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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that it wont be possible to "sneak" into ROI via NI?

179 replies

PyongyangKipperbang · 22/12/2020 00:44

Not me, someone I know.

Supposed to be going to ROI to visit family and obviously now cant go direct, so she is thinking of going to Belfast and driving down through the border to ROI.

2 issues, with no proof of destination in NI , will they even be allowed off the boat? And isnt there a huge risk of being stuck there, which would mean missing work and would cause them massive money problems?

OP posts:
Original poster
PyongyangKipperbang · 22/12/2020 20:14

@YouBoughtMeAWall

Really lovely to repeatedly see NI being referred to as the “back door” to Ireland. Hmm
It was a metaphor, to highlight that closing a sea border is useless if the land border is open and unregulated. Like locking your back door (if you prefer) and leaving the front door wide open.

Anyway, saw her again today (she is a neighbour and one of those people who will tell you absolutely everything about themselves whether you want to know or not) and it doesnt look like she is going. I suspect from the way she said it, her family told her not to go.

Oh and FYI to whoever asked above, I wasnt helping her. I was mad that she was going to try and was hoping that she wouldnt be able to!

OP posts:
Apollo3 · 22/12/2020 20:20

Of course it's a British border. It's not an Irish border. Who imposed the border on the country? The British government, not the Irish government

Fuck me, its not a British border. NI isn't in Britain. No bit of Britain is on the island of Ireland.

If you can't get the names right, sit down and shut up.

YouBoughtMeAWall · 22/12/2020 20:23

It was a metaphor, to highlight that closing a sea border is useless if the land border is open and unregulated. Like locking your back door (if you prefer) and leaving the front door wide open.

It was a shit, ignorant and offensive attempt at a metaphor.

Ireland can’t lock a door they didn’t install and don’t have the key for. They can only lock the doors they have keys for. NI is not the back yard of Ireland. The British border is not the back door of Ireland. It is a door between the two rooms of the same house. If ROI’s air and sea ports are the front door then NI’s air and sea ports are the back door. And as such- not for ROI to lock.

Luckystar1 · 22/12/2020 20:24

@blubberyboo I totally agree with you. Like I said myself earlier, the hypocrisy is overwhelming! The people from south of the border complaining about the border being open and the flights coming in, and the very same flights full of their own! Unbelievable!

The people bringing the new strain to the South are the selfish ones who flew home and travelled. Once again, let me say, it is not the people of the North!

Apollo3 · 22/12/2020 20:25

Really lovely to repeatedly see NI being referred to as the “back door” to Ireland. hmm

Funny really since its the other way around. Ireland is a back door to the UK, immigration wise.

MindyStClaire · 22/12/2020 20:27

@Apollo3

Of course it's a British border. It's not an Irish border. Who imposed the border on the country? The British government, not the Irish government

Fuck me, its not a British border. NI isn't in Britain. No bit of Britain is on the island of Ireland.

If you can't get the names right, sit down and shut up.

Absolute cringe.

"British" is the correct term for something from the UK. All of it, not just GB. British passport etc. British border is correct, even though NI isn't in Britain.

Apollo3 · 22/12/2020 20:28

Its the UK border, as in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. See the AND in there?

Emeraldshamrock · 22/12/2020 20:34

The people bringing the new strain to the South are the selfish ones who flew home and travelled. Once again, let me say, it is not the people of the North
I agree they're selfish people who don't care they might infect the taxi driver or coach drivers and passengers.
I feel dreadfully sorry for the people of NI who've had the misfortune of an incompetent government.
It has been painful to see the death rate daily on the news double figures for many days from a small place.

Apollo3 · 22/12/2020 20:36

Eh, lets not pretend its the "Southerners" (more stupid terminology, some of us in the "south" are more northernly than Northern Ireland....and our government have done a hell of a lot better throughout this whole thing than the UK govt or the NI assembly has.

Mondaymanic · 22/12/2020 20:42

Makes me furious that we (in NI) are going to be a through route for all travellers from UK who want to sneak into ROI and vice versa. Very unfair.

Aerielview · 22/12/2020 20:44

@Apollo3

Of course it's a British border. It's not an Irish border. Who imposed the border on the country? The British government, not the Irish government

Fuck me, its not a British border. NI isn't in Britain. No bit of Britain is on the island of Ireland.

