Do you think ireland should get its full independence

The biggest exporter of people today is the Republic of Ireland itself. Tens of thousands of its young people leave that country for Britain every year ... and it's got worse since the current economic downturn started.

They're not detained on entry to Britain. They freely come in and their first port of call is invariably their local Job Centre. There they're given help to get work. They get social security payments to keep them going, they get their rents paid. Today it's Britain which is welcoming the Irish huddled masses ... thousands of them.

I can't quite understand all this romantic & dreamy emerald isle nonsense that so many North Americans buy into. If the Republic of Ireland were such a great place, why do so many leave it for Britain every year ? Do you honestly think the British Northern Irish are going to willingly sacrifice their birthright & join the economic basket case that is the Republic ?

Don't think so.

Originally posted by LeBombDiggity
If the Republic of Ireland were such a great place, why do so many leave it for Britain every year ?

Well, I'm no expert, but I would guess that it's because Ireland is the only place on earth where the food is worse than in Britain. You can only eat so much cod, after all.

reply to post by thoughtsfull


Those horrible English again....giving them safe haven, twice, granting freedom of religion etc.

No wonder the world hates us!

After all that's been said about Americans of Irish descent here, let me just say that as long as it doesn't effect the bottling and distribution of Jamesons and Guinness, my opinion is whatever makes the folks there happy.

But I do repeat, independence or no, do NOT mess up the Jamesons and Guinness thing.

reply to post by Hefficide


American of Irish descent is ok; Irish American is a joke.

If you understand the difference then I'll raise a glass to you Sir.

Afraid I'm one of those rarities, a man who enjoys a drink but just can not get away with Guiness...but I am partial to the odd Jamesons.

My Great-Grandfather was a resistance fighter who fought against the British army occupation of Ireland at the turn of the century. We, meaning, his generation suffered greatly under British rule, and had no other choice, but fight back. Of course, i understand that folks here from England are clueless and slightly naive to their history in Ireland. But what happened, in Ireland hundreds of years ago, is in my opinion, very similar to how the Jews were treated by the Nazis
Do you know the British caused the famine that wiped out hundreds of thousands of Irish which forced them out of their own country to survive?

There is no getting around what happened!! That is why, lot of people living in rural parts of Ireland, deep down in their heart's, can't and will never, forgive the past sins of the British Empire!!

My generation never experienced this occupation. I and others living in Ireland are more willing to move on and forgive, but the History of our Island is taught in schools across the history, so that, it will never be forgotten and hopefully repeated?

We can't harbour ill-feeling forever, so we need to move on.


Also thankfully, England has become a true friend to this country, so let us continue that friendship, and try to forget, but still not lose sight of what happened in Ireland in the past.


Frequently, we have lost sight to the fact that the Irish and British are not native to Ireland or England, and we mostly likely came from the same areas of central Europe, around a few thousand years ago. Genetically we probably linked as races.

I do remember a study were all the peoples of the British Isles were linked to the Basque region of Spain. That leads us to a possible Celt origin or Pre-Celt origin for the majority of people living in the British Isles. That mighty Interesting, if true!!

Who were these Pre-Celt's? Was Stone Hedge build by these Pre-Celt's? and did the Pre-Celt's bring the Paranormal to the British Isles (stories of fairies and little people?) I guess that should be discussed in another separate thread to this.

Finally, Northern Ireland. The Majority population in the North is Protestant. Majority decides and they wish to remain as part of the UK, I accept their right as a majority. But funnily enough, I think they are more Irish, than me, or the next Irish man or women, since they have been living on this Island for hundreds of years or more.

And, if you traced back the Unionist Heritage or tradition most of their population came from Scotland. I don't think we hate the Scots lol

The conflict was caused by Religion. So the sooner the World get's rid of this scourge on society, the better it will be for all mankind.

reply to post by kieran1


I think you will find that there are quite a few Englishmen who are more than aware of England and The UK's involvement in Ireland's history and are anything but naive.

