The run up to conflict in Northern Ireland

[seafoid]

There's a Northern mindset but no Northern culture. It's either an Irish culture, or British culture (whatever that entails). You can't redraw a border and force a culture on people.

I think you can actually. The French did it with alsace after the second world war. The English did it in Ireland to a certain extent. The Americans with the Sioux etc. Language and education would be the way to go.

[BennyCake]

I think you are slowly convincing yourself that you admire the unionist values though as the south has went more secular and this is obviously something you oppose. You seem to miss the fact that the hatred they are pushing on things like homosexuality now is what they pushed for people of "your kind" for years and to be honest at times the mask slips now and they appear still the same in that regard anyway.

Re: gay blood donors, gay marriage etc - unionist politicans are against, as would a lot of their followers. But a lot of their followers wouldn't be against it. Likewise there's nationalist voters for and against the same issues. You just dont hear about it. I would guarantee there are nationalist politicans too that are against such issues, but don't have the balls or the stupidity to say so. But that's what we have representing us!

But the unionist politicans are tarred with the bigot/anti-gay label and nationalist politicans jump on the unionist attacking bandwagon. It's the same for most issues here, one side can't be seen to be agreeing with the other. That's why nothing gets sorted, or never will.

[imtommygunn]

I would view the gay blood thing differently from the gay marriage thing. What you have in that case is a health minister who doesn't believe in blood screening and basically modern science which is embarassing really. Those laws, from what i understand, were there as blood screening wasn't advanced enough and "gay blood" was deemed much more likely to have something like hiv. Screening back at a certain stage in time wouldn't have caught it but would now.

The marriage thing is a different matter but i would agree that there are probably nationalists against it too.

The gay marriage thing though highlights the lack of democracy here with the petition of concern being abused again.

All of the above highlight how dysfunctional we are here!

[seafoid]

You also seem to think that because some people in the Republic don't think (quite rightly) that the Republic could cope economically with unification that people in the north are no longer Irish. Illogical.

Good man Arthur. Well said

There is definitely something different about someone from England.
But not from up North. Even the Prods. Ireland is the 32 counties. 

[Tothefuture]

Quite an interesting read this topic for someone who would be deemed to be from a Unionist Working class Background. A few points to note. The introduction of the Civil rights movement has improved the life of many in Northern Ireland and was needed due to the terrible actions of the Unionist Government from partition. To say however that NI simply exists now to treat those who are Irish as 2nd class Citizens is just false. I call myself N Irish as my nationality. This encompasses I believe a mixture of being Irish and British, It might be a different Irishness than What SF want and a different Britishness than the DUP want but thats who I am.  I don't as a N Irish person spend my time being bigoted as was mentioned by a poster on this topic.
I find it disappointing to read comments about towns being classed as Sectarian holes. to categorise a whole town like Lisburn like this smacks of sectarianism in itself.
As for the idea of voting. I have voted for a Unionist Party once in my life (young and naive) and really can't see why anyone would want to vote for a Party like the DUP. However lets not fool ourselves into thinking that only Unionist parties are Sectarian. SF are as Sectarian a party as the DUP. They just have better PR at covering it up.

[stew]

Quite an interesting read this topic for someone who would be deemed to be from a Unionist Working class Background. A few points to note. The introduction of the Civil rights movement has improved the life of many in Northern Ireland and was needed due to the terrible actions of the Unionist Government from partition. To say however that NI simply exists now to treat those who are Irish as 2nd class Citizens is just false. I call myself N Irish as my nationality. This encompasses I believe a mixture of being Irish and British, It might be a different Irishness than What SF want and a different Britishness than the DUP want but thats who I am.  I don't as a N Irish person spend my time being bigoted as was mentioned by a poster on this topic.
I find it disappointing to read comments about towns being classed as Sectarian holes. to categorise a whole town like Lisburn like this smacks of sectarianism in itself.
As for the idea of voting. I have voted for a Unionist Party once in my life (young and naive) and really can't see why anyone would want to vote for a Party like the DUP. However lets not fool ourselves into thinking that only Unionist parties are Sectarian. SF are as Sectarian a party as the DUP. They just have better PR at covering it up.

Northern Ireland is a term devised by the brits that makes as much sense as Londonderry and let get one thing straight, the DUP are racist, sectarian bigots, the shinners are nothing like the DUP and are in no way sectarian, you are one delusional protestant sir! And this from an anti shinner who never voted for the f**kers in my life!

[Tothefuture]

Not a Protestant and certainly not delusional!!! I agree fully with your comments regarding the DUP. You really believe SF are not Sectarian?

Where the Counties not brought in by the Brits as well? Do they make no sense?

[stew]

There's a Northern mindset but no Northern culture. It's either an Irish culture, or British culture (whatever that entails). You can't redraw a border and force a culture on people.

I think you can actually. The French did it with alsace after the second world war. The English did it in Ireland to a certain extent. The Americans with the Sioux etc. Language and education would be the way to go.

You cant but you can muddy the waters, I want a United Ireland yet feel absolutely no affinity to my southern brethren, therin lies the paradox the brits have laid on us as a people.

