Northern Ireland - how do you perceive it?

Nope, I've been perfectly civil to posters who were reasonable.

What I cannot abide is English people who say "I really wasn't expecting all the flags. It was disgusting".

Seriously, you must know absolutely nothing about NI history then, and made no effort to learn.

Them, I won't be civil to, no.

I don't care if you consider that "belligerent".

I don't appreciate English people who don't know my country is part of the UK, who can't read the front of their passport, who think my name isn't Irish enough, who mansplain GCSEs to.me, who compare me to Irish Travellers etc (all of which happened to me while working as a professional in England) either. So if I sound belligerent while referring to that, too bad.

".

Oh and everyone was getting on civilly on this thread before your arrival.

That's nonsense, @HazelPlayer - you've been belligerent the entire thread, as if other posters are your pupils who've forgotten to do their homework. It's possible to disagree with people without being quite so condescending.

I'm not being disingenuous.

I am deeply irritated and frustrated by the total inaccuracy in that posters comments.

The plantation of Ulster was the last plantation. That's one of my main points.

The partition was not a part of Ireland being taken by the "Brits". Most "Brits" neither cared about nor wanted NI by that point.

Though it certainly came in handy in World War 2, something they couldn't have predicted.

That's another of my main points.

Which treaty?

I've worked with a few NI men who always made NI sound like a lovely place so I took on a positive view on it from my late teens.

I hope to go in a couple of years time. I've been to ROI but would love to go to NI too. I haven't had a holiday in 30 years because I couldn't think of anywhere I wanted to go. Recently I was asked where I would go if I went on holiday again and NI was the first place I thought of.

Sorry - that was to @janedoe82

I think even if you know the history it's very different to having lived through the history. I'm from Ireland and have been taught all of the history but it is still just something I read about or saw on TV that was happening 'up there'. The flags, the Protestant or Catholic, the bombs, the marches etc aren't part of my personal history the same way they would be part of history for someone who grew up in NI.

Even if you can logically understand why people on this thread are still talking about 'mixed marriages' for instance as someone who grew in Ireland to one Catholic parent and one prod parent and it was literally never mentioned by anyone ever it's difficult to really understand if you know what I mean? It's all just theoretical to me. So as much as I get it, I will never get it in the same way someone from NI does.

That beach is stunning btw 😍

Presumably pp is referring to the Ulster Plantations, the Treaty and so on?
I think you're being a little disingenuous @HazelPlayer, but don't really want to get into those topics as it's derailing from the point of the thread.

My local beach.

It's probably a more a 'working class' thing but I think there used to be an element of it in the middle class too, particularly when the Troubles were ongoing.

TMI
Nobody cares.

And it wasn't taunting.

I wanted you to specify why you think the "Brits" colonised Northern Ireland and "took it from" you.

Because I'm utterly bamboozled by your understanding of Irish history, both what you've omitted (nearly everything).and what you've twisted.

It's like you've never read an actual history book.

Oh and everyone was getting on civilly on this thread before your arrival.

Sorry to hear that - I imagine if that had happened to me, I would be massively put off, too.

I went to Belfast about 20 years ago,the taxi from the airport was an eye opener (saw some big murals). I was working so no time to explore.

My current opinion is-

I get the impression that Belfast is a trendy and attractive city with good food.

Amazing beaches and countryside

I saw a documentary about a prison (iPlayer I think?) and found it really hard to understand some of the prisoners with really strong accents!

I have not done enough travelling in the UK and would love to see more or NI,Wales and Scotland.
Have also been to Dublin and would like to explore ROI also.

I do think that the history of Northern Ireland and ‘the troubles’ should be taught in school.
DP was in the military and served in NI. He said it was horrific.

Yes it felt vital and incredibly friendly. But it's been maybe 15 years since I last went. I also love Glasgow.

Giant's Causeway is special and I want to go back.

Sectarianism has never been a predominantly middle class thing.

I’ve been to Belfast a handful of times and I love, love, love it. It’s somewhere I’m completely at ease - I’m from Glasgow and it feels really familiar (but better imo!). Everyone is friendly and welcoming, and again so similar. Fab restaurants, bars and pubs and just a general buzz about the place. The fact that it was in the grips of a civil war as recently as the 90s is extraordinary, really. The people are a credit to themselves.

Definitely have plans to tour the coast at some point, it looks absolutely stunning!

There are still pockets around the county that are deeply entrenched in sectarianism, but it's not the same all over.

I can genuinely say that my 20-somethings have zero interest in anyone's religion, and it would never occur to them to even think about it. Mine went to a grammar school and most of the grammars are mixed religion to some extent.

I meant a recent history

Scottish separatism is recent history.

I understand what you're saying about armed, violent conflict though.

Back on my main point, I don't think people should have such a short view of history. It's blinkered.

I meant a recent history. A living history. Paramilitaries and the army in the street. Bombs and shootings.

That's really not the same as the SNP or Plaid.

Went to NI in the summer. Belfast is a great city and the Causeway coast is beautiful.

Two friends have moved to NI in recent years. Definitely planning to visit and have very positive feelings about NI.

My husband was once trapped in a bomb scare in Castlecourt- at 14. He said he really thought he was going to die. 30 years later he still detests going into the city.

CastleCourt was better in the nineties

Yes, Castle court was the only proper shopping centre, as such, back then.

It then suffered due to out of town shopping, a second shopping centre being built (Victoria Square), large shopping centres being built in all the regional towns that didn't have them before, the demise of the high street etc etc.

The Virgin Megastore was a flagship tenant, it went under. So did many others like Miss Selfridge etc.