I am Pro-union

[pintsofguinness]

I think it should be a 32 county state for pragmatic reasons such as the economy, health service, tourism and a host of other reasons

Not sure we'd be better off in terms of health service. If people voted on such issues I couldn't see too many in the 6 counties voting for unification on this one!

It's only about two years ago the whole argument was that the south wouldn't accept the north because it'd be an economic burden. Funny how that argument seems to have disappeared. Things change.

When it comes around to a referendum health and other issues will probably already be on a 32 county basis.

[Myles Na G.]

I would like to see a unitary state on this island, but it won't happen for another 30 to 40 years at the very earliest. That's how long it'll take for a nationalist majority at the ballot box to vote the north out of the union. Not a nationalist majority on paper, note, which may happen sooner - I mean a majority of people of voting age who prefer the idea of a united Ireland to remaining within the union.

[Tony Baloney]

I think it should be a 32 county state for pragmatic reasons such as the economy, health service, tourism and a host of other reasons

Not sure we'd be better off in terms of health service. If people voted on such issues I couldn't see too many in the 6 counties voting for unification on this one!

It's only about two years ago the whole argument was that the south wouldn't accept the north because it'd be an economic burden. Funny how that argument seems to have disappeared. Things change.

When it comes around to a referendum health and other issues will probably already be on a 32 county basis.

Health would have to be totally privatised as the south couldn't afford to offer the level of healthcare the north gets on a welfare basis.

[BallyhaiseMan]

I always laugh when i hear this notion how southerners will not vote for a UI.
Anyone ive ever spoken to about the subject,which includes those from all classes,Solictors/Accountants to long term on unemploymed and of both majority christian religions in the state,Not one was against the idea of a UI,even with the notion of the financial costs to those in the 26 counties.
This may only be 20-30 people but would be a decent representation of different social classes which we have in this state.
There is a broad,you could say underlying nationalist feeling of almost a romantic nature throughout the 26 counties which yearns to reuinte with the fourth green field.
Dont let Kevin Myers/Ruth Dudley Edwards tell you anything differently.

[ONeill]

I couldn't care if there was economic, health and educational meltdown. I'd live in a cave with the family (though she'd be rightly nagging) skinning mink for clothes, living and stealing of the fatta the land and reading the same Beano for years and drawing on the cave-walls as long as the Brits left these shores without a trace of their bloodied imprints left.

But people like houses and central heating and wages and jobs and health and all those things and would fear the loss of them which is fair enough I suppose.

Get the fcukin Brits out. Or I mean talk them out of here. Or get Hugo to sing them out. They might be a shower of hoors down in Dublin but they're our hoors and Wolfe Tone, Hugh O'Neill and James Connolly will rest peacefully that it wasn't in vain. Well, maybe 2 out of those 3 though I'd be suspicious about Wolfe Tone too with him being a Prod an all.

[stew]

I couldn't care if there was economic, health and educational meltdown. I'd live in a cave with the family (though she'd be rightly nagging) skinning mink for clothes, living and stealing of the fatta the land and reading the same Beano for years and drawing on the cave-walls as long as the Brits left these shores without a trace of their bloodied imprints left.

But people like houses and central heating and wages and jobs and health and all those things and would fear the loss of them which is fair enough I suppose.

Get the fcukin Brits out. Or I mean talk them out of here. Or get Hugo to sing them out. They might be a shower of hoors down in Dublin but they're our hoors and Wolfe Tone, Hugh O'Neill and James Connolly will rest peacefully that it wasn't in vain. Well, maybe 2 out of those 3 though I'd be suspicious about Wolfe Tone too with him being a Prod an all.

Agree with everything written here except the bit about Wolfe, mind you O'Neill doesnt mean what he wrote on him either.

[stew]

I couldn't care if there was economic, health and educational meltdown. I'd live in a cave with the family (though she'd be rightly nagging) skinning mink for clothes, living and stealing of the fatta the land and reading the same Beano for years and drawing on the cave-walls as long as the Brits left these shores without a trace of their bloodied imprints left.

But people like houses and central heating and wages and jobs and health and all those things and would fear the loss of them which is fair enough I suppose.

Get the fcukin Brits out. Or I mean talk them out of here. Or get Hugo to sing them out. They might be a shower of hoors down in Dublin but they're our hoors and Wolfe Tone, Hugh O'Neill and James Connolly will rest peacefully that it wasn't in vain. Well, maybe 2 out of those 3 though I'd be suspicious about Wolfe Tone too with him being a Prod an all.

Wolfe
Agree with everything written here except the bit about Wolfe, mind you O'Neill doesnt mean what he wrote on him either.

I found this funny.
Carry on.

Of course you did.

[Zapatista]

It's been nice enough but today I say goodbye Ireland,hello Britain.

So you want to swap one Nationalism for another and call it progress

[passedit]

I've given this some serious thought over the past few months after having a heated discussion with a friend a month or two back. On that particular day I told him I didn't really see much point in the end of partition apart from for romantic reasons. He wasn't able to put forward many pragmatic reasons for the sake of his argument.

