Should Ireland rejoin the Commonwealth

Dub13

With various people today calling for Ireland to rejoin the Commonwealth what are peoples views on this contentious issue....?I have to be honest I am not sure what benefit's are to be had by any country been in the Commonwealth but maybe thats my lack of knowledge on what been in the Commonwealth is all about.It would of course be a huge gesture to the Unionist people up north and show that we have moved on and matured as a nation.Sometimes things need to been done and maybe their may not be anything in it for us as such.

Also what are the main political party's views on this...?Obviously Sinn Féin and maybe FF would be opposed but I don't recall seen anything about this from other party's.The Unionist community have moved alot over the last few years maybe its time our Government gave a little.

I have to admit I don't have an opinion either way on this as its not something I have given much taught to.

mike65

FF are not all against it you know. Ask Eamon O'Cuiv

Its a club these days but being a member of a club is not necessarily a bad thing. Mozambique joined for that reason.

Mike.

RalphCifaretto

This has to be a pisstake:eek:

InFront

Yes it's been a club for quite a while. people come and go as they choose. I find it hard to believe that the traditional historical impediment to joining outweighs the benefits of joining this kind of international community.

While much of the commonwealth remains severely underdeveloped, the advantage of developing stronger diplomatic and economic links with countries like Australia, N.Z., Canada, Pakistan, India, and Singapore (and obviously the UK) sounds like an opportunity asking to be taken - especially since developing exports is something that this country really needs to work on.

Ireland must be the only European country with eligibility to join who does not exercise this right, surely there is some advantage the Government could garner from that? Would it really be that bad?

Flex

No. I think its great that Ireland and Britain have such great relations today, but Im not revisionist enough to think we should rejoin the Commonwealth. Wouldnt be of much benefit considering how few countries in the Commonwealth are in the EU (Malta and the UK, isnt it?).

I think the real problem is down to the lingering post-colonial mentality in this country (and a little fickleness too tbh), 'Ireland and Britain have good relations today, so hell, lets forget everything that happened in the past and act like we were always the best of friends like good little Paddies', type of thing. Im sure they probably had that attitude in the US for a while too after independence though.

OS119

it does no harm - its pretty cheap - and it would make a million people in the north much happier about RoI involvement in the governance of NI.

it also gives RoI another stage on which to promote its agenda of human rights, good governance, debt relief and anti-poverty action to a more receptive audience than can often be found at the UN. it requires no change to domestic law, political process or anything else.

WRT to history i don't see the issue - or more correctly i see the issue, i just can't understand why you'd let it get in the way - Germany and Poland are both in the EU and NATO - much closer 'clubs' than the commonwealth, yet only 60 years ago Germany murdered 5 million Poles in 5 years, Japan and the US share defence and economic treaties far outstripping the Commonwealth in depth and breadth, yet 60 years ago the US vapourised 100,000 Japanese civilians in 0.2 seconds. short version, get over it.

RalphCifaretto

I honestly can't believe what I'm reading. The British Commonwealth is rapidly losing all relevance. It is the manifestation of Britain's desperate refusal to let go of its crumbling empire. This is the Empire that occupied, raped and pillaged this Island. The empire that's bloody legacy is still on display for all to see.

It's absolutely despicable to think that Irish society has gotten to the point where people are happy to give anything away for a few quid(the economic benefits of joining the commonwealth are questionable at best), including their dignity, pride and the memory of all those who gave everything to resist british imperialism.

dragonkin

No major problem with it really anything that brings better relations between north and south at almost no cost or trouble is a good thing. We could compete in the Commonwealth games too.

Fratton Fred

It would be a good symbolic gesture, as already said, but other than a really good mini olympics every few years, I'm not sure what the Commonwealth does these days.

That said, there are countries who do not have automatic right to join, trying to join:rolleyes:

if it did ever happen (and I can't see it mself) it would be the hatchet well and truly buried between our two countries.

Filan

How long will the Common Wealth survive? The trend in recent years has been for countries seeking to leave or am I mistaken? Australia for example? The Queen is the head of state of Australia...a woman at the other end of the planet!..I love the U.K...think it has better politicans than we do!..and a great place in other ways too..but well how would it benefit us in practical terms besides Queen being our Head of State?.

As a side point how long do readers believe that the Common Wealth is likely to survive?

brianthebard

Flex wrote:

No. I think its great that Ireland and Britain have such great relations today, but Im not revisionist enough to think we should rejoin the Commonwealth.

Define revisionist please??

Jesus Wept

RalphCifaretto wrote:

This has to be a pisstake:eek:

Agreed.

I'd rather die than assosiate myself with the Lizard Queen Of England.

sceptre

Filan wrote:

How long will the Common Wealth survive? The trend in recent years has been for countries seeking to leave or am I mistaken? Australia for example? The Queen is the head of state of Australia...a woman at the other end of the planet!

The trend has been for countries to join or rejoin. Meanwhile if Australia became a republic (if that happens, opinion polls now show the lowest level of support for it in years) it wouldn't mean it had to leave the commonwealth - out of 47 members, only 16 have QEII as head of state.

RalphCifaretto

The trend has been for countries to join or rejoin.

Which is entirely irrelevant. It is widely accepted fact that the British Commonwealth is rapidly becoming less important, both politically and economically.

A Dub in Glasgo

Apart from the Commonwealth Games, can somebody explain the benefits of joining a club that contains plenty of despots?

