Should Ireland rejoin the Commonwealth?

junder

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

If Britain goes bankrupt, they will encourage the creation of a New Ireland State anyway as outlined in the GFA, because they will not be able to pay the E5billion subvention to Northern Ireland.

the Britsh Government cannot shed bits of the UK because of recession, the British Government is stuck with us until a vote in Northern Ireland says otherwise

getz

reading the posts the bit about the commonwealth they dont seem to like ,is the queen being the head -well this may be news for you there are 53 countrys in the common wealth and only16 of them exept the queen as the head so joining the commonwealth shouldent upset the anglo /phobia that some of the bordies have

Johnboy Mac

jank wrote: »

Why?

Why on earth would Ireland join the Commonwealth?

Seriously. Because of some poxy games!

Stupid idea IMO.

If it had something to do with a united Ireland then fair enough but other then that dont bother.

+1

Dannyboy83

junder,

I meant bankruptcy mate, not recession of course.
If wayne and waynetta understood the NI E5 billion subvention of course.

Is there still much British funded construction still ongoing in NI?
What about the new MI5 centre, are there many new developments ?

Blackjack

Johnboy Mac wrote: »

Another nerve, bang!

Which bank do you work in, skip that I'm not that interested.

But I presume you are some sort of jumped up offical that calls himself a 'Banker' and expects others to do the same. You and your likes are not responsible as you don't have clouth to carry the policies of pure greed and dishonesty that the real 'Bankers' perpetrated.

So, have no concerns that my sweeping statement encompasses any minor officals etc of the banks other than the board, thus you are excluded.

A bit of advise, don't jump to conclusions about the paper that people buy when you don't know which one it is. Odds on you will conclude incorrectly and you may make a habit out of it, not good or very bright but then you don't sit on the board.

I hope I've not struck another nerve.

Wow, several sweeping generalisations. That chip really must be creating a lot of weight on your shoulders.

It doesn't matter which Bank I work for, or my role in that bank.
What do you do by the way?.

You've proven here that you're completely out of touch with reality - you may as well say "English people are rude" and then when called on it "oh I only meant Londoners, that's what I mean by English people".

As regards me jumping to conclusions, you should take a leaf out of your own book there.

You're not really touching any nerves by the way, I just like to challenge bull**** like yours when I see it.

LordSutch

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

It would almost certainly bring about a 'United Ireland' > albeit not the Republican version, but a more inclusive 'Unionist friendly' version, visibly bringing the Republic back into the fold. The North would become a little more 'Irish', and the South would become a little more 'British' + we could enter the Commonwealth Games + Commonwealth Trade agreements + Commonwealth defence policies?.

I never understood how & why we left the Commonwealth in the first place

getz

Camelot wrote: »

It would almost certainly bring about a 'United Ireland' > albeit not the Republican version, but a more inclusive 'Unionist friendly' version, visibly bringing the Republic back into the fold. The North would become a little more 'Irish', and the South would become a little more 'British' + we could enter the Commonwealth Games + Commonwealth Trade agreements + Commonwealth defence policies?.

I never understood how & why we left the Commonwealth in the first place

the answer my friend is blowing in the/whoops sorry,look at www.reform.org that will help you understand

SeanW

I wouldn't take anything the reform movement says without a grain of salt. Just look at their front page and a few subpages - it's all about the Commonwealth, the evil Republicans, how we're all a bunch of jingo-istic racists, and their version of the Irish flag is the old component-of-the-Union Jack. Their slogan is "Ireland for a New Generation" but it may as well be "Ireland: For King and Country."

junder

Why would Ireland join the Commonwealth? It would not be let
Wed, Apr 08, 2009

NEWTON'S OPTIC: AS A NORTHERNER, I find the question of whether the Republic should rejoin the Commonwealth to be outrageously presumptive, writes NEWTON EMERSON

What on Earth makes anyone think we’d have you? For almost a century, the Irish have used multinational institutions to defame, insult and attack the British state. From Éamon de Valera at the League of Nations and Seán MacBride at the United Nations to Charlie McCreevy at the EU, British officials and politicians have scarcely been able to step on to the world stage without the protest of some squeaky Irish floorboard.

