Northern Ireland 2125?

I know Heather for 25 and indeed voted for her several times

She gets a little more than the FG vote locally, so not sure what the 'easily manipulated' stuff is about.

Her republicanism believes the 'people must be united first' which most republicans would say is nonsense.

The only UI that will work is one that recognises difference and accommodates that difference in a way the failed NI never could.

I think she mentions it to reduce attacks on herself as well : everyone is human. As it is, she herself has received hundreds if not thousands of very negative comments (and likes on those negative sectarian comments) on facebook alone a few weeks ago when it became known her husband was once in the OO. And lets not forget in living memory her fellow protestant Fine Gael politician in Co. Monaghan was murdered by Republicans during the troubles, and his girlfriends house burnt down (with the bible burnt first in front of the terrified occupants eyes), in a clear message of intimidation to border protestants.

She must really want that very well paid, perked and pensioned job in the Park.

You might say you have no interest in "changing either his 'identity' or his beliefs", but even before a U.I. happens, when reasonable people would expect you to be trying to woo reasonable unionists, I think you called him or her an extremist unionist (even though he/she condemned the paramilitaries on both sides, unlike you). You also see nothing wrong with saying there was no alternative to the pIRA, you think the BA should not be allowd attend a jobs fair in Derry, you think Irish language signage should be forced in areas where only 12% of the residents want it etc. You think it fine there are hundreds of memorials to extremist Republicans who targetted and murdered people from his community during the troubles?

What impediment are you currently talking about when you say "in a UI where we all control our own fates without outside impediment"? What impediment are the people of N.Ireland or indeed Ireland now suffering? Those dastardy British giving us billions a year for N.I.?

I thought the days of being M.O.P.E.s ( Most oppressed People Ever ) were over?

Oh dear. I thought the days of Northern nationalists being M.O.P.E.s ( Most oppressed People Ever ) were over, but according to you I am wrong. Poor Michelle as First Minister, I feel really sorry for the oppression and impediments she has to put up with from the British, even though they give her many billions a year etc. OMG. What day to day "improvements" would you envisage in the "6 counties" if they had not the impediments they currently suffer from being part of the UK…and who would pay for that if the UK was no longer paying?

After 100 years NI has failed because it has not been possible to unite the people.

Constructed as it is, that will never happen.

You think the reason for that is predominantly nationalists/republicans fault and if only the Croppies would lie down and appease Unionists it would happen, but it isn't going to.

Talking about lying down and appeasing people over the past 100 years, who has laid down the most : unionists in the 26 counties ( only tolerated in politics if they claim to be "a proud Republican", and even then H.H. has got hundreds if not thousands of attacks on social media in the past few weeks for being orange) or nationalists in the 6 counties? Nationalists in the 6 counties can now deny the minority there the opportunity to visit a B.A stand at a jobs fair, and can put Irish on signs in PUL area where only 12% support that.

Why would unionists want to stay part of the UK if they thought the UK was a very oppressive regime and if they though that they themselves were MOPES (Most Oppressed People Ever)?

You must never have met many of them, because if you had, and if you got on with them and they trusted you, they would have told you they had a lot more gripe with the Dublin state than with the British state. As they see it, the 26 county Irish state is where many pIRA were based, did their training, fled to, smuggled arms through, got support etc…and the Irish state failed to extradite most of the time when requested. Obviously you did not get on with them or they did not trust you, which is not surprising giving your attitude there was no alternative to the pIRA campaign etc.

I do actually, from her body language, and tone etc. Same tone as when she said she'd learn Irish when Minister for the Gaeltacht. If she felt it, she would not have to say it. She said it just to try to become popular, to get elected, because if she said the opposite it is goodbye. Just my personal opinion, I could be wrong. I am sceptical about all politicians, everywhere.

When asked an awkward question about her republicaness, you can see the relief in her tone and body language, and her face lights up, when she deflects to "how this country has treated her so well" etc. Of course it has treated you well Heather : what is your pension as a Minister again? She will not say it has always treated everyone so well though.

She was very bland and boring last night on tv, replied more like a 12 year old, telling us about the colours of the flag, the housing situation etc. The UK flag incorporates St. Patricks Saltire, representing Ireland in the Union Flag. Yes there is orange in the Irish flag, but judging by the many comments on her facebook page alone many people do not tolerate Orange in Ireland: you would wonder why it is still on the flag?

Who "wiped out" Protestants in the 26 counties?

Nobody got "wiped out". They just got on with their lives like normal people. I think it would be more true to say that the decline in protestant church goers mirrors the decline in catholic church goers as Ireland has become more secular. People of protestant heritage actually fared very well over the past 100 years. They are way over represented in many professions e.g. banking, law, medicine etc. Protestant ethos schools have increased in size and have long waiting lists. The people are very much still there and doing well - that they are no longer religious doesnt mean they dont exist.

As Ive said before on this thread - most people in the 26 counties dont give a monkeys about religious affiliation.

That stat is simply the % who practise one of the Protestant faiths. The rest of them still exist in society - just no longer religious. They werent "wiped out".

No actually: on census forms, people who were baptised in a particular denomination or who may just go to church once or twice a year eg Xmas, tend to put in their denomination.

According to the internet, when you google "% of protestants in republic of ireland", the following comes up:

In the Republic of Ireland, Protestants constituted about 2% of the population according to the 2022 census, representing a significant decline from previous decades. This figure includes groups like the Church of Ireland (Anglicans) and Presbyterians, with the Church of Ireland being the largest Protestant denomination. Key Figures and Trends

• 2022 Census: Roughly 2% identified as Church of Ireland (Anglican). 
• Decline Over Time: The Protestant percentage in the Republic of Ireland has seen a marked decline, dropping from over 10% in 1891 to around 3% by 1991, and a further decrease to about 2% in the 2020s. 

If you are not willing to accept the following were also huge factors in the decline of protestants and try to sell a narrative that they were 'wiped out' you stand accused of having an agenda.

British administrative withdrawal:

1. Many Protestants were part of the RIC, Dublin Castle, or the wider UK civil service. When those structures were dismantled, they lost jobs and often left Ireland.

Land and economic change:

1. The Land Acts had already reduced the big landlord class (often Protestant). Independence accelerated that shift.
2. Some gentry families sold estates and moved to Britain.

Natural demographic factors:

1. Protestants already had lower birth rates.
2. Emigration patterns (to Britain, Canada, Australia) continued.

Just to be clear, there is no denial of the fact that there was also some intimidation, blood letting and score settling.

You once again refuse to address the point.

Protestants were not 'wiped out'.

There was some intimidation, blood letting and score settling (with informers, Loyalists etc)

The majority decline is down to the factors above.

ChatGPT is good for stuff like below.

You are free to provide your own contradictions to the historians views below. You will be asked to back up your claims.