The IRA and Northern Ireland

[whore]

This should be another hotly debated topic, as it has been in my neck of the woods recently.

I wish it all wasnt such a talking point recently but unfortunately it is. Yesterday we seen a 300lb bomb in a town along the border, and weeks before it was the same in another town. One bomb went off not far from where I live in Newry.

With all the global terrorism going on in the last few years, alot of people, apart from MI5, have been under estimating the Ireland situation. The MI5 and MI6 have always said in statements to the press, in the last 2 or 3 years, that the IRA were the biggest threat and now its happening and I am witnessing it.

I live along the border of Northern Ireland and the Rep of Ireland. I can actually kick a football into NI from my house. From what I have seen recently is, things are not looking good for the future. Alot of young guys my age are joining up for "the cause" recently. Its been happening for about 12 months now, but with the Saville report out recently its only been inciting hatred and making more young guys join up, and its all been giving old bigots living in the past, more ammunition to talk young guys into doing things they shouldnt.

I'll put my hands up here and say I have been asked recently to join "the cause" and declined. I personally know of 4 guys my age who have joined the South Armagh brigade in recent weeks. All good friends I grew up with.

Me personally I give it about 10 to 14 months before bombs start going off in London by these guys.

I have to go on record here and say I hate it and it all sickens me.

[Bumpa STIKKA]

This one is so easy...

Give the Northern Irish people a referendum on whether or not they want to be a part of the UK.

If more than half say they do... then they are.

If more than half the adults say they do not then leave them the fuck alone.

SORTED

[JaiDee]

hasn't this been done for years??

  It's still about 65% for being part of the UK {Protestants}  to 35% against it {Catholics} ...... the Micks have no chance of ever reversing that and even if you say to them "OK, you are free to worship as you choose'' they still have to live in a place which is part of The UK, when what they really want is to be a part of  ''free' Ireland.

 I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Ulster in 2007, and I taught my young daughter more about "The Troubles"and the history of these 2 places during that week than just about any US  teenager her age had ever absorbed; the whole place is a living history lesson......not to mention the lovely scenery in places like Derry, Port Stewart and Belfast.

     Pic taken on the Falls Road.....you have to be scrutinized and then buzzed in to get into this book store next door to S.F. headquarters, and I think all Protestants are refused entry; but a curious {and Catholic} Irish- Yank with his freckle-faced daughter in tow .... no problems!    

[JaiDee]

I snapped this one a few hundred meters away......do we really think we can solve 350 years of pure hatred with a referendum?

[Bumpa STIKKA]

Fuck them. They don't have to live there. Pack your bags and get out to somewhere decent if it's a problem.

[Jake_Sully]

I thought the irish president had calmed the situation down. But I'm very ignorant about Ireland about the last few years. I really hope it doesn't go nuts there.

I had planned on vacationing in ireland sometime.. might have to cancel that, not that I mind going to los instead but it really was on my list of things to do at least once. Would be a pity.

[guydesavoy]

It's sad to see the recruiting starting over again. I wonder if this is a reflection on the economy ? Are these guys unemployed whore ? I mean looking for something to do, or are they politically motivated ?

I remember this going on 20 years ago with young guys I knew around Navan, but a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then....

I understand there is still a hard core splinter faction of the IRA who never accepted the accords. Hopefully Adams and McGuinness can continue to keep them in check

[f0xxee]

(Bumpa STIKKA @ Jun. 19 2010,10:38) This one is so easy...

Give the Northern Irish people a referendum on whether or not they want to be a part of the UK.

If more than half say they do... then they are.

If more than half the adults say they do not then leave them the fuck alone.

SORTED  

Completely agree. Thats it. End of argument.

[seamus]

(Jake_Sully @ Jun. 19 2010,03:37) I had planned on vacationing in ireland sometime.. might have to cancel that, not that I mind going to los instead but it really was on my list of things to do at least once. Would be a pity.

Don'T let that stop you old chap, there is a lot to see in Ireland, with no need to go north of the boarder, or indeed near the boarder counties.
If it's just a stop over while doing UK or Europe, then Galway would be My shout, if your going for Longer, then a few days in Dublin, then a road trip to Galway, into Connermara, down to Kerry & then Down to ireland's greatest city Cork


As for the troubles, never have understood it, but then again i am from both Irish catholic & Irish Protestant stock, neigh on the same fecking religion is it not ! From what I am told, We got more shite when we came to London, then we ever got being a mixed family back home in Cork !

[tomscam]

What surprised me when I was there a couple years back was how shitty the protestant area was compared to the catholic district.

I agree that a referendum may be the best solution to appease most people.

[Guest]

Very brave topic there Whore-bound to get a few people going.
If the British government had gave a time limit for handing over NI to the ROI,like they did with Hong Kong to China,there would never have been any "troubles"-it would have been a fait accompli.
By the way jai dee-its not a catholic/protestant thing-its a nationalist/loyalist conflict.A lot of the founders of Irish Nationalism were Protestants,and there were Protestants in the IRA.
I wouldn't take any notice of reports from MI5&6-didn't they recently have cast-iron proof of WMD's in Iraq?

The recent activity in the South Armagh area will never escalated to the conflict that lasted 30+years-the people have had enough of it.

[guydesavoy]

Not sure how far a comparison with HKG goes...but this part is probably right :

The recent activity in the South  Armagh area will never escalate to the conflict that lasted 30+years-the people have had enough of it.

That may not stop a few bombs going off though.

[daveduke007]

I had an idea this thread would happen

[whore]

(Bumpa STIKKA @ Jun. 19 2010,10:38) This one is so easy...

Give the Northern Irish people a referendum on whether or not they want to be a part of the UK.

If more than half say they do... then they are.

If more than half the adults say they do not then leave them the fuck alone.

SORTED  

Me personally I think the best thing is independence for Northern Ireland. They practically have that now anyway, except they have the full use of the "UK coffers".

This whole Saville report kinda annoys me. The UK government spent millions on that public inquiry and all it did was just confirm what everybody knew. I said this to someone the other day and it turned out to be a very heated conversation which came close to fisty cuffs.

My thinking of it is why the fuck add fuel to a fire that was nearly out. Although its great for the families of the victims to be officially declared as innocent, but now its looking likely that the British soldiers concerned are going to have charges of perjury brought against them adding more fuel to the fire.

[Torurot]

For us non Irish can you explain what "joining up for "the cause" " is. What is "the cause"??