As someone born and raised in Belfast with friends on both sides of the border and the argument, I only have 2 questions: 1: What happens with the NHS and 2: Can we keep Northern Irish tayto crisps?
Nice and informative video. I agree with most things there except for one- it's not the case that most people living either side of the border liked the status quo. Nearly half of the population in Northern Ireland, who identify themselves as Irish nationalists, aren't happy with the status quo. I personally know a good few people holding Irish passports only and their dream has always been to see a united Ireland in their lifetime.
@@noodlyappendage6729 Half of the population in NI identify themselves as nationalists and this number is due to increase within the next couple of years according to official statistics.
@@noodlyappendage6729 I think the percentage is slightly higher according to the most recent poll I've seen. Plus, the Catholic/ nationalist community will soon outnumber the protestant/ loyalist one. Again, official statistics.
@@dilyana100 Lots of Irish-identified people say in more nuanced surveys that they would vote to stay in the United Kingdom under the current arrangement in which they're recognised as Irish citizens at the same time and have legal links to the ROI, for various reasons, and some of the people of mostly Scottish descent who identify as British are at least open to one day voting to join the ROI if a compelling plan and argument for it being better were made to them, and some are fully onboard with joining the ROI because they hate the DUP, the Tories and Brexit so much, though of course depending on where they live they won't shout about this fact in public. Increasingly people think about it in terms of pragmatics now, which government is better than the other government, e.g. some people from unionist backgrounds just hate how right wing the Tories and DUP are and wonder if the ROI government would be better for everyone's quality of life in NI as the ROI government has had a general trend away from the theocratic laws of the past. People from all backgrounds in the Alliance party are in this category, "show me the details, show me the evidence for which would be better for us all, or else let's get on with other things in the meantime - don't just appeal to my ethnic identity as if that should rationally have any impact on governance". Thankfully more young people especially see the irrationality of the "I'm of mostly this particular genetic descent therefore I automatically want the towns we all happen to find ourselves born into by accident of history, to come under this particular government" way of deciding. It's all an accident of birth and genetics so the idea of deciding who to vote for on that is really silly. If you were swapped at the hospital as a baby, something that's not some mythical accident, it really happens, you wouldn't even know, and you'd be descended from somewhere else. Shows how arbitrary and petty that method of deciding is.
I live in Australia as a result of the famine, my ancestors left in 1851. Considering our original land is on the south shore of Lough Neagh before we were forcibly moved into Kerry, the prospect of a United Ireland interests me very much and honestly I can't wait for it to happen. I know it seems pretentious that I care so much when I'm "not irish" but just know you have supporters all around the world.
Except a lot of people in the republic don't want a united Ireland. If you could cut northern Ireland off and set it afloat in the sea- a lot of people in the south would be all for it
It’s a rich history for all Irishmen and women. We should look at it as celts all. That is only my personal opinion of course. Good luck with land🤍🍀☘️🏴
What's happening already is trade gravity, the North's economy is quickly realigning with the South. The Brexiteers are having a catatonic meltdown because the South (and now the North) has quickly realigned trade through its ports bypassing driving through England and Wales. This Brexit busting will show the rest of UK the advantages off being in the single market and how shyte life gets being out of it That also means it blunts Unionist talking points because people will be faced with being financially worse off by realigning with England.. Do the majority of Northern Irish now identify as Great British or European?
The advantages of the single market..... a price fixing, protectionist scam, subsidising inefficient farming inside the single market, and penalising the consumer. A great procurer of vaccines for its citizens, such that it delivered them...... how late? The simple solution is to repeal Article 16 of the NIP, so all parts of the UK have left the EU, including NI. Whether Bozo has the guts for that, remains to be seen, but the courts have already decided some of that for him. With trade deals struck round the world, and a massive vote of confidence in the UK from Nissan, everyone else is realising that U.K. Plc is open for global business once again. Free trade is the most liberating force in world economics. Protectionism only works for the fat cats at the top.
@@andrewthegraciouslordrober327 Boris's Brexit has gotten like a Cult, if only you'd believe then it will come to pass, whenever someone shoves cold hard facts at you you respond Project Fear whenever anything even remotely positive happens it's all because of Brexit. The NI protocol is UK law to undo it would require affirmative action in parliment and passage through the house of Lords plus further breaking an international treaty and suffering sanctions from the EU and the US. Nissan have taken a weak and feeble government to the cleaners, thousands of jobs have been lost in the Sunderland plant since 2016 and there's due to be another couple of thousand laid off, for round 100 million in state aid there going to employ 1500 so the tax payer is essentially coughing up 66k per job. A net loss of 500 jobs for a hundred mill yea real bargain and huge win - not.
@@andrewthegraciouslordrober327 You are aware that a good part of vaccines used in the UK are produced in the EU, like, all Biontech/Pfizer and a good part of AZ? The EU is actually the greatest producer of vaccines in the world. Subsidizing farmers is for the sake of being able to feed your population. UK farmers are now thrown under the bus to get the Australian trade deal. How can a nation be sovereign if it can not even feed itself? You know that Nissan only invested in the UK, because it got big money from the UK government and it got tariff free access to the EU? Activate article 16 and Nissan is gone. Besides, 1 billion? Peanuts. Tesla alone is investing 4 billion in Germany.
@@SlowhandGreg Where did I refer to Project Fear? It is BECAUSE the UK is out of the EU now, it can provide such state subsidy to Nissan. As even the Guardian says it will create 1,650 NEW jobs in the plant and 6,000 in the supply chain, I think I know whose figures to trust. One thing's certain, the UK has not fallen off a cliff face, since 2016, no jobs have left the City for Frankfurt, and a'hem, 'hem, all those trade deals have still been signed. You know the EU has still yet to manage to sign a FTA with the USA, after all this time? If the NI Protocol becomes such a drag, and sufficient votes mustered, it can be undone. Can you really predict the future to the extent that you know the USA will impose sanctions? I don't. The major problem is that the EU has chosen to politicise the GFA. The unelected in Brussels don't give a stuff what happens in NI, as long as it makes life for someone in the UK difficult, and of it makes life for some of their citizens hard, well, blame it on Brexit, instead of trying to solve the problem. FWIW, (having recently discovered that I am 59% a Kerryman,) I believe that NI should return to Ireland, as and when the majority of the population want it and a peaceful transition can be guaranteed.
@@neodym5809 And because the UK is outside of the EU, it CAN give state subsidies to companies like Nissan, creating - Guardian figures - 1650 new jobs and 4,00 new in the supply chain. Plus Nissan gets tariff free access to the EU - win, win. Not really bothered what happens in Germany, as it is a different country. Not convinced about Tesla in any case. Some refer to it as the soufflé for good reason. Err..... inconvenient fact : The EU has not produced a single vaccine. It hasn't even produced a paperclip. Independent manufacturing COMPANIES domiciled within the EU boundaries have, however, done so. Free Trade encourages efficiency via competition. As the food bill forms the largest part of the less well off's expenditure, what's wrong with giving the less well off access to cheaper food? Who is to say the Aussie trade deal will hurt UK farmers? It may just even out supply inconsistencies. Aussie Summer - and so harvest - occurs during our Winter. A nation that a lot of people wants to live in, with relatively small available agricultural landspace has the enviable problem of needing to import some food. That was the case before 2016, and it didn't seem to matter to anybody before then. We can also give a boost to poorer economies e.g. we can buy oranges from Morrocco, with no tarriff on them if we want, instead of those subsidised by the EU (you) from Spain.
The financial question is an easy one to answer. You must ask yourself WHY does Northern Ireland need so many subsidies from the rest of the UK? Are we lazier? Are we less intelligent? Are we less industrious? And why is the Republic of Ireland so much more prosperous? WHY would these six counties be the most economically inactive in these islands? What possible reason could there be for such a disparity? If the union is so great for Northern Ireland, then why do we need to rely on handouts? Could it be that the current situation simply is not working?
@@noodlyappendage6729 Are you actually trying to say Northern Ireland's economy is better than the Republic which is actually a preposterous statement? Northern Ireland is the least developed region UK and has the largest part time work force and most inactive workforce in the UK. Here is an actual source of statistics from the UK Government, point 8 is particularly interesting. www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/regionallabourmarket/january2021 Good thing your source isn't the slightest bit politically bias or dubious. Britain has to pump hundreds of million a year into Northern Ireland with no return.
The GDP of the RoI is overinflated due to the presence of multinationals. But median income is higher in the South. But yes, the large Civil service of N.I. (As a part of the UK) is quite different to the more private oriented RoI economy. Personally I would prefer to see our HSE realigning more alike to the NHS in the North. (A hopeless and naive idea though)
Wow! What an intelligent and thoughtful video. Thanks so much for making the effort to create and post this. Best wishes to our Irish friends from Great Britain.
@@thegrabbler622 not a joking matter for those who live here. Thousands died during the troubles. The struggle for a united Ireland. Many were innocent civilians. My best friend was shot in the back when he was 20 years of age. He was shot because the IRA had a policy of ethnic cleansing. Any protestant farmer in a border area with a son to pass the farm onto was told fo sell up to a Catholic farmer or their son would be shot. Many refused to sell. There are dozens of graves with young protestant men, shot because their fathers stood up to IRA terrorists. I have many Catholic friends. My ex is a southern Catholic. A proud Irish woman. I hate sectarian politics and religion and people like you, another keyboard warrior, think its fine to insult me. When I was 18 I met a Catholic girl. Was beaten up many times by both sides but refused to stop seeing her even after having my jaw broke in two places, four teeth knocked out and my skull fractured, all in just one of many kickings. I have spoken out for many years against the hatred here and got beaten up for it had my windows smashed my car windscreen smashed, graffiti about the IRA sprayed on my house and car. K even had to move house last year after several years of intimidation. L because I stood up to a local dissident republican drug dealer in a pub. He was humiliated because I stood up to him. He was a coward. A drug dealing scumbag but I paid the price. I had to move over a 100 miles for peace and quiet. There are still thousands of armed paramilitaries terrorising their own communities. People here aren't laughing. Newsflash. You're the joke !
@@paulnorton8031 Agreed Paul. Often people who aren’t from Ulster often treat the issue as some kind of joke. The Border unionist community paid a heavy price in blood defending their country. It’s a tragic story. No joke.
Most people in England and Wales (some people in Scotland are partial - it is where the plantation and the sectarianism came from) would just vote for every single person there to wake up magically happily agreeing tomorrow, if we could. Instead of seemingly being doomed to always have a sizeable minority dissent one way or the other. Which government they agree on, we don't mind at all, it's their decision and we fully respect their right to decide. I can't imagine living in a small town where people don't even agree on which country it is that they live in, it must be depressing.
@@compulsiverambler1352 where are you from? As an American of Irish descent I just can't understand how or why ANY Irish person would be against unifying! Why do some Irish people support being ruled by the English? Is there a lot of people in Ireland that consider themselves English and how and why does that work? I have tried to understand this for years and just can't understand. I would really appreciate anyone's opinion that is directly affected by all of this. What is the unionists actual explanation for wanting to be part of the UK more than unifying and being a self ruled country? Is being part of the UK better economically? Culturally?
@@ynot2385 I'm ancestrally mixed, religiously neutral atheist, born in England with family in the ROI. I don't want it to happen, nor want it to NOT happen. Just like any other region of the world, in order to have a (meaningless) personal preference as to which way the people who DO live there vote, I'd have to have a strong confidence in my own assessment of the long-term quality of life consequences of which way the vote goes, for the people who live there. I have no idea which union, the ROI or UK, would most promote the quality of life of the people who live there long-term, so how can I have a preference as to which way they vote? As far as I can tell, citizens of both the UK and the ROI are screwed, we both have shitty governments who are corrupt to the core, in different ways, but neither are as bad as North Korea or Iran, so the best option out of the two is far from obvious. I'd vote to come under the goverment of New Zealand if I could, and if the people of Northern Ireland somehow get that option I would recommend they consider it too, but all the time the options are these two clown show governments, it's really hard to give any kind of personal recommendation, and they wouldn't ask my opinion anyway, why would they? As for your confusion as to why the best government for NI to have is not obvious to me like it is to you - I'm unsure why you think it SHOULD be obvious to me, why you think I should have a preference and why it should be the preference you have. I'm also confused by the nature of your questions. Not offended, please don't take it that way, but let me express how those questions appear to me. It's like you're asking: "why do some Scots not want to be in the UK anymore, unified politically with the rest of the island of Great Britain, why would they not want the island to be unified under a single goverment? I think that not having one government for the whole island would mean that their democratic votes wouldn't count as them having self-rule." It's like you're asking: "why would any Canadians and Mexicans not want to unify politically with the USA, the geographically largest country on their island? All the time they're not unified governmentally with the largest nation on their island, I think they don't have self-rule." In the same way that the island status of Great Britain, and the island status of the American mainland, don't mean that everyone on those islands want the same things or have the same culture, the fact that Ireland is an island doesn't mean that everyone there wants the same things or have the same culture. And if you don't want the same things or have the same culture, you're sometimes not going to want the same government either. Right now there are two different central governments on the island of Ireland, and we have one central government on the island of Great Britain. Both those things might change within my lifetime, Ireland might have one government and Great Britain might have two, because the wishes of the majority of voters within a given region of each island might change. In neither case is the "right" answer obvious to me just because they're islands.
@@ynot2385 Irish people are worried about loyalist paramilitaries causing death and mayhem in Ireland. Moderate Northern Irish unionists are worried about economics. Northern Ireland is supported by one of the richest economies in the world and it has an NHS.- health care is expensive in the south of Ireland.
Its not too long since the Unionists actually marched throughout Donegal, especially within the Lagan areas. They still march in south Donegal each year. Official SF actually had a plan to include the whole 9 Counties of Ulster be a provincial government with its government being based in Belfast as well as the other province's having their own government 4 provincial governments with one main house in Dublin with one head of state with 4 provincial heads.
Splits in national identities seem to be a lot more common in Europe than what we think. Belgium which was originally created as a buffer state is itself divided between Flanders which has historical links to the Netherlands and Wallonia with its links to France. There is also a smaller German speaking community. The Spanish also have their problems, as did Czechoslovakia which split into two states in 1993. It had been created by the uniting of two equal nations of Slovaks and Czechs in 1918. In a recent TV debate Irish politicians from the Republic admitted that it would take a long time before they were ready for a referendum on a united Ireland. They said that their constitution would have to be changed and possibly the flag as it would not be be welcomed because of its links to paramilitaries. They may even have to move closer in their relationship with the U.K. The £10.8 Billion in subsidies plus the NHS etc. would all be obstacles that would have to be resolved. Unless there is political will on both sides to enter into meaningful dialogue it may take a couple of generations for things to change. Being outvoted along religious lines won’t solve the problems.
@Billy Donaldson You hit the nail right on the head. ROI is skint and could not afford reunification for many years. What many nationalist don't realise is that they have to make the Unionists an offer good enough to make them give up their nationality which will not be easy, it wouldn't take much for the balaclavas to get dusted off. They also assume that all catholics are nationalists, not so. Of course in the south they pay 50 quid to see a doctor, try selling that to the electorate!
Interesting discussion. As German living for years in the ROI and with my knowledge of Irish history and culture at United Ireland is inevitable and necessary. It need good preparation and should respect all sides. A United Ireland should not make the same mistakes from the German Union 1990. 🇨🇮
@@ruskoruskov3086 not easy to say in a few words. Let's say it like this. West Germany took the East over. Instead to build a complete new Germany and take the best of the 2 parts for it, all in East Germany was declined and vanished. East Germans lost there self esteem and confidence. The youths moved away into the west of Germany. All in all it was to much rush in the process. More to say but I think this sums it up very well. But don't misunderstand me. The German Unity was the best what could happen to Germany and I m very glad it did happen. Only wish the way would have been different.
Very good talk. You ask interesting questions about the future of BBC Ulster, Royal Mail and the NHS in a United Ireland. Signposts with two languages and distances in kilometers. A follow up video where you discuss the fundamental changes that the Republic of Ireland would need to seriously consider to welcome a United Ireland would be interesting. Yes there are lots of heated discussions about the flag and the national anthem. But maybe we would no longer have An Post or RTE. After all, is a United Ireland the Republic taking over NI or the Republic and NI joining together. The wording of the GFA talks about "NI forming part of a united Ireland." So it also means that the Republic would also join a United Ireland. All that said, the most important thing is that peace is maintained.
This would be an interesting discussion. It is hard to see disadvantages for NI. It would be joining a dynamic and open minded country very different to the backward republic it was 40 years ago. Of course the challenge is for unionists to recognise that reality and abandon a no longer relevant image of their neighbour.
Any unification must be a merger of both, rather than an absorption of the 6 counties by the RoI. I too think a federal system may be required to give the Unionist community a sense of security, even if it has a 30-50 years sunset clause. The Unionist community would comprise 15% of an all island population, definitely a significant demographic for a political party to cater to.
