I am Pro-union

[Maguire01]

You have to admire the grasp that some republicans have on the whole concept of pluralism.

[delboy]

putting the boot into nally stand.

I didn't realise you were NS's minder.
I also didn't realise that disagreeing with NS makes you a "stoop". Come to think of it, you called someone a "stoop" on the football thread too and NS was nowhere to be seen. Is it your word of the day?

i removed it from the football thread after you stuck your orr in but this is not a football thread. speaking up for ones culture is to be commended, fair dues to N.S for doing so.

Do you extend that commendation to me and my speaking up for unionist culture?

no. you are speaking up for a sectarian culture that has no place on this island. all i extend to you is a middle finger as you catch a plane home.

I suppose what can you expect from a pig but a grunt.

[andoireabu]

Been reading this one from the start and have to say that I side with the UI side of things.  I think there are a lot of things that make us completely different from England and we should pride ourselves on that.

the reason I side for a UI is not for any romantic notion or because of financial things like the health service.  It is simply that I don't believe any country should have the right to rule over another as if they were inferior to themselves.  the days of conquering to expand empires are long gone and should stay there. every country should have an equal standing in the world no matter their size.

for the health service its not really an issue for me because I could count on one hand the amount of times I have been to the doctor since I got the jag in the arse as a child and the last time i went to my GP i had to pay for it anyway.

for the language i don't think it is dead but most people in the north didn't get the chance to learn it at school either because they were not sent to an Irish medium school or because it wasn't available to them at the time.  i personally only have "an cupla focal" but I have a strong notion to learn it because of experiences i have had in the recent past.  this notion wasn't there when i was at school and i didn't take it on because i didn't like the teacher and German was easier!! 

there was something posted on this thread about Irish language schools not performing well but in todays Irish News there is an article about how these schools are performing better in English and Maths than pupils in than English medium schools (if thats the right term).  when it comes to me sending my wee ones to school i would definitely send them to an Irish school as there is a bilingual advantage and can help them take up another language when they are further up their education.  Plus they might be able to teach me some because i'm a slow learner!!

As for the culture thing and what defines being Irish.  it is all the things that have been debated over on this thread.  the music, the dance, the language, our sports, the craic we have and the way we protray ourselves to other nations.  in my experience when  someone asks me where i am from and i say Ireland, their reaction is always a positive one and you are immediately made welcome.  this has been true for me in America, Turkey, Spain and Italy.  this is what makes us, us!  not the clothes we wear or the stag do's we go on.  sure the boys years and years ago wore kilts!! Dam sure i'm not wearing one of them on a day like today.

Bit of an essay there but had to get it all out in one go. Away for a pint now.

[muppet]

Good post. Enjoy your pint and welcome to the board.

[Nally Stand]

+1. Was going to mention that post from todays Irish News today too.

[Myles Na G.]

would you extend that analogy to the USA (more of the same with a different accent) and what makes france and italy different culturally to ireland

France and Italy first: their language, their food, their fashion, their media, their political system, their climate. All these are markedly different than Ireland or the UK. There are similarities too, of course, but in my opinion the differences outweigh these. With the US, the same is true but to a lesser extent. We share a language, but again (imo) the differences outweigh what we have in common. My wife teaches at a school which currently has a couple of teachers from the US spending a year here as part of a cultural exchange programme. The school also has language assistants from Spain and France, here to teach Irish kids the language and customs of their respective countries. I'm unaware of any cultural exchange programme between Britain and Ireland. That says something, does it not?

[Nally Stand]

would you extend that analogy to the USA (more of the same with a different accent) and what makes france and italy different culturally to ireland

France and Italy first: their language, their food, their fashion, their media, their political system, their climate. All these are markedly different than Ireland or the UK. There are similarities too, of course, but in my opinion the differences outweigh these. With the US, the same is true but to a lesser extent. We share a language, but again (imo) the differences outweigh what we have in common. My wife teaches at a school which currently has a couple of teachers from the US spending a year here as part of a cultural exchange programme. The school also has language assistants from Spain and France, here to teach Irish kids the language and customs of their respective countries. I'm unaware of any cultural exchange programme between Britain and Ireland. That says something, does it not?

Climate?! That's one of your arguments???!! Really?? We are culturally more like England than like ourselves because of the climate???

