Irish identity tops new Northern Ireland poll

[SevenStars]

The course of this thread underlines that whatever the Left-Liberals say, national identity in Europe is still determined by a sense of ethnicity. Hence, the Unionists see themselves as British, and we see ourselves as Irish. You can't wish that away with multiculturalist clap-trap.

Actually people from Ulster are very much alike...There is more difference between people from Dublin and Kerry than there is between people east and west Belfast. And some of the chief "idealogues" of Ulster Unionism such as Carson, Brendan Clifford (who thought up the whole two nations idea) and Conor Cruise O'Brien came from the south....And indeed all three of those men came from Roman Catholic backgrounds Of course Connolly came from Scotland, Pearse had an English dad and Sean Mc Stiofan didnt have a drop of Irish blood...

[Gadjodilo]

Doh! There's an overinflated civil service in NI because the Pervies had spent decades using bombs and bullets to damage the economy. The British government knew that the more people they had in decent jobs, and therefore mortgages, annual holidays, etc in NI then there would be more opposition to violence.

By indicating that the civil service's presence in NI has a merely political rather than an economic justification, you've blown a major hole in your argument. Surely, now that there is peace, wouldn't it be a good time for reform? Doh indeed.

Wee Jimmy on the dole in his council house doesn't really give a stuff if there's bombings and shootings - but Richard who earns a nice wage and has a mortgage to pay has more to lose if The Troubles continue or even get worse.

More Richards than Jimmys = more opposition to violence.

Forgive me for not being au fait with the minutiae of NI stereotypes but is there any significance to your choice of Christian names?

[British Citizen]

Plenty of Richards vote TUV.

As they have every right to. I don't recall Jim Allister calling for people to be killed or for bombs to be planted. They might vote TUV because they are so opposed to convicted terrorists in government.

It might not make sense to you but there are tens of thousands of Unionists who have been injured or have lost friends and famliy at the hands of Gerry Adams' and Martin McGuiness' disciples.

They have every right to oppose the people who ordered their family members death or ordered the bomb that blew their legs off being on £40,000 a year pretending to run the country.

[British Citizen]

By indicating that the civil service's presence in NI has a merely political rather than an economic justification, you've blown a major hole in your argument. Surely, now that there is peace, wouldn't it be a good time for reform? Doh indeed.

Forgive me for not being au fait with the minutiae of NI stereotypes but is there any significance to your choice of Christian names?

To be fair it's really only 5 or 6 years since we've seen an end to regular killings from either side's 'freedom fighters'. It's going to take a lot longer than that to create a few hundred thousand jobs to replace the public ones.

As for the names - it could have easily been Ricky and James instead of Jimmy and Richard. Just my crude attempt at labeling different classes of Belfast people at how they might be referred to by friends or family.

[Gadjodilo]

To be fair it's really only 5 or 6 years since we've seen an end to regular killings from either side's 'freedom fighters'. It's going to take a lot longer than that to create a few hundred thousand jobs to replace the public ones.

I had thought that things had calmed down by the end of the nineties. Anyway, of course, you're right - it will take a LONG time to generate that number of jobs. And given the current climate, most economies are running to stand still - if they can even manage that.

[FutureTaoiseach]

Actually people from Ulster are very much alike...There is more difference between people from Dublin and Kerry than there is between people east and west Belfast. And some of the chief "idealogues" of Ulster Unionism such as Carson, Brendan Clifford (who thought up the whole two nations idea) and Conor Cruise O'Brien came from the south....And indeed all three of those men came from Roman Catholic backgrounds .Of course Connolly came from Scotland

Irish father.

, Pearse had an English dad

and an Irish mother.

and Sean Mc Stiofan didnt have a drop of Irish blood...

His mother was the exception that proved the rule, in the sense that she was of Belfast Protestant descent and brought him up to feel Irish (telling him "I'm Irish, therefore you're Irish....Don't forget it".)-and strangely baptised him a Catholic.

[Adam Colgan]

both connollys parents were irish and pearse was raised by his aunt who taught him about ireland