Belfast as a U.I Capital

dd972 · 09-07-2016 11:53AM #1

Say if/or/and when a United Ireland is declared, would making Belfast it's capital be an attractive proposition? taking into account the Unionist community, flooding it with investment, moving important government departments up there, providing lots of jobs etc. There could also be devolved administrations in each province making important local decisions thus doubly assuaging Unionist concerns of losing their identity or culture. A High Speed rail link to Dublin would only take an hour as well.

Close links with an independent Scotland would also only be a good thing, as the sectarianism of old there seems to be on the wane as an inclusive and progressive Scottish national culture take hold.

Dirty Dingus McGee · 09-07-2016 12:00PM

It would just be pure tokenism if something like that were to happen.

A good idea would be to make a town in the midlands like Tullamore,Portlaoise etc the capital for administrative purposes and help spread the development off the country out a little more.Similar things have worked in other countries.

But it would take balls too make decision like that.

09-07-2016 12:03PM

Yeah I for one would love multiple giant annual sectarian bonfires in our capital where the National flag is burned at the top. Brill.

Northern Ireland needs to become it's own independent country and sort it's **** out before we consider reunification.

lawlolawl · 09-07-2016 12:05PM

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

It would just be pure tokenism if something like that were to happen.

A good idea would be to make a town in the midlands like Tullamore,Portlaoise etc the capital for administrative purposes and help spread the development off the country out a little more.Similar things have worked in other countries.

But it would take balls too make decision like that.

Let's make Athy the capital. Who's with me?

Dirty Dingus McGee · 09-07-2016 12:05PM

lawlolawl wrote: »

Let's make Athy the capital. Who's with me?

Why not.

09-07-2016 12:10PM

I think it's an interesting thought if nothing else. The immediate responses people come up with as to why not are......revealing.

Really though, regional development should be a priority. I dont think Belfast nor Dublin need a boost and it's fairly obvious that a network of towns along the northwest through the midlands need the investment and focus a lot more than either spot.

Galway/Tullamore/Sligo hub for technology infrastructure, quality roads and housing and a move to get families and jobs the hell out of Dublin rather than a focus on one "capital" would be the move that suggests itself

Del2005 · 09-07-2016 12:10PM

dd972 wrote: »

, flooding it with investment, moving important government departments up there, providing lots of jobs etc. .

The UK already floods if with investment, we can't afford to keep them in the style that they are used to.
Look at how well we managed our last attempt at decentralisation, can't see many people wanting to move to a still highly sectarian segregated country.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo · 09-07-2016 12:11PM

If there was ever to be a united Ireland, Belfast would need to retain many of its own structures almost indefinitely into the future, including its legislature, police HQ, judges etc. Dublin would be the overall capital in a united country but Belfast would remain capital of the Ulster region. You'll never get all the Unionists onside, but if they know they have a definitive role in their future they are more likely to go along with it.

Amalgamating structures such as medical care, transportation ect. should actually be something that should happen anyway in my opinion because of economies of scale, with or without a united Ireland.

lawlolawl · 09-07-2016 12:16PM

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

If there was ever to be a united Ireland, Belfast would need to retain many of its own structures almost indefinitely into the future, including its legislature, police HQ, judges etc. Dublin would be the overall capital in a united country but Belfast would remain capital of the Ulster region. You'll never get all the Unionists onside, but if they know they have a definitive role in their future they are more likely to go along with it.

Amalgamating structures such as medical care, transportation ect. should actually be something that should happen anyway in my opinion because of economies of scale, with or without a united Ireland.

Give the north it's own leader.

A King In The North, if you will.

mansize · 09-07-2016 12:16PM

How about Tir na nOg?

markpb · 09-07-2016 12:17PM

Why Is there such an obsession in Ireland with having a capital in the geographic middle of the country. London, Paris, Berlin and Vienna (to name a few) are nowhere near the middle of their countries and no one is taking about moving the capital away from then.

Del2005 · 09-07-2016 12:18PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I think it's an interesting thought if nothing else. The immediate responses people come up with as to why not are......revealing.

Really though, regional development should be a priority. I dont think Belfast nor Dublin need a boost and it's fairly obvious that a network of towns along the northwest through the midlands need the investment and focus a lot more than either spot.

Galway/Tullamore/Sligo hub for technology infrastructure, quality roads and housing and a move to get families and jobs the hell out of Dublin rather than a focus on one "capital" would be the move that suggests itself

Unless we can get people in rural Ireland to stop living in one off houses there is zero chance of making anywhere a viable economic area.

We'd be much better off making a Dublin Belfast conurbation and investing in proper infrastructure there than building white elephants elsewhere, look at the western rail corridor for a waste of money. But no politician is going to put their neck on the line as it'll take more than 5 years and no politician anywhere proposes something which will possibly benefit someone else.

Dirty Dingus McGee · 09-07-2016 12:19PM

markpb wrote: »

Why Is there such an obsession in Ireland with having a capital in the geographic middle of the country. London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna and Canberra are nowhere near the middle of their countries and no one is taking about moving the capital away from then.

