How can we integrate Unionism into a possible United Ireland?

You have to admit that some Nationalists in the north have a massive chip on their shoulder that the Republic and it's people went off and left them.

And you have to admit that some Nationalists have a mindset that wants to screw the unionists for all the shyte they perpetrated over the years.

Hell it is even visible here.

There is intense hatred on both sides and yes it is obvious why it is there after years of mistreatment and discrimination by one side followed by almost a plan for ethnic clensing on the other.

Some people in the Republic don't want to be part of that and the possibility of seeing The Troubles Part 2, except this time it is our kids that will be the ones in uniform walking the streets as targets trying to deal with terrorist organisations.

A lot of people in the North need to learn to live together before they damn well want to live with anyone else.

Maybe if we hadn't all the peace walls it would be a start?

I know and have worked with many fine people from Northern Ireland, from both sides of the divide.

Granted they would probably be all from the middle ground and the problem is not them, but the extremes who detest each other.

And then there is the financial cost, the North is a basket case where most of the population are dependent on government handouts.

You can believe in all the Shinner magical outcomes you want, but when it comes to people's pockets suffering for years then people put their pockets first.

Remember that old saying "it is the economy stupid".

The thing that is different now is that modern Ireland is a lot different to Ireland at the height of The Troubles.

Modern generations have not experienced the nightly news of seeing riots on the streets, assassinations and butchering of ordinary people and bombs going off, but on the other hand they haven't experienced a staunch nationalist Republican catholic education like some of us did.

Now they can swing either way come a referendum on unification, but if you tell them they will be paying way more tax then I wouldn't bet on them being pro.

Well almost 4000 people died around those nationalists in the north and many many many more suffered. And the feeling would be that Dublin largely ignored them.

Is it beyond your ability to understand why there might be 'a chip on their shoulder'?

It was still in my drafts, must have been a boards glitch.

And then what?

I've got to the point where I think it might be for the best. The Tories get their chaotic no-deal Brexit and the DUP get the blame. Economic disaster in the north and chaos at Dover might just be the catalyst to bring the whole shitshow to a quicker end.

Beginning to think the same myself. ***** or get off the pot UK.

Ireland will pay it with the assistance of EU grants I would think. A couple of multinationals and associated businesses and it would be halfway there.

Don't get him started on the whole Ireland should have invaded a NATO country in the middle of the Cold War. He actually believes that we could have won that situation by sending our Army in armed with shotguns and a white flag as a peacekeeping force and wouldn't have been wiped out before the news even got to the UN.

The same EU grants that paved many of our roads for at least 30 years. It used to take us 4 and a half hours to get to Wexford 33 years ago. Same journey now is little over an hour.

I don't hear you complaining about EU grants paying for the high quality motorways you travel on.

The EU doesn't agree.

You tried the bluff it failed.

You have no idea what will be agreed at EU level.

I find it really hard to reconcile "integrating unionism into a united Ireland" at times, when you have this level of objective insanity taking place in the union;

(Sorry, boards won't let me make it smaller)

A large bejewelled crown is chauffeured alone to the parliament building and placed on a pedestal, while a 73-year-old trust fund baby sits beside it to open the parliament with a speech that he didn't write and doesn't believe in, because his mother - who was never selected for the position by any democratic means - was unable to do it.

And apparently this is all really important, and really necessary and without it the parliament and apparently the entire union cannot function.

How can people who value such wasteful, pointless and hypocritical pageantry really be integrated into a Republic?

Typical Francie, everyone else has to take responsibility for a UI but certainly not him.

Why not just admit that if you want a UI you will need to pay for it.

BTW in case you had not noticed, there is a major war going on right now on the EU's doorstep. The result of this, no matter what happens is that a massive reconstruction budget will be needed at the end. Where do you think that this is going to come from?

Will making the UK a republic help that woman? Not sure what one has to do with the other. It's like as if creating a republic is means to an automatic success of a nation, or a rise in living standards.

By all means, debate getting rid of the UK monarchy but such strawman debates are weak, and probably shows why the institution still exists.