I really appreciate the balance you've brought here on this complex issue, coming from the UK I think that you are probably right that uniting the island would help to heal wounds both on the island and between Ireland and the rest of Britain because I think that the conflict has fostered an unhealthy form of identity politics for all sides involved, my only qualm is that Irish unification will leave the British isles as a whole probably permanently split. I am Welsh but thoroughly against Welsh nationalism and I will generally support any team from the British isles when competing in a match etc. I went to university in England and some of my family is English but likewise, most of the other half of the family is Irish and it is where a lot of my family is buried so I go there relatively often. Overall the general perception I get is that all these places on these islands are very similar there's not a lot of difference practically speaking between the lifestyles and social values or even the weather of someone in Newcastle to someone in Cork to someone in Cardiff, so its a shame travelling to Ireland to be treated like a foreigner eg, I was kicked out of a bar in Waterford once for quietly cheering when England scored a goal against Uruguay in 2012 which was quite shocking for me but I would've cheered had it been Ireland. That's why I like the Lions! Ultimately I think that for similar states like the UK and Ireland it would make more sense for it all to be working together cohesively as a strong united force for openness and democracy, I currently find the rising regional nationalism and Balkanisation of the UK to be very depressing. Whatever historical grievances there are I would want it to be water under the bridge as soon as possible so that one day we can all work together and whether that's under a British, Irish or Polkadot flag I couldn't care less.
I'm sorry you got kicked out of a pub in Waterford (where was it by the way? Was is in the village of Ring by any chance?). If it were in my local we would have loudly cheered Uruguay but bought you pints all night. However, you weren't being treated like a foreigner - Irish people don't treat foreigners like that - but sometimes the English do get that kind of treatment, though it is not at all common and I've never witnessed it. There are over 100,000 British people, mostly English, living in the republic. We all get along fine. It is a pity that the UK and Ireland are not heading along the one road together anymore, but that was largely an English decision: 15.1 million of the 17.4 million votes to leave the EU were English. For us in Ireland, our economic prosperity is dependent on reducing our exposure to the UKs orbit and counter balancing the UK with membership of the EU. That in turn resulted in increased prosperity, increased national confidence and strengthened our sense of cultural identity, which is precisely the opposite of the English experience of the same bloc. While we are similar, we are also very different with very different world views. I'm not sure a united Ireland would finish the UK if that is what you meant by a permanent split. An independent Scotland certainly would, but the dark horses here are the English. For me the logical outworking of Brexit is England leaving the UK and becoming an independent country. A lesson I have learned from Brexit is that if we really want to understand the English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland unionists, we also need to focus on understanding our differences rather than just our similarities. I think too. that to much can be dismissed as 'historical grievances' when in fact it is the vision of the future that is the issue.
I must pull you up for your statement about ' the conflict has fostered an unhealthy form of identity politics'. The conflict didn't cause that! That was caused when the state was first set up, have you not been listening 'a prodistant state for a prodistant people'
@@paulferris2218 with respect to Craig, he had said it in response to de Valera calling Ireland a Catholic nation. In Craig’s own words: “The hon. Member must remember that in the South they boasted of a Catholic State. They still boast of Southern Ireland being a Catholic State. All I boast of is that we are a Protestant Parliament and a Protestant State. It would be rather interesting for historians of the future to compare a Catholic State launched in the South with a Protestant State launched in the North and to see which gets on the better and prospers the more. It is most interesting for me at the moment to watch how they are progressing. I am doing my best always to top the bill and to be ahead of the South.” Now I do think it’s funny I see unionists championing de Valera’s bigoted comment that prompted the response but they stop at Protestant State. I think it is telling they didn’t mention the comparison Craig proudly suggested that we people of the future looking back compare both states and see how they have changed. It’s clear the rapidly secularising state won this fight
I’m sorry and really disappointed that you experienced that. A lot of people still feel very personally attached to their disdain for the nameless English so the idea of someone issuing support for them is unacceptable. And as was said most of us do maintain a schadenfreude for English teams, more in the bantering sense than meaning them ill. I happily cheer on the Scots and the Welsh and love attempting My Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau with phonetics! 🏴
@@beaglaoich4418 true republikeins never wanted a state run by one side or the other they wanted a sercular state where all peoples could be free to practice whatever releigion they wished,not be run by them
My last comment was auto-deleted by RUclips, but oh well. I'll try again with more politically correct (and historically incorrect) language. And maybe leave some of it out. I am a Protestant (Church of Ireland, i.e. Anglican) who grew up in the Republic. I am also half-English, half-Irish with a CofI mother and a CofE father (so fully Anglican at any rate). I never felt fully at home, or felt that I belonged in either country... Ireland or England. I was always too English for the Irish and too Irish for the English (and too Protestant for the Catholic Irish). Incidentally, my mother's line, though their family did marry into Protestant Settler families, came over with the Norman invasion, so have been in Ireland for ~900 years. Oh yes, they also married into local Gaelic families, such as O'Hara and O'Rourke. I have always been an Irish Nationalist and supporter of a United Ireland under the Republic. Still, people have mostly forgotten that Republicanism/Nationalism ≠ Catholic. People seem to have forgotten that some of the key figures of Irish Nationalism were Protestants, especially Church of Ireland. People also tend to not be aware that the Church of Ireland offered the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer and church services As Gaeilge from the early 1600s. People tended to assume that I was a Unionist hust because I'm a Protestant. I have never been oppressed, but I have been ostracized because of being a "Dirty Bl**k Protestant who is going to Hell". Whenever I dated a Catholic girl, their parents were always against it. Yet when I was in England, it didn't matter that I was a Protestant... I was still a bleeding Paddy. Things have changed a lot since then though. I find that most people under 40 don't care about the Ireland vs. England thing, or the Protestant vs. Catholic thing. Still, considering that Ireland became a de facto Catholic Theocracy under de Valera, one can understand why the Unionists in the North didn't want to be part of the Irish Free State. And my experiences growing up as a Dirty Bl**k Protestant in the Republic weren't great. Still, things have changed, and I don't think there's a need for a separate 'Protestant' Northern Ireland anymore. Alternatively we could go for a Federation, like Germany. So Ulster with a capital in Belfast, Connaught with a capital in Galway, Munster with a capital in Cork (jeez, then they'd finally be right when they call themselves the 'real' Capital... boi) and Leinster with a capital in Dublin. And sure, why not have the Federation capital in Athlone, bang in the middle!
Given the reality, and it is NOT a positive, that the Republic of Ireland(RoI) has a vastly over-centralised government, your suggestion has a great deal of merit...
100% disagree with Athlone as a centre of power!!!! But agree with the rest. I’m a Southern Ulster Catholic, from a vaguely Nationalist family. I have siblings and cousins on either side of the border. In a United Ireland the Unionist community would comprise 15% of he population. This large demographic cannot be ignored by or forced into such a nation. I do agree that perhaps a Federal structure may have to be the initial position. “Home rule for Ulster” or similar. Any union of the island has to be a merging of both sides rather than an absorption of the 6 counties.
@@Mugdorna What's your problem with Athlone? It's about as central as you can get on the island... The power involved would be a federal residue, if this ever happens...
@@Mugdorna OK, so policy decisions for the future of the entire island must take your emotional history into account? Probably not the best basis, I'm thinking.... :))
I’m English and play rugby with a bunch of northern Irish lads and they’re very much British and no-one calls them Irish. Also nice that one’s catholic and the others Protestant but nobody cares because they were born after the good Friday agreement and are part of a generation that’s much less divided.
It’s true. The people of Northern Ireland are mainly British. Part of the same nation that inhabits the rest of the United Kingdom. It’s a shame more people don’t understand that.
The problem is the Minority who see it as they’re right and tradition to march through a catholic Neighbourhood loudly singing songs about how they wish there were no Catholics.
So imagine if you can someone saying I play rugby with a guy from England. He's not English though he's something else. So I wont call him English, no he's much better than that ill decide to call him British. Hope that makes me sound like a twat. Oh by the way I was born in England, but I'm not English I'm better than that I'm Irish.
As a unionist I found this a really interesting video to watch, and I found myself thinking more critically about this issue. I still have one pretty big question.... what happens with policing? does the PSNI stay? Will the an Garda Siochana become armed like the PSNI are? Will loyalists submit themselves to a police force that they see as "IRA supporters and colluders"? Who is to say. I think such critical thinking as promoted in this video is needed on both sides of the fence, the blind support of a united or partinioned Ireland helps no one, we need practical solutions in the North, and the border or lackthereof is not always the perfect solution.
Will loyalists submit themselves to a police force that they see as "IRA supporters and colluders"? The VAST majority of Gardaí despised the IRA there were some sympathisers but there was plenty of sympathy with the IRA across the board in Ireland. The guards is probably one of the places you would have found it least.
Is every member of the PSNI armed? There are armed Gardaí but they are only used in emergency situations, like you wouldn't see them walking around the streets
The gardaí currently have the armed units concentrated where they are most likely to be called but don't patrol as such. As a beginning, they would probably have the armed units patrolling for the first time in hotspots and aim to wind them down as time goes on. I imagine that it would be weird even for the nationalist areas that typically don't see the psni passing through their areas to suddenly have a formal police force there. As we get closer to a united Ireland, I think our eyes are opening more to the actual practicalities of it and it's not as easy to just say yes we want the whole country together without a plan that is truly fair for all. Cambridge recently had a great debate (with some not so great speakers on both sides in parts) that's worth a look that touched on the same ideas.
You make good points. Relations between loyalists and the PSNI aren't exactly honky dory either at the moment. Maybe the Loyalist might like the blue uniforms that the guards ware instead of the green ones, lol
I have to disagree with the statement that unionists have been dealt a bad hand. The reality of it is unionists politicians shot themselves in the foot by supporting Brexit, and then proceeded to punch themselves in the face by failing to support Theresa May because her Brexit wasn't Brexitty enough for them, and now they want to portray themselves as VICTIMS..... Unionists must learn to support politicians who represent their best interests
@@noodlyappendage6729 a good move?...who has benefited from it?..and how?.....because their constituents who they are supposed to represent certainly haven't....
@@TheJackb45 The UK has benefited from it as a whole. As time goes on there will be more and more benefits. Food will become cheaper etc. What NI is not benefittng from is the NIP. I'm pretty certain the NIP will be scrapped.
@@noodlyappendage6729 so cheap food is now a benefit for a largely agricultural based economy like NI.......I'm sure their farmers and food companies will be delighted with not having to bank all that money.....removing the NIP doesn't begin to solve the problems Brexit has bestowed on the citizens of NI...
@@TheJackb45 It's more then cheap food mate. Pretty much everything will be cheaper. And NI farmers won't have to worry as the vast majority of their produce goes to the UK. And yes removing the NIP most certainly will solve a problem in NI as it is afecting UK > UK trade!
The idea of a United Ireland coming from a man born in the most Loyalist town in south Antrim, is very interesting, personally a couple years ago i started looking at loyalists as embarrassing, holding onto a false identity because we were feared of the Catholic Church having complete rule whilst also forgetting Catholics AND mostly Protestants led an entire all island rebellion 1798. I no longer identify as British or Northern Irish, i only identify as a Ulsterman or Ultach (word used to describe someone or something from Ulster) i identify more with my roots in Ulster than i do with england, sometimes i even call myself an irishman now, but i mean in the sense of, i just hail from the island, but there are alot of other people in Northern Ireland i have met who feel the same way, some even wanting Ulster to be independent, which in writing sounds cool and logic as the English did sort of interrupt Irish politics when they invaded as ulster and many others were their own kingdoms, but in reality ive been looking at Éire Nua, a United Ireland where Ulster isnt ruled directly from Dublin but as a federal Island, all Provinces would have their own parliaments, such as the provision of a parliament, Dáil Uladh, for Ulster, also it would incorporate the province so that there would be a fair balance between the more traditional Protestants and Catholics. But yes the idea of United Ireland is starting to become extremely interesting and i think we have a lot to share and alot we can help eachother with, one thing i know for certain is when it does happen, the ex DUP, UUP, TUV members will start the Irexit party big time lol
I grew up in a loyalist housing estate in Northern Ireland. I fully understand the mindset of hatred and mistrust which is shared by both sides. I have grown to hate sectarian politics and religion with a passion. I'm a rare breed or so I'm told. I'm proud to .myself British. I'm also proud to be Irish. I love my country. Northern Ireland has so much to offer. I love exploring the South of Ireland too. I believe in democracy. I believe there will be a united Ireland one day when the majority want it. I also fear the violence that will most likely ensue. I was four years old when the troubles started so I don't remember a life before then. I fear for the young people who may experience the violence of the past which blighted this beautiful place. Sinn Fein accuse Unionists of triumphalism. Wait till we get a united Ireland? I for one would accept a united Ireland, even embrace it but I fear that a united Ireland would serve to divide an already divided people. The price paid would not just be financial. I'm not opposed to a united Ireland. I fear it and not for myself. Its the youth of the future who may be more divided than my generation ever were. Thirty years of peace? More? Yet we are more divided in the North than we were during the troubles. The two most extreme, hate filled political parties have risen to the top. Most people here here vote for one reason and one reason only. To keep the other side out. Parents still teach their children to hate and coming from someone who has spent most of their life in Northern Ireland or the North of Ireland, depending on your political persuasion, I can tell you one thing for sure. Most people here are decent and kind but the extremists on both sides are as bad as each other.
@Fíonán Murphy unfortunately there are a minority on both sides who can't let go of the past. Armed extremists who would love an excuse to return to the violence of the past. I'm not opposed to a united Ireland. If the majority want it, as a unionist who believes in democracy I believe it will happen and rightly so, one day but as someone who has lived through the troubles and experienced violence first hand on many occasions, I can assure you that the feelings of the majority are irrelevant when you have armed fanatics on both sides. I fear civil war and that's no exaggeration.
@Fíonán Murphy it’s somewhat obscure but there are parades and picnics for the Orange order in the south. Rossnowlagh Co Donegal is a sizeable parade and Drum in Monaghan is a small rural parade
Excellent video. Thanks Britain, for voting Brexit in. Unionists are welcome 🇮🇪🤝🏻🤝🏻🇬🇧 . They'll get more respect from Ireland than from the British establishment.
Looking from the outside in, at this moment, with the Brexit chaos and betrayal, and religion becoming less important for young people, a United Ireland is not only a great win, but inevitable.
I grew up in Belfast and Lisburn. I like your balance. It's very sad to meet people from near there who in some ways have so much in common but in other ways completely alien from each other, and I try to get to know them to overcome that.
You could also argue the Kingdom of Ireland 1500s to 1800 was also a united country with a parliment in Dublin. Ireland was also united under the Irish Free State since the Dublin parliment was for the whole island and Stormont succeeded back to the U.K, after we left.
The kingdom of Ireland was a British client state and the free state was a British dominion. So yeah, ireland was united before, but only under British rule.
pre-Norman Ireland was as united as anywhere else in Europe and considerably closer to becoming a centralised state than places like Italy or Germany which didn't really manage it until the 19th century. It had a common legal code, economy, language, culture and political system - albeit one that was very decentralised with a very weak centre. This constant claim that "Ireland was only united under the English" is nonsense and is just retconning 19th-century Militarised Nation State ideas of what a "real" country looks like onto a period a thousand years earlier.
@@ciaranirvine Pre Norman Ireland was a patchwork of warring tribes and kingdoms. The opposite of a unified country. To demonstrate this, the first Norman (English) army was actually invited into Ireland by the king of Leinster to help him wage war against the “high king” at the time Rory O’Connor. This invitation established the English Pale and was the genesis of British rule in Ireland.
The only way I can see Northern Ireland working as part of Ireland and keeping the NHS would be it to work as a region of Ireland like it works as a region of the UK. This way they can keep the British things
Northern Ireland is a country within the UK, not a region. If it became part of a United Ireland it wouldnt be able to keep the NHS as it is now, as the NHS in Northern Ireland is funded and managed through the UK Goverment. The Irish Government has a different system where citizens have to pay for some treatments, depending on circumstances. It seems unrealistic that people from Northern Ireland would be able to keep the NHS. The Irish heath care system, HSE is strongly rated.
@@TheEggmaniac how about similar to what they did with Hong Kong? If a majority wants out of UK but a loud minority wants to stay in then give it an autonomous status with UK and a long date of addition to Ireland (30 years or so). This was working well with Hong Kong and China until… China grew impatient and conquered it.
@@Lawnmower737 I dont think the situation is really comparable. As Britain's 99 year lease agreement with China, ( though technically for not all of Honk Kong), ended in 1999. It was a legal arrangement between two states which had come to its end. In the agreement that China made with UK, before the UK handed back Honk Kong , China agreed to guarantee Hong Kong's economic and political systems for 50 years after the transfer. After 1999, the UK had no say in what happened in Honk Kong. I think the UK saw they had no choice, as China had become a big military power by then. I reckon the UK, and a lot of people in Hong Kong, would have preferred it if this didnt happen.. Obviously China have not stuck to their agreement and are taking complete control of Hong Kong and ruthlessly stamping out any different opinions. Northern Ireland already has autonomous status within the UK. Its called the Northern Ireland Assembly. They can decide on many of their own laws. However perhaps further autonomy could happen as a first as a step to reunification. If thats what the Northern Irish population wants.
@@kevingough5299 that says it all…I rest my case..that’s how you all roll..…jump on the back of someone else’s remark..and you admit you can’t think for yourself..
