30 Jan 08
Originally posted by generalissimohold on they're finishing their pints
Citizens of Ireland, would you like to have an united Ireland? (free of british control)
I was having this debate with some friends about Ireland, the conflict for independence, and the Republic, etc
So I ask you, chess players
What are your opinions?
- Joined
- 23 Jul 05
- Moves
- 8869
30 Jan 08
1 edit
Originally posted by generalissimoI think the rights of the people in Northern Ireland for self-determinism (i.e. the majority of people in Northern Ireland wanting to stay in the union with the rest of the UK) outweigh any desires the Rupublic of Ireland and those living there may have about having this so called 'united Ireland'.
Citizens of Ireland, would you like to have an united Ireland? (free of british control)
I was having this debate with some friends about Ireland, the conflict for independence, and the Republic, etc
So I ask you, chess players
What are your opinions?
30 Jan 08
Originally posted by Bad wolfThis has always been the case (Originally established under The Government of Ireland Act (1920) which established Northern Ireland and the original Stormont Parliament in Ulster) If the demand was sufficient, a referendum on the status of Ulster could be called.
I think the rights of the people in Northern Ireland for self-determinism (i.e. the majority of people in Northern Ireland wanting to stay in the union with the rest of the UK) outweigh any desires the Rupublic of Ireland and those living there may have about having this so called 'united Ireland'.
This has since been re-affirmed by the "Good Friday" agreement (1998) which re-established devolved government and power sharing.
Judging by recent joting paterns, the Unionist / Nationalist split is about 55% / 45% in the favour of the Unionists.
Therefore, a united Ireland remains a distant possibility as it would not attract the majority support needed from the people of Ulster.
30 Jan 08
Originally posted by generalissimoWell, being Irish, I have to say that I don't really mind either way. It's ultimately up to the people of Northern Ireland, not us. I'm certainly not going to push the issue, nor am I going to speak against if they wanted to join. The economy is seeing a resurgence, so the old economic arguments are moot. As far as I know, it's not really an issue for most of the other Irish I know either.
Citizens of Ireland, would you like to have an united Ireland? (free of british control)
I was having this debate with some friends about Ireland, the conflict for independence, and the Republic, etc
So I ask you, chess players
What are your opinions?
31 Jan 08
Originally posted by SamboMambowhat you're referring to is partition, that is roughly what it was about, though the emphasis is on the roughly, also, there was a fashion for a century or so for "republicans" to want the republic to be the island of Ireland in its entirety.
I thought the whole point of the split was that the ones who wanted to stay part of Britain did and those that didn't became the Republic.
31 Jan 08
Originally posted by shavixmirDerry was gerrymandered as well as a few other places so that the Unionists were elected in predominantly Nationalist areas. Bad Wolf argued that Northern Ireland has a right to self-determination however Republicans argue that the formation of Northern Ireland was illegitimate in the first place. This means that they used to argue that a majority in Northern Ireland (most Republicans call it the 'six counties'😉 was insufficient and it was a majority in Ireland that was needed. Most moderate Nationalists accept that the Protestant majority cannot be coerced into accepting a united Ireland but demand equal rights, recognition of cultural identity, and closer ties with the south.
Is it Londonderry?
I know one of the Northern provinces at the time of the partition was overwhelmingly Catholic.
This is basically the position of the Republicans and the moderates now. Sinn Fein, after the Omagh bomb, began denouncing violent action: a step they had never made before but realised that the groundswell of opinion was turning against them. This change in tact saw Sinn Fein, who were always making steady electoral gains, become the major party, whose vote is from the Catholic electorate, when they usurped the SDLP.
Personally, as a Catholic living in Northern Ireland, I like the changes that have occurred. The politicians have caught up with what most reasonable people from Northern Ireland want. I am happy that my cultural way of life is recognised, that there are closer ties with the south and that more Catholics are joining the police, albeit tentatively. What I like most is that the two extremes, by virtue of their mandate, are now forced to work together.
To coerce a million Northern Irish Protestants into a united Ireland would be pure folly, and produce a new 'troubles' that would make the old 'troubles' look like a teddy bear's picnic.
