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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Ballymena

218 replies

Ablondiebutagoody · 10/06/2025 11:11

AIBU to think that this kind of unrest/attack is happening more frequently now? Or did I just not notice before?

NBU - Yes, it's more frequent
ABU - You didn't notice before

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Sofiewoo · 14/06/2025 13:00

Coolasfeck · 14/06/2025 11:17

Despite a gritty reputation, Northern Ireland scores better for housing, unemployment and poverty than many parts of England, Wales and Scotland. However, it has some of the worst education attainment rates in the UK and the highest rate of economically inactive people, metrics that hint at the alienation and hopelessness felt in some Catholic and Protestant working-class areas.’

So they have better housing and less poverty than England. Despite this they were given a £1bn bribe by Teresa May to back Brexit. Education isn’t a priority for a sizeable number. They have the highest number of people on benefits in the UK. All of this and they have the cheek to riot and chase working immigrants (who only make up 3.4% of the population) out (the article states only a small proportion of foreigners are asylum seekers).

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jun/14/facile-explanation-for-ballymena-outbreak-of-hostility-northern-ireland-racism

Education isn’t a priority? And yet overall NI often out performs England.

Coolasfeck · 14/06/2025 13:06

Sofiewoo · 14/06/2025 13:00

Education isn’t a priority? And yet overall NI often out performs England.

From the article:

‘However, it has some of the worst education attainment rates in the UK’

ChessorBuckaroo · 14/06/2025 13:15

Just my perspective on immigration in NI.

There are legitimate issues when unsavoury things are imported, knife culture of eastern Europeans being the one I'm accustomed to, and there is merit to those from here who are aghast by this.

And there is a legitimate issue when there is an influx of immigrants into a specific area which completely transforms it to the point it becomes unrecognisable (this applies to anywhere). What you want is controlled immigration in that those who arrive in a place adapt to it (it is afterall why they moved there) rather than have the place have to completely adapt to them. You do not want enclaves, basically no go areas, and areas where not a word of the native language is spoken. Immigrants should be able to come in, blend in with their new surroundings, abiding by its laws, whilst also retaining their own cultural heritage.

As I said I cannot comment on the merits of any genuine concerns those in Ballymena (or the other places where riots took place) have. The best thing I know of Ballymena is the advert "it's a big shopping centre in ballymena hi".

In terms of those who are just against immigration full stop, firstly I'd say it's a tiny minority who think like that here, but I'd say the vast majority who hold those views are staunch unionists as they view them as diluting the electorate, making a united Ireland much more of a possibility, or at least accelerating it.

Don't think there is any coincidence the riots (to my knowledge) are in unionist areas, albeit some nationalists have tagged along. It's the same community who partake in Orange marches, Ulster is British, and have kids burning effigys of the Pope in their giant bonfires. The Brits in Great Britain want nothing to do with these folk, and if they had a vote in the morning I'm in no doubt Brits in GB would vote to cut themselves off from here. I seen their bewilderment of here first hand when I went to uni in England. The Brits in GB view them as regressive and hugely embarrassing. As Kay Burley said to her viewing audience of Brits who knew nothing about the DUP in that Sky news piece, "who are these people"?

During PM questions, when the DUP man/woman gets up to speak the normally raucous house of commons chamber goes deathly silent, not out of respect or good manners, its because the other MPs from GB constituencies have nothing in common with the DUP man/woman who is speaking, they switch off and wait until they have said whatever they have to say, and then when they are done the noise in the commons reappears and normal proceedings recommence. Basically the speaker from NI in PMQs is seen as a break, an intermission.

Jim Allister, he epitomises the extreme backwardness of staunch unionists.

I view myself as largely neutral. Irish yes, but would in all likelihood vote to remain in the UK. But the staunch unionists who make things not work here are only making their nightmare more of a possibility. A NI that works is a place that people are not likely to vote for a change.

Sofiewoo · 14/06/2025 14:25

Coolasfeck · 14/06/2025 13:06

From the article:

‘However, it has some of the worst education attainment rates in the UK’

It’s incorrect. Have a look at the actual education statistics not one single article that can’t back up its claim.

placemats · 14/06/2025 14:26

Coolasfeck · 14/06/2025 07:22

I’m confused - aren’t Romanians white?

Northern Irish Catholics are white too. Basically this is racism in the attacks, a progrom. Catholics were subjected to bigotry and sectarianism. I do urge you to read the link below.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/14/ballymena-violence-women-racism-northern-ireland

Sansan18 · 14/06/2025 14:27

Coolasfeck · 14/06/2025 13:06

From the article:

‘However, it has some of the worst education attainment rates in the UK’

I think the issue is that it's low is very low re educational attainment, seems to be a huge range between the high and low achievements.

placemats · 14/06/2025 14:31

ChessorBuckaroo · 14/06/2025 13:15

Just my perspective on immigration in NI.

There are legitimate issues when unsavoury things are imported, knife culture of eastern Europeans being the one I'm accustomed to, and there is merit to those from here who are aghast by this.

And there is a legitimate issue when there is an influx of immigrants into a specific area which completely transforms it to the point it becomes unrecognisable (this applies to anywhere). What you want is controlled immigration in that those who arrive in a place adapt to it (it is afterall why they moved there) rather than have the place have to completely adapt to them. You do not want enclaves, basically no go areas, and areas where not a word of the native language is spoken. Immigrants should be able to come in, blend in with their new surroundings, abiding by its laws, whilst also retaining their own cultural heritage.

