Why I'll say no to a united ireland

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121956765#Comment_121956765

I think that likely depends on the sport. Very few Irish athletes would make the Team GB athletics or cycling teams. The reason they win medals readily in recent games is that the UK targets certain sports where they think medals are easier to get. All countries do this to an extent and in our case fighting has always been a bit of national culture, so putting money into boxing suits us. So in the case of boxing it could well be easier to get into the Team GB boxing camp as that's a medal prospect for them and better than what talent they've to hand.

Anyway no idea what this has to do with a UI. For the moment we're enjoying the much cheaper coal I got down this year, God bless the border!!

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121957479#Comment_121957479

I have lived over 60 years on a few parts of the border and it balances out Furze. Enjoy the heat.

downcow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121957389#Comment_121957389

so Frances, Why do you never just admit that you were wrong, instead of trying to spin it. So I think we can now all agree that it is not as easy to make each Olympic team.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121960837#Comment_121960837

You still haven’t presented any evidence it is harder.

We have the evidence that if an Irish athlete meets the IOC qualifying standard they can easily apply to fill a UK team place though.

buckmulligan16

As long as Mary lou McDonald continues hanging around NI like a bad smell I don't think anyone would want a UI.

Fair play to Michelle O'neill,she sees the bigger picture and appears not to constantly trying to score cheap points like McDonald.

Suckler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121961360#Comment_121961360

The "issue" with that is as she see's the bigger picture, and indeed does Gavin Robinson hopefully, NI will continue to improve. The question/issue of a United Ireland gets pushed further down the road then in my opinion.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121961655#Comment_121961655

Both Alex Kane and Sam McBride seem to have gotten wind of a challenge to Robinson/Pengelly wing though. Things are not settled by any means.

Irish History

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121957304#Comment_121957304

So-called northern Ireland didn't exist when the foreign British Olympic Association was established.

Ireland as a whole has its own Olympic Association that was established before Ireland was artificially partitioned just a few decades ago by the foreign invader and occupier.

Therefore in some of the Olympic sports, people from Ireland (meaning the 32 county Nation of Ireland) can only compete exclusively for Ireland.

Also, people in the 6 counties are de facto disbarred from representing the UK because some sports only select from those players who are from the island of Britain.

downcow

happy birthday. Your wee country is 75 today 🎉🎉👏👏 🎂

you are nearly as old as OWC

downcow

“Therefore in some of the Olympic sports, people from Ireland (meaning the 32 county Nation of Ireland) can only compete exclusively for Ireland”

Which sports are they? It sounds like nonsense to me

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121961874#Comment_121961874

You of course mean the 'state' is 75 years old. The country is much much older.

HalloweenJack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121961874#Comment_121961874

I know it's April's Fools Day but you're not supposed to take it literally.

What's the definition of a country that you're working with?

Irish History

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121961878#Comment_121961878

You only think it's nonsense because you are it seems incapable of doing a simple search online.

If you had the wherewithal to google, you'd discover that only people in Britain can play hockey, tennis and rugby seven for Team GB Olympic Teams.

Foreign ethnic British people in the 6 counties of Ireland still under foreign British rule are de facto disbarred from representing the UK because those sports only select players who are from the island of Britain.

Irish History

Ireland is my country.

The 26 county 'Southern Ireland' State is obviously not Ireland - it is merely in Ireland.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121957624#Comment_121957624

Ah I guess so you'll be enjoying the motoring fuel price difference building up these days - nice savings now on a fill across the border. Pity most of us can't avail of it :)

I wonder has there been much polling done along the border on both sides as regards the pros & cons? You'd have to expect there would be quite significant differences between border communities and those in say Kerry or Dublin or Antrim.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962305#Comment_121962305

As it won't matter in a state wide vote, I don't think there has been much done.
Stands to reason that there would be a difference.

