Cost of a United Ireland and the GFA

So you have given names of some people who live on the island and write. And you remind us that you had a language on the island. Oh wait, am I correct that there was an OWC version of your Irish language.

francie this is pathetic. The stuff you have mentioned in the post are things that are on life support.

so all the abuse I took re northern Irish culture, and francie comes up with a few resident writers and a language that is rarely spoken - much of which is borrowed from others including English.

a vibrant culture my arse -case proven

The highest number of ‘writers’ from a country on this years British Booker Award are from that dying cultural entity of Ireland.

Several Irish writers nominated at the Oscars too. Including one in the Irish language.

Man you can put both feet in it! 😀😀😀

Could you tell me the difference in an Irish writer and a writer from Ireland?

Yes. They write in a way that is immediately recognisable as bein an Irish perspective. Joyce, Kavanagh., Heaney, Friel, Hewit, Longley, The McDonagh Bros, Barry, etc etc.

Anglo Irish writers would be writers from Ireland but writing in a British style and perspective. Uniquely Irish too BTW.

This is first year secondary school stuff.

Do you get an Ulster fry in Donegal? If so it is just another irish/ulster culture.

Tayto crisps. That best you can do? Really. Tayto would also have commercial reasons for not expanding outside the ROI jurisdiction rather than suddenly people in the north not liking thier crisps.

What language is unique to NI? I see every county in NI, which even your own username derives from? Is from irish. Belfast and Derry derive from irish too. Infact the vast majority of places in the OWC comes from irish.

You never herd of irish trad music? Irish dancing too?

Sports like GAA.

Halloween originates in Ireland and nearly all irish kids celebrate it.

Religious beliefs like the celebration of St Patrick with parades and our own protestant Church of Ireland are other forms of irish culture

Our own way of distilling whiskey which gives irish whiskey a unique taste whether it be Bushmills in Antrim or Jamesons in Dublin.

Of course irish culture like any other nations culture can become popular throughout the world.

I know some of you hate chatgpt, but I thought I would ask it to comment. I realise, like google, how you ask the question influences it and I was asking specifically for cultural differences- I am quite sure ‘shared cultures’ would throw up another list.

what strikes me is the stark differences eg I have only ever heard of one of your foods on the list ie barmbrack (I thought it was barnbrack and I just know it is a type of bread), yet the ni list are so completely common to me. I am interested have you guys heard of all the roi food?

and before you condemn me asking chatgpt think how many quotes from google we get on here. I thought chatgpt closing paragraph was particularly interesting:

here's a list of of some differences between Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI) based on our discussion:

Food:

NI: Ulster Fry, Pastie Baps, Fifteens, Champ, Yellowman, Dulse, Armagh Bramley Apples, Veda Bread, Jawbox Gin, Wheaten Bread, Comber Earlies.

ROI: Coddle, Drisheen, Boxty, Gur Cake, Carrageen Moss Pudding, Clonakilty Black, Barmbrack,

Traditions and Habits:

NI: Orange Order Parades, Bonfire Night, Ulster Scots dialect, Lambeg drums, Loyalist marching bands. Cross-community St Patrick’s parades where symbols contentious in ni are controlled 

ROI: St. Patrick's Day Parades, Pattern Day pilgrimages, Irish language usage, traditional Irish music sessions, Sliabh Luachra traditional music, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann sessions.

Cultural Celebrations:

NI: The Twelfth, Battle of the Boyne commemorations, Belfast Film Festival, Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, New Year's Eve Carnlough swim.

ROI: Bloomsday, Samhain, Galway International Arts Festival, Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival, Wren Day, Fleadh Cheoil, Cork Jazz Festival, St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin.

Sport:

NI: NI Football team, Cricket, Royal County Down and Royal Portrush Golf Clubs, Ulster Rugby.

ROI: Irish national football team, Hurling, Gaelic Football, Horse Racing, Kilkenny and Tipperary Hurling teams, All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, Connacht Rugby.

Symbols:

NI: Red Hand of Ulster, The Union Jack, The Crown, The Ulster Banner, Murals.

ROI: The Irish Flag (Tricolour), The Celtic Cross, The Claddagh Ring, The Irish Round Tower.

Recent History of Politics and Conflict:

NI: The Troubles, Good Friday Agreement, Decommissioning of Paramilitary Weapons, Power-sharing Executive, Brexit and the NI Protocol.

ROI: Celtic Tiger Economic Boom, Financial Crisis, EU-IMF bailout, Economic Recovery, The Great Famine, War of Independence, Civil War, Neutrality during WWII, Transition to Euro.

Practical Differences:

NI: Currency (Pound Sterling), Phone Boxes (BT), Driving (Miles per Hour), Education (GCSEs and A-Levels), Health Service (NHS).

ROI: Currency (Irish Punt, now Euro), Phone Boxes (originally eir), Driving (Kilometers per Hour), Education (Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate), Health Service (HSE).

This collection of differences between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, while informative, serves as a broad generalization. As with any cultural comparison across the globe, there is considerable overlap and diversity within each region. Cultural distinctions are not rigid boundaries but rather fluid and nuanced characteristics that can differ greatly among individuals and communities. Nonetheless, this list underscores a substantial cultural divergence between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, resulting from periods of extended separation and distinct historical experiences. It's important to celebrate this rich diversity while acknowledging the shared cultural threads that weave these regions together.

I could also make a list of differences in northern Irish culture from Scottish, English and Welsh cultures - an even within those, particularly England due to size, we could make sub lists of local cultures.

To try and ignore cultural differences and either, wish them away, or say that they do not need to be considered, in a hypothetical united Ireland is just living in denial.

There's no perfect translation from one language to another because each language has it's own unique style and way of conveying it's meaning.

Gaelic to English is a good example.

Jesus, the 'oldest' distillery in the world is in Ireland downcow...it was 'subsumed into NI' by partition.

I mean, not to know or realise this shows how you just don't undertsand the points being made.

There is nothing 'culturally' unique to the 100 year old jurisdiction of Northern Ireland...NOTHING. What you have been mentioning are IRISH, all there before NI existed.

Where there Orange parades before Partition?

If the answer to this question is 'Yes' or to anything else you claim as 'Unique' then it is an Irish custom/culture.

And you could not be more wrong.

There is a defineable 'Irish' language/literature/music/sport etc.

Yoiu are nearly there.

The British where colonists downcow, they invaded IRELAND, it remained Ireland, a 'jurisdiction of the British Empire' which NI still is.

It (NI) is also STILL Ireland with Irish customs and culture still carried out.

Bushmills was established in Ireland downcow, long before the 'UK' was dreamt of. no amount of shouting at clouds is going to change that fact.

Very sad that Unionism is in this hole and feels the need to deny history.

Everything you do culturally and by custom and tradition will fit right back into Ireland as a united country.

Classic.

What does it say, right there on the label of their product?

I circled it to make it easy for you.

Does it say Northern Ireland? British Isles?

The distilling process mainly.

What's the Difference Between Irish Whiskey and Scotch Whisky? (marthastewart.com)