Prime Time: Ireland's Call - Tonight at 22:35 p.m. (RTE & BBC 1 NI)

Mr.Nice Guy

Looks like quite an interesting episode of Prime Time this evening.

Ireland’s Call - A Prime Time Special and BBC NI’s Nolan Live series will come together on November 4th for a simulcast on RTÉ One and BBC One NI to reveal the results of a Behaviour & Attitudes survey which asked 2,000 people across Northern Ireland and the Republic a range of questions on social, economic and constitutional issues, including if people would like to see the island united.

It will be the first programme of RTÉ's 1916 centenary commemorations and celebrations. Prime Time and Nolan Live will present the findings with a panel of analysts, politicians and debate throughout.

This could get pretty feisty. Nolan is pretty good at stirring things up.

My prediction is that the reunification poll will reveal a lot of support for maintaining the border from Northern Catholics, plus a low level of support for reunification from those on this side of the border that were asked.

I suspect that will be the main topic of the night. I find it a bit strange though to ask a question on a proposal about which no one is quite sure how it would operate. Federal system or centralised, maintain Stormont or not, what flags etc. It's all very abstract. There's nothing concrete on the table for people to consider.

Still, maybe it will make for good telly.

CatFromHue

It's on kinda late for such a long show.

icdg

Timed to run after the BBC News at Ten.

Mr.Nice Guy

Come on, get to the results.

Skid X

Miriam wants to be President, she will be treading carefully not to offend anyone in this potential car crash.

RayM

The poppies (or lack thereof) on the northerners are useful, aren't they? Watching it with the volume down.

Mr.Nice Guy

So it seems like most people in the south who were asked would you like it next week, said no. If they would like it in their lifetime, they said sure, why not.

Given that there's no actual proposal on the table, that's not much of a surprise.

RobertKK

So it is status quo, and England can keep funding them to the tune of £8 billion a year.

English people I know would be happy to get rid of NI in the Union.

JustTheOne

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

So it seems like most people in the south who were asked would you like it next week, said no. If they would like it in their lifetime, they said sure, why not.

Given that there's no actual proposal on the table, that's not much of a surprise.

The most important aspect is the majority up north dont want it. They are the ones who will be voting for it.

Skid X

https://twitter.com/ktsrooney/status/662039716011864065

RobertKK

1916 helped divide this country.

Mr.Nice Guy

JustTheOne wrote: »

The most important aspect is the majority up north dont want it. They are the ones who will be voting for it.

That will remain the case for a good twenty to thirty years at least.

NIMAN

This is shocking to watch, this jumping back and forward is amateurish.

And the 2 presenters are poor.

Iwasfrozen

Someone should tell lumpty "squaring a circle" is an impossible task...

Skid X

Scotland leaving the Union is the only thing that might change the Unionist mindset in the forseeable future

And I don't think it would make them any keener to opt for a United Ireland

JustTheOne

NIMAN wrote: »

This is shocking to watch, this jumping back and forward is amateurish.

And the 2 presenters are poor.

Stephen is great. Legend up north.

NIMAN

He's not really. He's Marmite. Personally I like him.

I think he is dying to go off on one tonight with some of his guests, but is reigning himself in as he wants to come across as a serious presenter when up against Miriam. Miriam looking very shaky tonight. Why is she nervous?

Mr.Nice Guy

Skid X wrote: »

Scotland leaving the Union is the only thing that might change the Unionist mindset in the forseeable future

And I don't think it would make them any keener to opt for a United Ireland

Agreed. Much more of a chance of Scotland leaving the Union in the next twenty years than NI. If the EU referendum results in a vote for the UK to leave, I could see the Scots wanting to go it alone.

Skid X

They should have tossed a coin for home advantage, and based everyone in the same studio in either Dublin or Belfast.

RayM

This is like a cross between Brass Eye and those early '90s 'Telethon' shows.

RobertKK

We would have to fund a £8 billion budget hole.

More tax, it is handy at the moment to have the English pay their tax for the luxury of having NI in the Union.

CatFromHue

Iwasfrozen

Pearse looking very amateurish tbh.

RobertKK

It cost Germany so much for the unification, the Germans had to make great sacrifices to pay for the basket case that was East Germany.

We would have to pay a lot for NI, too many in state jobs.

PressRun

Nolan is a cowboy. He's like your plumber who wants to debate politics while taking a look at your sink.

RobertKK

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

Pearse looking very amateurish tbh.

Saving us billions with his poor arguments. Convincing no one.

Berserker

Well, not really ..... Jesus, our politicians look like utter clowns here. Pearse knows that this is an economic disaster.

Skid X

Someone tag Jimmy Deenihan, he is getting pulverised.

Mr.Nice Guy

Jimmy Deenihan looks like he showed up to play a game of bingo and wandered into the studio by mistake.

Embarrassing.

technocrat

RobertKK wrote: »

Saving us billions with his poor arguments. Convincing no one.

They can't even convince their own community in the North!

vicwatson

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

Pearse looking very amateurish tbh.

All the Irish panel so far look like gibberish fools

JustTheOne

He told the truth.

We can afford it, simple as.

RobertKK

Pat Rabbitte telling NI some home truths about their crap economy.

Berserker

Two USCs. Says it all really. People won't even pay for water Miriam, let alone fund NI's public sector economy. Pearse, they get £10bn a year. You also need to account for the bundles of public sector workers that they have.

PressRun

Wtf is happening?

Mr.Prodston

This is brilliantly, hilariously terrible. I would pay good money to throw Vincent Browne into the mix

vicwatson

Jesus h. Rte clowns. No ad break on BBC how will RTE get their ads in

technocrat

Too much interrupting by the presenters..

briany

I'm sure Nolan is enjoying the programme. Defeating Sinn Fein's pathetic arguments for a united Ireland is like shooting fish in a barrel.

Iwasfrozen

Pearse "numbers" Dougherty working his magic tonight.

Berserker

PressRun wrote: »

Wtf is happening?

The Irish Republican dream of a UI is getting smashed.

vicwatson

He has very large ears

jimmyw

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Jimmy Deenihan looks like he showed up to play a game of bingo and wandered into the studio by mistake.

Embarrassing.

So bloody cringeworthy:o

PressRun

Who do they even ask for these surveys? Never in my life have I ever heard of anyone being asked for their opinion on anything like this.

vicwatson

Berserker wrote: »

The Irish Republican dream of a UI is getting smashed.

It's not only a republicans dream

vicwatson

"Ireland's call" lol, I'm out

PressRun

Berserker wrote: »

The Irish Republican dream of a UI is getting smashed.

Tbh, I've never really understood people who take glee in the idea of 'defeating' the possibility of a United Ireland just to get one up on republicans. I'd like to think people would approach the issue with a bit more maturity and consideration.

Berserker

A NI Shiner is trying to sell a UI to an OO man on BBC. Making an utter mess of this. I can't believe how badly prepared SF are for this. Loving it, I have to say. Great entertainment.

PressRun wrote: »

Tbh, I've never really understood people who take glee in the idea of 'defeating' the possibility of a United Ireland

Why is that? I have no desire for one.

Iwasfrozen

vicwatson wrote: »

It's not only a republicans dream

Apparantly a dream of 11℅ of the NI population. lol

PressRun

I so wish Vincent Browne was there. Nolan sounds like a loon.

RobertKK

PressRun wrote: »

Who do they even ask for these surveys? Never in my life have I ever heard of anyone being asked for their opinion on anything like this.

I have been phoned a number of times.

Not on this.

My answer would be I don't want a United Ireland, too expensive and they have too many people obsessed with flags, marching and bonfires, not to mention an economy that is a basket case.