2011 Census

[Tony Baloney]

I think I chose "Irish" and "Northern Irish".


But I also listen to Radio Ulster in the morning, I think (and spend!) in £stg and I enjoyed my last trip to Ravenhill to watch Ulster.  I don't rush across the border to buy Irish Tayto crisps because I prefer the good Tandragee ones - same goes for Cadbury's chocolate. 

All of these things are Irish, and the attempt to ringfence any kind of 'Northern' identity to them is false. Ravenhill after all is the homeground of a 9 county Ulster rugby team.

£ sterling is Irish?! 

[armaghniac]

I don't rush across the border to buy Irish Tayto crisps because I prefer the good Tandragee ones

Armagh produce is of course superior. But Armagh Tayto are as Irish as Meath Tayto, your description above implies otherwise. Which is why these census results should be tempered with the reality that many people even on GAA discussion boards see themselves only as hyphenated Irish people.  A Waterford person who likes a bit of blaa does not think themselves less Irish than other people, while those who eat potato bread claim it sets them apart. 

£ sterling is Irish?!

To the extent that £ sterling is used in a large part of Ireland it is. That's not the point.

[AQMP]

I think I chose "Irish" and "Northern Irish".

I grew up watching gaelic football, learning the Irish language in school, doing Irish dancing on a Saturday and watching RTE news at 9pm after Glenroe on a Sunday evening.  If I have kids in the future, I'll bring them up the same way (apart from the sad demise of Glenroe, god rest it).  And I'd vote for a United Ireland if it could be done peacefully in my lifetime.

But I also listen to Radio Ulster in the morning, I think (and spend!) in £stg and I enjoyed my last trip to Ravenhill to watch Ulster.  I don't rush across the border to buy Irish Tayto crisps because I prefer the good Tandragee ones - same goes for Cadbury's chocolate. 

These types of things set me apart from people from, say Cork or Dublin, but in no way do they challenge/threaten my affinity with "pure" irish culture.  I tried to answer the census questions honestly, not for any political purpose.  I even think I said I understood Ulster Scots, because let's face it, most of us do.

"Only" 19,000 people chose this option, 1.06% of the total population.  The funny thing is, I must be getting old, I don't remember answering most of the questions!!

[Mario]

NI wouldn't be 'joining' ROI as such, it would be new country, with a unionist voice, they would probably be the 3rd biggest party. I worked in Dublin for 3 years, I find the west brits looks down their noses at people from the North, I have no desire to be 'part of ROI' but a new country that is somewhere inbetween NI and ROI, anyway I doubt a referendum would be passed in ROI even if it was successful in the North.

In the meantime I'm quite happy to live in NI and call myself Irish, this Island is after all made up of 2 parts.

[dec]

I think I chose "Irish" and "Northern Irish".


But I also listen to Radio Ulster in the morning, I think (and spend!) in £stg and I enjoyed my last trip to Ravenhill to watch Ulster.  I don't rush across the border to buy Irish Tayto crisps because I prefer the good Tandragee ones - same goes for Cadbury's chocolate. 

All of these things are Irish, and the attempt to ringfence any kind of 'Northern' identity to them is false. Ravenhill after all is the homeground of a 9 county Ulster rugby team.

£ sterling is Irish?! 

I think I chose "Irish" and "Northern Irish".


But I also listen to Radio Ulster in the morning, I think (and spend!) in £stg and I enjoyed my last trip to Ravenhill to watch Ulster.  I don't rush across the border to buy Irish Tayto crisps because I prefer the good Tandragee ones - same goes for Cadbury's chocolate. 

All of these things are Irish, and the attempt to ringfence any kind of 'Northern' identity to them is false. Ravenhill after all is the homeground of a 9 county Ulster rugby team.

£ sterling is Irish?! 

It has the word Ireland on it, the shields of Irish counties and the last time I checked Belfast was in Ireland.

[Hound]

NI wouldn't be 'joining' ROI as such, it would be new country, with a unionist voice, they would probably be the 3rd biggest party. I worked in Dublin for 3 years, I find the west brits looks down their noses at people from the North, I have no desire to be 'part of ROI' but a new country that is somewhere inbetween NI and ROI, anyway I doubt a referendum would be passed in ROI even if it was successful in the North.

In the meantime I'm quite happy to live in NI and call myself Irish, this Island is after all made up of 2 parts.

Lovin your attitude, its a big surprise you were so well liked in Dublin. Glad to hear we got rid of you.

There would certainly be some concerns about the "merger" down south, but a referendum would pass very comfortably. Far bigger task to get it passed up north - but those up north who have serious doubts are very quick to use "it wouldnt pass down south anyway" excuse.