@@bellascott6478 "yous" Jesus Wept, themuns stealing your fleg and kkkulture again? People here complaining about quotes are the same people who get all teary eyed everytime they see a random winston churchill quote on facebook. Sic Semper Tryannis.
Hi there I'm from a PUL background and I am a member of the UUP I can see the demographics changing and a united ireland will happen in my lifetime, the problem is I couldn't live in a sinn fein run united ireland, as they and many of their supporters refuse to make any concessions, I will always engage in the conversation and could be swayed for a yes vote, but i don't know how welcome i would be made to feel when i get called an orange b****** or a planter, but as i just said, will always engage in the conversation and im happy to do so
Well maybe the UUP have give you the impression of a U Ire - The rest of us Unionist/Loyalists have a spine and will never give in.. We're more like the Ukrainians, we will fight to the death for our country , Northern Ireland . Grow a set
As an Englishman, I would say this is the natural conclusion. Not because I don't care about NI - I do... (I voted to stay, not leave the EU); but because of the way the Tory government are treating NI.....and their total failure to understand the GFA. Even when they do, they seem to think they can just ignore International law and ride roughshod over the GFA - playing fast and loose with it. I think it would be great for Ireland to become a unified country, and I think it will happen before Scotland leaves the Union. As an Englishman I say good luck to you, and maybe a unified Ireland will in time see better relations between a united Ireland and England. I also think the UK is heading for a break up purely down to the attitudes of the Tory government, and Leave voters in general.
As a Unionist, I must say I find your approach refreshing from the traditional nationalist one. :) I have a couple points I'd like to say from my perspective on the topic. Firstly, personally, I already identity as Irish. This is because I identify as both British and Irish - I am from the British Isles, particularly, the island of Ireland. Therefore I don't need to be convinced that the rest I'd the Irish are my kin. The problem for me is severing the link with my kin from across the sea. I live closer to Scotland than the border. The second major problem I have is severing the link to the British crown. I enjoy the eccentricity of living in a Monarchy. The fact Ireland has not even joined the Commonwealth as a republic whilst countries that have suffered far worse regarding the Empire have, is disappointing. Third of all, I'm not sure the Republic of Ireland is ready culturally to take us on. For the past 100 years, ROI has enjoyed the stability of 95%+ Irish nationalists and therefore has not had to cater much to our side. All of Ireland would have to recognise the significance of the British influence here. Education, for example, I can only assume is very nationalist orientated - with what I can imagine is a focus on the likes of the 1916 rebellion etc (in a positive light). Fourthly, if the argument is to be used that we should all move forward and forget the past etc, why can't the same argument be made for Ireland and Great Britain? I.e. why does there only gave to be reconciliation north and south (leading to an all Ireland), but then there cannot be reconciliation east and west (Ireland rejoining the UK). If this is not possible, then clearly not all of us are so eager to put the past behind us. Finally, although I'm sure I could think of loads of other points, some other minor ones that spring to mind are: foreign policy (I like being in NATO); currency and measurements (I don't like the concept of the national currency being controlled from Brussels and I prefer using miles on the roads); and of course, as you mention in the video, what will happen to our public services?
Well, You could see me as a Nationlist, but tbh I don't know what a Nationlist is XD. On your first point, uhhhh Nothing much. Second point, ROI did consider a couple of times to join the Commonwealth so it wouldnt be far of a stretch that we MIGHT join the commonwealth, but on the other hand the Monarchy is a dying government type..... So talk to JJ Mc on that issue. Third Problem, Why would we rejoin the UK after 800 years of struggles and unjust? Fourth problem, Im a person born in the ROI with Grandparents from both Britian and Northern Ireland, and we never once in our entire life believe that the ROI education system is one sided. Its actually fairly Nuetral. Yes there is more on irish stuff than britiah stuff and thats because well ITS IRELAND, so I honestly see no issue with that. And the last point, Ireland is not part of NATO but we are a strong ally of NATO because we allow NATO troops into our country aswell use NATO equipment and weopons, so if we were under attack or anything NATO will be than happy to help us. Metric system is used in 190 countries so RIP on that one, And public services would still be the same but the money will be from the Irish Government
These are all great points, and that’s always gonna be the difficulty in this. I’m sure there are certain compromises that can looked at if a United Ireland does become a more tangible possibility. I think Ireland stayed out of the commonwealth partially because we got out just before the larger wave of Decolonisation across the Empire. I think Ireland too chose and continues to choose to stay out of the commonwealth because the people spent 700 years (or at least 500 years) trying to assert that they were not British. One could definitely argue that we’ve cut our own nose off to spite our face with regards the potential benefits there may have been to remain within the UK or indeed the commonwealth, but at the same time we’ve had the autonomy to mess up our own country! Lol. I also totally understand the link to the monarchy. I’d imagine it’s a surprisingly personal thing. US President John Adams had a similar feeling upon breaking from Britain.
Hopefully a good, balanced curriculum can be developed to learn from the various perspectives on the island (although creationism has no place in history or science)
@@JohnDRuddyMannyMan Yes these are all great points. And he said nothing about the economy of NI as part of UK versus economy of NI as part of Eire....which is a HUGE issue. Refreshing too he didnt bring up religion neither, which Im very sure is becoming more a diminished issue every day, thankfully. Whats another issue is identity and culture. This along with economy, imo, is where we need to convince our northern people to want to be, and feel, part. As long as most northerners dont want to, then Im not so happy or forceful neither.
Interesting discussion. How would the Irish government control swathes of Northern Ireland with a unionist majority? The Garda driving through Carrickfergus, trying to raise an Irish flag in Rathcoole. What national anthem? Not sure if a majority in the Irish Republic would want a million unionists, or the Daíl want the rabble of N.Ireland politicians (of all parties!). Those who think a simple majority vote will do the trick have not really understood the problem. If UK with all it’s resources, the army, huge police force, helicopters, SAS struggled to contain 600,000 nationalist/republicans not sure what the Irish army and Garda would do in the north with a million unionists. Would the unionist parties end up holding the whip hand in the dail (if they even take up their seats?) Unfortunately these are not the questions being asked. Nor are answers being put forward. South Africa changed both flag and anthem. Would a majority in the island be happy with that?
Love the explanation and love the idea that a United Ireland might create a ‘proper’ political landscape after 100 years. Both jurisdictions have a bizarre setup. Any United Ireland has to be a union of both rather than an absorption of the 6 counties.-An Ulsterman
Well what also might happen is the Irish might outbreed you, Catholics already outnumber Scottish Presbyterians in the north. In that case why would they concede anything?
@@thenextshenanigantownandth4393 I’d imagine a civil war, an Ulster Republic, or a recommitment to the United Kingdom would follow if they didn’t. I’m not fully aware of the political situation, but I’d imagine the Unionists would predominant any unification negotiations with concessions. Maybe they revitalize Unionist culture into a regional identity like how the individual regions of Germany have local identities and histories (not sure if that’s a good example for what I mean, but it’s the only one I can think of right now). In any case, getting the Unionists to agree to negotiations would be easier/more moral than screwing them like Palestine I would imagine, especially with London right next door able to intervene
@@thenextshenanigantownandth4393 The irish have enough trouble being outbred in the republic o ireland anyways. Dont think the birth rate divisions are anywhere near the levels or levels of concern anyways that some people may think.
As a Brit from England, I absolutely did NOT support Brexit. To those who think all Englishmen supported the UK leaving the EU, don't believe it for a second because it's not true. Brexit was a stupid decision and we never should've left All that said though, I think so long as the people of Northern Ireland want to stay British, they should have the right to do so
Loyalists are loyal to the monarch. Not Britain. That’s why they didn’t see the problem with potentially taking up arms against the British army in 1912.
You’ve got that so badly wrong. The opposite of your comment is true. The loyalists are loyal to the British nation. That’s why they were prepared to take up arms against the army in 1912. Because the government in London was discussing the prospect of using the army to enforce home rule and sell out British territory. As it turned out, the army (who themselves were loyal to of the British nation) agreed with the loyalists, and sided with Ulster against the government. Google the curragh mutiny. The Ulster Protestants actually tended to be more parliamentarian during the civil war. And took an anti monarchy position, on the basis that the King was Catholic and continental in sympathy.
@@raymondhaskin9449 No. It’s at best debatable who loyalists claim to be loyal to with some claiming the British state and some the monarch. The Ulster covenant specifically makes claim to be “loyal subjects of His Gracious Majesty King George V”. In fact, the only use of the term in the covenant refers only to loyalism in relation to the King. The British army didn’t have to side with them because they were never called on to do anything to oppose them. The Ulster Protestants were opposed to a Catholic monarch specifically. There hasn’t been a Catholic monarch since the 17th century.
@@Dreyno No debate needed. It’s simple: They’re loyal to the crown and government until those institutions threaten the nation. At which point they dispense with them to protect the nation. In the same way the French army dispensed with their 4th republic over the Algerian crisis. The British army officers at Curragh and the loyalists in Ulster dispensed with their government over the Ulster crisis - seeing themselves, not the state, as guardians of the nation.
@@raymondhaskin9449 So à la carte loyalty? The only mention of loyalty in the Ulster covenant is to the monarch. The Curragh mutiny is officially the “Curragh Incident”. It’s not a mutiny because nothing happened. The British government never felt the brunt of loyalist anger. Just the nationalists that found themselves in a “Protestant state for a Protestant people”.
There's an old saying, which I feel is appropriate for the uncertainty surrounding Northern Ireland, whether it becomes a part of a united Ireland or remains a constituent of the UK, only time will tell. I'm reluctant to make a prediction, my only hope is that it is without bloodshed. Too much blood has been shed in Ireland over the centuries
There’s no doubt that it will remain in the UK. Those that think otherwise are dreaming. 1. NI is already IN the UK not the RoI and 2. Most people in NI support remaining in the UK. I just don’t understand how people can read from that that there is more chance of NI joining the RoI then remaining in the UK. This is what happens when too many people from outside NI listen to the opinions of too many people outside NI. To them it doesn’t matter what the people of NI want. As far as there concerned Ireland should be “united”. They don’t think much past that point.
@@noodlyappendage6729 playing devil's advocate there's bound to be people on both sides of the border that feel that with the Northern Ireland protocol, brought in as part of Brexit, was a bigger step towards a United Ireland than anything the IRA ever did. It's kind of in limbo, kind of part of the UK, but not really (it's in limbo, items from England, Scotland or Wales have to go through EU customs checks to reach the whole island of Ireland)
Très bien young man, I subscribed and liked. I live near Paris and we visited Northern Ireland on a tourist trip in 1993 during the first truce. We stayed on Arran More and then crossed into Northern Ireland and stayed overnight in the Queen's Arms in Omagh, we were the first tourists they'd seen since the 60's. They refused to serve me in the bar there in spite of my English accent because I was wearing a green shirt. So I walked up the street to Gallaghers bar where I was well received. Our Paris suburb of L'Hay Les Roses was then twinned with Omagh in 1994, and still is, so I know personally about the horror there from friends we made during twinning ceremonies in our town. I'm not Irish so I won't comment on unification but I do like the continuing peace in the beautiful island of Ireland and long may it continue.
Someone posted that I was talking rubbish, I don't mind answering negative comments. This is a true report of a trip made in 1993, 28 years ago. When we gave our car registration N° for security reasons the receptionist at the Queen's Arms hotel said that we were the first French registered car that they'd had there since the late 60's. The hotel, which is no longer there, was a hang out for off duty squaddies from the barracks just up the road. The security fences around this military building were massive intimidating as was the armoured control point at the frontier between the Republic and Northern Ireland. At several places in Northern Ireland when we stopped at a pub to have lunch we were told that we were the first tourists that they'd seen in years.
Thanks for doing this video, Ive done a very similar one looking at the same content, just with a lot more data and less of an Irish accent! Check it out and let me know what you think of it "What if Ireland United?"
I watched the SKP video. Excellent. So is this one. In 1918 a majority of MPS wanted Home Rule (about 66%). Partitioning the country with a border which has no firm basis in demography or geography was a denial of democracy. 1998: The ROI voted to remove their constitutional claim on NI in the interests of peace. The ROI has moved on from what it was, an agrarian society dominated by the RC Church. NI had a society of sectarianism for decades but has begun to move on. One country on the island makes sense. It will not be easy. Sadly, if Britain had granted Home Rule in 1912, as was democratically achieved, then likely Ireland would still be part of UK.
A United Ireland with a national health service and provisions to protect British identity! We need lots planning and a clear visions but it’s an exciting time and it’s within our reach!! 💚🇮🇪
You can’t start by getting your government to recognise and use the term ‘British Isles’. Even the first map of Ireland shows Ireland as a British Isle.
The people who associate a few with many are bigots. Just cause my great great great grandfather (a person I hardly know and condemn) killed someone somehow I’m responsible
15:15 - Eh, I don't know about this one, I don't think the unionists are going to fold into Mainstream Irish politics with a "we tried" upon unification and Identity Politics will die. I'm mostly informed as a Canadian by our experience with Quebec. Unification into a single nation does not automatically equate to two groups forming a single mainstream politics. The "Quebec" Issue is a big reason why Canadian Politics, like Ireland's, are also pretty non ideological and mostly based on identity and regionalism. Just going off that scenario, the unionist strategy within a united Ireland, if outright rejoining the UK is out of the question, would probably just become, as Quebec's strategy is today within Canada. To carve as large a space for itself within the country as possible, demand special laws from the Dublin gov, as much autonomy as possible, ect. Unless they end up being abstentionists, more than likely you will have a faction of Unionists in the Dail kicking up a constant stink in a unified ireland, just as the BQ does in Canada. I mean, just a rough calculation, Northern Ireland has about 1.9 Million People, the Republic has about 5.1 Million, so out of the united 7 million, about 27.1% of the Population is in the north. consistently in Northern Irish Assembly and UK parliament elections in Northern Ireland, the Unionists are north of 40% of the vote, so that's a block of at least 10% of the Dail seats going to Unionist TDs in a united Ireland, minimum. I mean hey, at least Ireland Uses PR and not first past the post, or else you could get the Leader of the Opposition in a dail being a seperatist like Canada did in 1993.
Would there potentially be a rhetoric along the lines of, “you might not be British citizens anymore, but as Northern Ireland, you’ve always been Irish too- welcome home’ ?
Ireland as one is a no brainer - their economy would zoom. And it is about time Ulster was reunited, where one third of it is in the Republic at the moment. Luv from Wales.
@@huwzebediahthomas9193 Ireland is already wealthy it doesn’t need Northern Ireland to “zoom” economically and on the case of Northern Ireland the economy would actually get worse because of the risk of the Troubles starting U.K. again. Furthermore, the U.K. is richer than Ireland so Northern Ireland gets more money invested into it then it likely would with the smaller economy of Ireland. If a united Ireland is a no brainer then the Irish down south can always join up with the North! 🇬🇧
im born and raised in the uk england i admire both contries north and south yes i agree there would be deifficulties and settling in period but a united ireland would do more good then harm in fact a democratic one union of ireland would make ireland as a whole a better stronger country of its own and i feel this is the way forward if ireland wanted the nhs it could ask the UK to support this while not being part of the UK i feel a united ireland needs to happen as its the only way forwared and loyalists need to understand it better for ireland as a wholle to become one nation of its own i wish i could go on tv and plea this to all irish people
Hi John. I know I will get abuse. I am a silent Unionist lol. I dont wave flags, attend bonfires or parades. Alot of what you say I actually agree with. I am socially Conservative and that comes before my nationality. I believe in family values and the ability to work hard and prosper. I love our wee Island North and South. I do not have any hatred towards the Republic but for me personally at this juncture economically I am better off in the UK. Alot of people are in a similar position. Now is this worth killing for -No. What would I do as a Unionist in a United Ireland - continue to work hard, look after my family and live lol. The Republic is not a bad place to.live but I want to feel part of it and not excluded. My fear is the violence that would ensue after a United Ireland. I dont want to live in a place patrolled by UN troops who would. So I will move to Donegal lol
As an neutral outsider I don't understand the Unionists. They have to know a united Ireland is unavoidable, the only question is when. And if something is unavoidable, make sure you get the most possible benefits from it. So let the Ulster leaders representatives meet with the Irish government with one simple question: "What will Ireland (and the EU) offer Ulster if we support a United Ireland?"
Believe the Loyalists will dissent - just a tad, still when the troubles reignite the body bags won't be coming back to the UK as they used to - destination Dublin in a United Ireland.
It’s was as united as we want to say it was. To say it wasn’t united because it didn’t adhere to Britain’s concept of it is like me saying Britain isn’t a democracy because it has a Queen and an unelected upper house. Our system was a system of warring kingdoms with a notional High King. So be it. It’s a boring old canard at this stage to say Ireland was never united until British rule.
As I understand it, the Laws of Fennecus, or Brehon Law applied equally across the whole of Ireland. The laws were created and overseen by the brehons, and applied by the dallaighs. The kings did not create the law, but were obliged to rule within the law. So, that is a kind of united Ireland. What I have read of Brehon Law says it was a remarkably humane, well-considered approach to law. I think it is a great pity that modern Irish law is an evolution of existing (in 1921) British law, instead of being based on the principles of Brehon Law.
