Northern Ireland

[Celsius]

Should Northern Ireland, which is held by the UK, be released to Ireland which already owns the rest of Ireland on the Island of Ireland?

[Fianóglach]

Release would imply that the Republic of Ireland wants NI which it does not. It also implies that the choice is up to the British Government which it is not, it is up to us... People who live in Northern Ireland. Cue the usual uneducated mudpit rants about Irish nationalism from people who have never lived in NI.

[Zadig]

Well of course the choice is up to the people of Northern Ireland, not up to the IRA, nor the British government, nor the Irish government or it people, but if someday they choose to leave it is up to them, and they should be allowed to.

[Burnum]

British Empire 2: Electric Boogaloo or
British Empire: First Blood part II

[Paxman]

Oh good, it's time for our monthly Free Ireland/Scotland thread.

[Alsatian]

Referendum? Plebiscite?

[Visna]

Should Northern Ireland, which is held by the UK, be released to Ireland which already owns the rest of Ireland on the Island of Ireland?

Does Ireland even want Northern Ireland?
Where is Irishhitman or Eire_Emerald when they're needed?

[Paxman]

Does Ireland even want Northern Ireland?

The republic of Ireland dropped its claims for Northern Ireland in the Good Friday Agreement.

abolition of the Republic's territorial claim to Northern Ireland via the modification of Articles 2 and 3 of its constitution. As a result, the territorial claim which had subsisted since 29 December 1937 was dropped on 2 December 1999

[IrishHitman]

Does Ireland even want Northern Ireland?
Where is Irishhitman or Eire_Emerald when they're needed?

Yes, we do.
The number of people who don't care are growing, but not considerably so.

What we want is less relevent for the moment than what the lads up North want.

[Alba gu Brath]

Release lol? If the people of Northern Ireland want to join with the south then it's entirely their choice, no one can stop them, except the south obviously. However, if it came to it i'm sure the republic would welcome a united Ireland.

[hellheaven1987]

Na, the problem is that Northern Ireland has a Protestant majority, who do not want to join Ireland; on the other hand, the Catholic minor is large enough that can make a political voice of their own.

No, if NI ever wants to leave United Kingdom it is best for it to be a new independant country.

[Admiral Piett]

Technically, Northern Ireland is still Ireland and I can see why many in the South still claim it. I don't proclaim to know the politics of the whole thing obviously. I just think that Ireland could benefit from a much greater diversity if it were annexed. The Northern Irish would certainly make Irish politics interesting.

[6th Vigil]

God, how many times have we had threads like these? Thankfully we've had sensible posters so far who have described it perfectly. It's up to the Northern Irish if they want to join the Republic of Ireland and thats the end of it. Curious phrasing of the question "released".

[Dodge]

[King Edward III]

The United Kingdom should strive to annex the rest of Ireland and absorb it into the Commonwealth.

[the Black Prince]

The United Kingdom should strive to annex the rest of Ireland and absorb it into the Commonwealth.

hear hear!

[King Edward III]

hear hear!

And who said jingoism is dead?

[Adhamh Ashashi]

It would be good for the Irish economy if NI became a part of the Republic. It would stop people going up there and buying cheaper goods and the money doesn't even end up in our control. Apart from that it would ruin Ireland all together.


The extra Garda that would have to be put out, the roads in the middle of no where that Brian Cowen will insist on repairing and with the state that our Health System is in, we would just spread that onto a country with a fighting chance.

However, it would be nice to have 32 counties.

[IrishHitman]

It would be good for the Irish economy if NI became a part of the Republic. It would stop people going up there and buying cheaper goods and the money doesn't even end up in our control. Apart from that it would ruin Ireland all together.


The extra Garda that would have to be put out, the roads in the middle of no where that Brian Cowen will insist on repairing and with the state that our Health System is in, we would just spread that onto a country with a fighting chance.

However, it would be nice to have 32 counties.

We'd also gain a highly educated workforce..
i.e. more potential for business.

[TheXand]

No worries, but US involvement, or to be more precise, some US citizens involvement in supporting terrorism in Ulster did'nt help the situation any.

I walked down streets in Belfast in the 80's having people taking pot-shots at us with American bullets, fired from American weapons paid for by Oirish-Americans. Strange after having served alongside US Marines and other forces and me thinking we were allies.

Not much help during Britains 'war on terror'.

so yes, irish-americans obsessed with their ancestry (like you, phier) and with a complete and total ignorance of the situation in ireland.

i mean honestly, claiming any type of understanding of current irish politics (ie casting opinions) because you travelled there a long time ago and you are of irish descent is not very smart.

Not giving it back is an insult to those who died due to English actions and inactions, which are a hell of a lot more than died to the IRA. See how easy that was?

also, this post shows a certain amount of ignorance, because as stated in my earlier posts Northern Ireland is not "owned" by Britain so rather obv cannot be "given back"