If you can't get the names right, sit down and shut up.

Okay, the UK border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, if you're intent on being pedantic about it. Created by the British government. And therefore commonly referred to as the British border. It's NOT an Irish border. Our border is our entire coastline - of the 32 counties
YouBoughtMeAWall · 22/12/2020 20:47

@Mondaymanic

Makes me furious that we (in NI) are going to be a through route for all travellers from UK who want to sneak into ROI and vice versa. Very unfair.
Me too.
TheKeatingFive · 22/12/2020 20:51

I read posts like this and it’s clear people don’t really ‘get’ the border.

There are people who cross it multiple times a day. It’s not properly manned. It would be easy as pie to do this.

As for whether it’s ‘right’ or not, well the DUP won’t ban flights, so it’s really on their head.

YouBoughtMeAWall · 22/12/2020 20:59

I read posts like this and it’s clear people don’t really ‘get’ the border.

I watched the chase the other day and there was a question asking “which country of the UK blah blah blah” and the contestants conferred and agreed the answer was “Southern Ireland” Hmm

CatholicKidston · 22/12/2020 21:05

@idontknowaboutmortgages

What would happen if she gets to Ireland and falls seriously ill with Covid? Would she be looked after as an emergency case?
She'll probably drag her way back up north to get treated in one of our our NHS hospitals.
CatholicKidston · 22/12/2020 21:06

Spot your mate OP?

to think that it wont be possible to "sneak" into ROI via NI?
wellthatsunusual · 22/12/2020 21:09

She'll probably drag her way back up north to get treated in one of our our NHS hospitals.

Oh good. She can join the queue of ambulances in the car parks.

Jody21 · 22/12/2020 21:17

I'm in Ireland, fairly close to the border and half my family lives in the north. There are Garda checkpoints on the main road and they are stopping cars from both directions asking for the purpose of your journey. Unless you have a valid reason to travel, ie work, they can and have turned cars around for making unnecessary journeys which can lead to a considerable fine. I've heard of a few people I know being fined and to be honest I think they deserve it. As far as I know they are on all the main roads. If you're friend knows some quiet back road she might make it without any hassle. Seriously though, she is a selfish bitch for even thinking of it so I hope she changes her mind and stays where she's at!

MindyStClaire · 22/12/2020 21:53

@Apollo3

Its the UK border, as in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. See the AND in there?
Yes, the country is the UK, the border is between the UK and Ireland, not between Britain and Ireland. But there is no "UKish" term, the word is British. It's a point of grammar, not politics. Just like it's a British passport, not a UKish passport, even when it's owned by someone from NI.
Emeraldshamrock · 22/12/2020 22:43

I'd imagine there'll be a heavy gardai presence with checkpoints along the M1 and border counties including coach checks.

Furloughedpissedoff · 22/12/2020 22:46

Car insurance won't cover them, not in less they got a green card issued with their insurance. So if their caught they might have more then the virus to worry about.

OchonAgusOchonO · 22/12/2020 23:10

@Furloughedpissedoff - green card is not required until January.

Furloughedpissedoff · 23/12/2020 09:39

@OchonAgusOchonO - ture, but if you are using an English Company for Car insurance, like I've have been, I live in the North. I've had to inform them before any travel in the south, so they can issue me with a cover note this year. My partner was automatically provided with this as he's with a Northern Ireland insurance company. My point is OP's neighbour if she's willing to put her family and strangers at risk from the virus getting off a boat in Belfast and travelling to the south may not be covered by her car insurance. And who's to say her intentions might be to come back in January Grin

OchonAgusOchonO · 23/12/2020 09:47

@Furloughedpissedoff - My point is OP's neighbour if she's willing to put her family and strangers at risk from the virus getting off a boat in Belfast and travelling to the south may not be covered by her car insurance.

The insurance is the least of it. Anyone travelling at this stage has obviously never had any intention of following the rules as if they had, they would have arrived over a week ago in order to isolate in advance of Christmas. Gobshites, the lot of them.

IrishGirl2020 · 23/12/2020 11:07

Well Dominic West apparently travelled from the UK to Ireland since this weekend if the Daily Mail is to be believed(!)