[fitzroyalty]

France and Italy first: their language, their food, their fashion, their media, their political system, their climate. All these are markedly different than Ireland or the UK. There are similarities too, of course, but in my opinion the differences outweigh these. With the US, the same is true but to a lesser extent. We share a language, but again (imo) the differences outweigh what we have in common. My wife teaches at a school which currently has a couple of teachers from the US spending a year here as part of a cultural exchange programme. The school also has language assistants from Spain and France, here to teach Irish kids the language and customs of their respective countries. I'm unaware of any cultural exchange programme between Britain and Ireland. That says something, does it not?

I know of an exchange programme similar to that, it had a school from Portnoo Co Donegal, one from Craigavon Co. Armagh, one from Devon and one from Denmark.

[magickingdom]

would you extend that analogy to the USA (more of the same with a different accent) and what makes france and italy different culturally to ireland

France and Italy first: their language, their food, their fashion, their media, their political system, their climate. All these are markedly different than Ireland or the UK. There are similarities too, of course, but in my opinion the differences outweigh these. With the US, the same is true but to a lesser extent. We share a language, but again (imo) the differences outweigh what we have in common. My wife teaches at a school which currently has a couple of teachers from the US spending a year here as part of a cultural exchange programme. The school also has language assistants from Spain and France, here to teach Irish kids the language and customs of their respective countries. I'm unaware of any cultural exchange programme between Britain and Ireland. That says something, does it not?

there is an irish language tho most dont speak it but then the USA and england share the same language and you concede their culturally different. food: bacon and cabbage/irish stew v yorkshire pudding etc, fashion is the same in most countries these days, media: rte/tv3 v bbc/itv... sky are everywhere, big difference in print media too, the political systems: republic v monarchy, citizen v subject, written constitution v no constitution, pr v first past the post. climate? you left out sports, music and beer but threw in climate??

for what its worth i agree with a lot of your points in that a lot of irish people might as well be living in england (i was at a funeral lately where the whole theme was his love of man u) as they watch the same telly ape the same celebs and follow the same sports teams but thats their choice  and doesnt take away from the fact that there are as many differences between ireland/england as there are between sweden/norway usa/canada  france/italy 

[magickingdom]

putting the boot into nally stand.

I didn't realise you were NS's minder.
I also didn't realise that disagreeing with NS makes you a "stoop". Come to think of it, you called someone a "stoop" on the football thread too and NS was nowhere to be seen. Is it your word of the day?

i removed it from the football thread after you stuck your orr in but this is not a football thread. speaking up for ones culture is to be commended, fair dues to N.S for doing so.

Do you extend that commendation to me and my speaking up for unionist culture?

no. you are speaking up for a sectarian culture that has no place on this island. all i extend to you is a middle finger as you catch a plane home.

you really should take that post down, its beyond contempt

[Puckoon]

putting the boot into nally stand.

I didn't realise you were NS's minder.
I also didn't realise that disagreeing with NS makes you a "stoop". Come to think of it, you called someone a "stoop" on the football thread too and NS was nowhere to be seen. Is it your word of the day?

i removed it from the football thread after you stuck your orr in but this is not a football thread. speaking up for ones culture is to be commended, fair dues to N.S for doing so.

Do you extend that commendation to me and my speaking up for unionist culture?

no. you are speaking up for a sectarian culture that has no place on this island. all i extend to you is a middle finger as you catch a plane home.

There are no words. Serious lack of interest in this particular post from posters who are generally all over posts in threads like this that insult their side of the house.

[Nally Stand]

Seems like there's been plenty of criticism of it. And rightly so. I am politically opposed to unionism but I am fiercely anti-sectarian and I would not tar all of unionism with the same brush as being a sectarian philosophy/people.  Unionism is a part of the culture Ireland and if unionists are to be persuaded in any sort of numbers as to the benefits of Irish Unity, statements like that will not help. The United Ireland I aspire to as a republican would be one where sectarianism would need never raise it's ugly head again.

[ardmhachaabu]

putting the boot into nally stand.

I didn't realise you were NS's minder.
I also didn't realise that disagreeing with NS makes you a "stoop". Come to think of it, you called someone a "stoop" on the football thread too and NS was nowhere to be seen. Is it your word of the day?

i removed it from the football thread after you stuck your orr in but this is not a football thread. speaking up for ones culture is to be commended, fair dues to N.S for doing so.

Do you extend that commendation to me and my speaking up for unionist culture?

no. you are speaking up for a sectarian culture that has no place on this island. all i extend to you is a middle finger as you catch a plane home.

What a scummy thing to say.  Can't say I am surprised though

I bet you vote for the shinners