Commonwealth meetings provide our country with international respite from Ireland’s nationalist spite. There, Her Majesty’s diplomats may meet their peers without dreading the whiskey-dark whine of another lament from the bog.

Nobody serving my country abroad should have to endure the recreational Anglophobia of bad- mouthing Irish exceptionalists.

Imagine the embarrassment of discussing food aid to Zimbabwe, only to have some bitter buffoon bring up the potato famine.

In fact, imagine discussing any problem with any country when one country in the room insists on seeing everything loudly and exclusively in terms of its own problem with your country.

Maintaining an Irish-free zone is particularly important for an institution headed by the British monarch. Of the 53 members, 32 are republics and five have their own monarchies. Of the 2.1 billion Commonwealth citizens, more than half are Hindu and more than one-quarter are Muslim. None of this would stop every Irish delegate moaning about “anti-Catholic racism” because they personally will never be king.

The Commonwealth is a highly successful organisation with countries queuing up to join. It has no need to lower itself by chasing Ireland. Prospective members include Sudan, Rwanda and Israel, who would all be far less trouble.

It is especially galling to realise that Irish Commonwealth membership is often suggested as a “confidence-building gesture” to my own tribe. Why would Ulster unionists want yet another place to meet the Irish? We already have a British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, a British-Irish Council, a North/South Ministerial Council and Tesco in Newry.

The supporters of Irish membership point to the Commonwealth Games as a key attraction. Northern Ireland competes in those games as a separate territory. Do we really want to have the argument over all-Ireland teams and anthems repeated in the popular sports of rugby sevens, lawn bowls and orienteering?

I am proud to be a citizen of the Commonwealth and opportunistic critics should note that I am not a subject. Only people born in the Republic before 1949 can correctly call themselves “subjects”.

That loophole exists because you left the Commonwealth in such a hurry. Please don’t feel any need to hurry back.

© 2009 The Irish Times

partyguinness

junder wrote: »

Why would Ireland join the Commonwealth? It would not be let
Wed, Apr 08, 2009

NEWTON'S OPTIC: AS A NORTHERNER, I find the question of whether the Republic should rejoin the Commonwealth to be outrageously presumptive, writes NEWTON EMERSON

What on Earth makes anyone think we’d have you? For almost a century, the Irish have used multinational institutions to defame, insult and attack the British state. From Éamon de Valera at the League of Nations and Seán MacBride at the United Nations to Charlie McCreevy at the EU, British officials and politicians have scarcely been able to step on to the world stage without the protest of some squeaky Irish floorboard.

Commonwealth meetings provide our country with international respite from Ireland’s nationalist spite. There, Her Majesty’s diplomats may meet their peers without dreading the whiskey-dark whine of another lament from the bog.

Nobody serving my country abroad should have to endure the recreational Anglophobia of bad- mouthing Irish exceptionalists.

Imagine the embarrassment of discussing food aid to Zimbabwe, only to have some bitter buffoon bring up the potato famine.

In fact, imagine discussing any problem with any country when one country in the room insists on seeing everything loudly and exclusively in terms of its own problem with your country.

Maintaining an Irish-free zone is particularly important for an institution headed by the British monarch. Of the 53 members, 32 are republics and five have their own monarchies. Of the 2.1 billion Commonwealth citizens, more than half are Hindu and more than one-quarter are Muslim. None of this would stop every Irish delegate moaning about “anti-Catholic racism” because they personally will never be king.

The Commonwealth is a highly successful organisation with countries queuing up to join. It has no need to lower itself by chasing Ireland. Prospective members include Sudan, Rwanda and Israel, who would all be far less trouble.

It is especially galling to realise that Irish Commonwealth membership is often suggested as a “confidence-building gesture” to my own tribe. Why would Ulster unionists want yet another place to meet the Irish? We already have a British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, a British-Irish Council, a North/South Ministerial Council and Tesco in Newry.

