What we really need to hear

[jjacollins]

Having being a spectator of the Peace process and an avid reader of World History all my life I think its time that certain things needed to be said and listened to in regards to the NE.

I would like to hear from Unionists like paisley, that they agree that Ireland had the right to full independence and that the Irish people were right to want their own Government.

From the Irish side I would like to hear that they recognise that the unionists are British, (not psuedo confused Irish) and that their identity is respected in Ireland and will be in the event of an Irish majority in the NE that would bring about political unity.

I think if these statements were made that it would bring about mutual respect far quicker than any agreement about the provision of healthcare in some hospital in Derry that martin and Ian might have to decide on behind closed doors.

[Outside_The_Line]

Unionists are Irish, but they choose to betray that by acting as a prop-up for an illegal occupation.

[hard-hitter23]

i would like to say that i will never agree with the unionists being in ireland.i am no sinn fein supporter and i amnt a memebr of the i.r.a ,i represent the veiws of all irish men around the country.ireland should be a 32 county country as how did the unionists end up there in the first place?they ended up there thanks to an invasion .an INVASION!IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENED THESE DAYS THERE WOULD BE UPROAR AND BRITAIN WOULD BE ASKED TO RETREAT BY ALL COUNTRYS AROUND THE WORLD!THE UNIONISTS DO NOT DESERVE TO BE THERE IN THE FIRST PLCE.THAT IS WHY I CAN NEVER RESPECT THEM

[jjacollins]

Hard hitter23 wrote: I would like to say that i will never agree with the unionists being in ireland.i am no sinn fein supporter and i amnt a memebr of the i.r.a ,i represent the veiws of all irish men around the country.ireland should be a 32 county country as how did the unionists end up there in the first place?they ended up there thanks to an invasion .an INVASION!IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENED THESE DAYS THERE WOULD BE UPROAR AND BRITAIN WOULD BE ASKED TO RETREAT BY ALL COUNTRYS AROUND THE WORLD!THE UNIONISTS DO NOT DESERVE TO BE THERE IN THE FIRST PLCE.THAT IS WHY I CAN NEVER RESPECT THEM

I used to think that way too, but I came around to realising that there is nothing to be gained or lost from recognising the situatuion for what it is and for recognising the peoples involved.

Unionists are British, they fear a united Ireland because they falsely believe that they will be made to become Irish and that all they believe in will be sneered at and so on.

This as we know is a load of crap, as the Irish Government has no interest in denying anyones national identity. There are thousands of British people living in the Republic and their identity is fully respected at all times.

The Irish government is guilty of not making a strong enough case for unity and this has caused a lot of tension to boil over in the NE.

[Jason]

Unionists are Irish, but they choose to betray that by acting as a prop-up for an illegal occupation.

everyone who was born in northern ireland is british and irish. as for the topic their is nothing there that unionists havnt been doing/saying for years!

[jjacollins]

Jason wrote: everyone who was born in northern ireland is british and irish. as for the topic their is nothing there that unionists havnt been doing/saying for years!

I would say in a realist way that nearly all those who term themselves as unionists would see their nationality as British. The way I've heard it said before was that politicially Unionsts are British but culturally they are Irish.


I have never heard official Unionism ever utter a word of understanding towards Irish republicamism and its aims over the last 200 years. Until they do I can't see that we have moved on an inch.

Officail Ireland has made moves but still needs to make things a lot clearer towards the British community.

The recent Boyne Valley centre meeting between Paisley and Ahern was a very good step. But there's a long way to go and it all needs to be put into a context that all can be comfortable with. Not in the triumphalist way the Orange order carry on.