[Rossfan]

I'm not too mad about them Cork and Kerry hoors meself.

[Tony Baloney]

Quite an interesting read this topic for someone who would be deemed to be from a Unionist Working class Background. A few points to note. The introduction of the Civil rights movement has improved the life of many in Northern Ireland and was needed due to the terrible actions of the Unionist Government from partition. To say however that NI simply exists now to treat those who are Irish as 2nd class Citizens is just false. I call myself N Irish as my nationality. This encompasses I believe a mixture of being Irish and British, It might be a different Irishness than What SF want and a different Britishness than the DUP want but thats who I am.  I don't as a N Irish person spend my time being bigoted as was mentioned by a poster on this topic.
I find it disappointing to read comments about towns being classed as Sectarian holes. to categorise a whole town like Lisburn like this smacks of sectarianism in itself.
As for the idea of voting. I have voted for a Unionist Party once in my life (young and naive) and really can't see why anyone would want to vote for a Party like the DUP. However lets not fool ourselves into thinking that only Unionist parties are Sectarian. SF are as Sectarian a party as the DUP. They just have better PR at covering it up.

Northern Ireland is a term devised by the brits that makes as much sense as Londonderry and let get one thing straight, the DUP are racist, sectarian bigots, the shinners are nothing like the DUP and are in no way sectarian, you are one delusional protestant sir! And this from an anti shinner who never voted for the f**kers in my life!

Behave!

[seafoid]

I'm not too mad about them Cork and Kerry hoors meself.

I couldn't be arsed about Laois.

[imtommygunn]

Quite an interesting read this topic for someone who would be deemed to be from a Unionist Working class Background. A few points to note. The introduction of the Civil rights movement has improved the life of many in Northern Ireland and was needed due to the terrible actions of the Unionist Government from partition. To say however that NI simply exists now to treat those who are Irish as 2nd class Citizens is just false. I call myself N Irish as my nationality. This encompasses I believe a mixture of being Irish and British, It might be a different Irishness than What SF want and a different Britishness than the DUP want but thats who I am.  I don't as a N Irish person spend my time being bigoted as was mentioned by a poster on this topic.
I find it disappointing to read comments about towns being classed as Sectarian holes. to categorise a whole town like Lisburn like this smacks of sectarianism in itself.
As for the idea of voting. I have voted for a Unionist Party once in my life (young and naive) and really can't see why anyone would want to vote for a Party like the DUP. However lets not fool ourselves into thinking that only Unionist parties are Sectarian. SF are as Sectarian a party as the DUP. They just have better PR at covering it up.

Genuine question...

What aspects of britishness do you embrace / want to embrace?

[Tothefuture]

Quite an interesting read this topic for someone who would be deemed to be from a Unionist Working class Background. A few points to note. The introduction of the Civil rights movement has improved the life of many in Northern Ireland and was needed due to the terrible actions of the Unionist Government from partition. To say however that NI simply exists now to treat those who are Irish as 2nd class Citizens is just false. I call myself N Irish as my nationality. This encompasses I believe a mixture of being Irish and British, It might be a different Irishness than What SF want and a different Britishness than the DUP want but thats who I am.  I don't as a N Irish person spend my time being bigoted as was mentioned by a poster on this topic.
I find it disappointing to read comments about towns being classed as Sectarian holes. to categorise a whole town like Lisburn like this smacks of sectarianism in itself.
As for the idea of voting. I have voted for a Unionist Party once in my life (young and naive) and really can't see why anyone would want to vote for a Party like the DUP. However lets not fool ourselves into thinking that only Unionist parties are Sectarian. SF are as Sectarian a party as the DUP. They just have better PR at covering it up.

Genuine question...

What aspects of britishness do you embrace / want to embrace?

I suppose I have a lot of family through marriage who live in GB and although I don't class the Scottish, Welsh or English as fellow Countrymen I have always felt a closer affinity to GB than to the ROI. I dislike immensely the flag waving element that now comes with Nationality these days. When it comes to the Olympics etc it has always been team GB that I have looked out for. Recently however i really have explored my Irishness more.

[T Fearon]

What is Irish culture anyway? Seems to me that large swathes of the 26 counties have a mishmash of West Brit/USA culture.There is now huge cultural differences between nationalists North and South (never mind the huge differences between both and unionists).The influx of foreign nationals to both jurisdictions seems to have further muddied the waters.

In the unlikely event of getting any substantial portion of unionists to agree to a United Ireland (that still no Dublin Govt wants) the absolute minimum requirement for them is that the current British subvention will be matched.

All these factors make a United Ireland not only unattainable but totally off the radar.The British and Irish Government have no attachment to the North and no vision other than peace (or an absence of violence).Why does anyone here owe any allegiance to either of these two governments?

[Rossfan]

Ye're only choice is between being an unwanted boil on the UK's arse or being part of an All Ireland political entity.
A go it alone independent 6 Cos. is a total non starter.
An bhfuil Gaeilge agat a Antòin.