The supporters of Irish membership point to the Commonwealth Games as a key attraction. Northern Ireland competes in those games as a separate territory. Do we really want to have the argument over all-Ireland teams and anthems repeated in the popular sports of rugby sevens, lawn bowls and orienteering?

I am proud to be a citizen of the Commonwealth and opportunistic critics should note that I am not a subject. Only people born in the Republic before 1949 can correctly call themselves “subjects”.

That loophole exists because you left the Commonwealth in such a hurry. Please don’t feel any need to hurry back.

© 2009 The Irish Times

Yes Irish history is a real pain in the neck..:rolleyes:..when will we ever just go away...:eek:

partyguinness

Camelot wrote: »

It would almost certainly bring about a 'United Ireland' > albeit not the Republican version, but a more inclusive 'Unionist friendly' version, visibly bringing the Republic back into the fold. The North would become a little more 'Irish', and the South would become a little more 'British' + we could enter the Commonwealth Games + Commonwealth Trade agreements + Commonwealth defence policies?.

I never understood how & why we left the Commonwealth in the first place

Honestly, this post is from another era...:rolleyes:

Nodin

junder wrote: »

Why would Ireland join the Commonwealth? It would not be let
Wed, Apr 08, 2009

NEWTON'S OPTIC: AS A NORTHERNER, I find (...)to hurry back.

© 2009 The Irish Times

An article best described as 'Tebbitesque". I find the idea that Israel and Rwanda would be less trouble amusing though.

mealone43

Soldie wrote: »

Today is Commonwealth day - the annual celebration of the Commonwealth. It has been 60 years since the formation of the Commonwealth in its current form, and 60 years since Ireland left it upon becoming a republic. According to the Singapore (1971) and Harare (1991) declarations, the Commonwealth seeks to promote individual liberty, egalitarianism, free-trade, multilateralism, world peace, a rejection of international coercion, eradication of disease and poverty, among other things. Should Ireland consider rejoining the Commonwealth and why or why not?

Why should we? Afet what that shower did to us for Gods sake!!!!! NO NO NO:mad::mad::mad::mad:

mealone43

Camelot wrote: »

It would almost certainly bring about a 'United Ireland' > albeit not the Republican version, but a more inclusive 'Unionist friendly' version, visibly bringing the Republic back into the fold. The North would become a little more 'Irish', and the South would become a little more 'British' + we could enter the Commonwealth Games + Commonwealth Trade agreements + Commonwealth defence policies?.

I never understood how & why we left the Commonwealth in the first place

If the south were ever to become "little bit British" then I would end it all by jumping into the river but before I go they would regret forcing me into a British hole

Grudaire

mealone43 wrote: »

If the south were ever to become "little bit British" then I would end it all by jumping into the river but before I go they would regret forcing me into a British hole

We are a little bit British already, hell the fact that we have basically abandoned the Irish language is far too British for my liking.

Unfortunatly Unionists understand us as well as Nationalists understand Unionists.

thebman

junder wrote: »

Mad rant by a crazy person

© 2009 The Irish Times

Yeah so because he hates the Irish because we apparently don't like the British or highlight problems we have had with them in the past, we shouldn't be let join the Commonwealth when we never asked could we in the first place.

So it really seems that the British/Unionists/whoever else wants to set up their own little grouping, ask the question and then answer it as if they are going to insult us somehow when we never asked to join in the first place.

And we are supposed to be the people with issues in the past!

The Irish Times, lol. I'll add it to the list of crap not to read.

Deedsie

I would rather Ireland didnt join the commonwealth. We gave long enough in the thing trying to get out. Hopefully now we can stay out. The North im sure would be welcome to stay in in a federal United Ireland?

And its rare in politics i hate anyone or any group, but those Reform tools. A shower of gob****es.

