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?

Obviously the person saying "wee north" was taking the piss out of the wee northerner.

@Salutatorydrinks I don't live in the north. I said I'm Irish. I live in the midlands. And I have only ever heard the word wee used by the (admittedly few) northern Irish people I know. Definitely is not a word used in the republic.

JenniferBarkley

The poster I was responding to declared that the Irish would change their minds about reunification when they got out of the bar so being mostly Irish myself (my family is the epitome of Irishness in a way that would be known to everyone on this thread if I told you so I'd be the last to do this) it didn't occur to me that anyone would still be bigoted enough to see this as a slur against Irish people as it was merely a logical deduction intended to highlight the ridiculousness of the comment.

@DownNative

The south gave up their territorial claim in order to support the peace process
The UK gov gave up ‘all selfish interest ‘ ( I think that was how it was worded) at the same time .
Of course Ireland will be reunited.
The process will be managed much more carefully than Brexit though!

littlefairy

Try Donegal and Kerry. You don't seem to have done the kind of evidence based research this important topic merits.

I was the poster you quoted 🙄

I’m Irish, in Ireland, and I sincerely hope reunification doesn’t happen.

There is no doubt that people in the north (who aren't Catholic) and south are different. Accents, slang, attitudes, mannerisms, conversational cues are all different.

People need to understand that young people in the north grow up in different schools according to denomination and culture. This had lessened in some areas and grown in others. Many people don't care now but the school system keeps it going. Many people still care deeply. I've personal experience of a mixed marriage and they do care.

Halls at uni is often the first time Catholics from the North, Protestants from the North and people from the ROI really meet. There's tension from the Protestants who do seem like another culture, it's true.

When you're talking about how cultures would get along or be divided post reunification, you're not talking about a country of two parts. Northern Ireland is already splintered and some parts would do better - and breathe a sigh of relief - in a country that didn't have an ascendancy on the other side of the tracks. But the others would struggle badly and violently.

Then read and learn, Jennifer 😉

Op, thank you for posting this thread, I really feel like I have learnt a great deal from reading the posts, and it has been mostly a very gentle and respectful conversation. There is one thing in going on holiday to NI and Ireland and another to understand the history etc and people's point of view. Obviously I would not dream of asking about the troubles when we visit, but it is interesting to know everyone's positions.

It has put me in the mood to book another visit!
The beaches were stunning, we arrived and wondered why not more is made of advertising them. They were so wild and beautiful and reminded me of South Africa - we were lucky with the weather. We stayed at Powerscourt last time and drove through lots of little quaint villages - Doc Martin style - loved it

I'm enjoying this thread, very well-thought out points from all. I'm a southern Protestant from a Northern Unionist background, and i think one thing that i don't see picked up on in general at all here is that to many ROI people, the notion of protestants is very vague indeed!! There is such a tiny Protestant population is the south that we are generally unnoticeable. On more than one occasion, I've had people say - when they find out - "Oh, you're Protestant, I've never met one of them before!". There is no need to think of differences because they're not noticed down here and we are pretty much assimilated!

Whereas the North, with all the various denominations - from Quaker to Free Presbyterian to Plymouth Brethren to Methodist to Church of Ireland - making up roughly half the population - is an utterly different universe with some very, very different ways of life.

I was thinking the same the last time I visited Britain for along spell. I was taken aback by the state of the railways in particular. 6ft tall weeds on the District Line. Ditto an overhead station in Pembrokeshire. I attended a wedding in Wisbech , the much vaunted " Silicon Fen" . Entering the churchyard we were surprised by a chap urinating on the wall while his friends quaffed their beer. Flags everywhere too , like a nation fighting a war. I don't remember all this from when I lived there. But I guess neither of us is Switzerland. Or even Belgium. Mrs Thatcher despised Belgium. But its a small rich country with ppl from two traditions coexisting. I could settle for that

I think that unification will definitely happen one day but it is at least a generation away. Trying to force it through early could ignite problems / discontent.

What we are seeing now is the first step in that long process. You have to understand that most NI voters were brought up and educated in a sectarian society and you will need the younger generation to come through who view things more widely and not just through a sectarian perspective. Plus you need that view point from both ROI and NI voters.

That said I do find it ironic that Brexit, Boris Johnson and the Conservatives have done more for the cause of a united Ireland than 30 years of the Troubles ever did.

A majority here in the RoI do favour unity. 62 % in the last poll. There is no hatred for Britain that I can discern. It's just that there is no sense of urgency either really. We can't foresee how things will develop, the attitude of the unionist community etc without whom there can be no movement on the issue. At the moment it remains an aspiration nothing more

”We just want our wee North back."

’Wee’…?

Are you sure you weren’t in Scotland? Or even possibly in NZ?

DH is Irish (ROI), and this sentiment has never passed his lips, nor any of his wide acquaintance. He is approaching 50 and has never been to NI, and has no desire to. It is a separate country to him.

@BessieFinkNottle 😂 I'll give you that! But I said it's a northern thing, Donegal is in the north of Ireland, obviously not one of the 6 counties but it is the northwest!😂

Live in ROI and can quite honestly say while I would kinda like to see Ireland unified I don't see the need to rush it. It's been at peace still only a relatively short period of time and feel much more stability is needed before even thinking of taking any real vote on the topic. From friends and colleagues who are from NI, more often than not they tell me they see themselves as just N. Irelanders not Irish or UK - I imagine in the same way Scottish or Welsh see themselves as not UK.

Also, I have never ever heard anyone say in Ireland say "wee" 😀

You have to understand that most NI voters were brought up and educated in a sectarian society and you will need the younger generation to come through who view things more widely and not just through a sectarian perspective.

You would hope this was the case but younger people can be very polarised and almost romanticise the conflict. The hordes of students in the Holyland (student area in Belfast) shouting republican slogans doesn't lead me to hope things have moved on.

Or lass. But they do in the Ulster counties on both sides of the border. Must be a wee bit of Scots influence!

What people need to understand is that while on one Island, NI and the Republic are different countries. Other than the fact that English is the common language at this stage NI and the Republic are so different culturally, economically, progressively etc that it is like trying to make any two countries unite who have very little in common.

I don't agree that there's little culturally in common unless you mean in common with unionists. There's a lot of shared mythology, music, sport, etc.

@MondayTuesdayWednesday
The GAA is all Ireland . So is rugby, hockey and cricket , even water polo ! ( I’m not sporty so there could be many more )
Traditional music is a shared culture as is literature .
I really don’t think your point stands up to much scrutiny.
On the other hand , people from the north of Ireland are very different to people from England and Wales ( culturally) - Scotland not so much that’s true .

If only we had an all Ireland soccer team!

I’ve often thought that !

I'm the same, I just don't see the benefits of it to be honest. It's pie in the sky nonsense from politicians who want a legacy.

I have yet to hear a convincing argument as to what actual tangible benefits it would bring to everyday people. Considering the upheaval, the cost and the potential to reignite violence, I don't see it happening.

Plus, aside from the costs, NI and ROI have different health systems, different school systems, different legal system etc. How exactly would you bring those together in a way that is mutually agreeable?

Plus, many people in NI consider themselves neither Irish nor British, they are Northern Irish.