@@paulferris2218 I totally agree. I think that if the other side had won the civil war of 1922-4, Ireland wpuld have shed a lot more of the English colonial legacy. And probably lots more would be speaking Gaelic - language contains so much in the way people think.
The more peace in Ireland, the more chance eventually Ireland will become united, children growing up over the last 25 years have started to integrate have friends that are protestant and Catholic.
Love the vid. As someone from Northern Ireland born after the good Friday agreement I really enjoyed your analysis. I don’t think we will ever see a United Ireland in the full and truest sense, as in Ireland United under one system. The island and especially the north has been through to much to open up the wound again. Violence would follow that I have no doubt. IWhat I can see happening however, is Northern Ireland having its own government (similar to now but a bit more independent) but linking in with the dail. Effectively the island would still be split but would come under the banner of a European project with Ireland rather than as A united ireland. I just can’t ever, under circumstances see a united ireland happening. It’s easy to dream it up and see the benefits but the reality is, violence is not far around the corner. I like Ireland culturally but am not a fan of the politics down there.
Some talk of a federal Ireland, like Oz, with local governments in Dublin, Cork and Belfast. It's a nice idea, though there isn't an obvious equivalent city in the west of Ireland.
Just do it already, it's been going on for too long now and NI wants to desperately be part of the EU, this is their best opportunity and might not come up ever again. Should do it!
You must wait and see what happens. It’s not an entirely forgone conclusion that Northern Ireland Unites with Ireland. The NHS would go and that would be a problem in Northern Ireland. The last opinion poll done for Northern Irish unification with Ireland shows that Unionism is still popular.
Tastefully Subjective Nice to hear a Donegal man go thru it, I mean go through it, explain from the heart with animations. I baulk at the suggestion of all Of Ireland rejoin the Term uk - here's to reunited Ireland and yes peace for every religion - sound bud Port Lairge Benny
personally, as a mixed brit i would like to see a reunited ireland and people respecting each other and a clear understanding. It's up the young generation to really make this better and connecting peacefullly. Yes the north would loose out on some british things but would gain free entry into europe to live and travel freely etc. tough decission but they could take those baby steps first, it's about time.
The borders of Ireland haven't changed? Well, not quite... Dal Riata of the North-East of Ireland invaded Scotland (only a couple of miles away by sea) in the 6th Century. Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Man were both part of the 'Gaelosphere' well into the 17th Century and Irish poets travelled without restriction across these territories. So... it's more complicated than you think.
Being part of the Gaelic world didn’t mean part of Ireland. The actual island has always been Ireland. Even if the Irish had a shared kingdom with lowland Scotland (called after the “Scotti” Irish based raiders named as such by the Romans) or a shared culture with the Manx or the Welsh.
@@Mugdorna Well, yes and no, M. The physical geographical feature that is Ireland is the same, it's true. But the borders of what people considered their world was the gaeltacht/gàidhealtachd and for a very long time this was more important than the island, and this both for people both inside and outside that gaelic world.
The Day the rest of Ulster unites with us again, ill be playing this in Dublin all day. (Chorus) We're on the one road Sharing the one load We're on the road to God knows where We're on the one road It may be the wrong road But we're together now who cares North men, South men, comrades all Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Donegal We're on the one road swinging along Singing a soldier's song Though we've had our troubles now and then Now is the time to make them up again Sure aren't we all Irish anyhow Now is the time to step together now (Chorus repeat) Tinker, tailor, every mother's son Butcher, baker shouldering his gun Rich man, poor man, every man in line All together just like Old Land Syne (Chorus repeat) Night is darkest just before the dawn From dissention Ireland is reborn Soon we'll all be United Irishmen Make our land a Nation Once Again
A very good song, but unfortantly is will be droned out by God knows how many speakers on max screaming, "Go on home British Soldiers", which is a big oh dear moment
Thank you John. I’m an oldie that remembers very clearly all the twists and turns in Ireland over the last 55 years. The best part has been the last 24 years since the Belfast agreement. I’m a brit who has lived 40 years in France and have visted Ireland regulary over 50 years for busines and more recently for pleasure. I love your island and wish her all the best in the future - a future only all of you can work out. I took the road from Arran More to Derry during the first cease fire (early 90’s) and remember the unused (at the time) army checkpoint you talked about. A half hour before crossing the border in that place I’d seen an eagle soaring in the mountains. If only Ireland could take a cue from him it would make an old man happy.
Kelly 22 my names Patrick oh and are you really dumb enough to suggest u can’t be proud of your nation because you have a name from a different country? In that case the majority of America couldn’t be proud with all there British names please tell me your not that dumb darling ?
I remember commenting on the original Irish border video and having a good discussion about the issues relating to brexit and northern Ireland from a unionist perspective and seeing this in my recommended has brought that good memory back. It has now been what 3 years since and I have seen a lot more from my time here. I will say a lot of the points brought up about what benefits the union has in terms of social programs such as the NHS have been echoed by Nationalist people I know and work with here, with a fair few going as far as saying the NHS is a reason they wouldn't vote for a united Ireland.
Since when was Northern Ireland oppressed in recent times ? We choose to be in the United Kingdom and many of us including myself are proud to be British 🇬🇧🇬🇧
@@paddybrennan5602 You're proud to be British but British is not proud of you to be one of them because they know themselves that's while there's border at Irish sea,. Don't force yourself to become British because you can never bee, the land you you're living today belongs to Ireland.
Samuel Olaogun “your proud to be British but Britain is not proud of you”. Says the man with zero evidence whatsoever to backup his false claim oh and you must not believe in democracy if you think I live on Irish land the whole point of democracy is letting people choose there own leaders if we are proud to be British and want to be under British rule then that’s what will happen that’s how democracy works my friend the land I live on belongs to the United Kingdom and hopefully always will we are British and will die before that is taken away
@@paddybrennan5602 The evidence is clear in your face but you refuse to acknowledged it or ignorant, 1st border at Irish sea between North Ireland and United Ireland, 2rd, Northern Ireland is part of Ireland which will be reunited in your life time 3rd, British don't want you that's while all there policy is purely about British not Northern Ireland. You're not part of discussion in Brussels regarding Brexit even though Northern Ireland voted against then what happened. Sooner you realise it better otherwise keeping dreaming to be British or moving to London, Manchester, liverpool, Birmingham in other to be fully British.
Ah here! Claiming there was never a United Ireland until 1801 is a bit of a red herring. It had a shared language, legal system, religion, musical traditions etc, poetry etc. I think you're confusing a United Ireland with a United Ireland that looks like a modern nation state. Of course you're not going to get that in 785AD. It'd be a bit like arguing that say, there can be no such thing as an anarchist state or country.
Hence why that part of the discussion was so vague. Shared culture doesn’t always make a unified nation (Native Americans, the Gauls before Caser, the Rus in the 1200s, the Indian continent in the 1700s etc) Even back before the Viking Era the people of Ulaid looked more to their neighbours to the NorthEast than to their neighbours to the South.
I have been saying most of what you say for years, and mostly from the nationalist they tell me to wind my neck in, and I don't know what I am talking about ,when they find out I am a Northern Presbyterian, they tell me to go back to my own country but were would I go, when I say about the only time I say the only time it was united was under the crown , I had to run lol
The partitionof Ireland does not benefit the majority of the population of the island it only acts as as a balm to the identity crisis of perhaps 700,000 out of 6,800,000 people. The white boers of south Africa ( loyalists pals) would have loved a white majority statelet carved out of S.A.to accommodate their bigotry but that was'nt going to happen in this day and age. Unionists have now only the power their shrinking voter base gives them and are struggling to come to terms with this.
@@johntheball lol your waffle is not facts…look carryon …ain’t painful at all…..funny 😁 keep telling yourself how unionists/Protestants are bigots while you show who you are…but no doubt you’ve plenty of other bigots here to back you up…..just love you guys too…💃
@@bellascott6478 Unionists dont have to be Bigots but yes a lot are ,you show me another part of the island with Jollyclubs like orange order and Black preceptory ...proper organised bigotry.
Northern Ireland should do what Newfoundland has done and the Turks and Caicos Islands is trying to do, become part of Canada. As a Canadian province, Northern Ireland would no longer be dominated by its neighbours but have a large and distant protector. As a Canadian conduit to Europe, Northern Ireland would flourish with trade to the UK and EU.
It will probably happen but everyone needs to compromise to be fair. If i had it ideally it would be a republic with the green harp of Erin flag, 3 official languages with street signage in Ulster in all 3 languages. Dual citizenship should be allowed for those who feel British also.
@@FionanUaMurchadha I don’t think that’ll be represented on street signage and gov buildings because it’s not a completely different language and is arguably a dialect.
Interesting video. I recently did a DNA test and found out that I have more Scottish heritage than Irish on my mother's side, despite the fact that most of our ancestors from the 19th Century were born in Ireland (what would be considered today to be the Republic) and the family denomination being Catholic. So, my question is this - were there instances of Ulster Scots marrying Irish Catholics and converting to Catholicism over the centuries?
In the 1600s most of Ulster was settled by lowland Scottish “planters”. But there would have been some Scottish Catholic’s among this group (if they were loyal to the Crown) And Scottish colonists could well have changed religion at a later stage.
“Why not?”. It’s very foundation was bigotry. That’s why not. As I said to my relative who’s an orangeman when he angrily denied it, “Can I join then?” When he sheepishly admitted I couldn’t because I was a Catholic, I just said “Then it’s sectarian. Don’t piss on my leg and tell me it’s raining.”
Personally I think there’s nothing wrong in having their Orange Order but I think a merger with the Ancient Order of Hibernians would be the best thing for both sectarian organisations
@@beaglaoich4418 I couldn’t care less what they do on either side until start impacting on others. When they do, they could be fired into the heart of the sun for all I care.
@@Dreyno what I am saying is that you could destroy the religious aspect by making it an organisation with catholics and Protestant etc and therefore like the schools start to foster better cross community connections
@@beaglaoich4418 No, you couldn’t. Both organisations are entirely based around religion. Without it, you don’t have a drum circle. You have nothing. Their reason for being is their religion.
I completely understand that some people want a United ireland. But I as a Protestant Unionist could never vote in favour of a United ireland as I feel that would be a betrayal of my ancestors who have fought and died for the crown. So therefore I feel I am compelled to maintain the Union.
That’s understandable I suppose, but personally I think we need to look to the future and less at the past. Your ancestors fought and died for the crown you say, but the fact is people in mainland Britain do not care about NI Unionists, they want to wash their hands of NI. Why would you feel a sense of loyalty to that?
I hate to be that guy but…. Your ancestors were the bad guys. They were defending colonialism. Also that’s a pretty silly reason to vote one way or the other.
@@stevenmcalister826 one thing you should learn is at one point everyone was the bad guy in history, I’m still proud of my ancestors, they fought and died for what they believed in.
@@markstar6056 I understand what your saying but I feel that irrespective of the beliefs of people in England, Scotland and wales that maybe don’t want to associate themselves with NI I’ll always have a sense of loyalty to the United Kingdom and the crown because without it I wouldn’t live the life I live today and I possibly wouldn’t exist.
@@charliehunter794 Pretty important to realise that just because you die for something, that in no way means you were right. Your ancestors fought to keep the status quo, where they could keep their foot on an oppressed groups’ throat. What they believed in was supremacy.
You have made a very good open account of The Irish Question to a younger audience and I commend you for that. I am from Liverpool (across the water) and I have always had a Nationalist outlook on the six north eastern counties of Ireland. I am 56 and I remember those dark terrible tragic times of The Troubles ... we all have to make sure that Never happens Again. As I said I am a Nationalist, yet something has crept up on me! you and Andrew Dean metnioned it. Here it is ... We have free Health and support structures and very good local government, you talked of "paying for books" This is in stark contrast to The twenty Six Counties Not having a Free Health support system or good local government provision as you said "paying for school books" ???
As someone born and raised in Belfast with friends on both sides of the border and the argument, I only have 2 questions: 1: What happens with the NHS and 2: Can we keep Northern Irish tayto crisps?
Why do you have different Taytos to the rest of us?
@@taintabird23 yep. Our cheese and onion is yellow. Any time I've ventured South, I've only seen red and blue packaging
@@andrewdeane5505 Well, you learn something new every day!
We got the HSE and they will be put in gladiatorial combat against ours.
What about Magners Cider vs Bulmers Cider. Which name would win. Complicated topics like this might just derail the whole reunification
Nice and informative video. I agree with most things there except for one- it's not the case that most people living either side of the border liked the status quo. Nearly half of the population in Northern Ireland, who identify themselves as Irish nationalists, aren't happy with the status quo. I personally know a good few people holding Irish passports only and their dream has always been to see a united Ireland in their lifetime.
It’s not half of the population mate. Far from it.
@@noodlyappendage6729 Half of the population in NI identify themselves as nationalists and this number is due to increase within the next couple of years according to official statistics.
@@dilyana100 Only 30% of Northern Ireland would vote to leave the UK and join the RoI.
@@noodlyappendage6729 I think the percentage is slightly higher according to the most recent poll I've seen. Plus, the Catholic/ nationalist community will soon outnumber the protestant/ loyalist one. Again, official statistics.
@@dilyana100 Lots of Irish-identified people say in more nuanced surveys that they would vote to stay in the United Kingdom under the current arrangement in which they're recognised as Irish citizens at the same time and have legal links to the ROI, for various reasons, and some of the people of mostly Scottish descent who identify as British are at least open to one day voting to join the ROI if a compelling plan and argument for it being better were made to them, and some are fully onboard with joining the ROI because they hate the DUP, the Tories and Brexit so much, though of course depending on where they live they won't shout about this fact in public. Increasingly people think about it in terms of pragmatics now, which government is better than the other government, e.g. some people from unionist backgrounds just hate how right wing the Tories and DUP are and wonder if the ROI government would be better for everyone's quality of life in NI as the ROI government has had a general trend away from the theocratic laws of the past. People from all backgrounds in the Alliance party are in this category, "show me the details, show me the evidence for which would be better for us all, or else let's get on with other things in the meantime - don't just appeal to my ethnic identity as if that should rationally have any impact on governance". Thankfully more young people especially see the irrationality of the "I'm of mostly this particular genetic descent therefore I automatically want the towns we all happen to find ourselves born into by accident of history, to come under this particular government" way of deciding. It's all an accident of birth and genetics so the idea of deciding who to vote for on that is really silly. If you were swapped at the hospital as a baby, something that's not some mythical accident, it really happens, you wouldn't even know, and you'd be descended from somewhere else. Shows how arbitrary and petty that method of deciding is.
I live in Australia as a result of the famine, my ancestors left in 1851. Considering our original land is on the south shore of Lough Neagh before we were forcibly moved into Kerry, the prospect of a United Ireland interests me very much and honestly I can't wait for it to happen. I know it seems pretentious that I care so much when I'm "not irish" but just know you have supporters all around the world.
Except a lot of people in the republic don't want a united Ireland. If you could cut northern Ireland off and set it afloat in the sea- a lot of people in the south would be all for it
@@laurakennedy9286 And a lot of people do - www.rte.ie/news/2021/0501/1213202-united-ireland-poll/
Lets hope it doesn't become the CCP 2.0
It’s a rich history for all Irishmen and women. We should look at it as celts all. That is only my personal opinion of course. Good luck with land🤍🍀☘️🏴
Perhaps your ancestors moved the Aborigines off their ancestral homeland.Ever thought of that or been just a bit ashamed.
16:21
I would have said "two cheeks of the same arse" but you're clearly more eloquent than I...
Two testies of the same sack
or from français 'An arse on two chairs'.
@@geraldcapon392 I like that one
How about two rotund cheeks of the same arse on two sturdy chairs.
"Once that tie is severed it's not likely to come back" that just hit me with some Brexit reality
What's happening already is trade gravity, the North's economy is quickly realigning with the South.
The Brexiteers are having a catatonic meltdown because the South (and now the North) has quickly realigned trade through its ports bypassing driving through England and Wales.
This Brexit busting will show the rest of UK the advantages off being in the single market and how shyte life gets being out of it
That also means it blunts Unionist talking points because people will be faced with being financially worse off by realigning with England..
Do the majority of Northern Irish now identify as Great British or European?
The advantages of the single market..... a price fixing, protectionist scam, subsidising inefficient farming inside the single market, and penalising the consumer. A great procurer of vaccines for its citizens, such that it delivered them...... how late?
The simple solution is to repeal Article 16 of the NIP, so all parts of the UK have left the EU, including NI. Whether Bozo has the guts for that, remains to be seen, but the courts have already decided some of that for him.
With trade deals struck round the world, and a massive vote of confidence in the UK from Nissan, everyone else is realising that U.K. Plc is open for global business once again. Free trade is the most liberating force in world economics. Protectionism only works for the fat cats at the top.
@@andrewthegraciouslordrober327 Boris's Brexit has gotten like a Cult, if only you'd believe then it will come to pass, whenever someone shoves cold hard facts at you you respond Project Fear whenever anything even remotely positive happens it's all because of Brexit.
The NI protocol is UK law to undo it would require affirmative action in parliment and passage through the house of Lords plus further breaking an international treaty and suffering sanctions from the EU and the US.