Why dont they run for election anywhere? Because they would be laughed off the electorate.

mealone43

junder wrote: »

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

If Britain goes bankrupt, they will encourage the creation of a New Ireland State anyway as outlined in the GFA, because they will not be able to pay the E5billion subvention to Northern Ireland.

the Britsh Government cannot shed bits of the UK because of recession, the British Government is stuck with us until a vote in Northern Ireland says otherwise

Must hurt to know that the brits dont want you and we dont want to take you back..............yet

SeanW

That letter makes for depressing reading, since it not only trots out every pathetic worn out negative stereotype of the Irish, but it indirectly does the same for the Unionists, and would prove, if this opinion were widespread, that the "Anglophobia" the letter complains about would be well justified.

Fortunately I think (or at least I hope) that we've all moved beyond that.

partyguinness

Well that's it..they have to cheek to say that we are hung up on the past...

Is this the same community that pranch around every July commerorating a gay King and some event in 1689??? in a bigoted organisation that inspired the KKK in the deep south of the USA

Or that have an Apprentice Boy Band that that commerarate the Siege of Derry in 1689

The same people that call the South a God fearing state run by the church when the NI football league are not allowed to play on sunday as it is a rest day??

They are some joke alright...:pac::pac:

Deedsie

I cant have a pint after twelve tomorrow night by law. You can legally play football on Sunday in the North. And i cant drink here on a Thursday night/Friday Morning?

Hopefully the guy/gal who wrote that letter is a member of the ageing unionist community up North. Once they die off and the younger catholic community comes of age, we might have a democratic little statelet that is financed by London.

gurramok

Would love to know where that Tesco in Newry is?

Looks like they do not know the geography of their own back yard

O'Coonassa

SeanW wrote: »

+1, other than just for the sake of being a pack of West Brits, what's the point? The only advantage I can see is the Commonwealth Games and even that is a fairly pathetic reason. The Commonwealth is nothing more than a deference to old Colonialism and the Crown. Nothing to see here. Move along.

-1000 for this half baked idea from me.

How is the Commonwealth a deference to colonialism do you think? I know plenty of Africans who despise colonialism but who are attached to their commonwealth status. As for being West Brits that's a little rich coming from someone who lives in a country west of Britain where the language spoken, shops shopped in, newspapers read, TV channels watched, and football teams supported are to a large extent British.

Blackjack

junder wrote: »

Why would Ireland join the Commonwealth? It would not be let
Wed, Apr 08, 2009

NEWTON'S OPTIC: AS A NORTHERNER, I find the question of whether the Republic should rejoin the Commonwealth to be outrageously presumptive, writes NEWTON EMERSON

What on Earth makes anyone think we’d have you? For almost a century, the Irish have used multinational institutions to defame, insult and attack the British state. From Éamon de Valera at the League of Nations and Seán MacBride at the United Nations to Charlie McCreevy at the EU, British officials and politicians have scarcely been able to step on to the world stage without the protest of some squeaky Irish floorboard.

Commonwealth meetings provide our country with international respite from Ireland’s nationalist spite. There, Her Majesty’s diplomats may meet their peers without dreading the whiskey-dark whine of another lament from the bog.

Nobody serving my country abroad should have to endure the recreational Anglophobia of bad- mouthing Irish exceptionalists.

Imagine the embarrassment of discussing food aid to Zimbabwe, only to have some bitter buffoon bring up the potato famine.

In fact, imagine discussing any problem with any country when one country in the room insists on seeing everything loudly and exclusively in terms of its own problem with your country.

Maintaining an Irish-free zone is particularly important for an institution headed by the British monarch. Of the 53 members, 32 are republics and five have their own monarchies. Of the 2.1 billion Commonwealth citizens, more than half are Hindu and more than one-quarter are Muslim. None of this would stop every Irish delegate moaning about “anti-Catholic racism” because they personally will never be king.

The Commonwealth is a highly successful organisation with countries queuing up to join. It has no need to lower itself by chasing Ireland. Prospective members include Sudan, Rwanda and Israel, who would all be far less trouble.

It is especially galling to realise that Irish Commonwealth membership is often suggested as a “confidence-building gesture” to my own tribe. Why would Ulster unionists want yet another place to meet the Irish? We already have a British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, a British-Irish Council, a North/South Ministerial Council and Tesco in Newry.

