Irish Unity - One: Island, Nation, Dream
Is the notion of a single, self-governing Irish Nation a dream? At first I didn't think so. I thought that Ireland could gain its complete independence from the English. But, after a recent trip to Northern Ireland, I doubt Ireland will ever be a Nation.
As an American of Irish descent, I find this situation in Ireland very confusing. You see I love the English. Some of my best friends are English and the English have been great friends to the US. On the other hand there are 40 million people in the US of Irish descent. It's like your best friend (England) and your cousin (Ireland) don't get along. You get along with each of them and so cannot understand why they're not friends, too.
I've heard the stories about how the Northern Irish have better roads, healthcare and schools because of their connection to England. But, when talking to people in the North, they seem to prefer freedeom over these items. Is that irrational? I think not. What sane person would choose to be governed by another country instead of by their own people? Isn't that what democracy is all about - "Give me Liberty, or Give me Death," Thomas Paine.
As an American of Irish descent, I find this situation in Ireland very confusing. You see I love the English. Some of my best friends are English and the English have been great friends to the US. On the other hand there are 40 million people in the US of Irish descent. It's like your best friend (England) and your cousin (Ireland) don't get along. You get along with each of them and so cannot understand why they're not friends, too.
I've heard the stories about how the Northern Irish have better roads, healthcare and schools because of their connection to England. But, when talking to people in the North, they seem to prefer freedeom over these items. Is that irrational? I think not. What sane person would choose to be governed by another country instead of by their own people? Isn't that what democracy is all about - "Give me Liberty, or Give me Death," Thomas Paine.
posted by IrishUnity.ie | 4:50 AM
14 Comments:
I think the SF leadership did know about the Northern Bank robbery. They have permanently damaged their credability within the Irish political arena.
THe IRA's decision to end violence will definitely help bring peace to Northern Ireland
Unionist will simply go back to their dirty tricks campaign to make it look like the IRA is till promoting violence and terro.
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I appreciate your views, however I am a little concerned about the lack of acknowledgment of the Ulster-Scottish Minority. You have your bullet points of Irish Unity presented on your webpage, however you are making the same mistake many Gaelic Irish make in putting forward your vision of the future. You leave NO ROOM for the Ulster-Scottish minority.
See, Religion has been used as the main focus of non Unity, and while this is true, there are many other factors that need to be addressed. For instance, Many Ulster-Scottish are afraid that by leaving Britain that their Identity as Anglo-Scots in North Ireland will be in danger.
What Ireland is failing to do is give the Ulster Scottish (or Scotch-Irish as it is known in the US) community assurances that they will not disappear in a generation due to forced intergration of their people, Language and unique culture.
It simply is not as easy as "We are all Irish" because not even the Irish in Ireland say that.
You raise excellent points. No Ireland can ever be united without the Ulster-Scottish retaining their identity.
I don't know why a United Ireland would endanger your heritage and that of your people? It's not as if you would be forced to inter-marry.
Can any community, or government ever guaranty (is it even the government's responsibility) that your identity is not lost? Look at how Chinese have retained their identity in countries across the world.
A United Ireland can still have counties that retain their own unique identity. That is what will make a United Ireland strong.
Good Points, Good Points. That is true. I was speaking of this blog to a friend of mine, and she, who is also Ulster-Scottish, feels that the culture would actually flourish due to the massive amount of Scotch-Irish in america that would be going to areas of North Ireland that they now don't normally go to. Tourism would go up, the Economy would boom and the culture would be encouraged due to the high level of Scotch Irish in the diaspora that would come back to visit.
I could not agree more. I think the politicians have not focused enough on the economic reasons for unification. Look at Germany and how it has thrived since unification. Imagine how strong a United Ireland could be.
Most of the Americans I know would never go to Northern Ireland and no company I know would ever locate European operations there. The threat of violence and nonsense around the parade/marching season is a huge economic deterent to growth in the North.
The Scotch Irish have done very well in the US and maintained their heritage. I was at a St. Patrick's Day parade recently (in the US March is Irish Heritage month) and met a man who is Scotch Irish and we got along great as if we had known each other for years. I told him how lucky we are to live in the US because if we lived in Northern Ireland we may never have met due to the sectarianism there.
I think if the poeple knew the economic benefit that would accrue to them through unification, there would be more movement toward a permanent peace in the North, with no criminals in the government. Unification would create jobs improve the standard of living and reduce crime.
Thanks for your post!
We want to live with those of Ulster /Scotch and other religious believes as equals in our country.Im an Irish man , Im an Ulster man there should be no fear of a United Ireland , the country would grow from strength to strength and have a healthy relantionship with Britain.
To those of you living in America,England or most other countries worldwide you take your Nationality for granted.For a moment image if you were told "you are not American you're Mexican" or "You're not English , your French" Can you imagine the reaction of a Englishman if France claimed sovereignty over six English counties!
I support indviduals heritage and tradition.The Ulster Scotch , British tradition will not perish in a United Ireland The Irish flag of Green White Orange
symbolizes peace between Nationalists & Unionists. I cant think of better foundation to establish a country which holds each of its children as equals and respects differences(We have actually more in common with each other than we care to admit!).As violence fades across the North , a healthy debate on Unification of the Island should be encourged at all levels right up to Governmental.We can stand on our own two feet together.The Green hand of friendship and total respect is open and waiting for the Orange hand to grasp it.
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THe average wages for an Irish citizen have now surpassed the average wages for a British citizen. Imagine if the North merged with the South how strong Ireland could be...
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This is in the response to the idea that Irish unity forgets or ignores the "Ulster-Scottish" minority.
1. These "Ulster-Scots" are just as Irish as anyone else. They have lived, intermarried, and intermingled with the Irish in Ireland for the last 400 years. To deny the fact that Irish Protestants are Irish by ethnicity is ridiculous. Conversions to Protestantism by Irish Catholics were numerous. And not to mention that when the Scottish settlers came to Ireland many had to marry Irish Catholic girls for lack of women in the area. And anyways even if some deny that they are Irish (Gaelic) by ethnicity. They are Irish (meaning of Ireland) by right. They have been in Ireland for four hundred years. They have adopted the customs of and sayings and mannerisms of the Irish. In fact the common sentiment among these "Ulster-Scots" was "I love my native land no doubt and are with her through thick and thin. And though I'm Irish all without, I'm all Scotch within." So trying to distinguish between Irish Protestants and Irish Catholics are two different ethnic minorities is ridiculous. Go to the north of Ireland. You can barely tell the difference. My own ancestors were Protestants from Armagh and when they were told they were Ulster Scots, they replied that they were Irish and nothing else.
2. The sentiment from mostly all nationalist political parties from Fianna Fail to the IRSP, is a sentiment of asking Protestants to join them for the task of creating a new Ireland, in which people of both "traditions", can be cherished and respected. This can only happen in a United Ireland. By maintaining the unnatural border in Ireland it only causes further tensions between the two groups.
3. The Irish republican movement was created and founded by Irish Protestants of Scots or English origin. Wolfe Tone, Henry McCracken, John Tandy, Robert Emmet and so forth. In fact the original Irish republicans had to work hard to court Irish Catholic support, whereas the Protestant community whole heartedly supported the Irish republican movement.
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