Now at the time I didn't give the issue much though,for I've a shocking habit of being contrary for the sake of it. But as I read more about the plight if our southern friends, I question more and more what exactly a fella like me would gain for it? Nationalism in the north is a quaint notion; I shudder and cringe on st patricks day when for some reason young 'nationalists' choose to celebrate our patron saint by donning their Celtic or Ireland jersey and carrying a tri-colour around with them. What's that all about? I'd say very few of them could provide compelling reasons why Ireland should be one again.  On a similar note the promotion of the Irish language in the north is is a complete farce and is only used for petty tribal political reasons. The whole idea of nationalism held by those of us in Northern Ireland is a sham, 99% ate nationalist in name only.

The whole thing has started to sicken me. I've more in common with British people than those cowards down south that sold us down the river and largely continue their ambivalence towards the plight of their so called countrymen above the border.

The thing that finally made the whole thing click for me was the approach of this world cup. I don't mind the fact that the republic didn't qualify and I'm looking forward to throwing my weight behind the English. This is in stark contrast to say 2002 when I found englands failure hilarious and couldn't get enough of Duffer and his merry band. It brought the whole thing home to roost: I no longer wish to consider myself Irish. It makes no sense anyway,being governed by the British and opting to carry around a Irish passport.

So no longer will I be one to cry when any Irish team suffers yet another glorious defeat in any code, no longer will I take an interest in the ramshackle Republic,no longer will I ignore the blatently obvious fact that I am a Brit.

So when 'Ireland' and England meet again in the Six (should tthat be seven?) Nations,I'll be getting behind Martin Johnsons boysand turning my back on decades of decades of cowardice shown by the Irish.

It's been nice enough but today I say goodbye Ireland,hello Britain.

O Neill has a point. One thing life teaches you is to play the hand you're dealt not the one you wish you got. as things stand, the best bet for the majority of nationalists is de facto JA with a nationalist majority at stormount. Why risk civil war so that a different bunch of cnts can stick their hand in your pocket? We have a lot more in common with our planter neighbours than the splitters and provided we don't make the same mistakes the planters made, it could work.

[Zapatista]

O Neill has a point. One thing life teaches you is to play the hand you're dealt not the one you wish you got. as things stand, the best bet for the majority of nationalists is de facto JA with a nationalist majority at stormount. Why risk civil war so that a different bunch of cnts can stick their hand in your pocket? We have a lot more in common with our planter neighbours than the splitters and provided we don't make the same mistakes the planters made, it could work.

Who gives a bollocks about who we have the most in common with? We live in a multi-clutural society either way. I have neighbours I have nothing in common with. The fact that they are Polish helps explain that but I still live happily beside them as I do with travelers.

[Yer Ma]

While it obviously stirs a bit of controversy, the idea of Catholics/Nationalists not being too bothered by Northern Ireland continuing as a state is hardly new. If you take away the romantic side of it, is there anything that attractive about a UI? Even including the romantic side of things, is it worth the impact on your day to day life it might undoubtedly have? What would improve by having a UI? Ireland may as well be Britain given the fascination with their TV and pop culture.

[Zapatista]

While it obviously stirs a bit of controversy, the idea of Catholics/Nationalists not being too bothered by Northern Ireland continuing as a state is hardly new. If you take away the romantic side of it, is there anything that attractive about a UI? Even including the romantic side of things, is it worth the impact on your day to day life it might undoubtedly have? What would improve by having a UI? Ireland may as well be Britain given the fascination with their TV and pop culture.

It would make it more difficult for the brits to kill you.

[Nally Stand]

I couldn't care if there was economic, health and educational meltdown. I'd live in a cave with the family (though she'd be rightly nagging) skinning mink for clothes, living and stealing of the fatta the land and reading the same Beano for years and drawing on the cave-walls as long as the Brits left these shores without a trace of their bloodied imprints left.

My sentiments exactly. Although I do believe that British involvement in Ireland had never been good for Ireland and never will be and hence I don't think the above meltdown scenario would take place as a result of Irish Unity. There seems to be this notion with certain people that nationalism is a concept that they are simply 'above' (post nationalism?). I don't think anyone need apologise for having nationalist sentiments be they based on romantic or practical reasons.

O'Neill's comment about deaths in vain might have been slightly tongue in cheek, but a lot of men died Ireland's right to freedom. I really would hate to think they died in vain and hate to think that I would betray their ideals.

[Yer Ma]

While it obviously stirs a bit of controversy, the idea of Catholics/Nationalists not being too bothered by Northern Ireland continuing as a state is hardly new. If you take away the romantic side of it, is there anything that attractive about a UI? Even including the romantic side of things, is it worth the impact on your day to day life it might undoubtedly have? What would improve by having a UI? Ireland may as well be Britain given the fascination with their TV and pop culture.

It would make it more difficult for the brits to kill you.

How has the dodging bullets on a day to day basis been for you?

[Zapatista]

O'Neill's comment about deaths in vain might have been slightly tongue in cheek, but a lot of men died Ireland's right to freedom. I really would hate to think they died in vain and hate to think that I would betray their ideals.

Don't forget the women who died.

What about the men and women who died trying toprotect the Union? Should their ideals be betrayed?