Here’s one for our erstwhile commenter lib2016 (who has had his fair share of stick for his chosen moniker). Mark Devenport has worked out that Sinn Fein’s plea for a peace dividend over the next ten years takes us up to 2017… A bit of short term slippage in the timetable, or are the pennies just slowly dropping out of the party’s back pocket?
Interesting BBC article on an upcoming presentation and talk [Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre, 17 August] by lecturer and broadcaster Stephen Price on the subject of his new book – The Earl Bishop. The 18th Century ”Earl Bishop” was Frederick Augustus Hervey, fourth Earl of Bristol and Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry. Hervey was also elected [...] read our review »
Northern Ireland’s peace process has been promoted as an international success story. The Republic’s Department of Foreign Affairs has its Conflict Resolution Unit, which aims to disseminate the ‘lessons’ of the Northern Ireland peace process. And some of the prominent players in our peace process have travelled abroad to other troubled spots to share their [...] read our review »
I’ve been catching up on some reading, recently. Most pleasantly surprised by John Drennan’s latest opus from Gill and Macmillan, Cute Hoors and Pious Protestors… It’s early days yet, but I was struck by this paragraph, part of a dissection of Fianna Fail near the beginning: One of the more fatal consequences of our colonial [...] read our review »
Isn’t the story of the process that we miss all the deadlines but get there in the end.
I assume the Shinners are simply envisaging the British continuing to fork out after unification. Quite right too.
Brendan O’Brien’s book “The Long War” has a memo drafted by a senior republican that was part of the whole Hume Adams process. IIRC the memo was written in the mid-1990′s. It predicted a 7-10 year timetable, so it is already well behind ‘schedule’.
what was the timetable on “Smash Sinn Fein”?
MCT
AFAIK and rather sensibly the DUP and UUP never gave a timetable for that
As I toast the 100th anniversary of the Northern Ireland state I’m sure I’ll look back on the Sinn Fein claims of unification and laugh heartily.
No doubt others will do likewise at the 200th……
interested,
yeah you could have a point maybe it will be the sdlp who will bring about unification first!
Well we’ve waited 800 years for the Brits to get out of our country, I guess I could wait on them staying another 8 months and paying for the privilege toboot just as long as they went!
Not at all – I hope that we are still taking money off the Brits in another hundred years. Isn’t it nice that even the DUP are seeking reparations now, though they have to call it a ‘peace dividend’, of course?
Superb bit of comedy racism by Mountains. “Brits out” still getting an airing in 2007!
lib2016,
Us children of the 20th century owe British taxpayers a hell of a lot. They provided a level of education, health and social services far above that available across the border. But I guess this truth has always been air brushed out of republican approved history.
Given the fact that the British have occupied Ireland for over 800 years I think you might find that it is the British that owe the Irish ‘a hell of a lot’.
Never mind the deliberate attempts to exterminate a nation. The famine. The wholesale theft of land.
Sad wee arguments about civilising the natives supposes so many thing, many built on inherent racist ignorance, and many that ignore the deliberate attack on indigenous traditions, culture and language that the argument bearly warrents more serious thought.
The cases of the indigenous peoples of Australia and America should be an interesting benchmark when it comes to the final tally.
Ned, sorry to wake you, but you’re in the lead in the ‘MOPE post of the Year’ post stakes after 2 months.
#
As I toast the 100th anniversary of the Northern Ireland state I’m sure I’ll look back on the Sinn Fein claims of unification and laugh heartily.
No doubt others will do likewise at the 200th……
Posted by Interested on Feb 28, 2007 @ 01:54 PM
Wait till the Scots decide to break up the Union, what will the loyal people of the wee six do when the English taxpayers and public will want to end paying their taxes to prop up a sectarian statlet which haemorrages money? That’s why Hain’s all-ireland economy soundings are starting off. All we hear from the British government, is that the north will have to pay its way,It’s the Economy, stupid, nothing to do with marches, flags, birthright, football, anthems. They are all smokescreens for the bigger issue, FILTHY LUCRE.
Unification by small degrees, I reckon.
The end of the Union won’t happen with the Shinners but with those across the water. The British people themselves will end it.
Unification probaly won’t mean the end of the british government presence in ireland, their partners in the republic will become closer to the UK especially in matters of international terrorism (e.g. mI5 using their base in the North with help from the southern security services in a kind of all ireland anti-terrorism apparatus).
“The cases of the indigenous peoples of Australia and America should be an interesting benchmark when it comes to the final tally.”
So you want to live on a reserve then?
It really doesn’t do your cause much good when you try to make such grandiose statements of victimhood. In fact it’s laughable to compare how Irish Catholics have fared compared to Australian Aborigines and Native Americans; I’ve even come across a few idiots on this site who try to liken their ‘struggle’ to the plight of the Jews during the Holocaust! What absolute bullshit and unfortunately rather consistent of a few folk on this website who like to wallow in make-believe victimhood for the ‘clinical oppressed’. In the distance; far, far away I can hear a tiny violin playing just for you.
Let’s see what you’re up against in prize for most maligned peoples’ award:
Aborgines: Almost completely obliterated from the face of Australia. Shooting Aborigines was only outlawed at the beginning of the 20th century. Aborigines are not even allowed to vote until 1965.
http://www.flinders.edu.au/kokotinna/SECT02/HIS_CULT.HTM
Native Americans: Again almost completely exterminated by white settlers. Numbers fell from several million to a few thousand over the course of 3 centuries.
The majority of both these sets of peoples live on state funded reserves and alcoholism and unemployment is rife.
“As I toast the 100th anniversary of the Northern Ireland state I’m sure I’ll look back on the Sinn Fein claims of unification and laugh heartily.”
I look back with amusement at Tony Benn’s prediction of a UI by 2000, that was in 1992. 2000 was almost as distant then as 2016 is now.
DL & Gav B you miss the point – in response to something as stupid as ‘Us children of the 20th century owe British taxpayers a hell of a lot’ you can only but make a sweeping statment that tips beyond the scales of your sensibilities.
Having lived in Canada and worked with a number of people from the native canadaian community I in no way think that there is a compaison in scale – what the British settlers and other European invaders did across north, south central america and australia and indeed everywhere they ‘civilised’ was way beyond what happened in Ireland – by degree – but if someone is going to say god thank the brits they gave us a good education and good health service I think only one response suffices.
That said I think that what many people who claim Britishness in the north misunderstand is the reality of the history of the UK and in particular the evolution of the positive and negative parts that make up the UK today.
As someone who freely decsribes myself as English – born in London with roots in Bradford, Scotland and Wales- now living in Belfast I have to say that people who wrap the Union Jack around themselves have a very limited sense of identity and should go to Bradford, Glasgow or East London today to see what being British in a modern sense really means – because it is not some rose tinted sense of Britania or Empire or Queen – it is properly modern and diverse.
Truly enlightened debate, chaps.
Keep it up. You’ve almost got me persuaded.