Is it likely Irish unification will happen in years to come?

[cuppateaandabiccie]

I’m in NI and I quite like being a part of the UK so I most certainly am against a United Ireland.

i like our education system and I know the health service is on its knees, but I’d rather not pay every time I need to go to the doctors.

obviously Sinn Fein are now the biggest party meaning they can nominate for First Minister - does this actually pose a risk to the union with the UK?

If the Deputy First Minister and First Minister both hold equal office - then surely they had the same chances of trying to implement a border poll when the they were Deputy First Minister?

if there was to be a border poll, do people think the majority would support Irish unity or go against it?

also, do people think the DUP will refuse to enter government with Sinn Fein as FM?

Belfast to Dublin is circa 1.5 hours depending of course where in dublin you are headed.

I find it bizzarre that people from ROI say they never visit the north either because all of my friends and family are there on a regular basis for one reason or another. Belfast is a fantastic city.

I am ROI and would love a united Ireland.

1. It's not "The South". It's just Ireland. Donegal is not south of NI, fgs.
2. Not everyone in Ireland lives in Dublin, so the distance from there is immaterial. Why would people from Cork or Kerry or Waterford go to NI? What for?
3. Just because travel may be quick and convenient, doesn't mean its not a foreign country. I travel into the North regularly, it still feels very much like the different country that it actually is.

I've gone on holidays and day trips to NI but it takes me longer to travel from where I live to Dublin than it does from Dublin to Belfast. I'm hoping to get there towards the end of the summer.

@StaceysmomandIhavegotitgoinon you do realise a lot of us live nowhere near Dublin so no it's not a 1.5 hour trip.

What? Not everyone in Ireland lives in Dublin? Wow what an announcement to make... I was merely pointing out the proximity to Dublin is all. I don't live in Dublin myself, not far off but not Dublin and travel frequently to Northern Ireland and it is a fairly easy enough trip. Yes you get as far as the border and the phone alerts you to this fact and yes you have to start thinking in miles and using sterling but honestly we changed down here from miles to kilometres without too much hassle and from punt to euro same so changing the entire country to one or other for both in order to be a united island surely is not that hard an issue! I have read some of the comments on this and find it very odd that that would even be a consideration in regards to unity. I, my NI other half, all of our friends from both ends of the island all want a united Ireland. I actually could not tell you the last time I spoke to someone in real life who did not so this thread is an eye opener.

@MissusMaisel I have found your tone and responses on this thread to be generally goady and obstructive tbh.

1. I live in the North, so I call it the South. It’s not an unusual phenomenon so please don’t act all faux offended or ridiculous about it. I’m very familiar with Donegal’s location, I even went to the Gaeltacht there for years, but according to you, I shouldn’t consider myself Irish… as I live in a foreign country.

2. again, generally missing the point of what I was saying (purposely?). I have never visited Waterford. Not because I consider it a foreign country, I just haven’t. I would reiterate a previous point I made that people in many countries will not have visited regions or parts of their own countries either, but still consider themselves to be one country.

3. good for you. You will surely understand that many people have a differing view to you on this and so you personal opinion doesn’t make you a nationwide authority on this matter.

Ireland is a tiny island with a tiny total population who have more similarities than differences.

It’s ok not to want a United ireland, but saying that the reason is because NI “feels like a foreign country” and has GCSEs is absolutely ridiculous.

@StaceysmomandIhavegotitgoinon i think a lot of people are being purposely obtuse tbh. It’s baffling. And honestly, extreme hurtful to read some of these attitudes and opinions levelled towards us northerners for seemingly no reason at all!

I'd be quite happy to go back to imperial measurements.

Some of us never stopped using them in the first place.

A lot of stuff on here actually is offensive towards NI people who are as Irish as us down here. I am currently in Belfast and have just driven down here from Derry and honestly could not meet nicer people in both places. Yes you call us Southerners, my other half refers to me as being from 'The South' but that is because he acknowledges NI as being part of Ireland and not some other country altogether. He is from the Northern end of the country, I am from the Southern end as compasses will show but pedants will always be around. Yes I jest with himself and his pals when they refer to me as being from the south and say no, in fact I have never even been to Cork, I am from the East coast of the country but it is all in jest. I also have asked them if they refer to England as Southern Scotland and again in jest and not being offensive. Actually if I was to offend any of them I would just refer to them as Brits to be honest LOL but I am going to get flamed for that one I am sure!!!!

