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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Always reluctant to wade into anything politically-related, and especially related to Northern Ireland, but feel I have to address your point about the tricolour all the same.

Yes, it was originally designed to represent peace between the communities. But unfortunately, the way it was used by a certain section of the Nationalist community throughout "The Troubles" meant that so far as the Unionist community was concerned, it came to represent something very different to peace. And surely even you can see that?"
Nationalists are the majority in N.I now. Surely majority rules. But we all know that is not the case. Irish elites have always fawned all over the Unionists and encouraged them to lord it over theN.I Catholics.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2541 - 01/10/2023 16:53:18    2506463

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Replying To galwayford:  "Nationalists are the majority in N.I now. Surely majority rules. But we all know that is not the case. Irish elites have always fawned all over the Unionists and encouraged them to lord it over theN.I Catholics."
Good God .... where would you even begin like? No wonder Shinners have pulled wool over so many peoples eyes.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2929 - 01/10/2023 17:54:02    2506476

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Replying To dolfos:  "Yep, got taken to a game at Wembley a few years ago, to call that a sport is hilarious."
What can be defined as a sport then
Its a sport with savage athletes who are realistically good at what they do.

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3588 - 01/10/2023 19:43:42    2506496

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Replying To galwayford:  "Nationalists are the majority in N.I now. Surely majority rules. But we all know that is not the case. Irish elites have always fawned all over the Unionists and encouraged them to lord it over theN.I Catholics."
so much wrong with this.
where to start...

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3588 - 01/10/2023 20:55:20    2506513

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Replying To galwayford:  "Nationalists are the majority in N.I now. Surely majority rules. But we all know that is not the case. Irish elites have always fawned all over the Unionists and encouraged them to lord it over theN.I Catholics."
In response to KillingFields wondering where even to start in replying to this one, I'll just concentrate on the first sentence or two.

Don't know where you get the idea that "Nationalists are in the majority". Even if you take a simple theory of "Catholic = Nationalist" and "Protestant = Unionist", then you still don't have a majority.

According to Northern Ireland Census 2021:
Catholic - 42.3% of population
Protestant (i.e. Presbyterian/Church of Ireland/Methodist/"other Christian" combined) - 37.3%
Other religion - 1.3%
No religion - The remainder

There may be more Catholics than Protestants, but there's still not a majority. Do you understand the difference between the two things?

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2337 - 01/10/2023 22:48:32    2506528

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Replying To dolfos:  "McIlroy having a go at the American caddy in the car park last night is the funniest and most entertaining thing I've ever seen happen in Golf."
Lowry's celebrations like a corner back winning a free another highlight.

TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1760 - 01/10/2023 22:54:07    2506530

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Replying To galwayford:  "Nationalists are the majority in N.I now. Surely majority rules. But we all know that is not the case. Irish elites have always fawned all over the Unionists and encouraged them to lord it over theN.I Catholics."
Huh.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7972 - 02/10/2023 09:17:25    2506549

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Replying To TerribleFootwork:  "Lowry's celebrations like a corner back winning a free another highlight."
Lowry showed some serious class in the short game area there, to reel in Spieth for a half, after the US player made 6 birdies and an eagle in the round.

Was 'interesting' that Lowry got a seemingly very playable lie in the cabbage at 15th to work his magic, while Spieth 'unluckily' seemed to find a horrendous lie to the left of 16th. The fans are 'key' indeed. Biffos on the grassy knolls perhaps!

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3725 - 02/10/2023 10:51:12    2506567

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "In response to KillingFields wondering where even to start in replying to this one, I'll just concentrate on the first sentence or two.

Don't know where you get the idea that "Nationalists are in the majority". Even if you take a simple theory of "Catholic = Nationalist" and "Protestant = Unionist", then you still don't have a majority.

According to Northern Ireland Census 2021:
Catholic - 42.3% of population
Protestant (i.e. Presbyterian/Church of Ireland/Methodist/"other Christian" combined) - 37.3%
Other religion - 1.3%
No religion - The remainder

There may be more Catholics than Protestants, but there's still not a majority. Do you understand the difference between the two things?"
People have been sold a pup on the "border poll." There was one in 1973 and the Provies were out firing shots at the peelers manning the polling stations.

Now they are begging for one even though it will be beaten if ever held. And it won't be any time soon. A lot of people lost their lives for something they could have given up for 50 years ago.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2929 - 02/10/2023 13:08:46    2506621

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "People have been sold a pup on the "border poll." There was one in 1973 and the Provies were out firing shots at the peelers manning the polling stations.

Now they are begging for one even though it will be beaten if ever held. And it won't be any time soon. A lot of people lost their lives for something they could have given up for 50 years ago."
Nationalists are the majority now. North and South.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2541 - 02/10/2023 13:38:09    2506625

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "People have been sold a pup on the "border poll." There was one in 1973 and the Provies were out firing shots at the peelers manning the polling stations.

