Belfast priest says united Ireland is now irrelevant, praises Queen

I'm so bloody angry with this statement that I could spit bullets. This young fellow is either totally ignorant of Ireland's struggles or it's just a big publicity stunt. Whatever the case, if a priest said this in my Father's day he'd be invited to "take off his collar".

@eiriamach - interesting analysis, but I think you make a jump too far when you said "until government officials in the Republic fix up their relationship with the Catholic Church, Catholics in NI will not support unification". I dont think one is conditional on the other. He does make the point (and I am minded to agree) that for nationalists in NI of a younger vintage, the idyll of a 32 county soverign state is no longer the shangri la it once was. Still an aspiration for many certainly, but pragmatism has created a new dispensation within Nationalism and Unionism which points to a different and evolving model of governance. On the island of Ireland it is starting to have a federal shape with the liklihood of a continuing Regional Assembly in Belfast. Consider also the changes afoot elsewhere, particularly in Scotland, and the consequences for the future of the Union. I think Father O'Neill made a valid point but it was made on the back of an incorrect permise!!

This priest thinks "nationalism is irrelevant"? Irrelevant to what-- 800 years of Irish history? --to current economic trends in NI and the Republic? No, he thinks nationalism is "irrelevant" to the current ousted-from-government position of the Roman catholic Church in the Republic of Ireland! He will not support unification as long as Catholicism's political power is in decline in Dublin. He cites "the attack by the Taoiseach (PM) in the Dail and the particularly focused nature of the attack on the handling of the whole abuse issue." IF EVER any "handling" of an issue by RCC deserved to be attacked, its handling of the abuse issue deserved to be attacked, and the majority of Catholic laity agree! Hasn't this priest said, in effect, that until government officials in the Republic fix up their relationship with the Catholic Church, Catholics in NI will not support unification? Who appointed him to speak for the Catholics, or anyone else, of NI? I would think that loosening the grip of RCC on the Republic's government and laws would be essential if any progress toward eliminating the border is ever to happen.

I would still contend that recent voting trends in Northern Ireland Polls go someway to supporting Father O'Neills assertions on the significance of a United Ireland to voters under 45, and particularly those from a Nationalist/Republican perspective. It would seem that the Nationalist Middle ground and to a lesser extent their Unionist equivelant have melted away and simply dont bother exercising their franchise.

I agree with Fr. O'Neill. The insanity from both sides of the aisle has been embarrassing and it's time to move on. We're living in a new world and I for one say Thank God! Belfast is stunning as is Dublin and let's keep it that way. Mack

I'm well under 45 (years), and I'm a practicing Catholic who has been extremely fortunate to have dealt with some amazing priests during my lifetime. Priests are like any other people: Some are truly good and talented people who make a positive difference, some are bland and uninspiring, and some are warped and abusive. Ciara, you haven't struck me as totalitarian in past discussions, so I assume that "ban religion" was intended to be taken in jest. I would like to see religion in general become less centralized, institutional, and authoritarian, and become more of a set of cultural values reflecting a special and interesting worldview. But I suppose that I will always be an idealist. Gearoid, great post. George, good point regarding the Church and the language.

Very True barneyjo the "old order is rapidly ageing". Gearoid4 I take exception to your attitude toward athestism. Maybe you could inform of what is an atheistic agenda.A complete seperation of church and state is paramount in a democratic society.For to long (in Ireland) bishops wielded to much power in the corridors of Leinster house to the detriment of the Irish people.To think I was confirmed by the paedophile McQuaid.

The UK never had to deal with the anomaly of a Catholic Prelate in the form of Arch-Bishop McQuaid who was so entrenched within the corridors of power in Dublin that he had unfettered access to all Legislation as it made its way through the Dial and could if he chose, ensure that it never saw the light of day. Father On Neill may well mourn the passing of that level of synergy between Irish Church and state, but I would imagine that he is well in the minority on that one!!

seanomelb, just love your expression of a truth.

As one O'Neill to another, you disgraced the Clan by taking the soup.

Too much time on your hands since you stopped diddling young boys?

This is liberalism in it's truest form. Millions of souls oppressed at the hands of the British for over 800 years are turning in their graves.

West-Brit for sure.

Fr O'Neill has made an astute observation regarding the actions of the current coalition in the Irish Republic which seems to want to marginalize and even erase the Christian legacy of the Churches within their jurisdiction. I don't think that Enda Kenny is instinctively driving this course of action, but seems to be standing mute as his erstwhile government colleagues in the form of Gilmore and Quinn drive their atheistic agenda. The UK in complete contrast is prepared to engage sensibly with the Holy See at a diplomatic level, as seen in the recent British delegation sent there. Northern nationalists, as Fr O'Neill pointed out in a recent BBC NI radio broadcast, are looking askance south of the border and are not impressed with the recent machinations of politicians down there, acting with a mean-spirited animus against the Catholic religion. Their allegiances cannot be taken for granted and the current climate down south is not attracting them at this time on a number of levels.

So why then is the percentage turn out of the electorate on a downward slide, which it has been for more than a decade. In the last election in NI just over 50% of those entitled to vote, bothered to do so. Trends would seem to show that young Nationalist and Unionist voters are increasingly turned off by what passes for politics in NI