Maybe the US (or some of the states) should consider joining as well?

darkman2

I think we still have enough issues with the UK tbh without this nonsense. I dont think we should join the commonwealth.

magick

No absolutely not!

brianthebard

Actually OP who are these various people you mentioned calling for Ireland to rejoin?

SarahSassy

OS119 wrote:

it would make a million people in the north much happier about RoI involvement in the governance of NI.

WTF???? who cares??????

I would emigrate!

SeanW

RalphCifaretto wrote:

This has to be a pisstake:eek:

My thoughts exactly. Why the hell would we want to go back into any kind of Union with the U.K? Wasn't that the whole point of the 1916 rising and the War of Independence? To be fully separate nation?

I really don't see what good it would do to print the Queen's mug on our money, integrate a mini-UK flag into the tricolour, have the British monarch as the head of state or any of the other Anglophilia that goes with being a "Home Rule"ing part of the British Empire.

Thing is, I have absolutely nothing against the UK, England, the Queen or anyone else. It's just a different country, and I would object point blank to rejoining the Empire in any shape or form.

Some idiot will come out with this nonsense from time-to-time but I'm reasonably sure the Irish people and government would make short work of it if it were to become an actual proposal.

Dub13

brianthebard wrote:

Actually OP who are these various people you mentioned calling for Ireland to rejoin?

Dr William Shija,Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

DUP’s Jeffrey Donaldson.

Alliance Party’s Sean Neeson.

Eamon O Cuiv (de Valera’s grandson) Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

wes

Very simply no. It would bring little or no benefit to the country. The British empire is dead and I see no reason to join the last crumbling vestige of it.

darkman2

Dub13 wrote:

Dr William Shija,Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

DUP’s Jeffrey Donaldson.

Alliance Party’s Sean Neeson.



WTF! Their not even from the Republic! As Thatcher said 'out, out, out' to the Irish - I say no, no, no.

speaktofrank

Not a chance in hell, unless it was part of a deal that would see Ireland reunified. Nobody in their right mind would approve of it anyway. I can't see Fianna Fail going for it either. De Valera would be rolling in his grave, it was after all his government which withdrew from the Commonwealth and declared the 26 counties a republic in 1949.

InFront

No, it wasn't his Government who did either of those things.

SeanW wrote:

I really don't see what good it would do to print the Queen's mug on our money, integrate a mini-UK flag into the tricolour, have the British monarch as the head of state or any of the other Anglophilia that goes with being a "Home Rule"ing part of the British Empire.

That has nothing to do with this issue. Britain does not own the commonwealth, it is an international community, not a British one; there is no British money, stamps, flag or any other related nationalist insignia. The commonwealth is not the 'British empire', nor has it been for a very long time.
The only modern link to Britain is that the head of the commonwealth happens to be the British monarch, however this role is independent of that office. There is no inter-state subordination in the organisation, i.e. no country rules it.

The old 'British commonwealth' is vastly different to what exists today. It's just another international community that Ireland is eligible to join.

Dub13

darkman2 wrote:

WTF! Their not even from the Republic! As Thatcher said 'out, out, out' to the Irish - I say no, no, no.

Eamon O Cuiv (de Valera’s grandson) Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

darkman2

Dub13 wrote:

Eamon O Cuiv (de Valera’s grandson) Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

I meant Donaldson and that other guy from Alliance. As far as im concerned they can keep their nose out of our affairs and we can interfere in theirs (not the other way around):D

brianthebard

speaktofrank wrote:

Not a chance in hell, unless it was part of a deal that would see Ireland reunified. Nobody in their right mind would approve of it anyway. I can't see Fianna Fail going for it either. De Valera would be rolling in his grave, it was after all his government which withdrew from the Commonwealth and declared the 26 counties a republic in 1949.

Roffles that's hilarious. DeValera can roll in his grave all he wants though imo.

odonnell

RalphCifaretto wrote:

I honestly can't believe what I'm reading. The British Commonwealth is rapidly losing all relevance. It is the manifestation of Britain's desperate refusal to let go of its crumbling empire. This is the Empire that occupied, raped and pillaged this Island. The empire that's bloody legacy is still on display for all to see.

It's absolutely despicable to think that Irish society has gotten to the point where people are happy to give anything away for a few quid(the economic benefits of joining the commonwealth are questionable at best), including their dignity, pride and the memory of all those who gave everything to resist british imperialism.

for goodness sake - which desperate refusal would that be then? Im not aware of ANY such desperation in the UK, and since you quite clearly dont know how a Briton thinks - i can safely say that we rarely lie in bed at night wishing for the good old days of shooting Zulus whilst trying to construct bridges in South Africa, or reminiscing about rape and pilage just like the good old vikings did it although, with better facial hair!

Yes thats the life we yearn for!! Yeah! Rape and pillage, hundreds of thousands dead, revolution galore, invasion, conscription, starvation YES!! Bring it all back.....and hell while we are at it lets start sending 8 year olds down the pits again, that was funny, and we can even ban abortion, make christianity compulsory (depending on who is on the throne), and take that vote BACK from our women so they can go back to the kitchen where they belong.

for christ sake get a grip and move on - everyone else has. And as for your 'legacy' statement - sure...the bloody Romans left a legacy which is STILL clear to see.... go complain about the entirety of human history on this planet because im afraid to say - the British are not the only ones on this planet to have done despicable things - high horses all round!

RuggieBear

might win some medals for once tho...

Erin Go Brath

I'd be totally against joining the Commonwealth. Like another poster the only possible way I'd see it ever happening would be as part of a deal with unionists if unificaiton was taking place. The 26 Counties as a single entity could never go for this. There would be outrage amongst the masses!