Nothing to do with it having to be in the geographic centre for my suggestion just that the geographic centre of the country is becoming a bit of a wasteland and it needs to be regenerated a bit.

The Backwards Man · 09-07-2016 12:20PM

Only if Mickey Marley's Roundabout can be the new national anthem

09-07-2016 12:21PM

Sergio Georgini wrote: »

Northern Ireland needs to become it's own independent country and sort it's **** out before we consider reunification.

That's economically and politically impossible.

Dirty Dingus McGee · 09-07-2016 12:22PM

Del2005 wrote: »

Unless we can get people in rural Ireland to stop living in one off houses there is zero chance of making anywhere a viable economic area.

We'd be much better off making a Dublin Belfast conurbation and investing in proper infrastructure there than building white elephants elsewhere, look at the western rail corridor for a waste of money. But no politician is going to put their neck on the line as it'll take more than 5 years and no politician anywhere proposes something which will possibly benefit someone else.

I struggle to see how people living in one off houses in the countryside would prevent urban centres outside of Dublin being developed.There are already existing towns which could do with a bit of help.

From my experience there don't tend to be a lot of houses completely out in the middle of nowhere on their own the tend to be part of a string of houses built together in the one area.

biko · 09-07-2016 12:32PM

This is our chance t make the real capital the capital.

Phoebas · 09-07-2016 12:38PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Really though, regional development should be a priority. I dont think Belfast nor Dublin need a boost and it's fairly obvious that a network of towns along the northwest through the midlands need the investment and focus a lot more than either spot.

Not in deciding where to place the capital.

Jimoslimos · 09-07-2016 01:02PM

Sergio Georgini wrote: »

Northern Ireland needs to become it's own independent country and sort it's **** out before we consider reunification.

NI will never be an "independent" country. It will either remain part of the UK or join a United Ireland. There just isn't any strong enough distinguishing culture that ALL people in NI share.

Even consider the "national team" - playing under a bastardised George's cross and signing GSTQ. A real statement of national identity there. Catalunya have more business fielding an international football team than NI do.

mohawk · 09-07-2016 01:02PM

This is what Cork had been waiting for. In the Dublin versus Belfast debate Cork will swoop in and offer themselves as a compromise.

09-07-2016 01:04PM

Jimoslimos wrote: »

NI will never be an "independent" country. It will either remain part of the UK or join a United Ireland. There just isn't any strong enough distinguishing culture that ALL people in NI share.

Even consider the "national team" - playing under a bastardised George's cross and signing GSTQ. A real statement of national identity there. Catalunya have more business fielding an international football team than NI do.

Maybe they could have an updated techno version of GSTQ. 'GSTQ 2000' if you will. We can lend them Mark McCabe, they'll love it.

Fleawuss · 09-07-2016 01:17PM

biko wrote: »

This is our chance t make the real capital the capital.

It already is.

Its dead Jim · 09-07-2016 01:34PM

Nah, Dublin is the infrastructure centre for roads and rail. Would be a pain to get to the new capital from a lot of country.

Yamanoto · 09-07-2016 01:46PM

All together now....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6zMznCm2Cw

og_og · 09-07-2016 01:56PM

Industry is dead Ireland now, Northern Ireland is going to be a wasteland after Brexit.

LordSutch · 09-07-2016 02:38PM

lawlolawl wrote: »

Give the north it's own leader.

A King In The North, if you will.

Or Queen of the North, which they have already in the form of Arlene Foster.
Not forgetting 'Her Maj' who is is their ultimate Monarch.

mitchconnor16 · 09-07-2016 03:09PM

When you say 'declared' do you mean when the south invades the north because that is the closest Ireland will ever get to becoming united? The south can't even take care of it's own people never mind another 1.8 million people.

bnt · 09-07-2016 10:27PM

Sure, if it was legally split off from the rest of the country, like Washington DC. The place is already a law unto itself, may as well make it formal.

Jimoslimos · 09-07-2016 10:35PM

LordSutch wrote: »

lawlolawl wrote: »

Give the north it's own leader.

A King In The North, if you will.

Or Queen of the North, which they have already in the form of Arlene Foster.

Yes, but what happens when they discover she has Taigaryen blood?!

Iwasfrozen · 09-07-2016 11:04PM

Jimoslimos wrote: »

Yes, but what happens when they discover she has Taigaryen blood?!

Well she is a lizard.

nullzero · 09-07-2016 11:04PM

I sincerely hope there is never a United Ireland. The idea in vague terms is nice, but the reality of the DUP and UUP and all their baggage is something our still young republic is ill equipped to deal with. Maybe in 2116 Ireland may be in a position to be a United island, right now it is a horrible idea. And as for Belfast potentially being the capital of a United Ireland ; it would be pure tokenism, but with the superiority complex of the aforementioned DUP and UUP we would effectively be crowning them as de facto rulers of the country, in their minds at least.

Belfast as a U.I Capital

Comments