Northern Ireland 2125?

He discarded that one for the Europe flag within 5 minutes - I watched it live.

We know he can't go near the Irish tricolour because of the ultra sensitive folk recently seriously traumatised by seeing a cúpla focail on a sign.😁

It is an entirely reasonable and logical question if we're coming at it from the position of, 'what would broaden the future demographics likely to vote to remain part of the United Kingdom'.

I'm not saying you can't or shouldn't object to an Irish language sign in Castlewellan, I'm asking if you think it is a strategically sound long term approach to convincing people to remain part of the United Kingdom. I'm suggesting that perhaps over time as views like ours shaped by conflict die off, opinions on the constitutional question aren't likely to be helped by taking positions that make half of society feel unwelcome. If you really want it to be, 'Our' wee country, it has to include, 'themmuns'.

I would ask the same question of folk like Francie with suggestions on a ban on all Orange marching post-Unification.

The City Hall flag question is a bit more complicated; 'for peace' sounds very commendable, but bowing to threats of violence is a risky path to go down as we both know from experience. I'd see a pretty distinct difference between that and offering an olive branch even though you don't have to in the hope it would make people feel more welcome and at home and encourage them over to my way of thinking.

I'd be very curious to see the polling that shows 70% in favour of flags being hung on lampposts, I'd suspect either a very limited sampling (I'd be less shocked to find out that it was, '70% of those asked on Sandy Row' than a broad spectrum of NI society) or a very specific question that isn't necessarily reflective of the way flags are flown.

I'm sure I could contrive a polling question to show a supermajority opposed to how flags are currently flown in NI. How would you answer the following question yourself?

Do you believe Union Flags should be allowed to run to rags hanging on lampposts alongside UVF flags?

Obviously that's ridiculously contrived and if I pointed to a percentage answering that question in the negative, you'd rightly argue that it was a leading question of pretty limited value. Quoting a percentage with no further information is about as much use as a chocolate teapot for anything other than petty point scoring.

The scatter gun is out again.

The discussion is about the here and now.

That day he also used the phrase "break these bastards" in reference to the people he wanted to break.

He also said he partly regretted using a "Trojan horse" analogy when referring to Sinn Féin's equality strategy.

He said this in Co. Fermanagh. I wonder did he also "Partly regret" the Enniskillen bombing, or the Tullyhommon bomb that day in Co. Fermanagh which was designed to kill large numbers of innocent Protestant children who were due to gather there. It was larger than Enniskillen and had the capacity to inflict more casualties than those at Enniskillen, but luckily was accidentally discovered by some farmer in time and did not explode.

He probably only "party regreted" using the phrase because he did not know he was being recorded.

Interesting to see someone standing up for unionism, I think they have been let down by other leaders in the past few decades. The difficulty with unionists is they have no propaganda wing. SF has. And much more money to spend on elections etc. It is the richest party by far in Ireland, despite have working class supporters. Some might say it is more noticeable since the era of the Northern bank episode.

And as you know yourself FrancieBrady only too well, SF has an army on social media too.

I often wonder what would have happened politics in N.I. if the pIRA had not killed that brilliant young unionist Edgar Graham in Queens university, simply because they knew he was brilliant and destined to probably be a future leader of unionism.

When (republican) staff and students cheered on campus when they saw a young innocent democratic unionist killed that day, it was a new low for that place.

Unionism has done everything it can do to make itself a pariah. Where it stands now is a direct result of the actions of its elected leaders. It's very simple.

Unionism, the biggest user of the Petition of Concern, Unionism that has blocked and stymied every bit of equality legislation, Unionism that still tries to deny rights to same sex and LGBTQ people, Unionism that has stood on it's head to block Irish Language rights….that 'passive' Unionism?😁😁

Block Irish language rights?

Yes…to this very day they are still trying and failing.

Unionist language bigots are 'failing'. Bi-Lingual signs are going up all over NI as agreed and voted for by democratic majorities.

 "got at" / intimidated.

😁😁

He represent Ireland at Olympics. He clearly correctly (unlike you) thinks that irish and northern irish are not mutually exclusive. If someone said i am eastern irish i wouldn't have a problem either. He has an irish first and second name and yes he is one of our own. Why do you need to sectarian Rory ?