Nissan have taken a weak and feeble government to the cleaners, thousands of jobs have been lost in the Sunderland plant since 2016 and there's due to be another couple of thousand laid off, for round 100 million in state aid there going to employ 1500 so the tax payer is essentially coughing up 66k per job. A net loss of 500 jobs for a hundred mill yea real bargain and huge win - not.
@@andrewthegraciouslordrober327 You are aware that a good part of vaccines used in the UK are produced in the EU, like, all Biontech/Pfizer and a good part of AZ?
The EU is actually the greatest producer of vaccines in the world.
Subsidizing farmers is for the sake of being able to feed your population. UK farmers are now thrown under the bus to get the Australian trade deal. How can a nation be sovereign if it can not even feed itself?
You know that Nissan only invested in the UK, because it got big money from the UK government and it got tariff free access to the EU? Activate article 16 and Nissan is gone. Besides, 1 billion? Peanuts. Tesla alone is investing 4 billion in Germany.
@@SlowhandGreg Where did I refer to Project Fear? It is BECAUSE the UK is out of the EU now, it can provide such state subsidy to Nissan. As even the Guardian says it will create 1,650 NEW jobs in the plant and 6,000 in the supply chain, I think I know whose figures to trust. One thing's certain, the UK has not fallen off a cliff face, since 2016, no jobs have left the City for Frankfurt, and a'hem, 'hem, all those trade deals have still been signed.
You know the EU has still yet to manage to sign a FTA with the USA, after all this time?
If the NI Protocol becomes such a drag, and sufficient votes mustered, it can be undone. Can you really predict the future to the extent that you know the USA will impose sanctions? I don't. The major problem is that the EU has chosen to politicise the GFA. The unelected in Brussels don't give a stuff what happens in NI, as long as it makes life for someone in the UK difficult, and of it makes life for some of their citizens hard, well, blame it on Brexit, instead of trying to solve the problem.
FWIW, (having recently discovered that I am 59% a Kerryman,) I believe that NI should return to Ireland, as and when the majority of the population want it and a peaceful transition can be guaranteed.
@@neodym5809 And because the UK is outside of the EU, it CAN give state subsidies to companies like Nissan, creating - Guardian figures - 1650 new jobs and 4,00 new in the supply chain. Plus Nissan gets tariff free access to the EU - win, win. Not really bothered what happens in Germany, as it is a different country. Not convinced about Tesla in any case. Some refer to it as the soufflé for good reason.
Err..... inconvenient fact : The EU has not produced a single vaccine. It hasn't even produced a paperclip. Independent manufacturing COMPANIES domiciled within the EU boundaries have, however, done so.
Free Trade encourages efficiency via competition. As the food bill forms the largest part of the less well off's expenditure, what's wrong with giving the less well off access to cheaper food? Who is to say the Aussie trade deal will hurt UK farmers? It may just even out supply inconsistencies. Aussie Summer - and so harvest - occurs during our Winter.
A nation that a lot of people wants to live in, with relatively small available agricultural landspace has the enviable problem of needing to import some food. That was the case before 2016, and it didn't seem to matter to anybody before then. We can also give a boost to poorer economies e.g. we can buy oranges from Morrocco, with no tarriff on them if we want, instead of those subsidised by the EU (you) from Spain.
you should do a John Talks on China and Taiwan
If the if the CCP wants Taiwan, ill be more than happy to help them move all their stuff out of their office for the democractic politians XD
Thus is a Good Comment
@@theirishempire4952 BASED
@@o-o2399 shut up
The financial question is an easy one to answer. You must ask yourself WHY does Northern Ireland need so many subsidies from the rest of the UK? Are we lazier? Are we less intelligent? Are we less industrious? And why is the Republic of Ireland so much more prosperous? WHY would these six counties be the most economically inactive in these islands? What possible reason could there be for such a disparity? If the union is so great for Northern Ireland, then why do we need to rely on handouts? Could it be that the current situation simply is not working?
The Republic of Ireland isn't more prosperous: briefingsforbritain.co.uk/who-is-better-off-north-or-south-in-ireland/
@@noodlyappendage6729 Are you actually trying to say Northern Ireland's economy is better than the Republic which is actually a preposterous statement? Northern Ireland is the least developed region UK and has the largest part time work force and most inactive workforce in the UK. Here is an actual source of statistics from the UK Government, point 8 is particularly interesting.
www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/regionallabourmarket/january2021
Good thing your source isn't the slightest bit politically bias or dubious. Britain has to pump hundreds of million a year into Northern Ireland with no return.
@@noodlyappendage6729 Rather badly written, almost no data, and looking at the author, it is hard to find someone more biased.
The GDP of the RoI is overinflated due to the presence of multinationals. But median income is higher in the South.
But yes, the large Civil service of N.I. (As a part of the UK) is quite different to the more private oriented RoI economy. Personally I would prefer to see our HSE realigning more alike to the NHS in the North. (A hopeless and naive idea though)
@@TheSWCantina no the uk economy is better....which we are part of
Wow! What an intelligent and thoughtful video. Thanks so much for making the effort to create and post this. Best wishes to our Irish friends from Great Britain.
I support a united Ireland because it looks weird being split. Join them solely for aesthetics.
What an incredibly stupid answer to a very complex problem. If you haven't got a clue what your talking about best say nothing?
@@paulnorton8031 Agreed
@@paulnorton8031 clearly a joke you ballsack
@@thegrabbler622 not a joking matter for those who live here. Thousands died during the troubles. The struggle for a united Ireland. Many were innocent civilians. My best friend was shot in the back when he was 20 years of age. He was shot because the IRA had a policy of ethnic cleansing. Any protestant farmer in a border area with a son to pass the farm onto was told fo sell up to a Catholic farmer or their son would be shot. Many refused to sell. There are dozens of graves with young protestant men, shot because their fathers stood up to IRA terrorists. I have many Catholic friends. My ex is a southern Catholic. A proud Irish woman. I hate sectarian politics and religion and people like you, another keyboard warrior, think its fine to insult me. When I was 18 I met a Catholic girl. Was beaten up many times by both sides but refused to stop seeing her even after having my jaw broke in two places, four teeth knocked out and my skull fractured, all in just one of many kickings. I have spoken out for many years against the hatred here and got beaten up for it had my windows smashed my car windscreen smashed, graffiti about the IRA sprayed on my house and car. K even had to move house last year after several years of intimidation. L because I stood up to a local dissident republican drug dealer in a pub. He was humiliated because I stood up to him. He was a coward. A drug dealing scumbag but I paid the price. I had to move over a 100 miles for peace and quiet. There are still thousands of armed paramilitaries terrorising their own communities. People here aren't laughing. Newsflash. You're the joke !
@@paulnorton8031
Agreed Paul. Often people who aren’t from Ulster often treat the issue as some kind of joke.
The Border unionist community paid a heavy price in blood defending their country.
It’s a tragic story. No joke.
I'd vote for a United Ireland tomorrow if I could
Most people in England and Wales (some people in Scotland are partial - it is where the plantation and the sectarianism came from) would just vote for every single person there to wake up magically happily agreeing tomorrow, if we could. Instead of seemingly being doomed to always have a sizeable minority dissent one way or the other. Which government they agree on, we don't mind at all, it's their decision and we fully respect their right to decide. I can't imagine living in a small town where people don't even agree on which country it is that they live in, it must be depressing.
Same
@@compulsiverambler1352 where are you from? As an American of Irish descent I just can't understand how or why ANY Irish person would be against unifying! Why do some Irish people support being ruled by the English? Is there a lot of people in Ireland that consider themselves English and how and why does that work? I have tried to understand this for years and just can't understand. I would really appreciate anyone's opinion that is directly affected by all of this. What is the unionists actual explanation for wanting to be part of the UK more than unifying and being a self ruled country? Is being part of the UK better economically? Culturally?
@@ynot2385 I'm ancestrally mixed, religiously neutral atheist, born in England with family in the ROI. I don't want it to happen, nor want it to NOT happen. Just like any other region of the world, in order to have a (meaningless) personal preference as to which way the people who DO live there vote, I'd have to have a strong confidence in my own assessment of the long-term quality of life consequences of which way the vote goes, for the people who live there. I have no idea which union, the ROI or UK, would most promote the quality of life of the people who live there long-term, so how can I have a preference as to which way they vote? As far as I can tell, citizens of both the UK and the ROI are screwed, we both have shitty governments who are corrupt to the core, in different ways, but neither are as bad as North Korea or Iran, so the best option out of the two is far from obvious. I'd vote to come under the goverment of New Zealand if I could, and if the people of Northern Ireland somehow get that option I would recommend they consider it too, but all the time the options are these two clown show governments, it's really hard to give any kind of personal recommendation, and they wouldn't ask my opinion anyway, why would they?
As for your confusion as to why the best government for NI to have is not obvious to me like it is to you - I'm unsure why you think it SHOULD be obvious to me, why you think I should have a preference and why it should be the preference you have. I'm also confused by the nature of your questions. Not offended, please don't take it that way, but let me express how those questions appear to me. It's like you're asking: "why do some Scots not want to be in the UK anymore, unified politically with the rest of the island of Great Britain, why would they not want the island to be unified under a single goverment? I think that not having one government for the whole island would mean that their democratic votes wouldn't count as them having self-rule." It's like you're asking: "why would any Canadians and Mexicans not want to unify politically with the USA, the geographically largest country on their island? All the time they're not unified governmentally with the largest nation on their island, I think they don't have self-rule."
In the same way that the island status of Great Britain, and the island status of the American mainland, don't mean that everyone on those islands want the same things or have the same culture, the fact that Ireland is an island doesn't mean that everyone there wants the same things or have the same culture. And if you don't want the same things or have the same culture, you're sometimes not going to want the same government either. Right now there are two different central governments on the island of Ireland, and we have one central government on the island of Great Britain. Both those things might change within my lifetime, Ireland might have one government and Great Britain might have two, because the wishes of the majority of voters within a given region of each island might change. In neither case is the "right" answer obvious to me just because they're islands.
@@ynot2385 Irish people are worried about loyalist paramilitaries causing death and mayhem in Ireland. Moderate Northern Irish unionists are worried about economics. Northern Ireland is supported by one of the richest economies in the world and it has an NHS.- health care is expensive in the south of Ireland.
Its not too long since the Unionists actually marched throughout Donegal, especially within the Lagan areas. They still march in south Donegal each year. Official SF actually had a plan to include the whole 9 Counties of Ulster be a provincial government with its government being based in Belfast as well as the other province's having their own government 4 provincial governments with one main house in Dublin with one head of state with 4 provincial heads.
Thank you John for such a sensible well-informed talk about the situation
Splits in national identities seem to be a lot more common in Europe than what we think. Belgium which was originally created as a buffer state is itself divided between Flanders which has historical links to the Netherlands and Wallonia with its links to France. There is also a smaller German speaking community. The Spanish also have their problems, as did Czechoslovakia which split into two states in 1993. It had been created by the uniting of two equal nations of Slovaks and Czechs in 1918.
In a recent TV debate Irish politicians from the Republic admitted that it would take a long time before they were ready for a referendum on a united Ireland. They said that their constitution would have to be changed and possibly the flag as it would not be be welcomed because of its links to paramilitaries. They may even have to move closer in their relationship with the U.K. The £10.8 Billion in subsidies plus the NHS etc. would all be obstacles that would have to be resolved. Unless there is political will on both sides to enter into meaningful dialogue it may take a couple of generations for things to change. Being outvoted along religious lines won’t solve the problems.
@Billy Donaldson You hit the nail right on the head. ROI is skint and could not afford reunification for many years. What many nationalist don't realise is that they have to make the Unionists an offer good enough to make them give up their nationality which will not be easy, it wouldn't take much for the balaclavas to get dusted off. They also assume that all catholics are nationalists, not so. Of course in the south they pay 50 quid to see a doctor, try selling that to the electorate!
@@stevett5671 ROI hardly skint check your facts but could it pay for NI is a different story.
Interesting discussion. As German living for years in the ROI and with my knowledge of Irish history and culture at United Ireland is inevitable and necessary. It need good preparation and should respect all sides. A United Ireland should not make the same mistakes from the German Union 1990. 🇨🇮
Can you say more
@@ruskoruskov3086 what you mean in particular?
@@ralfwasmund9656 what difficulties do you think happened with German reunification? ?
@@ruskoruskov3086 not easy to say in a few words. Let's say it like this. West Germany took the East over. Instead to build a complete new Germany and take the best of the 2 parts for it, all in East Germany was declined and vanished. East Germans lost there self esteem and confidence. The youths moved away into the west of Germany. All in all it was to much rush in the process. More to say but I think this sums it up very well. But don't misunderstand me. The German Unity was the best what could happen to Germany and I m very glad it did happen. Only wish the way would have been different.
🇮🇪 😉
Very good talk. You ask interesting questions about the future of BBC Ulster, Royal Mail and the NHS in a United Ireland. Signposts with two languages and distances in kilometers. A follow up video where you discuss the fundamental changes that the Republic of Ireland would need to seriously consider to welcome a United Ireland would be interesting. Yes there are lots of heated discussions about the flag and the national anthem. But maybe we would no longer have An Post or RTE. After all, is a United Ireland the Republic taking over NI or the Republic and NI joining together. The wording of the GFA talks about "NI forming part of a united Ireland." So it also means that the Republic would also join a United Ireland. All that said, the most important thing is that peace is maintained.
This would be an interesting discussion. It is hard to see disadvantages for NI. It would be joining a dynamic and open minded country very different to the backward republic it was 40 years ago. Of course the challenge is for unionists to recognise that reality and abandon a no longer relevant image of their neighbour.
Any unification must be a merger of both, rather than an absorption of the 6 counties by the RoI.
I too think a federal system may be required to give the Unionist community a sense of security, even if it has a 30-50 years sunset clause.
The Unionist community would comprise 15% of an all island population, definitely a significant demographic for a political party to cater to.
Would be pretty hilarious as the people who identify as british would have to be allowed to keep british passports and freedom of movement.
I really appreciate the balance you've brought here on this complex issue, coming from the UK I think that you are probably right that uniting the island would help to heal wounds both on the island and between Ireland and the rest of Britain because I think that the conflict has fostered an unhealthy form of identity politics for all sides involved, my only qualm is that Irish unification will leave the British isles as a whole probably permanently split. I am Welsh but thoroughly against Welsh nationalism and I will generally support any team from the British isles when competing in a match etc. I went to university in England and some of my family is English but likewise, most of the other half of the family is Irish and it is where a lot of my family is buried so I go there relatively often. Overall the general perception I get is that all these places on these islands are very similar there's not a lot of difference practically speaking between the lifestyles and social values or even the weather of someone in Newcastle to someone in Cork to someone in Cardiff, so its a shame travelling to Ireland to be treated like a foreigner eg, I was kicked out of a bar in Waterford once for quietly cheering when England scored a goal against Uruguay in 2012 which was quite shocking for me but I would've cheered had it been Ireland. That's why I like the Lions! Ultimately I think that for similar states like the UK and Ireland it would make more sense for it all to be working together cohesively as a strong united force for openness and democracy, I currently find the rising regional nationalism and Balkanisation of the UK to be very depressing. Whatever historical grievances there are I would want it to be water under the bridge as soon as possible so that one day we can all work together and whether that's under a British, Irish or Polkadot flag I couldn't care less.
I'm sorry you got kicked out of a pub in Waterford (where was it by the way? Was is in the village of Ring by any chance?). If it were in my local we would have loudly cheered Uruguay but bought you pints all night. However, you weren't being treated like a foreigner - Irish people don't treat foreigners like that - but sometimes the English do get that kind of treatment, though it is not at all common and I've never witnessed it. There are over 100,000 British people, mostly English, living in the republic. We all get along fine.
It is a pity that the UK and Ireland are not heading along the one road together anymore, but that was largely an English decision: 15.1 million of the 17.4 million votes to leave the EU were English. For us in Ireland, our economic prosperity is dependent on reducing our exposure to the UKs orbit and counter balancing the UK with membership of the EU. That in turn resulted in increased prosperity, increased national confidence and strengthened our sense of cultural identity, which is precisely the opposite of the English experience of the same bloc. While we are similar, we are also very different with very different world views.
I'm not sure a united Ireland would finish the UK if that is what you meant by a permanent split. An independent Scotland certainly would, but the dark horses here are the English. For me the logical outworking of Brexit is England leaving the UK and becoming an independent country.
A lesson I have learned from Brexit is that if we really want to understand the English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland unionists, we also need to focus on understanding our differences rather than just our similarities. I think too. that to much can be dismissed as 'historical grievances' when in fact it is the vision of the future that is the issue.
I must pull you up for your statement about ' the conflict has fostered an unhealthy form of identity politics'. The conflict didn't cause that! That was caused when the state was first set up, have you not been listening 'a prodistant state for a prodistant people'
@@paulferris2218 with respect to Craig, he had said it in response to de Valera calling Ireland a Catholic nation.
In Craig’s own words:
“The hon. Member must remember that in the South they boasted of a Catholic State. They still boast of Southern Ireland being a Catholic State. All I boast of is that we are a Protestant Parliament and a Protestant State.
