A United Ireland

[poppiesallykatie]

Not a goady thread or to stir, but how many are against it or for it? Obviously many in NI want to part of the Republic, many in NI want to part of Great Britain, how do the British people feel about it?

I too am baffled by the people have spoken so we must obey attitude. The people were lied to and manipulated. And the result wasn’t overwhelming.

If that’s the case - as previous poster has said - why hold a referendum on it at all. After all the people had spoken in a referendum to join the EU. So that was overturned as the situation changed for the Country. So the situation has changed again. Over a shorter time but it has still changed. It’s such a monumental change for the country for decades to come it surely is no harm to say “are you sure? “. It always strikes me that the brexiteers aren’t sure at all they’ll get the result they want which is why they won’t ask again.

As regards the posters etc on the abortion referendum in Ireland - yes it’s an appalling aspect of our culture that the guilting of women is so forceful by a segment of society. Luckily they are the minority. I personally know only one person who agrees with them. And she’s nearly 90. (Her argument is “ah the poor babies” for all of it). Other older people in my life - in their eighties and seventies - were all pro choice as was anyone else I knew.

I agree about the cost. We need to sort out our health service - as it goes from one scandal to the next - and our housing crises. We simply can’t afford NI.

Return to the sum? You’ve got to be joking. We were never part of it by choice - we were occupied by Britain and it took many rebellions and a war to get to where we are now.

Go learn your history!

Typo - sum should be UK

Xenia I'm speechless

Xenia, that suggestion betrays an ignorance of the history of Irish-British relations so profound that it is almost touching.

Xenia, I'll save everyone a lot of time and effort: Fuck off.

Maybe Xenia is Lord Kilclooney

I’ll tell you what Xenia - when Brexit happens and Britain is on its knees economically you can ask to join us and be part of Ireland. There’s conditions though. You must suppress any of your own religions, language and you must have Irish Landlords. You can farm your own land but you can’t ever own it. You can’t vote if you are of a particular religion. Not can you go to university if you are of that religion. That way you can stay poor and we can gain the benefit of your hard Labour. If your crops fail we can chuck you out and we won’t send food. We will leave that to people like the native Americans. You can’t have your own government either. And when you demand to be out as you don’t like the situation we will send in The Irish army to tell you otherwise.

This is all ancient Irish history. The fact that our countries put that shit behind them and have now have a good supportive neighouring relationship is a testament to many many hard working people who got us here.

Ireland would like to keep it that way.

Xenia, I am agog!

I remember the troubles. I want peace to endure. I think that staying in the EU is the best way to achieve that.

@inkspellme don’t forget if there were to be food shortages we would help you but only if you converted to our religion, otherwise starve to death

Surely I was just saying what poppies said but from the other way round? If we could have united Ireland ruled from Dublin we could have united GB/Ireland ruled from London.

Neither is politically acceptable of course but we all have freedom of speech to suggest either and of course my suggestion above was IF and only if the people of Ireland wanted it - just as uniting NI with the rest of Ireland is only if the people of NI want it.
The thread the other way around could have been:

"Not a goady thread or to stir, but how many are against it or for it? Obviously many in Ireland want to part of GB, many in Ireland want to continue as their own country Ireland, how do the Irish people feel about becoming again part of GB-I".

All the old history is awful. And it really isn’t how anyone views Britain now. To move forward we’ve got to leave it behind but to pretend it never happened and that we were ever anything but an occupied country is disrespectful if all those people who put their lives on the line to gain us independence.

To agree to join willingly that same country - never going to happen.

Aside from all of that. Brexit is not seen positively in this country. How Britain thinks they will call the shots in trade deals etc when surrounded by 27 countries who have banded together in one powerful group is beyond me. You will be what Ireland is - a smaller country with a smaller voice relying on political goodwill to move forward.

Xenia - there is a tiny tiny amount of people in Ureland who would ever want to be a part of the UK.

You show a complete and utter ignorance of history in even suggesting that NI being part of a United Ireland is anything comparable to that suggestion.

I say again - go learn your history.

Poodles1980
don’t forget if there were to be food shortages we would help you but only if you converted to our religion, otherwise starve to death

I was amused/annoyed when watching Amanda Redman's Who Do You Think You Are when she discovered that a few generations back her Irish ancestors were Catholic. She kept going on and on and on, to an embarrassing extent, about how was she going to break the news to her mother. The icing on the cake was when she went to the local (Enniscorthy, I think) C of I parish church and had it explained by one of the church members that Catholics would have become Protestant because employers would consider Protestants more trustworthy. No, they were Soupers How people twist history to suit themselves!

If no-deal Brexit goes ahead then Ireland will be reunified within a decade, IMO. The numbers will be there, in the north, soon, according to recent polls. The people of RoI will get there because of the expense and hassle of the north being within a completely different system, not just for ROI but for the whole of the EU - incentivising ROI to lobby for it and EU to fund it.

Well out @inkspellme, sums it up very nicely!

Well put!!!!

I have no doubt EU would fund it.

And maybe when the upheaval of Brexit - one way or another - is over it could well be on the cards.

Now is not the time for a referendum on it. I agree with An Taoiseach for that one.

I do see how a campaign to reunite Ireland would quickly gain momentum.

But the old worry of bombs and bullets would have to be fairly much gone for most people I think.

Growing up, it’s not something I ever thought I would see in my lifetime.

To be fair I've heard the type if thing Xenia said from people with a non-british, non- Irish backgrounds, usually not Christian background. So could be forgiven for not knowing the history. If thsts the case maybe don't tell her to fuck off.

But not it wouldn't work!

The EU was such a wonderful thing for UK / Irish relations and for NI peace.

Oh and to be clear I'm not ageeejnf with Xenia just wondering if she's not British /Irish.

If you are not sure about a poster, it can be quite informative to search for their posts, to see just how many times they have been given the benefit of the doubt.

@xenia Ireland could be reunited by a referendum which would take place in both NI and the Republic. It would rely on both countries wanting to have a reunification. Other than NI Britain will have no say in it. So it is not only if NI want it.

This is part of the GFA which Britain signed up to. A legally binding treaty. That’s part of why is works so well. Part of that treaty is also no hard border. Which is the major stumbling block in your Brexit problem.

History affects everything.