The Student Room Group

There is a real chance of a peaceful united Ireland now

Unionists seem to be hanging on by the tenuous thread of Scotland remaining in the UK. I see no future for their cause if Scotland leaves. Even if they do, London simply doesn't care about them. Priorities are converging and England is in many ways a post-imperially deluded, with a seeming death wish towards it's own civilization.

If the Northern Irish have sense, they will leave behind the narcissism of small differences, not be beholden to British divide and rule, and save themselves from a Britain being destroyed that doesn't care about them.

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Scotland should declare independence for similar reasons. Contempt from Westminster, and civilizational by England. End finally the deluded imperial rump, so that England can finally look forwards not back.
The majority of the population in Northern Ireland will object to a united Ireland.
Except England is more wealthy than Scotland and Northern Ireland both of whom are holding us back and even though Sinn Fein is obsessed with English people in particular, most of the people who oppressed Irish Catholics were Scots-Protestants.
Original post by SaucissonSecCy
End finally the deluded imperial rump, so that England can finally look forwards not back.


Hmm. It was England's rescue of Scotland from the catastrophe of its own imperial ambitions that brought the United Kingdom together.
Original post by jumpingjesusholycow
As of 1973, 98.9% of the Northern Irish electorate stood with the United Kingdom.

Unless they've vanished off the face of the earth, I'd say you're talking absolute nonsense.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland_border_poll_1973


Did you read that piece before you linked it? The vote was boycotted by the Republicans.
Original post by Good bloke
Hmm. It was England's rescue of Scotland from the catastrophe of its own imperial ambitions that brought the United Kingdom together.


I know about that, but it doesn't pertain to the situation now.
Original post by jumpingjesusholycow
As of 1973, 98.9% of the Northern Irish electorate stood with the United Kingdom.

Unless they've vanished off the face of the earth, I'd say you're talking absolute nonsense.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland_border_poll_1973


1973!!!

You sound like all these establishment 'poll citers'.

Public opinion is very different now, we are in revolutionary times.
Original post by SaucissonSecCy
I know about that, but it doesn't pertain to the situation now.


The truth about any united Ireland that might be brought about in the next generation will be that the country will have a major organised and armed crime problem caused by killers from both sides of the sectarian divide having too much time and too many guns on their hands, in combination with too few jobs and widespread resentment of the country's biggest trading partner and source of wealth. Sort that lot out!
Original post by Good bloke
Hmm. It was England's rescue of Scotland from the catastrophe of its own imperial ambitions that brought the United Kingdom together.


>tfw scotland can't even colonise panama

Original post by SaucissonSecCy

Public opinion is very different now, we are in revolutionary times.


What you may have forgotten is that any poll will be carried out across the whole island, with the voters in both countries independently having to vote in favour of unity. Have you considered that the Irish might not want to have the Irish join them?
Reply 11
Original post by JamesN88
Did you read that piece before you linked it? The vote was boycotted by the Republicans.


It still got the majority of registered voters. Even if all the Republicans had voted for the United Ireland they would still have lost.
Reply 12
I think the assumption that a move to a united Ireland would be peaceful may be misplaced, unfortunately.

People have long memories on the island of Ireland and some might look back at 28 September 1912, the signing of the Ulster Covenant, which later led to 100,000 forming the UVF. The coincidental outbreak of WW1 prevented a then likely civil war in Ireland, but the partition in 1921 was a reflection of the strength of Unionist feeling indicated by the "Covenant".
It's not happening. No Scottish independence nor a United Ireland no matter how much people want it. Deal with it and move on.
Original post by Josb
It still got the majority of registered voters. Even if all the Republicans had voted for the United Ireland they would still have lost.


I know that, but they were claiming that 98% of the electorate chose to stay in the UK which is BS. There's been a big demographic shift since then as well in favour of the Catholic population.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/demographic-shifts-force-change-on-ni-politicians-1.2190041

Personally I think joint sovereignty is the best way to go, otherwise it may just create the same problems in reverse.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Doonesbury

People have long memories on the island of Ireland


That is an understatement. The unionist protestants want to remember the late seventeenth century, the die-hard nationalists won't forgive or forget the potato famine, and none of them will forget the 1920s.
Reply 16
Original post by Good bloke
What you may have forgotten is that any poll will be carried out across the whole island, with the voters in both countries independently having to vote in favour of unity. Have you considered that the Irish might not want to have the Irish join them?


The majority in the Republic want a united Ireland "in their lifetime" - although not so many in the short term...

http://www.thejournal.ie/prime-time-irelands-call-2426738-Nov2015/
Original post by Doonesbury
The majority in the Republic want a united Ireland "in their lifetime" - although not so many in the short term..


That is a bit like St Augustine's famous prayer, Grant me chastity and continence, Lord, but not yet.
Reply 18
Original post by Good bloke
the die-hard nationalists won't forgive or forget the potato famine


Or the Ulster Plantation. Or Cromwell. Or the Normans.

And don't mention the Vikings... :viking:
I'm from Northern Ireland myself, and I just want what's best for us. I'm happy either way, If we are with the UK then there are many benefits e.g healthcare etc and if we're a united country a lot of people would be happy and at peace. I'm actually proud that I am both Irish and part of the UK. Not many countries get that advantage.

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