It is re-assuring that you speak of moving forward, as must we.
The sight of innocent women and children being blown to pieces allegedly for something that happened centuries ago and which had absolutely nothing to do with us is still firmly etched in the minds of many of my and the preceding generation.

But maintaining the current peace has to be the primary concern for everyone, Ireland can not be allowed to be dragged back into those dark times.

You raise some really interesting issues regarding the original inhabitants of The British Isles, of which very little is known, and The Celts and our common ancestry.

As you say though, for another time and place.

Originally posted by Freeborn
reply to post by kieran1

 

I think you will find that there are quite a few Englishmen who are more than aware of England and The UK's involvement in Ireland's history and are anything but naive.

It is re-assuring that you speak of moving forward, as must we.
The sight of innocent women and children being blown to pieces allegedly for something that happened centuries ago and which had absolutely nothing to do with us is still firmly etched in the minds of many of my and the preceding generation.

But maintaining the current peace has to be the primary concern for everyone, Ireland can not be allowed to be dragged back into those dark times.

You raise some really interesting issues regarding the original inhabitants of The British Isles, of which very little is known, and The Celts and our common ancestry.

As you say though, for another time and place.

Agree with you!!, I believe 99 per cent of Citizens of the Island of Ireland, do not, in any way, wish to return to that violence again.

But there always a few, who don't accept the will of the people. And, they wish to undermine the Peace process.

However on a good note, they are not supported like they once were!! They are just a bunch of thugs hiding behind the Republican cause who have no mandate from the population to carry out acts of horror.

I disagreed with the IRA methods, lot of the time. The bombings especially too many Civilians were killed and it was wrong.

But, I have to be honest. When you live in a society were you are treated as second class citizens everyday and your pushed and abused by a government controlled by the protestant majority

This, and it happened forced young men of a catholic background to join such organisations and fight back. It was a apartheid system of Government. The Protestant took the Jobs and Wealth and the Catholic was left to pick up the scraps, which wasn't much.

All this, could have been avoided, but the times were so different back then. The Catholic Church, had too much control over Ireland's school system and it's population years ago and Government polices were often manipulated by the Church for their own evil agenda. But thank god, no pun intended. The Catholic Church is a failing system and probably in a hundred years or so, be a non- existent entity within Ireland.

Ya, who ever the Pre-Celts were, in my opinion. They undoubtedly were highly educated, since they brought astronomy and the sciences from were they came from. This can be proved!!

Stone Hedge England and Newgrange Ireland are perfect examples, here of what these Pre-Celt's build, when they arrived and set up home!!

I have been researching this subject on my spare time, but there is lot of information to weed through and decipher.

Trying to get the factual information and avoiding using false information as best I can. I have an inkling who the Pre-Celt's might have been?

Still doing research before forming solid conclusions on the subject.

A hint.

Pre-Celt's might have been part of some lost Ancient civilization were something forced them from there land, and the new emerging Religion (Christianity) that sprung up back then, played a part in them being forced out. Either they were forced out by the Romans or some other force before them. The Pre-Celts were Pagan so you get what I am saying here. The Paranormal all this stuff they would love back then. But the New Church would wish to wipe that out... Get me?

[edit on 25-8-2010 by kieran1]

[edit on 25-8-2010 by kieran1]

reply to post by kieran1


As you say, the people who seem intent on rekindling The Troubles are little more than gangsters and racketeers who miss the control, power and wealth that they had in the bad old days.

They exploited the romantic nature of the Irish people to pursue their own agenda.
They used history, religion and fear as tools to enable this.

But the past is the past and Ireland must move forward, and is indeed making great strides forward.
People from all political and religious sides deserve all our support for the efforts they are making.

C.I.R.A. and the others must be rooted out once and for all.

The peoples of The British Isles share a common ancestry that runs deep, deeper than many suspect or will admit.

The original inhabitants of these Isles were knowledgable in many fields and areas, much of which has been lost in the mists of time.

I look forward to reading what you have found when you conclude your research.

One thing is certain though; the ties that bind run deep.
Perhaps it is time to concentrate on that which unites rather than that which divides.
I suspect our future, like our past, may be inter-twined.