As I said I cannot comment on the merits of any genuine concerns those in Ballymena (or the other places where riots took place) have. The best thing I know of Ballymena is the advert "it's a big shopping centre in ballymena hi".

In terms of those who are just against immigration full stop, firstly I'd say it's a tiny minority who think like that here, but I'd say the vast majority who hold those views are staunch unionists as they view them as diluting the electorate, making a united Ireland much more of a possibility, or at least accelerating it.

Don't think there is any coincidence the riots (to my knowledge) are in unionist areas, albeit some nationalists have tagged along. It's the same community who partake in Orange marches, Ulster is British, and have kids burning effigys of the Pope in their giant bonfires. The Brits in Great Britain want nothing to do with these folk, and if they had a vote in the morning I'm in no doubt Brits in GB would vote to cut themselves off from here. I seen their bewilderment of here first hand when I went to uni in England. The Brits in GB view them as regressive and hugely embarrassing. As Kay Burley said to her viewing audience of Brits who knew nothing about the DUP in that Sky news piece, "who are these people"?

During PM questions, when the DUP man/woman gets up to speak the normally raucous house of commons chamber goes deathly silent, not out of respect or good manners, its because the other MPs from GB constituencies have nothing in common with the DUP man/woman who is speaking, they switch off and wait until they have said whatever they have to say, and then when they are done the noise in the commons reappears and normal proceedings recommence. Basically the speaker from NI in PMQs is seen as a break, an intermission.

Jim Allister, he epitomises the extreme backwardness of staunch unionists.

I view myself as largely neutral. Irish yes, but would in all likelihood vote to remain in the UK. But the staunch unionists who make things not work here are only making their nightmare more of a possibility. A NI that works is a place that people are not likely to vote for a change.

But the attacks are on migrant workers who are needed and mainly work in factories and healthcare.

Sansan18 · 14/06/2025 14:40

Unionist politics is in absolute turmoil and there seems to be a lack of grassroots politicians or activists who can intervene to stop these rioters.
This has nothing to do with orange culture as many are stating, it's about a disenfranchised poorly educated group of people who are represented by no-one and that makes them really dangerous.
The references made to the DUP are interesting,this party has advocated for immigrants in support of the wishes of business There's a strong attitude in NI of expecting the police to solve these issues whilst complaining about their every action or inaction.
I pray for these riots to stop but there's a lot of work to be done in these loyalist areas.

DeanElderberry · 14/06/2025 15:09

Remember this about Jim Allister and his views on a man who sexually abused a young girl.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-59511695

and another recommendation of Slugger O'Toole if you want to know more than the BBC tells you.

https://sluggerotoole.com/

Coolasfeck · 14/06/2025 15:26

placemats · 14/06/2025 14:26

Northern Irish Catholics are white too. Basically this is racism in the attacks, a progrom. Catholics were subjected to bigotry and sectarianism. I do urge you to read the link below.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/14/ballymena-violence-women-racism-northern-ireland

Thanks for this article.

‘If women in Northern Ireland rioted every time one of us was attacked, the country would lie in ashes.’

Indeed.

suki1964 · 14/06/2025 21:47

placemats · 14/06/2025 14:31

But the attacks are on migrant workers who are needed and mainly work in factories and healthcare.

Most of them in Ballymena recruited by who we know as Moy Park ( now Pilgram ) who actively recruit in EU and sponsor their work permits, pay their resettlement costs and house them

suki1964 · 14/06/2025 21:59

Coolasfeck · 14/06/2025 15:26

Thanks for this article.

‘If women in Northern Ireland rioted every time one of us was attacked, the country would lie in ashes.’

Indeed.

30 women killed in NI in the past five years by men, usually their partners and seeing as we have such a tiny proportion of immigration here, betting is 99.9 of those perpetrators were Irish/N.Irish/British

placemats · 15/06/2025 11:55

suki1964 · 14/06/2025 21:47

Most of them in Ballymena recruited by who we know as Moy Park ( now Pilgram ) who actively recruit in EU and sponsor their work permits, pay their resettlement costs and house them

Same in Craigavon Area Hospital. The migrant workers are essential for food production and healthcare.

EmeraldShamrock000 · 15/06/2025 20:11

One really awful one has sticks in my mind, Caoimhe Morgan, her poor beautiful baby twins trying to wake her up while she was dead, unrecognisable.
Mary ward too, I know there was many more, it is an epidemic from Derry to Kerry.
Since, 2020, 37 women have been violently killed in Ireland, 25 women killed in Northern ireland, horrendous.
Sorry for the derail.

placemats · 15/06/2025 20:26

💐 x 37 and 💕

JinnyGH · 17/06/2025 21:59

Sansan18 · 14/06/2025 14:27

I think the issue is that it's low is very low re educational attainment, seems to be a huge range between the high and low achievements.

An outcome of the grammar system: some children do exceptionally well; others terribly.

Sansan18 · 17/06/2025 22:23

JinnyGH · 17/06/2025 21:59

An outcome of the grammar system: some children do exceptionally well; others terribly.

I totally agree, combined with low expectations and intergenerational low achievement.

Sofiewoo · 18/06/2025 04:56

The grammar system in NI cannot be compared to the grammar system in England.
When accounting for the brain drain NI suffers it doesn’t have a lower attainment rate than the rest of the UK.
This was a very narrow statistic which doesn’t represent reality.

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