Northern Ireland: Your Thoughts

[Loki]

I would be interested to know what forum members (especially American, also British and Irish) think about Northern Ireland. Yes, politics, but also culture, the people, or anything else of interest.

I understand many Americans have Northern Irish (so-called Scotch-Irish or Scots-Irish) ancestry.

Go for it, peacefully please

[Loki]

bump

[Newsboy]

Indeed, many Americans are of Northern Irish ancestry. It's especially common in the South and parts of Appalachia above the Mason Dixon Line. They are called 'Scots-Irish'.

Northern Ireland seems like a nice place. I would like to visit some day.

[Óttar]

I would be interested to know what forum members (especially American, also British and Irish) think about Northern Ireland. Yes, politics, but also culture, the people, or anything else of interest.

I understand many Americans have Northern Irish (so-called Scotch-Irish or Scots-Irish) ancestry.

Go for it, peacefully please

My father's side is Irish Catholic and my aunt on my maternal side is of Irish Protestant and Scottish extraction. The rest of my mom's family is a smattering of predominantly British peoples: English, Cornish, Welsh, and Scottish.

I think it's ridiculous that Republicans and Unionists are still fighting in Northern Ireland. I think the Unionists are triumphalists and are the biggest obstruction to unity in Ireland. This Protestant-Catholic conflict is merely recreational violence for the idle underclasses. Northern Irish politicians make a big deal about having to support bilingual English-Gaelic signage and documents because they are anti-intellectual provocateurs. They have an extremely simplistic view of history and they don't realize that Irish Protestants were some of the greatest proponents of the Irish Gaelic revival. Irish Protestants are stuck in a time-warp where the rest of the peoples of the British Isles have moved beyond such petty conflicts. I'm sure the British government would like to wash their hands clean of the Northern Ireland situation, but they are under an obligation to protect British subjects and they want to keep control of the vital northern Irish sea-lines which are critical military choke-points. It's ironic that the Irish Protestants say they are loyal British subjects and yet they routinely fire projectiles at, and injure British military and police personnel. I commend that the British have scaled back their presence in the six counties, where, as far as I know, there is not a single British soldier on Irish soil (in an active military capacity).

I would like to see a united Ireland where sectarianism has no place. I don't think either side should engage in violence and union should be achieved gradually through peaceful, democratic means.

[Graham]

Some are blinded in politics by tribalism which runs in the family. There is always that lingering spark of the troubles returning, the politics has become more decisive with the SDLP binned for Sinn Fein & the UUP for DUP. So a bit of of a wedge in the irish assembly and good friday agreement is looking fragile. Ironically the talks to try and keep the assembly running led by a Tory with the surname Brokenshire.

There is the modern young northern Ireland that hasn't went through the bad stuff but will have the stories.

We have the orange walks and republicans here but they live in the same streets more. And I find myself whistling to the sash, but dislike the orange lodge.

That scots-irish thing. There are Northern irish people with Presbyterian backgrounds who call themselves Scots, again down tho the tribal separate thing. amuses me, some do sound like scots.

[Graham]

bump

Northern Ireland was pretty much invisible to the British until a few weeks back, when folk in england found out that it might effect them with this minority government.

A lot of English people googling "who are the DUP?" It's all Ireland to them.

Ian Paisleys dream team running the show. Keep the taigs and catholics out, excluding that man from the catholic family called King Billy.

[Newsboy]

Yeah, I've heard of some tensions between Republicans and Unionists. The former are Catholics and the latter Protestants, well mainly.

But nonetheless still a place worth visiting IMO

[Loki]

My father's side is Irish Catholic and my aunt on my maternal side is of Irish Protestant and Scottish extraction. The rest of my mom's family is a smattering of predominantly British peoples: English, Cornish, Welsh, and Scottish.

I think it's ridiculous that Republicans and Unionists are still fighting in Northern Ireland. I think the Unionists are triumphalists and are the biggest obstruction to unity in Ireland. This Protestant-Catholic conflict is merely recreational violence for the idle underclasses. Northern Irish politicians make a big deal about having to support bilingual English-Gaelic signage and documents because they are anti-intellectual provocateurs. They have an extremely simplistic view of history and they don't realize that Irish Protestants were some of the greatest proponents of the Irish Gaelic revival. Irish Protestants are stuck in a time-warp where the rest of the peoples of the British Isles have moved beyond such petty conflicts. I'm sure the British government would like to wash their hands clean of the Northern Ireland situation, but they are under an obligation to protect British subjects and they want to keep control of the vital northern Irish sea-lines which are critical military choke-points. It's ironic that the Irish Protestants say they are loyal British subjects and yet they routinely fire projectiles at, and injure British military and police personnel. I commend that the British have scaled back their presence in the six counties, where, as far as I know, there is not a single British soldier on Irish soil (in an active military capacity).

I would like to see a united Ireland where sectarianism has no place. I don't think either side should engage in violence and union should be achieved gradually through peaceful, democratic means.

You seem to be quite anti-Protestant. Sadly, such an attitude would not be the right one in thinking of a united Ireland. A united Ireland would be possible if everyone respects each other. But I have to say, the culture in Northern Ireland is quite different from the Repubic of Ireland. You know, there are also many Northern Irish Catholics who do not want unification, they want to stay British governed.

[Loki]

Some are blinded in politics by tribalism which runs in the family. There is always that lingering spark of the troubles returning, the politics has become more decisive with the SDLP binned for Sinn Fein & the UUP for DUP. So a bit of of a wedge in the irish assembly and good friday agreement is looking fragile. Ironically the talks to try and keep the assembly running led by a Tory with the surname Brokenshire.

There is the modern young northern Ireland that hasn't went through the bad stuff but will have the stories.

We have the orange walks and republicans here but they live in the same streets more. And I find myself whistling to the sash, but dislike the orange lodge.

That scots-irish thing. There are Northern irish people with Presbyterian backgrounds who call themselves Scots, again down tho the tribal separate thing. amuses me, some do sound like scots.

They are very proud of their Scottish heritage.

[Mingle]

I support a united Ireland....as part of the UK