Northern Ireland (bomb, Great Britain, general, state)

[krsheely]

How often does violence still happen in Norther Ireland? I read an IRISH based newspaper and I often read about some "politicaly" motivated violence, usually still a bomb.

[MICoastieMom]

Not trying to be snarky or anything, but didn't you just answer your own question? If you are reading an Irish publication you probably have more accurate info than anyone here..... unless someone who lives in Northern Ireland responds.

[round tuit]

.....You don't have to go to Northern Ireland to find a thin skin or a hair trigger.

[mwruckman]

Consider how Northern Ireland got the way it is today. People in the Big Island (Great Britain) to the east of Ireland had an attitude and a King, Henry the II, occupied part of Ireland around Dublin called the Pale and the 6 counties of Northern Ireland. To hold on to it settlers from Britain colonized this territory and athough we and the Irish were originally Catholic that ended during the reign of Henry VIII who created a British Church. The Irish did not want to leave the Catholic Church. So the British Isles played a part in the reformation and the centuries of strife that followed between Catholics and Protestants. After a series of revolts little wars and general mayhem the British felt the best solution to the Irish Question was to let the Irish go their way but keep the 6 counties called Ulster in the British nation since a large majority of the people here were not Catholic and spoke the Kings English not Gaelic. This lead to first the Irish Free State in 1922 which was a dominion pledging loyalty to King George V and then to Erie or Ireland as a free and independent republic in 1926. Some Irish (aka Sinn Fein or IRA) feel the job of Irish freedom won't be finished until that piece that was bitten off of Ireland by the British is retreived.

[WIHS2006]

Originally Posted by mwruckman

Consider how Northern Ireland got the way it is today. People in the Big Island (Great Britain) to the east of Ireland had an attitude and a King, Henry the II, occupied part of Ireland around Dublin called the Pale and the 6 counties of Northern Ireland. To hold on to it settlers from Britain colonized this territory and athough we and the Irish were originally Catholic that ended during the reign of Henry VIII who created a British Church. The Irish did not want to leave the Catholic Church. So the British Isles played a part in the reformation and the centuries of strife that followed between Catholics and Protestants. After a series of revolts little wars and general mayhem the British felt the best solution to the Irish Question was to let the Irish go their way but keep the 6 counties called Ulster in the British nation since a large majority of the people here were not Catholic and spoke the Kings English not Gaelic. This lead to first the Irish Free State in 1922 which was a dominion pledging loyalty to King George V and then to Erie or Ireland as a free and independent republic in 1926. Some Irish (aka Sinn Fein or IRA) feel the job of Irish freedom won't be finished until that piece that was bitten off of Ireland by the British is retreived.

The people in Northern Ireland want no part of being part of the Irish Republic. They are British and wish to remain so.

[ovcatto]

Originally Posted by WIHS2006

The people in Northern Ireland want no part of being part of the Irish Republic. They are British and wish to remain so.

That being the case, what on earth could be the reason for having a referendum to decide that question?

[MICoastieMom]

Originally Posted by WIHS2006

The people in Northern Ireland want no part of being part of the Irish Republic. They are British and wish to remain so.

British? Or Scots-Irish? In my family, tradition states that the British used Scotsmen as middle management to colonize Ulster and oversee English estates and business concerns.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by WIHS2006

The people in Northern Ireland want no part of being part of the Irish Republic. They are British and wish to remain so.

That's changing with the demographics; it won't be long before the Catholic "native" Irish outnumber the Anglo and Scotch Irish.

One of the more interesting ideas is that of an independent "Ulster" belonging to neither the UK or the Republic. Why not?

Note that upon partition three of Ulster's nine counties were not included in Northern Ireland so as to ensure a Protestant majority in Northern Ireland, the three Ulster counties that went to the Republic being heavily Catholic.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by MICoastieMom

British? Or Scots-Irish? In my family, tradition states that the British used Scotsmen as middle management to colonize Ulster and oversee English estates and business concerns.

The Scotch are British as are the English and Welsh.

[mwruckman]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

The Scotch are British as are the English and Welsh.

"The Scotch" We are Scots, Scottish or Scotsmen. What we are not is a well aged tipple or a nice toffee!