The GFA and people naming it the Belfast agreement

veryangryman

Is the latter name a unionist thing or am I reading into it too much.

Heard Ivan Yates say it as the latter recently. While the man is a tool, i didnt realise he may also be a unionist. I guess ivan is a fairly "those people" name.

Anyway enlighten my unenlightened mind on this subject please and thanks.

endacl

Signed on Good Friday in Belfast. Take your pick. We’ll know what you mean.

MrMusician18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058277522/the-gfa-and-people-naming-it-the-belfast-agreement

Yes, among nationalists and the Irish government, it is known as the Good Friday agreement. Among unionists and the UK government it is known as the Belfast agreement.

It really should come as no shock that they couldn't agree on the name of the agreement tbh.

martingriff

Not anything strange happens a lot be it battles or agreement. Both sides name it to make it special for them. Wouldn't read anything it to it. Though it is strange to hear it more called the Belfasy Agreement as of late

StreetLight

Unionists can't be seen agreeing to use a term acceptable to nationalists, so they adopted their own reference for the Agreement.

I saw that bigot Sammy Wilson being interviewed on TV a while back about Brexit trade between Northern Ireland and Britain. He couldn't even bring himself to say the word "Irish" in Irish Sea, instead making vague references to some body of water.

elperello

It's a bit like the either or either discussion.

Sure wouldn't eather of them do.

mazdamiatamx5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058277522/the-gfa-and-people-naming-it-the-belfast-agreement

What do you mean by "those people"?

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120047314#Comment_120047314

Nordies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnNhd7dLj3w

Strumms

Sammy Wilson, a full on enthusiastic climate change denier, whereby on expressing these views in parliament he was laughed out of the House of Commons….and a man who is a homophobe…on record referring to members of the LGBT community as ‘poofs’ and ‘perverts’….

Yet repeatedly elected by his constituents…. Shows you what a black hole certain parts of the six counties are, still….that that’s the sort of individual repeatedly elected… absolutely nothing likeable or responsible about him. Or indeed his supporters.

Larbre34

The above is its statutory title. The Belfast Agreement. This is from the UK Govt Publications office.

The 'Good Friday' Agreement is merely a colloquialism.

veryangryman

It may be a colloquialism but said colloquialism is what is used here if you are a Nationalist. I have to presume by Ivan Yate's naming of it as the BA that his loyalties lies elsewhere. This makes him an even bigger Coconut in my opinion.

Capt'n Midnight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120048149#Comment_120048149

We've already established that the UK has their own name.

https://www.dfa.ie/our-role-policies/northern-ireland/the-good-friday-agreement-and-today/

https://www.dfa.ie/media/dfa/alldfawebsitemedia/ourrolesandpolicies/northernireland/good-friday-agreement.pdf "The State may consent to be bound by the British-Irish Agreement done at Belfast on the day of 1998, hereinafter called the Agreement."

Count Dracula

Man gets called a coconut for making a factual representation of an actual international agreement and labelled " one of those ".

Happy New Year clowns.

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120048126#Comment_120048126

Sammy Wilson is a back woodsman of the highest order, he’s ultimately harmless politically though , not like London or important decision makers pay any heed to him

coolbeans

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120052242#Comment_120052242

You do realise that the bigotry you espouse here makes you little better than those you're giving out about. Coconut indeed. You'd wanna work on that anger of yours old man.

Fred Cryton

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120052242#Comment_120052242

Whatever about Ivan Yates, why does the Irish Times editorial continue to refer to it as the Belfast Agreement?

I understand their history as a Protestant newspaper, but they might want to come into the 21st century and realise what country they're in.

growleaves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120059894#Comment_120059894

If they are using the formal name for the agreement instead of the nickname, perhaps that is some in-house style rule for editorials?

veryangryman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120053387#Comment_120053387

I tend to realise that I'm on the good guys side. The other side needs to read a history book if they think differently. It's normal to get angry at representatives who defend the actual bigotry that went on outside of what somebody writes on a message board.

Gregor Samsa

Edit: similar already posted

coolbeans

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060128#Comment_120060128

Simplistic, binary shite.

MrMusician18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060025#Comment_120060025

The GFA agreement doesn't have a formal name since it is a collective nickname for two separate agreements: a bilateral international agreement between the governments and a multi party agreement between the parties of NI.

whisky_galore

Jesus, don't people get triggered by very small things these days?

Maybe you'd like it better if there was no agreement and ppl were still killing each other?

elperello

Just thinking of the day it was agreed.

I was in Newry and folk were talking to each other and to strangers in the shops and on the street about the news from Belfast.

The excitement was palpable and hopes were high.

Pity that all these years later people are trying to weaponise even the name.

We have come a long way since that day and have a good way further to go.

blanch152

Good Friday is a Christian holiday, not one that non-Christians celebrate.

Even within Christianity, it is celebrated more prominently by the Catholic Church than by others, including Anglicans. Not sure where the Free Presbyterians stand on it.

I certainly don't think an international agreement should be named after a religious occasion, but then I am atheist.

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060660#Comment_120060660

Eh, Good Friday is a public holiday in the UK.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060779#Comment_120060779

Doesn't change anything. Naming an international agreement after a Christian religious holiday is insulting to non-Christians.

growleaves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060796#Comment_120060796

I think the idea was to name a truce between two historic Christian communities after a holy day based on hope (Jesus has died but not yet been resurrected).

Do you really feel insulted? I find that surprising. I was an atheist when the agreement was signed (I'm not one now) and that would have never even occurred to me to feel 'excluded' or whatever. But I suppose 1998 is a universe away now.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060852#Comment_120060852

Whatever you felt at the time, we have two names for the Agreement, one calling it the Good Friday Agreement, the other calling it the Belfast Agreement. Why can't we all adopt the inclusive name?

growleaves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060865#Comment_120060865

See what MrMusician wrote:

'The GFA agreement doesn't have a formal name since it is a collective nickname for two separate agreements: a bilateral international agreement between the governments and a multi party agreement between the parties of NI.'

My understanding is the multi-party agreement is called the Belfast Agreement. Presumably then the other agreement is called something else?

Btw I have seen Unionists use the name Good Friday Agreement as well.

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060779#Comment_120060779

No, but your spouting on about how you think Catholics celebrate it more than Anglicans or Presbyterians - implying that the day and the name has more significance to the “Irish” side than the “British” one (truth is, those churches all hold it in pretty much equal importance), while strangely failing to recognise that the entire UK celebrate it as a public holiday, while Ireland doesn’t.

growleaves

Lutherans and some other Reformed churches have services on Good Friday. It is not a Catholic and Orthodox thing exclusively.