The supporters of Irish membership point to the Commonwealth Games as a key attraction. Northern Ireland competes in those games as a separate territory. Do we really want to have the argument over all-Ireland teams and anthems repeated in the popular sports of rugby sevens, lawn bowls and orienteering?

I am proud to be a citizen of the Commonwealth and opportunistic critics should note that I am not a subject. Only people born in the Republic before 1949 can correctly call themselves “subjects”.

That loophole exists because you left the Commonwealth in such a hurry. Please don’t feel any need to hurry back.

© 2009 The Irish Times

Honestly, there is a lot here I have to agree with. Mind you, a lot of it is a case of "if you applied, we would not let you, because you've said some less than pleasant things about us" as opposed to the reality of "you don't actually give a rats, and if you did you'd realise the commonwealth is a waste of time" school of thought.

Sadly we have a number of wasters in this country who believe that we should rejoin the commonwealth. In Fairness, this is a democracy, so they're fully entitled to waste time and preferrably their resources on as many hairbrained ideas as they like. Remarkably these are the very same people that would have certain parties banned pr censored because they did not agree with their own stance.

This is the bit I really thought was odd:

"The Commonwealth is a highly successful organisation with countries queuing up to join. It has no need to lower itself by chasing Ireland. Prospective members include Sudan, Rwanda and Israel, who would all be far less trouble."

Roflcopters.

getz

Blackjack wrote: »

Honestly, there is a lot here I have to agree with. Mind you, a lot of it is a case of "if you applied, we would not let you, because you've said some less than pleasant things about us" as opposed to the reality of "you don't actually give a rats, and if you did you'd realise the commonwealth is a waste of time" school of thought.

Sadly we have a number of wasters in this country who believe that we should rejoin the commonwealth. In Fairness, this is a democracy, so they're fully entitled to waste time and preferrably their resources on as many hairbrained ideas as they like. Remarkably these are the very same people that would have certain parties banned pr censored because they did not agree with their own stance.

This is the bit I really thought was odd:

"The Commonwealth is a highly successful organisation with countries queuing up to join. It has no need to lower itself by chasing Ireland. Prospective members include Sudan, Rwanda and Israel, who would all be far less trouble."

Roflcopters.

the commonwealth is not chasing ireland its the goverment of the republic that is doing the talking-lets face it you need all the friends you can get with both germany and france now in the eu calling you ,

Deedsie

getz wrote: »

the commonwealth is not chasing ireland its the goverment of the republic that is doing the talking-lets face it you need all the friends you can get with both germany and france now in the eu calling you ,

Minister OCuiv's comments were in relation to a united Ireland.

It would have to go to the people and they would rightly tell the government to cop on unless it was a condition to end partition.

getz

Deedsie wrote: »

Minister OCuiv's comments were in relation to a united Ireland.

It would have to go to the people and they would rightly tell the government to cop on unless it was a condition to end partition.

i agree it would be rejected because, it would very hard to explain to a people why joining the commonwealth may be of benefit to them when you spent 87 years of church/political sponsored anti/british rhetoric,to suddenly say ; lets rejoin it could be fun

junder

I guess some of you are not as well informed as you thought, newton emerson is a satirist, he used to produce a satirical online spoof newspaper called the portadown news in which he made fun of both unionists and nationalists. He now writes satirical peices for the Irish Times which is northern irelands main NATIONALIST newspaper. This Article was written with his tongue firmly in his cheek. Although ironically it was amusing to see some of you play up to exactly the sort of stereotype he was taking the micky out of.

http://www.portadownnews.com/archive.htm

gurramok

getz wrote: »

the commonwealth is not chasing ireland its the goverment of the republic that is doing the talking-lets face it you need all the friends you can get with both germany and france now in the eu calling you ,

I'd support joining when Germany and France joins.

getz

gurramok wrote: »

I'd support joining when Germany and France joins.

do you believe that the irish republic would have joined the eu if the uk had not joined ?i dont believe they would but that would make another good thread wouldent it