The Student Room Group

Is there widespread support in NI for a United Ireland?

Especially with the troubles of Brexit, and the proud Unionists that used to dominate the political landscape in NI, do you think that a United Ireland would happen, or if the political climate in NI will be ready for such a change?

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Would be interesting also for some NI perspectives on this :smile:
Well if NI leaves UK we won't have to worry about them blowing themselves up anymore over petty differences.
Original post by DrMikeHuntHertz
Well if NI leaves UK we won't have to worry about them blowing themselves up anymore over petty differences.


true lol. We could always send settlers again to fix the vote. on a serious note, I think the younger generations are shifting, but I think a lot also value staying part of the UK.
Not for a long time, the majority of people there want to stay in the UK. All the polling shows this.
Original post by Pachuco
Not for a long time, the majority of people there want to stay in the UK. All the polling shows this.

Yet Sinn Fein wants a border down the Irish sea so desperately to further this cause. i think there will at least be a referendum in a few years
I'm not even sure these days if the Republic of Ireland wants a United Ireland in reality anymore. Almost regardless of what happens, circa 50% of the population of Northern Ireland would be unhappy to leave the Union. Why would Eire risk having the a rehash of the Troubles within their borders?
Original post by BlueIndigoViolet
true lol. We could always send settlers again to fix the vote. on a serious note, I think the younger generations are shifting, but I think a lot also value staying part of the UK.

Yeah, deport all the Remainers to NI, then they will vote to remain in UK.
Reply 8
Original post by DrMikeHuntHertz
Well if NI leaves UK we won't have to worry about them blowing themselves up anymore over petty differences.


That is quite the statement to make. How about terrorist Khalid Massood who was from Kent and killing 6 and injuring more than 50 people? To correct you they were not blowing themselves up, they were setting of bombs from no range of the explosions.
Reply 9
I believe that the constitutional status of Northern Ireland will not change for at least sometime as because, myself being from a Catholic background (most Catholics want a United Ireland) have found to have the culture of an Irish citizen and play the games of an Irish citizen like most of my friends. But, most of us do not want a United Ireland, at least for now. We would sing rebel songs and go out on St Patricks day but this is just the cultural factor in my opinion. I know deep down I want a United Ireland, I will always be Irish but right now I am fine living in the UK
Reply 10
Original post by gsmyth
I believe that the constitutional status of Northern Ireland will not change for at least sometime as because, myself being from a Catholic background (most Catholics want a United Ireland) have found to have the culture of an Irish citizen and play the games of an Irish citizen like most of my friends. But, most of us do not want a United Ireland, at least for now. We would sing rebel songs and go out on St Patricks day but this is just the cultural factor in my opinion. I know deep down I want a United Ireland, I will always be Irish but right now I am fine living in the UK

There's a bit of polling suggesting that's actually a fairly common position and has been for a while. For example, here's a survey showing a pretty sizeable majority of NI's Roman Catholic population want to be in the UK rather than a united Ireland.

I would imagine that, for many, they are comfortable with an Irish identity, cultural ties across the border, voting for Irish nationalist political parties and so on - but ultimately see the UK as either beneficial to Northern Ireland or as a useful position that ensures (relative) peace.

That seems quite rational to me. I think that as time progresses, NI could become more comfortable with its Irishness and Britishness - in cultural terms - and not really see the two as conflicting or excluding one-another, while leaving a space for a distinct Northern Irish identity.
From what I've seen most people on both sides don't want a united ireland.
Since the irish abortion referendum, many practicing catholics have turned quite sour towards the ROI and sinn fein.
Last visit to Belfast I heard a lot of religious agenda grumbling, terms like "aggressive secularism" and "baby murderers" being bandied about by republicans for the first time.

Many ni based republican nationalists are dual nationals, with family members on both sides of the border.
If they wanted to move to ROI they would.
They choose to stay and the majority of them use British passports when they travel.
They want to stay with Britain, regardless of their noisy rhetoric they prefer to benefit from the personal advantages available to them as uk citizens.
Original post by L i b
There's a bit of polling suggesting that's actually a fairly common position and has been for a while. For example, here's a survey showing a pretty sizeable majority of NI's Roman Catholic population want to be in the UK rather than a united Ireland.

I would imagine that, for many, they are comfortable with an Irish identity, cultural ties across the border, voting for Irish nationalist political parties and so on - but ultimately see the UK as either beneficial to Northern Ireland or as a useful position that ensures (relative) peace.

That seems quite rational to me. I think that as time progresses, NI could become more comfortable with its Irishness and Britishness - in cultural terms - and not really see the two as conflicting or excluding one-another, while leaving a space for a distinct Northern Irish identity.


PRSOM.
I wonder about support in the Republic for a united Ireland- I'm not sure it would be forthcoming, and surely both the north and the Republic would have to vote in favour?
Original post by barnetlad
I wonder about support in the Republic for a united Ireland- I'm not sure it would be forthcoming, and surely both the north and the Republic would have to vote in favour?

I agree it may be seen as a burden to a small minority, but pretty sure the vast vast majority are in support of a United Ireland unlike in NI..

Think the position will be to remain part of the UK for the foreseeable future, and cant blame them tbh...

Fully in support of NI staying in the Union, less so with the DUP, many votes are from unionists seeing them as the only guarantors of the union, want to be as close to Britain except when it comes to things like abortion? Hope to see a popular less extreme unionist party grow in NI, happy to see that Alliance have made gains in the local elections..
(edited 4 years ago)
Reply 15
Original post by BlueIndigoViolet
Fully in support of NI staying in the Union, less so with the DUP, many votes are from unionists seeing them as the only guarantors of the union, want to be as close to Britain except when it comes to things like abortion? Hope to see a popular less extreme unionist party grow in NI, happy to see that Alliance have made gains in the local elections..

I'll agree with that. I think it's a sad situation where many people feel obliged to vote DUP out of a bit of a siege mentality about the union: despite having dominated for so long, I don't think it really represents the diversity of even the pro-union population of Northern Ireland at all. I suppose there's probably a similar situation with Sinn Fein and the decline of the SDLP.
Noooooooo!
There is more of an appetite for a united Ireland in Northern Ireland than there is in the Republic of Ireland
No there's not.
Reply 19
Not at present but given the way English nationalism is drawing the union i wouldnt be overly surprised if the UK dies with the death of Ireland and Scotland kisses goodbye shortly thereafter.

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