The greatest objection to Brexit here was that it might make the border harder. Believe it or not, when considering that, a few cents on the petrol doesn't really come into it.

downcow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962258#Comment_121962258

I can see you are quite excited about your claim.
firstly it plain wrong. I was pretty sure a few local lads had played for GB&NI at the Olympics, and a quick google found young Sloan - born, reared and schooled in cookstown, as was his parents

you seem to be getting confused about choices made by home nations eg football just joined the Olympics recently and NI, Scotland and wales associations barred their players from participation. This was simply to protect our own associations. My guess is the same is happening in some of the sports you mention. I am quite sure if there was a ni rugby sevens player who was good enough and wanted to join team gb (and suffer the inevitable punishment by the irfu) then I am sure she/he could play

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962377#Comment_121962377

A harder border might be needed yet Francie..

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962674#Comment_121962674

Belligerent Unionism hoped and tried for that but failed and ended up putting Unionism in general into a tailspin they have not pulled out of yet. And they got a border in the Irish Sea that they say separates them from the Union.

pureza

Northern Ireland is not a nation.

Irish History

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962644#Comment_121962644

Clearly comprehension is not your forte.

Hockey in Ireland is a 32 county sport. Hockey Ireland is the governing body of the National 32 county Ireland field hockey team.

The point was that foreign ethnic British people in the 6 counties of Ireland still under foreign British rule are de facto disbarred from representing the UK because those sports only select players who are from the island of Britain.

He obviously wasn't playing for any team in the Irish league when he was picked for the Team GB Olympic Team. He was years in England playing in that foreign league which made him eligible to play for England/Britain once he switched allegiance.

He could not have played for team GB in the Olympics if he was playing in the 32 county all Ireland Hockey league.

Do you understand now??? Think - "these are small but those are far away".

Irish History

You are correct of course.

Counties Derry, Down, Armagh. Antrim, Fermanagh and Tyrone are obviously not a Nation. Ireland is the Nation the foreign ethnic British Unionists were planted in.

Ask the Primate of Ireland in Armagh - he'd know because of all the parishes cross that contrived line drawn through Ireland and do not recognise the artificial partition of Ireland.

downcow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962906#Comment_121962906

Now I think the penny has dropped for you. You can’t represent two competing teams at the same time. It would be a bit silly of you could. I think you have realised the point you were making was silly. And that was just one example of a cookstown lad player for team gb. Blows your theory out of the water.

downcow

You should write to the UN cause they seem to have made a boob. They think the Irish nation is 26 counties and the uk nation includes OWC 🙂

maccored

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121961360#Comment_121961360

you may get your head around the fact that SF are an ALL IRELAND party. Legally there has to be two versions - one north and one south - but to SF it's all the one. Therefore as head of SF, she has every right to be in the north as much as the south

rn

Not an SF supporter by a long way. I'm gonna hate them being in cabinet in Dublin, as I prefer my politicians answerable to the Dail and the electorate, than the army council in Belfast. As for SF being an all island party... They make plenty of use of the border to run mirror opposite policies across the portfolios.

But on the question at hand. I'd vote "Yes" every day of the week and twice on Sunday. The principle that our island would be united again under one jurisdiction, under a peaceful reunification is worth all the other small and large problems it would throw up.

However I also believe life is precious. It's only land, so if it must be done peacefully. Slow and all as that is.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962279#Comment_121962279

Please have a read of our Constitution

ARTICLE 4

The name of the State is Éire, or, in the English language, Ireland.

Seth Brundle

Mod: there are a number of posters here who seem to be continuing to troll each other. I'll check back later but will issue threadbans for any posters who I believe are acting in a trolling manner.

downcow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121963957#Comment_121963957

”The principle that our island would be united again under one jurisdiction,”

Northern Ireland is not yours. You need to reflect on that language. You are sounding like the British, Portuguese, Dutch or French aristocracy of 200 years ago.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121965710#Comment_121965710

In fairness, I think 'our' includes all those living on the island of Ireland.