Would Loyalists resort to terrorism if a United Ireland was granted?

bayern282

Would you see an ETA style scenario developing on the island in the event of an United Ireland, ie; Dublin and Monaghan bombings reoccurring.

Or do you think that if the current state of affairs persists, there will be a gradual melting away of sectarianism. Sectarianism used to exist in Liverpool until the 1950/60's when people from inner city areas where relocated and mixed in new suburbs.

This is a bit of a tall order to expect such a development in Belfast to happen rapidly, but compare the Northern Ireland of 1990 to the present day one, and then project ahead another 20 years and it doesn't seem so far fetched.

Hookah

Yes.

And then they'd be the freedom fighters, because they'd be fighting for independence.

Weird.

Saila

yes ...or maybe no

pragmatic1

Definitely.

lcrcboy

It would just cause a new mess up there, I think the north should just move for an independent state with financial support from the EU, Ireland and the Uk, and I say financial support from all three because they just cant support themselves on their own. It might get them to try and work even harder together if they were recognized as their own state. Obviously its not that simple but I think its something they should look at if they haven't already

The_Kew_Tour

Yes and it is one of the reasons I dont want to see United Ireland because people will die for this and no life is worth a bit of land.

Nolanger

They would resort to emigration.

Kasabian

Sectarian thread a brewing again.

Zillah

lcrcboy wrote: »

It would just cause a new mess up there, I think the north should just move for an independent state with financial support from the EU, Ireland and the Uk, and I say financial support from all three because they just cant support themselves on their own. It might get them to try and work even harder together if they were recognized as their own state. Obviously its not that simple but I think its something they should look at if they haven't already

Then you have Republicans bombing stuff because its not a united Ireland, and you get loyalists blowing things apart because they want to be part of the UK.

Agricola

Id say without doubt. Sectarian violence will have to be a distant memory, something from people grandparents and great parents generation, before there would be any other outcome beyond a massive backlash.

Adamisconfused

I doubt they would unless it happened tomorrow morning. With that said, if the majority of voters in the north want to be joined with us and we vote the same, then we have to respect that result and enforce it regardless of whoever threatens terrorism.

However, I doubt we'll see a United Ireland in the same way republicans desire, which lessens the chance of any loyalist violence. I think the settlement will be based on existing realities at the time of any unity and a different solution will be found.

For example, it seems possible that the United Kingdom will break up in the years to come. If it does, none of those newly sovereign states will finance Northern Ireland or be particularly interested in a political or national union with it. We'd most likely see an alignment of both northern and southern states with two parliaments to cover domestic affairs in the different areas, while defence and foreign affairs can be conducted in the Dáil or whatever name it would have then. Akin to what you see now between NI and Westminster at the moment. When one in six people on the island are of the unionist persuasion, they'd form a potent bloc and have a much larger voice than they do in London right now.

Bottle_of_Smoke

They wouldn't have the capabilities of the PIRA but that doesn't matter if you're willing to target civillians - which was the modus operandi of loyalist groups during the troubles.

Perhaps might see a separatist movement for Antrim/Down and east Derry but possibly more snp style than eta

robroy1234

As with the result of the expected vote for Scottish independence, which would then be followed by the Welsh, and that the Unionists in North would then be in the minority in which no matter how much Gerrymandering is done, they will find themselves pretty much unwanted by Westminster. With the rise in republicanism in the UK coupled with the excessive cost of the royals and the demise of the Church of England, what they are loyal to will also be questioned. This is more the death throes of dying entity, loyalism, unionism, etc., is in decline and they are trying to breath new life into it through violence. Its inevitable and entirely sad to see, but by the time we get United Ireland the violent, volatile, belligerent aggression will have petered out. It would be feasible that many of them would moved to England.

humanji

Don't drag up old threads.