It would be rather interesting for historians of the future to compare a Catholic State launched in the South with a Protestant State launched in the North and to see which gets on the better and prospers the more. It is most interesting for me at the moment to watch how they are progressing. I am doing my best always to top the bill and to be ahead of the South.”
Now I do think it’s funny I see unionists championing de Valera’s bigoted comment that prompted the response but they stop at Protestant State.
I think it is telling they didn’t mention the comparison Craig proudly suggested that we people of the future looking back compare both states and see how they have changed.
It’s clear the rapidly secularising state won this fight
I’m sorry and really disappointed that you experienced that. A lot of people still feel very personally attached to their disdain for the nameless English so the idea of someone issuing support for them is unacceptable.
And as was said most of us do maintain a schadenfreude for English teams, more in the bantering sense than meaning them ill. I happily cheer on the Scots and the Welsh and love attempting My Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau with phonetics! 🏴
@@beaglaoich4418 true republikeins never wanted a state run by one side or the other they wanted a sercular state where all peoples could be free to practice whatever releigion they wished,not be run by them
My last comment was auto-deleted by RUclips, but oh well. I'll try again with more politically correct (and historically incorrect) language. And maybe leave some of it out.
I am a Protestant (Church of Ireland, i.e. Anglican) who grew up in the Republic. I am also half-English, half-Irish with a CofI mother and a CofE father (so fully Anglican at any rate). I never felt fully at home, or felt that I belonged in either country... Ireland or England. I was always too English for the Irish and too Irish for the English (and too Protestant for the Catholic Irish). Incidentally, my mother's line, though their family did marry into Protestant Settler families, came over with the Norman invasion, so have been in Ireland for ~900 years. Oh yes, they also married into local Gaelic families, such as O'Hara and O'Rourke.
I have always been an Irish Nationalist and supporter of a United Ireland under the Republic. Still, people have mostly forgotten that Republicanism/Nationalism ≠ Catholic. People seem to have forgotten that some of the key figures of Irish Nationalism were Protestants, especially Church of Ireland. People also tend to not be aware that the Church of Ireland offered the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer and church services As Gaeilge from the early 1600s. People tended to assume that I was a Unionist hust because I'm a Protestant. I have never been oppressed, but I have been ostracized because of being a "Dirty Bl**k Protestant who is going to Hell". Whenever I dated a Catholic girl, their parents were always against it.
Yet when I was in England, it didn't matter that I was a Protestant... I was still a bleeding Paddy.
Things have changed a lot since then though. I find that most people under 40 don't care about the Ireland vs. England thing, or the Protestant vs. Catholic thing.
Still, considering that Ireland became a de facto Catholic Theocracy under de Valera, one can understand why the Unionists in the North didn't want to be part of the Irish Free State. And my experiences growing up as a Dirty Bl**k Protestant in the Republic weren't great. Still, things have changed, and I don't think there's a need for a separate 'Protestant' Northern Ireland anymore.
Alternatively we could go for a Federation, like Germany. So Ulster with a capital in Belfast, Connaught with a capital in Galway, Munster with a capital in Cork (jeez, then they'd finally be right when they call themselves the 'real' Capital... boi) and Leinster with a capital in Dublin. And sure, why not have the Federation capital in Athlone, bang in the middle!
Given the reality, and it is NOT a positive, that the Republic of Ireland(RoI) has a vastly over-centralised government, your suggestion has a great deal of merit...
100% disagree with Athlone as a centre of power!!!!
But agree with the rest. I’m a Southern Ulster Catholic, from a vaguely Nationalist family. I have siblings and cousins on either side of the border.
In a United Ireland the Unionist community would comprise 15% of he population. This large demographic cannot be ignored by or forced into such a nation.
I do agree that perhaps a Federal structure may have to be the initial position. “Home rule for Ulster” or similar.
Any union of the island has to be a merging of both sides rather than an absorption of the 6 counties.
@@Mugdorna
What's your problem with Athlone?
It's about as central as you can get on the island...
The power involved would be a federal residue, if this ever happens...
@@gloin10 emotional scars from an ex-girlfriend mostly!!!
But yes, very definitely the geographic centre of the island.
@@Mugdorna
OK, so policy decisions for the future of the entire island must take your emotional history into account?
Probably not the best basis, I'm thinking....
:))
I just dont want to see people kill each other. Greetings from the great state of Minnesota
Heeeeyyy fellow MN
I’m English and play rugby with a bunch of northern Irish lads and they’re very much British and no-one calls them Irish.
Also nice that one’s catholic and the others Protestant but nobody cares because they were born after the good Friday agreement and are part of a generation that’s much less divided.
It’s true. The people of Northern Ireland are mainly British. Part of the same nation that inhabits the rest of the United Kingdom.
It’s a shame more people don’t understand that.
The problem is the Minority who see it as they’re right and tradition to march through a catholic Neighbourhood loudly singing songs about how they wish there were no Catholics.
When I lived in London, NI unionist were called Paddy as often as ROI citizens, which on occasion was fckin hilarious.
So imagine if you can someone saying I play rugby with a guy from England. He's not English though he's something else. So I wont call him English, no he's much better than that ill decide to call him British. Hope that makes me sound like a twat. Oh by the way I was born in England, but I'm not English I'm better than that I'm Irish.
Nonsense the English always considered the people from N.I as Irish no matter what tribe they came from .!!!!!
As a unionist I found this a really interesting video to watch, and I found myself thinking more critically about this issue. I still have one pretty big question.... what happens with policing? does the PSNI stay? Will the an Garda Siochana become armed like the PSNI are? Will loyalists submit themselves to a police force that they see as "IRA supporters and colluders"? Who is to say. I think such critical thinking as promoted in this video is needed on both sides of the fence, the blind support of a united or partinioned Ireland helps no one, we need practical solutions in the North, and the border or lackthereof is not always the perfect solution.
Will loyalists submit themselves to a police force that they see as "IRA supporters and colluders"? The VAST majority of Gardaí despised the IRA there were some sympathisers but there was plenty of sympathy with the IRA across the board in Ireland. The guards is probably one of the places you would have found it least.
Is every member of the PSNI armed? There are armed Gardaí but they are only used in emergency situations, like you wouldn't see them walking around the streets
@@Anto64w as an American, give me that system please
The gardaí currently have the armed units concentrated where they are most likely to be called but don't patrol as such. As a beginning, they would probably have the armed units patrolling for the first time in hotspots and aim to wind them down as time goes on. I imagine that it would be weird even for the nationalist areas that typically don't see the psni passing through their areas to suddenly have a formal police force there.
As we get closer to a united Ireland, I think our eyes are opening more to the actual practicalities of it and it's not as easy to just say yes we want the whole country together without a plan that is truly fair for all. Cambridge recently had a great debate (with some not so great speakers on both sides in parts) that's worth a look that touched on the same ideas.
You make good points. Relations between loyalists and the PSNI aren't exactly honky dory either at the moment. Maybe the Loyalist might like the blue uniforms that the guards ware instead of the green ones, lol
I have to disagree with the statement that unionists have been dealt a bad hand. The reality of it is unionists politicians shot themselves in the foot by supporting Brexit, and then proceeded to punch themselves in the face by failing to support Theresa May because her Brexit wasn't Brexitty enough for them, and now they want to portray themselves as VICTIMS..... Unionists must learn to support politicians who represent their best interests
Supporting Brexit isn’t shooting yourself in the foot. It was a good move by the Unionists.
@@noodlyappendage6729 a good move?...who has benefited from it?..and how?.....because their constituents who they are supposed to represent certainly haven't....
@@TheJackb45 The UK has benefited from it as a whole. As time goes on there will be more and more benefits. Food will become cheaper etc. What NI is not benefittng from is the NIP. I'm pretty certain the NIP will be scrapped.
@@noodlyappendage6729 so cheap food is now a benefit for a largely agricultural based economy like NI.......I'm sure their farmers and food companies will be delighted with not having to bank all that money.....removing the NIP doesn't begin to solve the problems Brexit has bestowed on the citizens of NI...
@@TheJackb45 It's more then cheap food mate. Pretty much everything will be cheaper. And NI farmers won't have to worry as the vast majority of their produce goes to the UK. And yes removing the NIP most certainly will solve a problem in NI as it is afecting UK > UK trade!
I love your explanations/story telling.
The new talks format is also great with more speculation but respectful.
Great job john
The idea of a United Ireland coming from a man born in the most Loyalist town in south Antrim, is very interesting, personally a couple years ago i started looking at loyalists as embarrassing, holding onto a false identity because we were feared of the Catholic Church having complete rule whilst also forgetting Catholics AND mostly Protestants led an entire all island rebellion 1798. I no longer identify as British or Northern Irish, i only identify as a Ulsterman or Ultach (word used to describe someone or something from Ulster) i identify more with my roots in Ulster than i do with england, sometimes i even call myself an irishman now, but i mean in the sense of, i just hail from the island, but there are alot of other people in Northern Ireland i have met who feel the same way, some even wanting Ulster to be independent, which in writing sounds cool and logic as the English did sort of interrupt Irish politics when they invaded as ulster and many others were their own kingdoms, but in reality ive been looking at Éire Nua, a United Ireland where Ulster isnt ruled directly from Dublin but as a federal Island, all Provinces would have their own parliaments, such as the provision of a parliament, Dáil Uladh, for Ulster, also it would incorporate the province so that there would be a fair balance between the more traditional Protestants and Catholics.
But yes the idea of United Ireland is starting to become extremely interesting and i think we have a lot to share and alot we can help eachother with, one thing i know for certain is when it does happen, the ex DUP, UUP, TUV members will start the Irexit party big time lol
Unlikely, but personally I hope
26+6=1
6 into 26 doesn't go.
@@essmagowan3250 The Teddy bear wants her own head back
I grew up in a loyalist housing estate in Northern Ireland. I fully understand the mindset of hatred and mistrust which is shared by both sides. I have grown to hate sectarian politics and religion with a passion. I'm a rare breed or so I'm told. I'm proud to .myself British. I'm also proud to be Irish. I love my country. Northern Ireland has so much to offer. I love exploring the South of Ireland too. I believe in democracy. I believe there will be a united Ireland one day when the majority want it. I also fear the violence that will most likely ensue. I was four years old when the troubles started so I don't remember a life before then. I fear for the young people who may experience the violence of the past which blighted this beautiful place. Sinn Fein accuse Unionists of triumphalism. Wait till we get a united Ireland? I for one would accept a united Ireland, even embrace it but I fear that a united Ireland would serve to divide an already divided people. The price paid would not just be financial. I'm not opposed to a united Ireland. I fear it and not for myself. Its the youth of the future who may be more divided than my generation ever were. Thirty years of peace? More? Yet we are more divided in the North than we were during the troubles. The two most extreme, hate filled political parties have risen to the top. Most people here here vote for one reason and one reason only. To keep the other side out. Parents still teach their children to hate and coming from someone who has spent most of their life in Northern Ireland or the North of Ireland, depending on your political persuasion, I can tell you one thing for sure. Most people here are decent and kind but the extremists on both sides are as bad as each other.
In a United Ireland the Unionist and their culture would, like the Protestant population , disappear like snow of a rich in early spring.
@Fíonán Murphy unfortunately there are a minority on both sides who can't let go of the past. Armed extremists who would love an excuse to return to the violence of the past. I'm not opposed to a united Ireland. If the majority want it, as a unionist who believes in democracy I believe it will happen and rightly so, one day but as someone who has lived through the troubles and experienced violence first hand on many occasions, I can assure you that the feelings of the majority are irrelevant when you have armed fanatics on both sides. I fear civil war and that's no exaggeration.
@@essmagowan3250 unionist and Protestant community are alive and well in the south thanks for the spoof lad
@Fíonán Murphy it’s somewhat obscure but there are parades and picnics for the Orange order in the south.
Rossnowlagh Co Donegal is a sizeable parade and Drum in Monaghan is a small rural parade
Excellent video. Thanks Britain, for voting Brexit in.
Unionists are welcome 🇮🇪🤝🏻🤝🏻🇬🇧 . They'll get more respect from Ireland than from the British establishment.
Looking from the outside in, at this moment, with the Brexit chaos and betrayal, and religion becoming less important for young people, a United Ireland is not only a great win, but inevitable.
A great win, not for the Irish.
Yes please.
Oh boy it's time to ask my Irish friend from southern Dublin about their views of a United Ireland
Uh oh
**pulls out blue shirt**
@@RyanTheMan000 Best comment ever
Imagine actually meeting someone from Dublin who was a unionist id honestly vomit 🤮
@@SeanOGallchobhair is the joke the irish blueshirt fascist organization? im retarded help
I grew up in Belfast and Lisburn. I like your balance. It's very sad to meet people from near there who in some ways have so much in common but in other ways completely alien from each other, and I try to get to know them to overcome that.
You could also argue the Kingdom of Ireland 1500s to 1800 was also a united country with a parliment in Dublin.
Ireland was also united under the Irish Free State since the Dublin parliment was for the whole island and Stormont succeeded back to the U.K, after we left.
The kingdom of Ireland was a British client state and the free state was a British dominion.
So yeah, ireland was united before, but only under British rule.
John D Ruddy lied. The Union with GB took place in 1800 not in 1801.
pre-Norman Ireland was as united as anywhere else in Europe and considerably closer to becoming a centralised state than places like Italy or Germany which didn't really manage it until the 19th century. It had a common legal code, economy, language, culture and political system - albeit one that was very decentralised with a very weak centre. This constant claim that "Ireland was only united under the English" is nonsense and is just retconning 19th-century Militarised Nation State ideas of what a "real" country looks like onto a period a thousand years earlier.
@@ciaranirvine
Pre Norman Ireland was a patchwork of warring tribes and kingdoms. The opposite of a unified country.
To demonstrate this, the first Norman (English) army was actually invited into Ireland by the king of Leinster to help him wage war against the “high king” at the time Rory O’Connor. This invitation established the English Pale and was the genesis of British rule in Ireland.
@@raymondhaskin9449 Yeah that's a *wildly* over-simplified propaganda line meant to retrospectively justify the Norman and later Tudor Conquests.
The only way I can see Northern Ireland working as part of Ireland and keeping the NHS would be it to work as a region of Ireland like it works as a region of the UK. This way they can keep the British things
Northern Ireland is a country within the UK, not a region. If it became part of a United Ireland it wouldnt be able to keep the NHS as it is now, as the NHS in Northern Ireland is funded and managed through the UK Goverment. The Irish Government has a different system where citizens have to pay for some treatments, depending on circumstances. It seems unrealistic that people from Northern Ireland would be able to keep the NHS. The Irish heath care system, HSE is strongly rated.
@@TheEggmaniac how about similar to what they did with Hong Kong? If a majority wants out of UK but a loud minority wants to stay in then give it an autonomous status with UK and a long date of addition to Ireland (30 years or so). This was working well with Hong Kong and China until… China grew impatient and conquered it.
@@Lawnmower737 I dont think the situation is really comparable. As Britain's 99 year lease agreement with China, ( though technically for not all of Honk Kong), ended in 1999. It was a legal arrangement between two states which had come to its end. In the agreement that China made with UK, before the UK handed back Honk Kong , China agreed to guarantee Hong Kong's economic and political systems for 50 years after the transfer. After 1999, the UK had no say in what happened in Honk Kong. I think the UK saw they had no choice, as China had become a big military power by then. I reckon the UK, and a lot of people in Hong Kong, would have preferred it if this didnt happen.. Obviously China have not stuck to their agreement and are taking complete control of Hong Kong and ruthlessly stamping out any different opinions. Northern Ireland already has autonomous status within the UK. Its called the Northern Ireland Assembly. They can decide on many of their own laws. However perhaps further autonomy could happen as a first as a step to reunification. If thats what the Northern Irish population wants.
JackMac Northern Ireland is not a country it is six counties out of the nine counties of Ulster and is part of the island of Ireland.
When you have been privileged then equality feels like oppression.
Kevin, be respectful and kindly reference the author of your quote, namely Franklin Leonard. I suggest you try thinking for yourself!
@@stevetutty2818 Thx for the advice bud but my motto is why think for yourself when you can have others do it for you 😉.
@@kevingough5299 that says it all…I rest my case..that’s how you all roll..…jump on the back of someone else’s remark..and you admit you can’t think for yourself..
@@bellascott6478 Thx babe, you are right as usual 😉.
@@bellascott6478 "yous" Jesus Wept, themuns stealing your fleg and kkkulture again? People here complaining about quotes are the same people who get all teary eyed everytime they see a random winston churchill quote on facebook. Sic Semper Tryannis.
Hi there
I'm from a PUL background and I am a member of the UUP
I can see the demographics changing and a united ireland will happen in my lifetime, the problem is I couldn't live in a sinn fein run united ireland, as they and many of their supporters refuse to make any concessions, I will always engage in the conversation and could be swayed for a yes vote, but i don't know how welcome i would be made to feel when i get called an orange b****** or a planter, but as i just said, will always engage in the conversation and im happy to do so
Well maybe the UUP have give you the impression of a U Ire - The rest of us Unionist/Loyalists have a spine and will never give in.. We're more like the Ukrainians, we will fight to the death for our country , Northern Ireland . Grow a set
@@camilocienfuegos9233 OK "camilo" proper Irish name you've got there
@@Paul-hu7xx I don't understand your specific kind of stupid, but i do admire your commitment to it lol
As an Englishman, I would say this is the natural conclusion. Not because I don't care about NI - I do... (I voted to stay, not leave the EU); but because of the way the Tory government are treating NI.....and their total failure to understand the GFA.
