Are Unionists/Loyalists Irish?

Karl Stein

I'm not talking about the very rare 'lesser spotted' southern Unionist here - I'm on about those that live across the imaginary line in the 6 counties.

What say ye?

mike65

Its a real line, or that's what the speed limit signs tell me. Not to mention the health and education standards.

Femme_Fatale

No, British - because that's how they identify themselves. A small few consider themselves Irish also, which is cool if that's what they identify themselves as.

Sauve

Cathal Cloch wrote: »

I'm not talking about the very rare 'lesser spotted' southern Unionist here - I'm on about those that live across the imaginary line in the 6 counties.

What say ye?

Seeing as they consider themselves British, I'll go with that too.

Karl Stein

mike65 wrote: »

Its a real line, or that's what the speed limit signs tell me.

Could you get a picture of it for me from google earth because I can't seem to locate it.

Thanks.

pablomakaveli

Northern Irish but if they want to consider themselves British or Irish it's up to them.

mattjack

Cathal Cloch wrote: »

I'm not talking about the very rare 'lesser spotted' southern Unionist here - I'm on about those that live across the imaginary line in the 6 counties.

What say ye?

No Cathal ,they,re actually French .

Karl Stein

mattjack wrote: »

No Cathal ,they,re actually French .

So they're not Irish?

Toby Take a Bow

mike65 wrote: »

Its a real line, or that's what the speed limit signs tell me. Not too mention the health and education standards.

No, it's an imaginary line. Similar to other borders.

Loyalists can identify as whomever they want to identify with. Geographically speaking, however, they are technically Irish.

Derrydoc

If they chose to be then yes.

Karl Stein

mike65 wrote: »

Not to mention the health and education standards.

What of them? Credible sources please if you're going to make bold claims.

RayM

Nominally British. Much of their culture, however, is "British" in the same way as an Irish themed bar in Boston is "Irish".

Karl Stein

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

No, British

How could they be British though? Britain is the land mass to the east of Ireland.

They've been born on the land mass to the west of Britain known as 'Ireland'.

Femme_Fatale

Cathal Cloch wrote: »

How could they be British though? Britain is the land mass to the east of Ireland.

They've been born on the land mass to the west of Britain known as 'Ireland'.

Northern Ireland is part of Britain though - whether I like that or not, it's a fact.

Qualitymark

Dunno if this is still so, but it used to be that a lot of unionists identified themselves as Irish people who were citizens of the United Kingdom.
As far as I'm concerned, someone's Irish who lives in Ireland and works to make it the best place it can be.

galwayrush

They have a choice .

Galaxie

Cathal Cloch wrote: »

How could they be British though? Britain is the land mass to the east of Ireland.

They've been born on the land mass to the west of Britain known as 'Ireland'.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Calling them United Kingdomers is a bit of a mouthful, so I'm happy enough to call them British.

Karl Stein

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Northern Ireland is part of Britain though - whether I like that or not, it's a fact.

Nope.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10

shleedance

If you define it by where they're born and have been living (ie what island they're on), they're technically Irish. Culturally, that's a more confusing matter.

Sauve

Cathal Cloch wrote: »

How could they be British though? Britain is the land mass to the east of Ireland.

They've been born on the land mass to the west of Britain known as 'Ireland'.

Ah here -will ya stop that

Vicar in a tutu

If they were born in Northern Ireland I'd consider them Irish :P

jethro081

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Northern Ireland is part of Britain though - whether I like that or not, it's a fact.

no it's not. It's part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or the UK. It is not part of Britain though.
(if you want to get into semantics, it is part of the geographical entity known as the British Isles though)

Zebra3

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Northern Ireland is part of Britain though - whether I like that or not, it's a fact.

Part of the UK, not part of Britain.

Britain consists of England, Scotland, and Wales.

Why is that so difficult for some many people to understand?

Quit yer trollin' cathal!