Now they are begging for one even though it will be beaten if ever held. And it won't be any time soon. A lot of people lost their lives for something they could have given up for 50 years ago."
1973 was a different world and I dont see how advocating for a border poll (or anything) is begging. Time is not on the Pro Union side, the Catholic/Nationalist population has only recently passed 50% of voters and they have a significant majority under the voting age. In every referendum there is always the undecided who will either abstain or vote. What is clear a UI of sorts is on the cards and we better prepare for it.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4931 - 02/10/2023 14:06:51    2506635

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Replying To galwayford:  "Nationalists are the majority now. North and South."
Always have been! That was the whole point of Partition and is the whole point of Good Friday Agreement to make that majority dependent on a majority in the north. A majority that does not, and will not exist.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2929 - 02/10/2023 14:10:07    2506638

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Replying To arock:  "1973 was a different world and I dont see how advocating for a border poll (or anything) is begging. Time is not on the Pro Union side, the Catholic/Nationalist population has only recently passed 50% of voters and they have a significant majority under the voting age. In every referendum there is always the undecided who will either abstain or vote. What is clear a UI of sorts is on the cards and we better prepare for it."
The nationalist vote is not over 50% Where are getting this?

The combined nationalist vote - SF/SDLP/Aontú and at stretch PBP is around 41%. It has barely changed in 25 years. Indeed, it has been higher in some elections.


20% of Catholics support the union. So it is not clear at all that there will be a united Ireland. There would be if it was 32 county vote but hardly anyone is calling for that including the "republicans."

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2929 - 02/10/2023 15:55:38    2506661

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "The nationalist vote is not over 50% Where are getting this?

The combined nationalist vote - SF/SDLP/Aontú and at stretch PBP is around 41%. It has barely changed in 25 years. Indeed, it has been higher in some elections.


20% of Catholics support the union. So it is not clear at all that there will be a united Ireland. There would be if it was 32 county vote but hardly anyone is calling for that including the "republicans.""
Why are you so anti a united Ireland Barney? surely every Irishman worthy of the name wants their country united and free?

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 2897 - 02/10/2023 19:53:37    2506693

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "Why are you so anti a united Ireland Barney? surely every Irishman worthy of the name wants their country united and free?"
I am not against a united Ireland. Very much the opposite.

I am pointing out that people are claiming that it is inevitable based on not understanding the basic facts of the situation.

Believing that a united Ireland is coming soon through a border poll is utterly delusional. And meant to be on the part of one party that has accepted everything it was set up to oppose.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2929 - 03/10/2023 08:06:46    2506714

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Any chance of getting back to talking about rugby and soccer and whatever other sports here??????

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2337 - 03/10/2023 09:10:34    2506726

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Any chance of getting back to talking about rugby and soccer and whatever other sports here??????"
Yeah, well as I was saying, I don't believe that Yanks would tolerate the amount of time it takes to set and reset and reset scrums, or the amount of time that gets bled off the clock at this caper........if we need to 'sell' RWC to the Americans that is.......someone suggested we did.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3725 - 03/10/2023 11:57:49    2506772

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "Yeah, well as I was saying, I don't believe that Yanks would tolerate the amount of time it takes to set and reset and reset scrums, or the amount of time that gets bled off the clock at this caper........if we need to 'sell' RWC to the Americans that is.......someone suggested we did."
You mean like NFL where a game that consists of four 15m quarters takes 4 hours to play? I don't think scrum resets would put them off too much.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4734 - 03/10/2023 13:39:45    2506795

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "Yeah, well as I was saying, I don't believe that Yanks would tolerate the amount of time it takes to set and reset and reset scrums, or the amount of time that gets bled off the clock at this caper........if we need to 'sell' RWC to the Americans that is.......someone suggested we did."
I'm with Joxer on this one. It's not like the Americans aren't used to frequent and lengthy stoppages during play.

American Football is the example already given. Major League Baseball is another one. They introduced a 'pitching clock' this year to cut down the amount of time a game needs, and average time came back from something like 3hrs 15mins to 2hrs 45mins....but a pitcher still has up to 20 seconds for each pitch. And there are far more pitches in any baseball game than there are scrum resets in a rugby match.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2337 - 03/10/2023 14:17:48    2506805

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "People have been sold a pup on the "border poll." There was one in 1973 and the Provies were out firing shots at the peelers manning the polling stations.

Now they are begging for one even though it will be beaten if ever held. And it won't be any time soon. A lot of people lost their lives for something they could have given up for 50 years ago."
Do you know your own history/-obviously not. A lot of folk lost their lives in 1916 and in the civil war. Do you know that in the troubles in the North of our country more civilians were killed by crown forces /loyalists. That is a fact that is hidden by our media and some well known newspapers. The first people killed in the troubles was by loyalists. Why can we not release all the documents relating to the Belturbet/Dublin/Monaghan bombings. Documents were and still are hidden about the showband massacre. I'm totally against all killings but you need to get your facts correct!

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 03/10/2023 19:19:29    2506852

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