To think most people in the UK don't really care about NI

[Tooldemont]

Just that really, we don't seem to be a together nation and many people I know would just prefer Ireland to become one country on that landmass.

Maybe it's just my circles, but rings true here

I think the comment of someone above who thought people voted on a referendum to split the country into what it is now just shows the staggering level of ignorance when it comes to Northern Ireland and the history of how the UK destroyed Ireland.

I agree OP. Most people in the rest of the UK have no idea why NI exists or why and how it was created. There’s sort of some mumbling about Catholics and Protestants but without any understanding as to why there were two such populations (hint: it has nothing to do with religion.)

[FYI - the Protestants are descended from British settlers following British invasion. The Catholics are descended from native Irish. The cultures never mingled as under British rule, the native Irish were treated badly (banned from owning land, being educated etc). On independence, only 4 counties had Protestant majorities, but NI was expanded to 6 to make it a more viable size. I’m from one of the 2 counties that was included in NI to make up the numbers and have never understood why. The border does not reflect local wishes]

There is also little awareness that the population is now split 50/50 between nationalists and unionists and that Sinn Fein gets as many votes as the DUP. Most people also have no idea why Sinn Fein do not take their seats. While I can understand the rather elegant protest at British rule, frankly in the Brexit debacle it would be much better if they held their nose and took their seats.

Stepladders - do you only care about those in NI with British heritage? Does that mean that the 50% with Irish heritage do not count?

I care!!! I am so concerned that there may be a return of troubles - I just think so many people have selective memories about how terrible it was. We are MEANT to be a civilised nation - current political situation and attitude of many does not concur with this. I feel utterly ASHAMED to be British, I used to be so proud😞

A new, independent country of NI might be the answer. It would solve Brexit as Britain could let go of NI and NI can do its own thing and have their own vote if they are a new independent country

It wouldn't solve anything for NI, as the new country would be too small to be economically viable. And politically, even the modest devolution that NI briefly enjoyed for a recent period couldn't even be made to stick. Try doing that again but with a president instead of a First Minister...

you surely can't believe there isn't a single leave voter

I seriously cannot believe there was anyone stupid enough to vote leave at all, frankly, much less voted leave believing it was a way for NI to be reunified with ROI, an EU nation.

YANBU but I care.

I don't know much about ni except for the troubles, terrorism, fighting, violence, deep divisions, bombs, guns, anti-abortionism, religious divides... It always seems like a place where things are just about to blow up. Can't think of ever having heard of any positive things about it, certainly not in the news. Sorry if that's offending anyone.

I agree most do not care. Things would be different if the IRA still killed people on the mainland, which they do not and one of the many reasons to avoid a hard border.

The solution is a United Ireland

And this is a solution for who exactly because there are plenty of people who actually live in NI who don't want this.
So fucking ignorant

YANBU

Most people with no family connections to NI have never even considered visiting the place, know nothing about it and don’t even understand that it is part of the U.K. while the Republic is a different country.

@ineedtostopbeingsolazy there are also about half the population who would like a united ireland but as per recent history their voices are not heard

I trgot don't understand how anyone in NI can consider themselves British.

They live in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The and confirms they are not British or it wouldn't be an addendum. They're UK citizens but certainly not British.

I hope that those of us old enough to remember the IRA years care that we don't go back to terrorism. ☹️

I care. I do not want a return to the bad old days of the Troubles. I remember how long it took for the Good Friday Agreement to be negotiated. But unfortunately a lot of the BeLeavers sharing their Leave means Leave posts don’t give a fuck about anything else.

Samspade - I think for that very reason I’m a bit aghast at the thread. Surely we should all care very much

My husband was born in N Ireland, serves in the British Army, considers himself N Irish and is about to apply for an Irish passport because he's a remainer.

The pure ignorance and contempt towards the people of NI from some of the nasty little bigots, on this thread, shouldn’t surprise me, really.

If you’re genuinely concerned that you don’t know enough about NI, pick up a book, research online, educate yourselves or just shut up lamenting about it. I’m sick of the faux despair and guilt from UK posters, when you’ve had plenty of time to do some research.

As for the nasty little bigots that want to chuck us back to the republic, YOU DON’T GET A SAY. You’ve been happy enough to defend the British army when they murdered and brutalised people here and then count us as British every time one of us wins a gold medal at any world/European sport.

Don’t fucking get me started on the leavers!

I think anyone who doesn't care about NI should be locked in a room and forced to watch the last episode of Derry Girls on repeat. Partly because Lisa McGee is a genius and partly because it is a great representation of what life was like for many people here and we don't want to go back to how it was.

I really care about peace in N Ireland.

I really want the stability that the Good Friday Agreement brought to prevail.

However, I wonder whether a United Irrland isn’t now the answer to all this.

I was sympathetic to N Ireland citizens not wanting to live under a Republican Government which was essentially ruled by the Catholic Church. As a student I was part of a femininist group that sent condoms to women’s groups in Ireland, and looked after women who came for abortions.

But the Catholic Church has much less currency in Ireland these days.

And:

I was sickened growing up listening to Ian Paisley.

I was (and am) sickened by the antics of the Orangemen and their marching and territorial aggression.

I am sickened by the DUP.

I am impatient with this whole ludicrous business of Stormont not sitting.

Bluelady, I should clarify that I don’t believe that ALL British soldiers are murdering scum, just as the majority of NI is made up of decent people. Especially since your husband will have been too young to have been here when the murders happened.

And if I lived in N Ireland, why would I not see a United Ireland as a way to stay in the EU and have economic stability?

He was there when the murders happened. He did bomb disposal and saved lives. His best friend was hosed off the pavement in 1972, which was when he decided on a military career.

@PositivelyPERF As I said, there's a lot of bitterness and hatred of the English. Your polemic is precisely the reason it appears to me that England and apparently all the English are damned if we do and damned if we don't.

FWIW I think it's a scandal what the British Army got away with. I also think putting a bomb in a bin outside Mcdonalds that kills a 12 year old kid is pretty low. There are a lot of bigots about.

This is too dangerous a time for the republic and NI to reunite. Emotions are running too high and the horror that the UVF and their like would inflict on innocent catholics in the North and the Irish in the South, if we were one country, doesn’t bare thinking about.

The British government have fucked up and if they take away our freedom of movement across the BRITISH border to the republic, then the IRA and their like will slaughter any police person they can get near. Not to mention they will most likely take their ‘fight’ across the water to the UK.

Well done leavers. You’ve really shit on your own doorstep.

I have to agree with the poster that said we pretty much only hear bad things. A walking on eggshells as to not upset. I don’t understand why it’s such a violent, volatile place today. Today is a world away from the early 90’s. It seems ROI and NI are stuck in a time warp where nothing can ever change for fear of violence.