Even when they do, they seem to think they can just ignore International law and ride roughshod over the GFA - playing fast and loose with it.
I think it would be great for Ireland to become a unified country, and I think it will happen before Scotland leaves the Union.
As an Englishman I say good luck to you, and maybe a unified Ireland will in time see better relations between a united Ireland and England. I also think the UK is heading for a break up purely down to the attitudes of the Tory government, and Leave voters in general.
As a Unionist, I must say I find your approach refreshing from the traditional nationalist one. :)
I have a couple points I'd like to say from my perspective on the topic.
Firstly, personally, I already identity as Irish. This is because I identify as both British and Irish - I am from the British Isles, particularly, the island of Ireland. Therefore I don't need to be convinced that the rest I'd the Irish are my kin. The problem for me is severing the link with my kin from across the sea. I live closer to Scotland than the border.
The second major problem I have is severing the link to the British crown. I enjoy the eccentricity of living in a Monarchy. The fact Ireland has not even joined the Commonwealth as a republic whilst countries that have suffered far worse regarding the Empire have, is disappointing.
Third of all, I'm not sure the Republic of Ireland is ready culturally to take us on. For the past 100 years, ROI has enjoyed the stability of 95%+ Irish nationalists and therefore has not had to cater much to our side. All of Ireland would have to recognise the significance of the British influence here. Education, for example, I can only assume is very nationalist orientated - with what I can imagine is a focus on the likes of the 1916 rebellion etc (in a positive light).
Fourthly, if the argument is to be used that we should all move forward and forget the past etc, why can't the same argument be made for Ireland and Great Britain? I.e. why does there only gave to be reconciliation north and south (leading to an all Ireland), but then there cannot be reconciliation east and west (Ireland rejoining the UK). If this is not possible, then clearly not all of us are so eager to put the past behind us.
Finally, although I'm sure I could think of loads of other points, some other minor ones that spring to mind are: foreign policy (I like being in NATO); currency and measurements (I don't like the concept of the national currency being controlled from Brussels and I prefer using miles on the roads); and of course, as you mention in the video, what will happen to our public services?
Well, You could see me as a Nationlist, but tbh I don't know what a Nationlist is XD.
On your first point, uhhhh Nothing much.
Second point, ROI did consider a couple of times to join the Commonwealth so it wouldnt be far of a stretch that we MIGHT join the commonwealth, but on the other hand the Monarchy is a dying government type..... So talk to JJ Mc on that issue.
Third Problem, Why would we rejoin the UK after 800 years of struggles and unjust?
Fourth problem, Im a person born in the ROI with Grandparents from both Britian and Northern Ireland, and we never once in our entire life believe that the ROI education system is one sided. Its actually fairly Nuetral. Yes there is more on irish stuff than britiah stuff and thats because well ITS IRELAND, so I honestly see no issue with that.
And the last point, Ireland is not part of NATO but we are a strong ally of NATO because we allow NATO troops into our country aswell use NATO equipment and weopons, so if we were under attack or anything NATO will be than happy to help us.
Metric system is used in 190 countries so RIP on that one, And public services would still be the same but the money will be from the Irish Government
These are all great points, and that’s always gonna be the difficulty in this. I’m sure there are certain compromises that can looked at if a United Ireland does become a more tangible possibility.
I think Ireland stayed out of the commonwealth partially because we got out just before the larger wave of Decolonisation across the Empire. I think Ireland too chose and continues to choose to stay out of the commonwealth because the people spent 700 years (or at least 500 years) trying to assert that they were not British. One could definitely argue that we’ve cut our own nose off to spite our face with regards the potential benefits there may have been to remain within the UK or indeed the commonwealth, but at the same time we’ve had the autonomy to mess up our own country! Lol.
I also totally understand the link to the monarchy. I’d imagine it’s a surprisingly personal thing. US President John Adams had a similar feeling upon breaking from Britain.
Hopefully a good, balanced curriculum can be developed to learn from the various perspectives on the island (although creationism has no place in history or science)
@@JohnDRuddyMannyMan I can certainly agree with the last point. 👍
@@JohnDRuddyMannyMan Yes these are all great points. And he said nothing about the economy of NI as part of UK versus economy of NI as part of Eire....which is a HUGE issue. Refreshing too he didnt bring up religion neither, which Im very sure is becoming more a diminished issue every day, thankfully. Whats another issue is identity and culture. This along with economy, imo, is where we need to convince our northern people to want to be, and feel, part.
As long as most northerners dont want to, then Im not so happy or forceful neither.
Interesting discussion. How would the Irish government control swathes of Northern Ireland with a unionist majority? The Garda driving through Carrickfergus, trying to raise an Irish flag in Rathcoole. What national anthem? Not sure if a majority in the Irish Republic would want a million unionists, or the Daíl want the rabble of N.Ireland politicians (of all parties!). Those who think a simple majority vote will do the trick have not really understood the problem. If UK with all it’s resources, the army, huge police force, helicopters, SAS struggled to contain 600,000 nationalist/republicans not sure what the Irish army and Garda would do in the north with a million unionists. Would the unionist parties end up holding the whip hand in the dail (if they even take up their seats?) Unfortunately these are not the questions being asked. Nor are answers being put forward. South Africa changed both flag and anthem. Would a majority in the island be happy with that?
Love the explanation and love the idea that a United Ireland might create a ‘proper’ political landscape after 100 years. Both jurisdictions have a bizarre setup. Any United Ireland has to be a union of both rather than an absorption of the 6 counties.-An Ulsterman
Well what also might happen is the Irish might outbreed you, Catholics already outnumber Scottish Presbyterians in the north. In that case why would they concede anything?
@@thenextshenanigantownandth4393 I’d imagine a civil war, an Ulster Republic, or a recommitment to the United Kingdom would follow if they didn’t. I’m not fully aware of the political situation, but I’d imagine the Unionists would predominant any unification negotiations with concessions. Maybe they revitalize Unionist culture into a regional identity like how the individual regions of Germany have local identities and histories (not sure if that’s a good example for what I mean, but it’s the only one I can think of right now). In any case, getting the Unionists to agree to negotiations would be easier/more moral than screwing them like Palestine I would imagine, especially with London right next door able to intervene
@@thenextshenanigantownandth4393 The irish have enough trouble being outbred in the republic o ireland anyways. Dont think the birth rate divisions are anywhere near the levels or levels of concern anyways that some people may think.
As a Brit from England, I absolutely did NOT support Brexit. To those who think all Englishmen supported the UK leaving the EU, don't believe it for a second because it's not true. Brexit was a stupid decision and we never should've left
All that said though, I think so long as the people of Northern Ireland want to stay British, they should have the right to do so
Loyalists are loyal to the monarch. Not Britain. That’s why they didn’t see the problem with potentially taking up arms against the British army in 1912.
You’ve got that so badly wrong. The opposite of your comment is true.
The loyalists are loyal to the British nation. That’s why they were prepared to take up arms against the army in 1912. Because the government in London was discussing the prospect of using the army to enforce home rule and sell out British territory.
As it turned out, the army (who themselves were loyal to of the British nation) agreed with the loyalists, and sided with Ulster against the government. Google the curragh mutiny.
The Ulster Protestants actually tended to be more parliamentarian during the civil war. And took an anti monarchy position, on the basis that the King was Catholic and continental in sympathy.
@@raymondhaskin9449 No. It’s at best debatable who loyalists claim to be loyal to with some claiming the British state and some the monarch. The Ulster covenant specifically makes claim to be “loyal subjects of His Gracious Majesty King George V”. In fact, the only use of the term in the covenant refers only to loyalism in relation to the King.
The British army didn’t have to side with them because they were never called on to do anything to oppose them.
The Ulster Protestants were opposed to a Catholic monarch specifically. There hasn’t been a Catholic monarch since the 17th century.
@@Dreyno
No debate needed. It’s simple:
They’re loyal to the crown and government until those institutions threaten the nation. At which point they dispense with them to protect the nation.
In the same way the French army dispensed with their 4th republic over the Algerian crisis.
The British army officers at Curragh and the loyalists in Ulster dispensed with their government over the Ulster crisis - seeing themselves, not the state, as guardians of the nation.
@@raymondhaskin9449 So à la carte loyalty? The only mention of loyalty in the Ulster covenant is to the monarch.
The Curragh mutiny is officially the “Curragh Incident”. It’s not a mutiny because nothing happened. The British government never felt the brunt of loyalist anger. Just the nationalists that found themselves in a “Protestant state for a Protestant people”.
@@Dreyno
No - full loyalty to the nation.
Fellow Mexican here.... Really refreshing video , definitely subscribing - hope your other videos are like this!
There's an old saying, which I feel is appropriate for the uncertainty surrounding Northern Ireland, whether it becomes a part of a united Ireland or remains a constituent of the UK, only time will tell. I'm reluctant to make a prediction, my only hope is that it is without bloodshed. Too much blood has been shed in Ireland over the centuries
That has been the same way with every country that England meddled in
There’s no doubt that it will remain in the UK. Those that think otherwise are dreaming. 1. NI is already IN the UK not the RoI and 2. Most people in NI support remaining in the UK. I just don’t understand how people can read from that that there is more chance of NI joining the RoI then remaining in the UK. This is what happens when too many people from outside NI listen to the opinions of too many people outside NI. To them it doesn’t matter what the people of NI want. As far as there concerned Ireland should be “united”. They don’t think much past that point.
@@noodlyappendage6729 playing devil's advocate there's bound to be people on both sides of the border that feel that with the Northern Ireland protocol, brought in as part of Brexit, was a bigger step towards a United Ireland than anything the IRA ever did. It's kind of in limbo, kind of part of the UK, but not really (it's in limbo, items from England, Scotland or Wales have to go through EU customs checks to reach the whole island of Ireland)
A lad who survived the county death ray, thats a subscription from me
Très bien young man, I subscribed and liked. I live near Paris and we visited Northern Ireland on a tourist trip in 1993 during the first truce. We stayed on Arran More and then crossed into Northern Ireland and stayed overnight in the Queen's Arms in Omagh, we were the first tourists they'd seen since the 60's. They refused to serve me in the bar there in spite of my English accent because I was wearing a green shirt. So I walked up the street to Gallaghers bar where I was well received. Our Paris suburb of L'Hay Les Roses was then twinned with Omagh in 1994, and still is, so I know personally about the horror there from friends we made during twinning ceremonies in our town. I'm not Irish so I won't comment on unification but I do like the continuing peace in the beautiful island of Ireland and long may it continue.
My auntie owns a hotel in Omagh, you are talking shite.
Someone posted that I was talking rubbish, I don't mind answering negative comments. This is a true report of a trip made in 1993, 28 years ago. When we gave our car registration N° for security reasons the receptionist at the Queen's Arms hotel said that we were the first French registered car that they'd had there since the late 60's. The hotel, which is no longer there, was a hang out for off duty squaddies from the barracks just up the road. The security fences around this military building were massive intimidating as was the armoured control point at the frontier between the Republic and Northern Ireland. At several places in Northern Ireland when we stopped at a pub to have lunch we were told that we were the first tourists that they'd seen in years.
Excellent, balanced video. First of yours I have see. Now subscribed.
Thanks for doing this video, Ive done a very similar one looking at the same content, just with a lot more data and less of an Irish accent! Check it out and let me know what you think of it "What if Ireland United?"
I watched the SKP video. Excellent. So is this one.
In 1918 a majority of MPS wanted Home Rule (about 66%). Partitioning the country with a border which has no firm basis in demography or geography was a denial of democracy. 1998: The ROI voted to remove their constitutional claim on NI in the interests of peace.
The ROI has moved on from what it was, an agrarian society dominated by the RC Church. NI had a society of sectarianism for decades but has begun to move on.
One country on the island makes sense. It will not be easy.
Sadly, if Britain had granted Home Rule in 1912, as was democratically achieved, then likely Ireland would still be part of UK.
Im from Antrim but my girlfriend is from Tipp and we sat wondering what the reg plates of northern cars would look like after a united island
Armagh and Antrim are the real tricky ones there!
A & AM?
AH & AM?
@@JohnDRuddyMannyMan ARENT THEY?! and having to deal with Derry and Down being added with Donegal and Dublin 😂😂 it would be interesting
@@cm8692
AM Belfast could get B?
AR/AH
DN
FH/FR
TY/TE
And the one we’ve all wondered
DY with an optional LDY/LD?
@@beaglaoich4418 i mean,, wouldnt Belfast fall under Antrim or Down since it lies in both counties?
Jumping the gun lol
A United Ireland with a national health service and provisions to protect British identity! We need lots planning and a clear visions but it’s an exciting time and it’s within our reach!! 💚🇮🇪
Slainte Care
You can’t start by getting your government to recognise and use the term ‘British Isles’. Even the first map of Ireland shows Ireland as a British Isle.
I am sick of being a Brit and associated with illegal wars and invasions so I've decided to vote for a united Ireland
Thank you 😊
good on you.
Good man
Really 🤷♂️
The people who associate a few with many are bigots. Just cause my great great great grandfather (a person I hardly know and condemn) killed someone somehow I’m responsible
15:15 - Eh, I don't know about this one, I don't think the unionists are going to fold into Mainstream Irish politics with a "we tried" upon unification and Identity Politics will die.
I'm mostly informed as a Canadian by our experience with Quebec. Unification into a single nation does not automatically equate to two groups forming a single mainstream politics.
The "Quebec" Issue is a big reason why Canadian Politics, like Ireland's, are also pretty non ideological and mostly based on identity and regionalism.
Just going off that scenario, the unionist strategy within a united Ireland, if outright rejoining the UK is out of the question, would probably just become, as Quebec's strategy is today within Canada. To carve as large a space for itself within the country as possible, demand special laws from the Dublin gov, as much autonomy as possible, ect. Unless they end up being abstentionists, more than likely you will have a faction of Unionists in the Dail kicking up a constant stink in a unified ireland, just as the BQ does in Canada.
I mean, just a rough calculation, Northern Ireland has about 1.9 Million People, the Republic has about 5.1 Million, so out of the united 7 million, about 27.1% of the Population is in the north. consistently in Northern Irish Assembly and UK parliament elections in Northern Ireland, the Unionists are north of 40% of the vote, so that's a block of at least 10% of the Dail seats going to Unionist TDs in a united Ireland, minimum.
I mean hey, at least Ireland Uses PR and not first past the post, or else you could get the Leader of the Opposition in a dail being a seperatist like Canada did in 1993.
Maybe the Irish diaspora living in the west of Scotland can swap houses with the unionist in the north and we are all back where we belong.......
You do tread a fine line.
Wales has the same situation, the Normans united the Welsh in the same way.
Wales managed to defend itself against the Vikings (Norman's) but not the French Norman's (Vikings created Normandy)
Would there potentially be a rhetoric along the lines of, “you might not be British citizens anymore, but as Northern Ireland, you’ve always been Irish too- welcome home’ ?
"Like Metallica and Megadeth!" :D That killed me! X)))) 🎶🤘🏼
If Sein Finn wins more seats in the 2024 UK general election, then a border poll should be carried out.
Ireland as one is a no brainer - their economy would zoom. And it is about time Ulster was reunited, where one third of it is in the Republic at the moment. Luv from Wales.
@@huwzebediahthomas9193 Ireland is already wealthy it doesn’t need Northern Ireland to “zoom” economically and on the case of Northern Ireland the economy would actually get worse because of the risk of the Troubles starting U.K. again. Furthermore, the U.K. is richer than Ireland so Northern Ireland gets more money invested into it then it likely would with the smaller economy of Ireland.
If a united Ireland is a no brainer then the Irish down south can always join up with the North! 🇬🇧
@@huwzebediahthomas9193 Considering that NI is very dependent on British subsidies I argue the contrary. Unification will be costly for Dublin.
@@infamedepatates2502 NI subs were from the EU. Don't believe that shite that it comes from Tory Westminster.
im born and raised in the uk england i admire both contries north and south yes i agree there would be deifficulties and settling in period but a united ireland would do more good then harm in fact a democratic one union of ireland would make ireland as a whole a better stronger country of its own and i feel this is the way forward if ireland wanted the nhs it could ask the UK to support this while not being part of the UK i feel a united ireland needs to happen as its the only way forwared and loyalists need to understand it better for ireland as a wholle to become one nation of its own i wish i could go on tv and plea this to all irish people
If the Republic of Ireland asked to join the United kingdom again Ireland would be a united Ireland again.
sssssssss BOOM!
Hah. That’s some “if”.
If unicorns existed maybe Brexit may have been a good idea!!