[Canalman]

NI wouldn't be 'joining' ROI as such, it would be new country, with a unionist voice, they would probably be the 3rd biggest party. I worked in Dublin for 3 years, I find the west brits looks down their noses at people from the North, I have no desire to be 'part of ROI' but a new country that is somewhere inbetween NI and ROI, anyway I doubt a referendum would be passed in ROI even if it was successful in the North.

In the meantime I'm quite happy to live in NI and call myself Irish, this Island is after all made up of 2 parts.

In all fairness  some but not all of the "West Brits" as you call them look down their noses at alot of people not just the people from the North.
Presume most of the rest you met down here didn't care less where you came from and were more concerned  (and rightly so) whether you were a t*sser or not.

Btw a reunification referendum would easily pass down South despite what you read amongs the columnists in the papers here.

[AQMP]

We think we have problems with identity...in England and Wales 176,000 people gave their religion as Jedi Knights

[Main Street]

Not that the 26 counties is anything but pale shadow of a republican identity with inequality as great as it ever has been and ever widening.

I don't know what a Northern Irish identity is for someone coming from a nationalist background.
I assume it's partitionist. Some map redrawing and decades of saying it's so, make it so.
Aspects of Britishness  being absorbed and for some of you that doesn't ring any alarm bells, just normal, even beneficial -  a perception of being a more equal citizen of the UK?

[Rois]

I don't rush across the border to buy Irish Tayto crisps because I prefer the good Tandragee ones

Armagh produce is of course superior. But Armagh Tayto are as Irish as Meath Tayto, your description above implies otherwise.

You can't buy Armagh Tayto in the Republic of Ireland, and likewise with the Largo Foods Tayto products in NI - it's all about the licensing of the name.  Anyway, as you well know, that was tongue in cheek. 

Main Street, in response to your wondering on what makes someone like me have a bit of an NI identity.  There are many aspects of my culture that create affinity between myself and others in Northern Ireland who do not consider themselves Irish-Irish.  So you're probably right - it might equate to an Irish-UK identity. 

It doesn't mean I don't aspire to a single united island in the future.  But as you quite rightly say, there are undeniably some aspects of Britishness/UK-ness that I have absorbed and can make no apology for.  Why should "alarm bells" be ringing in that context?  What's to alarm me - I am what I am. 

[Tony Baloney]

I don't rush across the border to buy Irish Tayto crisps because I prefer the good Tandragee ones

Armagh produce is of course superior. But Armagh Tayto are as Irish as Meath Tayto, your description above implies otherwise.

You can't buy Armagh Tayto in the Republic of Ireland, and likewise with the Largo Foods Tayto products in NI - it's all about the licensing of the name.  Anyway, as you well know, that was tongue in cheek. 

Main Street, in response to your wondering on what makes someone like me have a bit of an NI identity.  There are many aspects of my culture that create affinity between myself and others in Northern Ireland who do not consider themselves Irish-Irish.  So you're probably right - it might equate to an Irish-UK identity. 

It doesn't mean I don't aspire to a single united island in the future.  But as you quite rightly say, there are undeniably some aspects of Britishness/UK-ness that I have absorbed and can make no apology for.  Why should "alarm bells" be ringing in that context?  What's to alarm me - I am what I am, I am my own special creation.

[nifan]

With all the division thats going on its nice that everyone seems to have found common ground in the census - as far as i can tell most people seems to be able to look at them and decide that it is good for whatever their opinion is and that everyone else is reading them wrong

[Rois]

Eff off Tony 

[AQMP]

With all the division thats going on its nice that everyone seems to have found common ground in the census - as far as i can tell most people seems to be able to look at them and decide that it is good for whatever their opinion is and that everyone else is reading them wrong

Yes nifan, with all the options open to people to describe themselves it's the "None of The Above" we need to worry about!!

[AQMP]

Not that the 26 counties is anything but pale shadow of a republican identity with inequality as great as it ever has been and ever widening.

I don't know what a Northern Irish identity is for someone coming from a nationalist background.
I assume it's partitionist. Some map redrawing and decades of saying it's so, make it so.
Aspects of Britishness  being absorbed and for some of you that doesn't ring any alarm bells, just normal, even beneficial -  a perception of being a more equal citizen of the UK?

I'm sure there's something of this in it Main Street.

I'd say it would be impossible to live in the North and not be influenced by some aspects of "Britishness".  It touches everyone to some extent or other (e.g. Martin McGuinness' love of cricket )