RIRA

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01 Jun 2010, 4:59 pm

Are the Real IRA simply stirrers who are murdering and attempting to distrupt northern irish politics, they;ve been condemmed by the ira and sinn fein, most loyalist and republician terrorist groups have disarmed. Are they simply throwbacks? or something different?

Hector
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01 Jun 2010, 8:14 pm

I have no sympathy for the IRA even during the height of the Troubles, but I could vaguely understand why they took to violence. On the other hand I don't understand where the Real IRA, or similar anti-agreement nationalist organisations, are coming from.

psychohist
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01 Jun 2010, 9:08 pm

I believe they think that as long as northern Ireland is ruled by a majority, it will remain protestant and independent from the rest of Ireland.

They're probably even correct, but I don't think violence is likely to improve things even for the northern Irish Catholics.

Tequila
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01 Jun 2010, 9:39 pm

Hector wrote:

On the other hand I don't understand where the Real IRA, or similar anti-agreement nationalist organisations, are coming from.

They want to bring about a United Ireland by force. I think they're just reminding the rest of the UK that they haven't gone away you know. They are the lowest of the low - killing soldiers and pizza delivery boys.

The anti-agreement Unionists did very badly in the UK general election, not winning a single seat. The DUP and SF are still the only political game in Northern Ireland as far as I can see.

I'm off to Northern Ireland in about a month or so in any case.

Last edited by Tequila on 01 Jun 2010, 9:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Tequila
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01 Jun 2010, 9:42 pm

psychohist wrote:

I believe they think that as long as northern Ireland is ruled by a majority, it will remain protestant and independent from the rest of Ireland.

Northern Ireland will remain a constituent region of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland until a majority of the population vote to end the Union with Britain. Which isn't likely to happen for a long time.

If anything the Union is more under threat in Scotland than in Northern Ireland.

Hector
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01 Jun 2010, 10:16 pm

Tequila wrote:

They want to bring about a United Ireland by force.

Yes, but why? Circa the early to mid 1970s, as the PIRA gained in power and influence, many Catholics felt as if they had no real voice in government and had fewer job prospects. Now many of the old industries are gone, and it is likely that (come the next Assembly elections) there will be a Catholic, ex-IRA First Minister. Catholics even seem to be a lot happier with the police force now than before. I'd be curious to see if RIRA sympathisers have a non-circular justification behind their demands to pursue a 32-county Republic by means of force.

skafather84
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01 Jun 2010, 11:03 pm

The Irish have a right to their own homeland. They have a right to defend themselves.

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Hector
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01 Jun 2010, 11:25 pm

skafather84 wrote:

The Irish have a right to their own homeland. They have a right to defend themselves.

Well, there is a 26-county Republic. As for the other six counties, it's still the case that more than half of Northern Ireland would prefer to stay in the UK. Tyrone and Fermanagh are majority Catholic and thus probably majority nationalist, but not that great a majority. So I'm not sure how nationalists are really entitled to a 32-county Republic at present; they're unlikely to have a democratic mandate within Northern Ireland, at least.

skafather84
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02 Jun 2010, 12:12 am

Hector wrote:

skafather84 wrote:

The Irish have a right to their own homeland. They have a right to defend themselves.

Some of the times, the things I write are parody. This would be one of those times. Carry on.

Tequila
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02 Jun 2010, 3:53 am

skafather84 wrote:

The Irish have a right to their own homeland. They have a right to defend themselves.

As has been said, the Republic of Ireland has been independent since 1922. The population of Northern Ireland wishes to remain British - there is a large nationalist minority though.

Tequila
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02 Jun 2010, 3:55 am

Hector wrote:

skafather84 wrote:

The Irish have a right to their own homeland. They have a right to defend themselves.

I think it's only Antrim and Down that still has a unionist majority?

Hector
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02 Jun 2010, 6:46 am

Tequila wrote:

Hector wrote:

skafather84 wrote:

The Irish have a right to their own homeland. They have a right to defend themselves.

I think it's only Antrim and Down that still has a unionist majority?

I haven't checked the figures, but that's believable. I know that Tyrone and Fermanagh pretty much always had a Catholic majority, they were contentious when the boundaries were drawn. At any rate, there isn't a nationalist majority over the six provinces, as elections appear to show.

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