The Most Fertile Man In Ireland

ChippingSodbury

I can just see this man's phone melting with all of the phonecalls...http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0220652/


http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Future-Catholic-majority-in-the-North-show-startling-demographic-shift-183408451.html

Future Catholic majority in the North changes everything in Ireland

Follow us: @IrishCentral on Twitter | IrishCentral on Facebook
The just released Northern Ireland census figures from 2011 show a remarkable and inexorable trend towards a Catholic majority by the next census in 2021.

The state once proudly proclaimed a “Protestant state for a Protestant people” has instead a looming Catholic majority with all that entails.

Those of Protestant background are now at 48 percent, less than a majority for the first time in the history of the North. Those who say they are Catholic measure 45 percent, while the remainder professes no religion. There are only 54,000 more Protestants than Catholics.

Those numbers have seen a dramatic increase in the Catholic population from the 53 percent Protestant, 43 Catholic split in the 2001 census.

The gap has closed from 10 points to just three and will surely disappear over the next decade. The speed of the change in demographic terms is like lightning.

In institutions such as Queen’s University in Belfast and third level teacher training colleges Catholics are now in the large majority. That trend will continue as the birth rate is now significantly higher among Catholics than Protestants.

Statistics from the North’s Department of Education for 2010/’11 showed 120,415 Protestants and 163,693 Catholics in schools, equating to 57.6 percent Catholic and 42.4 percent Protestant pupils.

Considering that the state started out in 1921 with a 66 percent to 33 percent Protestant majority, it has been a stunning demographic shift in 90 years.

For the first time in history there is no longer a Protestant majority of over 50 percent in the North. The impact of that reality will be very significant on its political future.

It does not guarantee a united Ireland, but it does likely guarantee a Catholic majority in a decade with all that implies.

Given what has happened in Scotland, with a referendum on independence to take place shortly, the old underpinnings of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland are suddenly shaken to the core.

Due to the shared power reality of Northern Ireland, many Catholics will believe they are better off in their own Northern Ireland than being part of the Irish Republic where in current political terms they would be a minority.

If as seems certain, the Catholic vote is larger than the Protestant vote in the North that will mean a Sinn Fein first minister in the North in the not to distant future.

Given that reality, the Catholic voter has two scenarios to consider -- leadership in the North or part of a united Ireland.

The outlook among Catholics in the North on the Irish Republic may depend on large part on whether Sinn Fein builds on its recent progress in the south and becomes a party of government there over the next decade or so. That is an imponderable at this point.

The census result is certainly a long way from the harsh reality of the 50 years of the Northern state and utter Unionist domination when only one token Catholic was ever in a cabinet position.

For Protestant political leaders, the reality is that they have to reach out to Catholics to retain their hold on power and membership of the union. This was a point made by current First Minister Peter Robinson at his party’s annual conference a few weeks back.

Ando's Saggy Bottom

The Pope had it right about the johnnys all along. Keep ridin' lads.

BUBBLE WRAP

TL;DR

Mr Benevolent

Why does any of this matter?

Robbo

One must wonder at the kind of mind that reads Irish Central as a news source.

"Hmmm, I'd like to see some recycled story from an Irish paper, three days later but with added Shamrocks and Shillelaghs."

summerskin

oh jesus, not another NI thread.

Duggy747

That was a really shìt movie.

JupiterKid

I thought this thread was about the guy in Monaghan who has 11 or 12 kids and was giving out about the cut in child benefit?

biko

No surrender!





lol jk

ChippingSodbury

Robbo wrote: »

One must wonder at the kind of mind that reads Irish Central as a news source.

"Hmmm, I'd like to see some recycled story from an Irish paper, three days later but with added Shamrocks and Shillelaghs."

I think most readers are of the "Non-condescending variety" but I could be wrong:pac:

sheesh

ffs
catholic =/= nationalist

and most certainly

catholic =/= Sinn fein Voter.

NinjaK

sheesh wrote: »

ffs
catholic =/= nationalist

and most certainly

catholic =/= Sinn fein Voter.

well in the North it generally does

ChippingSodbury

sheesh wrote: »

ffs
catholic =/= nationalist

and most certainly

catholic =/= Sinn fein Voter.

Don't take this too seriously, it's meant in jest.

If you can't, just picture Big Ian preaching from the pulput saying "Ladies, lie down and spread your legs for Ulshter..."

Duckworth_Luas

Does this mean that the phrase "Our Wee Country" will soon have to be changed to "Their Wee Country"?

Wacker The Attacker

They have some grapes on them. Literal and metaphorical

LiamMc

Angry Atheists are organising a protest march.

Duckworth_Luas

LiamMc wrote: »

Angry Atheists are organising a protest march.

Wouldn't that make them protestants then?

ChippingSodbury

Maybe all the Orangemen are Jaffas...

sheesh

ChippingSodbury wrote: »

Don't take this too seriously, it's meant in jest.

If you can't, just picture Big Ian preaching from the pulput saying "Ladies, lie down and spread your legs for Ulshter..."

this works for me too