@StaceysmomandIhavegotitgoinon thanks for defending us! 😃

And here I wouldn’t be remotely offended if you called me a Brit, as I wouldn’t even think you were talking to me or relate to it as a slagging off in any way 🤣

He gets faux outraged when I call him a Brit but it is usually after he has slagged me about something. He is as Irish as I am, speaks more Irish than I do even! I know there is a divide and there are a lot of people up there that class themselves as more Irish than British and vice versa but I would love to see a poll done to see currently what people think of uniting our island and another done in about 5 years and see how much closer we are getting to a referendum about it.

It's not ridiculous, it IS a foreign country!

NI is part of the UK. It is not part of the country of Ireland. They are DIFFERENT countries. They have different currencies, different laws, different education systems, different architecture, different politics, different a million things.

It is true that lots of people in NI consider themselves Irish, and that is up to them. But it doesn't change the fact that they live in the UK, and not in Ireland. Your feelings on your identity do not change that reality. It's a fact.

They live on the island of Ireland. If they want to say they are Irish they can. They were taken over by Britain so if they fancy calling themselves British that is fine too but calling it a foreign jaysus country ffs talk about dramatising shit. We live on a tiny island so no, would not consider it foreign in any way shape or form. I think you are just trying to be annoying now to goad people. NI people can and do have Irish drivers licences, passports, bank accounts with Bank of Ireland and can shop in Dunnes. You are just focusing on other things that can be changed quite easily as I have pointed our previously about us changing to kilometers and euro. Next you will be faffing on about the different car registrations etc which again could be done far easier had britain not been so childish about being 'sooooooooo different' to the EU and making their own of it. Actually our car reg's are far easier to read all things concerned. Honestly the nitpicking. If you dont want a united Ireland grand but picking at silly things is just childish.

@MissusMaisel thanks for the patronising response. Hardly needs saying but obviously I’m aware NI is in the U.K. - the thread is predicated on the fact that it is.

The question is whether reunification will ever happen and it seems your response to that is “no it won’t because it’s so different”. Yes it’s different now, but does that mean a United ireland can’t happen? Won’t happen? Why or why not? So far all you’ve said is that your mind is basically blown by roaming charges and different exam systems and because of that you can’t conceive of a possibility that those little things could and would be overcome. Please clarify if I’ve misunderstood something.

It was so different before it was taken over by Britain to begin with and they managed!

People talk far too much about the island of Ireland, as if it really means very much. We are two different countries, getting more and more different as time goes by, especially post Brexit. People can call themselves Irish as much as they want, thats personal to them, it doesn't actually change anything.

I didn't say it won't because its so different, I pointed out differences because people keep banging on about how its not different, which is very wrong.

I have no idea whether it will happen or not. If it does it won't be any time soon. I don't think there is much appetite for it and I dont think Ireland wants to pay the massive price for it.

Clarify what you've misunderstood? Pretty much everything it would seem.

The false narratives ( from multiple sides ) around identity on this thread really are exasperating. The island of Ireland has a shared past and a shared future, in the current form or a form yet to be determined. Historically , culturally, economically, socially, politically ( @MissusMaisel even architecturally- would love to hear the rationale behind that inclusion as a major nationalist/ unionist identity marker rather than a regional/urban/rural/ historic marker - what architectural style are you referring to here that’s unique to either side of the border , are you talking pre Christian structures, pre partition urban planning, modernism, vernacular , use of red brick etc because there’s nothing unique across the island ). Unionist history and identity , nationalist history and identity- they do not stand alone and neither is purer than the other, but are shared histories and identities that are formed around each other. Currencies change, education systems evolve and are not that different anyway, Irish common law is based on English common law- reunification would not be starting from scratch. I will admit the Tayto issue could be a stumbling block but I’m sure it could be decided in a citizens assembly. As could the flag, anthem and other issues around respecting all communities. Partition is only a century old, a blip in history, and it was not a notice to cease and desist all commonality.

Oh stop it, its not a "false narrative" its personal lived experience! You don't get to tell me that my personal experience and opinion is wrong.

Shared future? Maybe, maybe not. Shared past...not in living memory.

It's a different country, it really is that simple.

@MargaretBall I agree with everything you have written. I was trying to write something similarly eloquent but was too exasperated with the bullshit (I mean the architecture point nearly blew my tiny mind) to get it straight.

So thank you for putting it so well.

Margaret now I was nodding along till we got to the Tayto issue and now I am not so sure. I cannot eat replica Tayto when in NI. I might have to rethink my stance on reunification....

If there's a vote on Tayto it'll be a landslide victory for one man

He has got my vote anyway! Them other ones taste like they were ordered from Wish....

I mean how could anyone trust this fella? Shifty looking fecker