's University"?  

[Donagh]

I don't follow your logic, but can we agree that it is a Northern Irish University, then? Or would that be unacceptable to Conor Murphy and the like?

Eh? Sure it's already agreed. Queen's are saying themselves they are an Irish university, not a British university and not a "Northern Irish" university (whatever that is).

[Evil Genius]

Still times have changed from when the RUC band played GSTQ at graduations. An "Irish university" located in "these islands", whatever next I wonder...

Indeed, times have changed, Donagh. Personally, I'm happy with a trade-off whereby Unionists agree not to play GSTQ at a University Graduation ceremony once a year, in return for e.g. Sinn Feiners agreeing to help administer British Rule in Ireland, through the offices of a devolved Government at Stormont.

Anyhow, any comment on Eamonn McCann's observation which I quoted just beofre your post (above)?

[Gnevin]

every country in the world has a northern bit, hasn't it?

Even South Africa. 

but not every place in the world has a northern bit

[Donagh]

Anyhow, any comment on Eamonn McCann's observation which I quoted just beofre your post (above)?

Aye, do try to get out of Derry more often Eamonn - the world is passing you by...

[Evil Genius]

I don't follow your logic, but can we agree that it is a Northern Irish University, then? Or would that be unacceptable to Conor Murphy and the like?

Eh? Sure it's already agreed. Queen's are saying themselves they are an Irish university, not a British university and not a "Northern Irish" university (whatever that is).

As an Irishman, I have no objection to the description of QUB as "an Irish University". And as a Unionist, neither could I object to the other designation which they allow, namely that of a being "a UK University" which by definition, also reflects their British status. Being located in Northern Ireland, the two are not contradictory.

Btw, a "Northern Irish university" is a university in Northern Ireland.

[Evil Genius]

Anyhow, any comment on Eamonn McCann's observation which I quoted just beofre your post (above)?

Aye, do try to get out of Derry more often Eamonn - the world is passing you by...

Doesn't really address what he actually said. Another example of Donagh "playing the man, not the ball", eh?

[Fiodoir Ard Mhacha]

every country in the world has a northern bit, hasn't it?

Even South Africa. 

but not every place in the world has a northern bit

Northern South Korea

Northern South Cyprus

Northern East Timor

Northern North-West Passage

Northern Western Australia

Northern New Zealand - North Island.

[Billys Boots]

Does the South Pole have a northern bit?   

[lynchbhoy]

Does the South Pole have a northern bit?   

[Evil Genius]

Does the South Pole have a northern bit?   

Yes. Known as the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, they're British, too. 

[behind the wire]

is that las malvinas you are talking about evil genius? another illegal occupation. never thought you could say they are in the south pole.

[Evil Genius]

is that las malvinas you are talking about evil genius? another illegal occupation. never thought you could say they are in the south pole.

"Las Malvinas", eh? Not even the original people who gave their name to it (i.e. from St.Malo) call it that, these days.

As for the "illegal occupation", I hope you enjoyed the recent 25th Anniversary Celebrations for the ending of that occupation and consequent ousting of the Fascist Dictator Galtieri, as I and the rest of my fellow Britons did! 

And although technically, I guess the Falklands are not part of the continent in which the South Pole lies (Antartica), since all other land must, by definition, be North of there, I reckon  closest inhabited land* to the South Pole may be the closest they have to a "Northern bit"!

* - Tierra del Fuego/Patagonia might be closer, but they belong to Argentina and Chile. Or one of them. Or the other.