Enda Kenny predicts united Ireland is inevitable at American conference

Of course there’s going to be an inevitable re-uniting of this Irish island for us Irish people, just like there’s going to be a re-uniting of the dispersed Scottish peoples’ Diaspora. There have been many instances in European history whereby dispersed peoples who belong to a certain origin of people have repatriated themselves to their own native home, to the shires, counties, provinces and countries and all that they believe in (rightly or wrongly, in the thinking of their own, or of that others, gone past RIP). Now that there’s a forthcoming referendum on Scottish Independence from the disintegrating United Kingdom, would not those in Nth Ireland who are descended of Scottish hereditary not just up roots from the land that they are, in truth, untitled to be living in, please get up, uproot and go home to Scotland, the land of their true forebears, and start a new life under their privileged right to be Scottish and be part of Scottish Independence? Let me offer a ‘why’ … (more…)

The terror state will never allow it with or without the consent of the voters involved - witness the large MI5 moonbase they built in the statelet after the GFA swindle.

Enda fawning to an Irish American audience!! Maybe he is looking for the nationalist vote LOL.

Peace in the north of Ireland at any price. Peace is the main thing. Peace is everything. I was in Belfast back in 74 and it was scarier than Dublin on paynight.

Yup! And GB will lose Free Scotland ,too.

Like Kerry Dairy, Guinness Beer, Corned Beef and Cabbage, The Boston Celtics ... Eh, Mr. Kenny ? Let there be no mistake; Edna Kenny`s mitigationist placator bourgeois Politicking, serves but one purpose: The estrangement of Conservative Catholic, and Leftist Revolutionary Political Partisanship ! ( Sectarianism, Sinn Fein ? )

Happyhippo: It might be a "shotgun wedding" if the tsunami of cash that flows to NI is interrupted by austerity measures. You might say the the people in the rest of Britain are your "kith and kin" but I think they would have to go back as far as the settlement of America to find any common ancestry. Given the choice between a free NHS and free education for their children, or NI remaining part of the UK at all costs, I think I know which they would choose. Added to this the rapidly changing demographics of the UK, people who have no historical link to Ulster and the number of people in favour of Scottish independence the case for the Union is becoming increasingly tenuous as time goes on.

As Paisley explained some years back when interviewed on the topic of a united country, before there is a marriage there is an engagement, and before that there is a courting process that must be adhered to,but first we must take a shine to one another,at present i would say the chances of all three are pretty slim.

@Spartacus Your analysis is flawed in a number of respects- a)the Republic of Ireland is 90 years-but what's a decade her or there. It was carved out of a partitioned country in 1922. The South initially was given dominion status within the British Empire but declared itself a republic in 1949. b)Your description of the differences between the two jurisdictions on the Island as akin to those between Russia and the US defy belief. They are alike in some many respects, ethnicity, social attitudes and mores that they are practically one people. The border destroyed natural hinterlands like south Fermanagh/south Donegal/north Leitrim and south Armagh/north Monaghan(once known as Oriel) and left economic and social wastelands in it's wake. b) The Catholic church has lost a lot of it's influence and power in recent decades for various reasons and the protestant minority enjoys full equality in all spheres of life down there. c) The centenary of the recent Ulster Covenant celebrations marked a high point in the unionist-tory alliance which opposed the 3rd home rule bill. But today, we are in a very different situation. The tories do not perceive the northern state with the same degree of interest and are rather indifferent to it, and pay more attention to affairs in the English home counties. Also the configuration of the UK could change with an independent Scotland in prospect in 2014. Also the demographics are changing markedly in favour of the nationalist Irish population in the north d) Some might be content to write off an United Ireland, but events could bring it right back into contention again. A partitioned Ireland proves that a house divided ultimately defeats itself.

The 1912 covenant is only "written in blood" for as long as we are paying for your 100-year party in England. The British taxpayer is working his butt off to keep you all in the style to which you have become accustomed, you don't want to be questioned on whether your cultural practices are acceptable in the 21st century multicultural UK and you want us to keep handing over the billions for nothing in return. After a few generations, British people in Australia, America, Canada and elsewhere took the bold step and made the break from Britain and formed their own country and created their own economies. But NI refuses to take any responsibility for itself, refuses to compromise in any way with its neighbour and expects us to finance that. Well the day will be coming soon when England says NO!

the republic has moved on in the last 100 years, it has as much likness to the north as russia and the usa, travel across meath and cavan theres no connection , neither do the south or its people want us ever, a referendum in the north would give a resounding no, especially by catholics born on the nationalist side , the roman catholic church will never ever ever be a pill that protestants will swollow ,and most catholics dont practice it now either, the 1912 covenant was signed in blood then and it has flood because of the percieved threat of it ever since , the united ireland myth has gone forever ,and nationalists have no voice in opposition to the north ,as they have joined the thatcher cabinet in building the northern state stronger than it ever was. done deal and we all know it now.

Nothing new here from the bumbling, typical Irish free state politicians. Lip service to an aspiration, a wish, a hope, for a United Ireland.....someday, maybe, hopefully, "but not likely in the near future".

IrishRyan. Ive yet to hear any republican call the six counties Northern Ireland. We call it the North of Ireland. Northern Ireland is what the brits call it cause they believe they own it. Are you a shinner by any chance.

A United Ireland will happen, within the next 20-30 years. I am from Northern ireland or the six counties as we republicans and Irish nationalists call it and a United Ireland is desired in all the counties of Ireland. Its ann ambition held by the Irish people for centuries, to have one island, one country under Irish rule. If it wasnt for the illegal and undemocratic partition of Ireland, this goal would have been achieved decades ago.

Anyone in the South of Ireland who wants to be united with the North of Ireland is out of their mind. Besides you're all part of the European Union now. Declare victory and move on to being the capital of off-shore finance, IT shops, and the world's best B & Bs.