Hi John. I know I will get abuse. I am a silent Unionist lol. I dont wave flags, attend bonfires or parades. Alot of what you say I actually agree with. I am socially Conservative and that comes before my nationality. I believe in family values and the ability to work hard and prosper. I love our wee Island North and South. I do not have any hatred towards the Republic but for me personally at this juncture economically I am better off in the UK. Alot of people are in a similar position. Now is this worth killing for -No. What would I do as a Unionist in a United Ireland - continue to work hard, look after my family and live lol. The Republic is not a bad place to.live but I want to feel part of it and not excluded. My fear is the violence that would ensue after a United Ireland. I dont want to live in a place patrolled by UN troops who would. So I will move to Donegal lol
I like cheese
Same
Hear hear 👏👏
Finally someone who gets it
Now is that a Catholic cheese or a Protestant cheese?
That is the pertinent question!
@@beaglaoich4418 I didn’t milk a Protestant or a Catholic to get this cheese
Perfect commentary 🇮🇪♥️
As an neutral outsider I don't understand the Unionists. They have to know a united Ireland is unavoidable, the only question is when. And if something is unavoidable, make sure you get the most possible benefits from it. So let the Ulster leaders representatives meet with the Irish government with one simple question: "What will Ireland (and the EU) offer Ulster if we support a United Ireland?"
If theres a united Ireland we have the dup to thank with there Brexit balls up
Believe the Loyalists will dissent - just a tad, still when the troubles reignite the body bags won't be coming back to the UK as they used to - destination Dublin in a United Ireland.
@GearóidODU - Well that would be thanks to the wonderful NHS - if only Ireland had an equivalent, you could be helped too lol.
@@Willywin And you don’t see that fighting against democracy is logically and morally obtuse?
@@stevenmcalister826 Yes I do, that is why the remoaners are logically and morally obtuse... But my money is on the Loyalist population.
@@Willywin I’d stay away from games of chance then.
A border on an island of less than six million people is stupid.
Wait till you find out about Hati
Yeah but they speak a different language so it’s kinda different
There can never be a unification of anything unless there is a fusion of interest
It’s was as united as we want to say it was. To say it wasn’t united because it didn’t adhere to Britain’s concept of it is like me saying Britain isn’t a democracy because it has a Queen and an unelected upper house.
Our system was a system of warring kingdoms with a notional High King. So be it. It’s a boring old canard at this stage to say Ireland was never united until British rule.
As I understand it, the Laws of Fennecus, or Brehon Law applied equally across the whole of Ireland. The laws were created and overseen by the brehons, and applied by the dallaighs. The kings did not create the law, but were obliged to rule within the law.
So, that is a kind of united Ireland.
What I have read of Brehon Law says it was a remarkably humane, well-considered approach to law. I think it is a great pity that modern Irish law is an evolution of existing (in 1921) British law, instead of being based on the principles of Brehon Law.
@@pashakdescilly7517 we need as a nation to recupe our own sence of who we are, not move on with the english way of thinking
@@paulferris2218 I totally agree. I think that if the other side had won the civil war of 1922-4, Ireland wpuld have shed a lot more of the English colonial legacy. And probably lots more would be speaking Gaelic - language contains so much in the way people think.
@@pashakdescilly7517 yes I concure, but I think also that religion wouldn't have been as devisive as it has turned out to be
The more peace in Ireland, the more chance eventually Ireland will become united, children growing up over the last 25 years have started to integrate have friends that are protestant and Catholic.
Ta se in am don Aontacht, Go raibh maith agut.
Tà tù chart.
Love the vid. As someone from Northern Ireland born after the good Friday agreement I really enjoyed your analysis. I don’t think we will ever see a United Ireland in the full and truest sense, as in Ireland United under one system.
The island and especially the north has been through to much to open up the wound again. Violence would follow that I have no doubt. IWhat I can see happening however, is Northern Ireland having its own government (similar to now but a bit more independent) but linking in with the dail. Effectively the island would still be split but would come under the banner of a European project with Ireland rather than as A united ireland. I just can’t ever, under circumstances see a united ireland happening. It’s easy to dream it up and see the benefits but the reality is, violence is not far around the corner. I like Ireland culturally but am not a fan of the politics down there.
Some talk of a federal Ireland, like Oz, with local governments in Dublin, Cork and Belfast. It's a nice idea, though there isn't an obvious equivalent city in the west of Ireland.
I am confident that we will see a united Ireland in the next 10 years 🇮🇪
Very informative, thank you.
"Paddy Parliament for the Paddies to squabble about Paddy Problems over in Paddy Land."
I almost died 🤣😂🤣😂😂😂🤣😂
Ulster Presbyterians are Paddy's
@@RobertK1993 ok?
Brilliant explanation of the current situation. You just earnt yourself a subscriber :)
Just do it already, it's been going on for too long now and NI wants to desperately be part of the EU, this is their best opportunity and might not come up ever again. Should do it!
You must wait and see what happens. It’s not an entirely forgone conclusion that Northern Ireland Unites with Ireland. The NHS would go and that would be a problem in Northern Ireland. The last opinion poll done for Northern Irish unification with Ireland shows that Unionism is still popular.
@mcr1jp Well it’s still treating people. Good luck with an insurance based healthcare system mate.
Tastefully Subjective
Nice to hear a Donegal man go thru it, I mean go through it, explain from the heart with animations. I baulk at the suggestion of all Of Ireland rejoin the Term uk - here's to reunited Ireland and yes peace for every religion - sound bud Port Lairge Benny
personally, as a mixed brit i would like to see a reunited ireland and people respecting each other and a clear understanding. It's up the young generation to really make this better and connecting peacefullly. Yes the north would loose out on some british things but would gain free entry into europe to live and travel freely etc. tough decission but they could take those baby steps first, it's about time.
The borders of Ireland haven't changed? Well, not quite... Dal Riata of the North-East of Ireland invaded Scotland (only a couple of miles away by sea) in the 6th Century.
Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Man were both part of the 'Gaelosphere' well into the 17th Century and Irish poets travelled without restriction across these territories.
So... it's more complicated than you think.
Being part of the Gaelic world didn’t mean part of Ireland. The actual island has always been Ireland.
Even if the Irish had a shared kingdom with lowland Scotland (called after the “Scotti” Irish based raiders named as such by the Romans) or a shared culture with the Manx or the Welsh.
@@Mugdorna Well, yes and no, M. The physical geographical feature that is Ireland is the same, it's true. But the borders of what people considered their world was the gaeltacht/gàidhealtachd and for a very long time this was more important than the island, and this both for people both inside and outside that gaelic world.
🇮🇪🇮🇪United Ireland Yes🇮🇪🇮🇪
The Day the rest of Ulster unites with us again, ill be playing this in Dublin all day.
(Chorus)
We're on the one road
Sharing the one load
We're on the road to God knows where
We're on the one road
It may be the wrong road
But we're together now who cares
North men, South men, comrades all
Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Donegal
We're on the one road swinging along
Singing a soldier's song
Though we've had our troubles now and then
Now is the time to make them up again
Sure aren't we all Irish anyhow
Now is the time to step together now
(Chorus repeat)
Tinker, tailor, every mother's son
Butcher, baker shouldering his gun
Rich man, poor man, every man in line
All together just like Old Land Syne
(Chorus repeat)
Night is darkest just before the dawn
From dissention Ireland is reborn
Soon we'll all be United Irishmen
Make our land a Nation Once Again
A very good song, but unfortantly is will be droned out by God knows how many speakers on max screaming, "Go on home British Soldiers", which is a big oh dear moment
@@theirishempire4952 that would be poggers
Well put
@@citizenfoffie7605 poggers?
Very good. For people that think its a simple romantic notion, I hope this is an eye opener.
Stay safe Ireland.
Great video but the music is SO ANNOYING to someone with bad hearing
Thank you John. I’m an oldie that remembers very clearly all the twists and turns in Ireland over the last 55 years. The best part has been the last 24 years since the Belfast agreement. I’m a brit who has lived 40 years in France and have visted Ireland regulary over 50 years for busines and more recently for pleasure. I love your island and wish her all the best in the future - a future only all of you can work out. I took the road from Arran More to Derry during the first cease fire (early 90’s) and remember the unused (at the time) army checkpoint you talked about. A half hour before crossing the border in that place I’d seen an eagle soaring in the mountains. If only Ireland could take a cue from him it would make an old man happy.
Never. We in Northern Ireland will never allow it we will never allow you to take our identity we a proud to be British 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Your not ex RWF are you Paddy ?
Better get that Irish passport ready so you can be a real Paddy when the failed state goes the way of the dodo.
Tagedieb this is my home and has been my family’s home for over 200 years
@Fíonán Murphy True
Kelly 22 my names Patrick oh and are you really dumb enough to suggest u can’t be proud of your nation because you have a name from a different country? In that case the majority of America couldn’t be proud with all there British names please tell me your not that dumb darling ?
I remember commenting on the original Irish border video and having a good discussion about the issues relating to brexit and northern Ireland from a unionist perspective and seeing this in my recommended has brought that good memory back. It has now been what 3 years since and I have seen a lot more from my time here. I will say a lot of the points brought up about what benefits the union has in terms of social programs such as the NHS have been echoed by Nationalist people I know and work with here, with a fair few going as far as saying the NHS is a reason they wouldn't vote for a united Ireland.
Unfortunately independent from oppressors never peaceful even though we hope for peace because history teaches us.
we hope history teaches us
Since when was Northern Ireland oppressed in recent times ? We choose to be in the United Kingdom and many of us including myself are proud to be British 🇬🇧🇬🇧
@@paddybrennan5602 You're proud to be British but British is not proud of you to be one of them because they know themselves that's while there's border at Irish sea,. Don't force yourself to become British because you can never bee, the land you you're living today belongs to Ireland.
Samuel Olaogun “your proud to be British but Britain is not proud of you”. Says the man with zero evidence whatsoever to backup his false claim oh and you must not believe in democracy if you think I live on Irish land the whole point of democracy is letting people choose there own leaders if we are proud to be British and want to be under British rule then that’s what will happen that’s how democracy works my friend the land I live on belongs to the United Kingdom and hopefully always will we are British and will die before that is taken away
@@paddybrennan5602 The evidence is clear in your face but you refuse to acknowledged it or ignorant, 1st border at Irish sea between North Ireland and United Ireland, 2rd, Northern Ireland is part of Ireland which will be reunited in your life time 3rd, British don't want you that's while all there policy is purely about British not Northern Ireland. You're not part of discussion in Brussels regarding Brexit even though Northern Ireland voted against then what happened. Sooner you realise it better otherwise keeping dreaming to be British or moving to London, Manchester, liverpool, Birmingham in other to be fully British.
Excellent discussion John. Covered all the bases.
Ah here!
Claiming there was never a United Ireland until 1801 is a bit of a red herring.
It had a shared language, legal system, religion, musical traditions etc, poetry etc.
I think you're confusing a United Ireland with a United Ireland that looks like a modern nation state. Of course you're not going to get that in 785AD.
It'd be a bit like arguing that say, there can be no such thing as an anarchist state or country.
Hence why that part of the discussion was so vague.
Shared culture doesn’t always make a unified nation (Native Americans, the Gauls before Caser, the Rus in the 1200s, the Indian continent in the 1700s etc) Even back before the Viking Era the people of Ulaid looked more to their neighbours to the NorthEast than to their neighbours to the South.
I have been saying most of what you say for years, and mostly from the nationalist they tell me to wind my neck in, and I don't know what I am talking about ,when they find out I am a Northern Presbyterian, they tell me to go back to my own country but were would I go, when I say about the only time I say the only time it was united was under the crown , I had to run lol
The partitionof Ireland does not benefit the majority of the population of the island it only acts as as a balm to the identity crisis of perhaps 700,000 out of 6,800,000 people.
The white boers of south Africa ( loyalists pals) would have loved a white majority statelet carved out of S.A.to accommodate their bigotry but that was'nt going to happen in this day and age.
Unionists have now only the power their shrinking voter base gives them and are struggling to come to terms with this.
@@johntheball you gotta laugh when people call us bigots then go on to make bigot remarks lol
@@bellascott6478
Just stating the painful facts...
@@johntheball lol your waffle is not facts…look carryon …ain’t painful at all…..funny 😁
keep telling yourself how unionists/Protestants are bigots while you show who you are…but no doubt you’ve plenty of other bigots here to back you up…..just love you guys too…💃
@@bellascott6478
Unionists dont have to be Bigots but yes a lot are ,you show me another part of the island with Jollyclubs like orange order and Black preceptory ...proper organised bigotry.
Highly informative as always. I loved the Metallica and Megadeth reference!
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
I wanted Kang
Northern Ireland should do what Newfoundland has done and the Turks and Caicos Islands is trying to do, become part of Canada.
As a Canadian province, Northern Ireland would no longer be dominated by its neighbours but have a large and distant protector.
As a Canadian conduit to Europe, Northern Ireland would flourish with trade to the UK and EU.
Honestly Fermanagh is like over 90% Catholic and giving it to the republic would honestly make the border look nicer so at least give back Fermanagh
Lol…
It’s a democracy if the people vote for it they’ll have it. But why would anyone vote for that 🤷♂️🤷♂️
It will probably happen but everyone needs to compromise to be fair. If i had it ideally it would be a republic with the green harp of Erin flag, 3 official languages with street signage in Ulster in all 3 languages. Dual citizenship should be allowed for those who feel British also.
What's the third language after English and Irish?
@@GribGFX Ulster-Scots
@@FionanUaMurchadha I don’t think that’ll be represented on street signage and gov buildings because it’s not a completely different language and is arguably a dialect.
@GribGFX no what I mean is only for Ulster, the 9 county entity
“Come out ya Black and Tans”
"Come out and fight me like a man"
@@Jishy2415 “show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders”
Bring back, bring back, bring back then Blank and Tans
@@QuadZillaGodZillasbrother "tell her how the IRA made you run like hell away"
Bring back bring back bring back the blacks and tans
Interesting video. I recently did a DNA test and found out that I have more Scottish heritage than Irish on my mother's side, despite the fact that most of our ancestors from the 19th Century were born in Ireland (what would be considered today to be the Republic) and the family denomination being Catholic. So, my question is this - were there instances of Ulster Scots marrying Irish Catholics and converting to Catholicism over the centuries?
In the 1600s most of Ulster was settled by lowland Scottish “planters”. But there would have been some Scottish Catholic’s among this group (if they were loyal to the Crown) And Scottish colonists could well have changed religion at a later stage.
Check out "ne temere decree" which forcefully assimilated protestants into catholicism
I'm Catholic and my surname is Scottish gaelic but it's not from the plantations it's from 1690s because there was famine in Scotland
“Why not?”. It’s very foundation was bigotry. That’s why not. As I said to my relative who’s an orangeman when he angrily denied it, “Can I join then?” When he sheepishly admitted I couldn’t because I was a Catholic, I just said “Then it’s sectarian. Don’t piss on my leg and tell me it’s raining.”
Personally I think there’s nothing wrong in having their Orange Order but I think a merger with the Ancient Order of Hibernians would be the best thing for both sectarian organisations
@@beaglaoich4418 I couldn’t care less what they do on either side until start impacting on others. When they do, they could be fired into the heart of the sun for all I care.
@@Dreyno what I am saying is that you could destroy the religious aspect by making it an organisation with catholics and Protestant etc and therefore like the schools start to foster better cross community connections
@@beaglaoich4418 No, you couldn’t. Both organisations are entirely based around religion. Without it, you don’t have a drum circle. You have nothing. Their reason for being is their religion.
@@beaglaoich4418 ha ha☝
No difference if you are from the north or from the south, I just call you IRISH 😊
How to upset too people at once
@@LawVRC Narrow minded people get pissed ... Smart ones look beyond.
I completely understand that some people want a United ireland. But I as a Protestant Unionist could never vote in favour of a United ireland as I feel that would be a betrayal of my ancestors who have fought and died for the crown. So therefore I feel I am compelled to maintain the Union.
That’s understandable I suppose, but personally I think we need to look to the future and less at the past. Your ancestors fought and died for the crown you say, but the fact is people in mainland Britain do not care about NI Unionists, they want to wash their hands of NI. Why would you feel a sense of loyalty to that?
I hate to be that guy but…. Your ancestors were the bad guys. They were defending colonialism.
Also that’s a pretty silly reason to vote one way or the other.
@@stevenmcalister826 one thing you should learn is at one point everyone was the bad guy in history, I’m still proud of my ancestors, they fought and died for what they believed in.
@@markstar6056 I understand what your saying but I feel that irrespective of the beliefs of people in England, Scotland and wales that maybe don’t want to associate themselves with NI I’ll always have a sense of loyalty to the United Kingdom and the crown because without it I wouldn’t live the life I live today and I possibly wouldn’t exist.
@@charliehunter794 Pretty important to realise that just because you die for something, that in no way means you were right.
Your ancestors fought to keep the status quo, where they could keep their foot on an oppressed groups’ throat. What they believed in was supremacy.
You have made a very good open account of The Irish Question to a younger audience and I commend you for that.
I am from Liverpool (across the water) and I have always had a Nationalist outlook on the six north eastern counties of Ireland.
I am 56 and I remember those dark terrible tragic times of The Troubles ... we all have to make sure that Never happens Again.
As I said I am a Nationalist, yet something has crept up on me! you and Andrew Dean metnioned it. Here it is ... We have free Health and support structures and very good local government, you talked of "paying for books"
This is in stark contrast to The twenty Six Counties Not having a Free Health support system or good local government provision as you said "paying for school books" ???