Cost of a United Ireland and the GFA

Seems like this is an older problem than I thought. Pitty 2023 SF haven’t recognised what 1916 SF had recognised. True then - true now.

The then Secretary of Sinn Fein Rev. Michael O’Flanaghan declared the following to Freeman’s Journal.

“Geography has worked hard to make one nation of Ireland. History has worked against it. The island of Ireland, and the national unity of Ireland, simply do not coincide. The test of separate identity is the wish of the people. The unionists of Ulster have never given their love and allegiance to Ireland. They love the hills of Antrim and Down in the same way that we love the plains of Roscommon. We claim the right to excise what is our nation. We refuse the same right to Orangemen.”

Whataboutery whataboutery whataboutery. You are very defensive

Oh I have no doubt it will be overcome. I simply said it would bring interesting challenges to all.

the queen in Dublin , Croke park, etc was dealing with stuff outside everyone’s living memory. This will be much more challenging - the point I was making about my upset last night. I didn’t know the corporals or anyone involved yet it still makes me genuinely upset. Here’s the reality, and some won’t like the language, but just my perspective.

That is a key event from which the trauma lives on for a very large swathe of the unionist community. We watched live TV as two of ‘our own’ were overwhelmed by a vicious, hate filled crowd. We watched helplessly as the horror unfolded live. We felt connected as a community to it and we will take it to our grave. These young men were taken to Casement Park for torture and murder, again for the world to see. Casement is synonymous in the minds of unionists re this barbaric public display of debauchery.

I am also acknowledging the challenges facing the GAA, especially if NI qualify and Casement inevitably becomes our home stadium and all that will go with that. It def will be interesting. 30,000 ni fans making their way up the Anderson town road. Undoubtedly the Casement hype and SF windups leading up to it will ensure (unfortunately) some ni fans will do what the roi fans done in Australia re windup banners and songs.

but it could all be positive. If ni is ready for 30,000 drinking ni fans on the andersonstown road then it will evidence we are ready for most things.

By a long distance, the most vocal in opposing the Casement development was the local community surrounding it. They were very angry about it and sf approach to it.

It is from 1916 and the problem is older than you thought? Thst was the whole rational behind Ireland being partitioned in the first place. But alot predicted back then NI would be a failure because too many nationlists got left init which has turned out to be true. I think in hindsight Carson should have just had NI as Antrim, Down and Armagh. Might have worked better then. Now the jurisdiction doesn't have a unionist majority and by the GFA there can be no more gerrymandering the boundary to give a unionist a further majority. I think cross marriages and society becoming less sectarian lowers the need for unionism needing their own jurisdiction on Ireland anyway and by the GFA it is not really a unionist jurisdiction anyway. Biggest party now SF.

Now that’s a wee bit of lack of understanding. OO don’t march, they walk. Bands march. The twelfth is the orange walk. I do hear nationalists referring to orange march, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard a unionist who is warm to the Orange talking about a march.

Better tell the BBC

Who is arguing? Pretty clear a lot of people think they march.

And it was just another way of downcow avoiding answering what he knew full well, the poster was asking.

Yeah I think you are right ☺️

It isn’t important enough to me to correct your broadcaster. Whether they walk or march would be way down my list of concerns about the OO.

Begun by you.

We will need to review and overhaul the island's police force on Unification but their ability's at marching won't be a very important consideration.

Yes exactly. And proceed is a great word for the situation. Another word used often for orange walks is procession ie they also proceed.

and yes, from what I see in that passing out parade the guards would be best not attempting to match when it’s not their thing. As you say, it is of zero use outside of ceremonial events. After a Ui they could get the Psni officers to do the ceremonial stuff as marching is very strong culturally in the unionist community.

Seems logical and common sense

Seems we don’t have much to worry about. If this is the most optimistic photo Gerry can find to post. Seems it was a very depressing meeting of old people. They are certainly looking puzzled and dejected

You require a ‘culture’ of proper island wide policing.

Why complicate by having regional bodies?

One unambiguous police force operating from a centralised command is what we need.