Future Catholic majority in the North changes everything in Ireland

Geraldo, Northern Irish wasn' an option on the last census so that would imply that mostwho choose that option chose British when it wasn't available. Also SDLP & southern Parishave implied that the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly would remain in the event of a Nationalist majority. The solution to Northern Ireland has always been in Belfast not Dublin or London

lol so when you voting its not influenced by how little tax you might have to pay or what ever else the politician is offering you. From The Nightmare Scenario: A U.S.-China War: Part V "One of the more poignant moments in the epic film Gladiator takes place during the opening battle between Roman legions and German tribesmen. The Roman general Maximus and his lieutenant, Quintus, are debating whether their outmatched foe will fight or submit. Quintus opines that “People should know when they are conquered,” whereupon Maximus replies: “Would you, Quintus? Would I?” That’s a Hollywood restatement of Clausewitz’s proverb that “even the ultimate outcome of a war is not always to be regarded as final. The defeated state often considers the outcome merely as a transitory evil, for which a remedy may still be found in political conditions at some later date.”"

What buy in the majority rules no bribes no bull sh#t

You know something, its fricken amazing how Gold will influence China and India in the UN and how Oil will Influence the UK and the USA and maybe Europe. Amazing. The unionists havent a leg to stand on but are desperately trying to counter these new resource influences on Major Political Pullers like Obamma and Cameron. What next, a Diamond Mine and Nuclear Powerplants, right then they would get everything else for free which is something the republic should be worried about given its weak Military Position. Looks like anything could happen.

Wont they have a referendum when the time comes. I think in all the areas north and east of the border where the Catholic Majorities are will see a decline in Prods who will slowly migrate away towards Antrim or die out. Catholics in the south will continue to do buisness with the Yanks, Germans and other wealthy EU countries, continue to mine 300g per tonne gold deposits and drill Trillion Barrel Oil deposits of Dublin and Cork. So growth is set to begin again in Ireland despite the Austerity which seems like a joke now that I hear about the new resources boom heading the republics way. Sinn Fein and the SDLP have strong holds in those Border Regions will probably benefit from these coming times given the way the Irish have upgraded the land transport networks from the North to the South. I predict a considerable amount of investment by Catholics on land in the North in the Future and there may be little the Unionists can do about that. Its not entirley off the cards to suggest that in the next 30 to 40 years over a few more generations that at some point those Sinn Fein and SDLP groups will probably push out the Unionists and then seek to Annex the areas they are in control off and Join up with the Republic of Ireland. There of course will be a major fight over that and the UK will probably abandon its Democracy position and try to back the Unionists. It will be up to the Republic of Ireland to secure support from the US and Europe like Kosovo did to prevent the UK from modelling in the free and natural progression of Democracy. It would be nice for the Republic of Ireland to push all the way to take all the way across to the Southern Belfast line and reduce the UK's stronghold position there.

@seanomelb - Question still stands. Where is the "buy - in for Unionism going to come from??

barneyjoe write about "frogmarching unionists into a united ireland" that sounds a little rich when 1/2 a million nationalists were frogmarched into british control (1922). It seems a little rich considering unionist existed in a one Ireland state controlled by Britain prior to that date(and thrived) It appears that some posters turnn their back on the democratic process when they do not like the outcomes,afterall majority rules.

@Kilsally, 40% is a stage in a downward trend concerning those who declare themselves British within the jurisdiction of "northern" Ireland. In previous polls the average would have been around 60%. You mention those who declare themselves as "northern" Irish and Irish as being neck and neck. In total they amount to nearly 50%. At least the descriptive term "northern" Irish contains within itself some degree of recognition of being Irish. Future events hopefully will allow the notion of being Irish to be more encompassing within the northern Jurisdiction and lead to the unity of the Irish nation.

Some clarification needed to your article. The Catholic population only increased by 1% in a decade so a majority is nowhere near by 2021, secondly Protestant decline from 53 to 48 is accounted for largely by the increase in atheists/agnostics. Add to that nearly 50% said they were British, and Northern Irish & Irish were neck and neck at around a quarter do a United Ireland seems no where near

swillhamilton - "No matter who you were in NI you'd have to be devoid of a functioning brain to want to be ruled by the stew of potatoes playing a government that we have in the South. Orange rule may be bad but it's at least fading. Rome Rule accommodated by a gang of native gombeen men is a disaster that's been stumbling along since 1922." Actually, compared to other post colonial nations the tiny ROI has been a massive success (even considering the recent downturn) given its belligerent security council neighbor controlling the supremacist state to its north. Compare the political stability and economy of Ireland to post-colonial states with much more in the way of natural resources, size, and population. The primary problem is the continuation of the poisonous influence of anglo-materialism through the anglo oriented Dublin establishment (not to mention supremacist anglo squatters such as swill hamilton). Incidentally, your fellow squatters appearing to be abandoning the anglican "Church" for the Catholic Church.

There is an interesting range of views here. In response to some, I would say that a bare Catholic majority in Northern Ireland will not immediately lead to a United Ireland. The concept of a Northern Irish identity is a growing one. I think it reflects two things. Firstly, there is a growing feeling that the people who live in Northern Ireland have a different cultural space from both the rest of the UK and the Rep of Ireland. Secondly, it's also probably true to say that there is a congruence of British Isles culture and the cultural differences between Ireland and the UK are much less tan they once where. The urgency of the onset of United Ireland is much reduced and it will not be a priority for the soon to be majority Catholic population in Northern Ireland for many decades, if ever. The Good Friday Agreement settled Northern Ireland's position within the UK for the foreseeable future.

That is a very good and practical question that you pose, Barneyjo and is deserving of a thoughtful and thorough response. One cannot of course force a political settlement on a people who constitute at least 15% of the total population of the whole of Ireland. This would be a recipe for disaster and would bring an unparalleled level of death and ruin in it's wake. During the 1980's,the representatives(except for Sinn Fein who were treated then as personae non gratae due to The Troubles)of Irish nationalism on the Island of Ireland setup a round table meeting in the form of the New Ireland Forum to thrash out this question. They all agreed to unity by consent and not by coercion and this approach was largely driven by John Hume, the then leader of the SDLP. This led ultimately to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. The unionists of course can reject any overture from Irish nationalists as it is their God-given right to do so, but I think that events in the near future will impose upon them the necessity to think seriously about their relationships with the rest of the people on the Island of Ireland. At the moment they seem to be ill-prepared for the storms to come as such realities as the outcome to the referendum for Scottish Independence will surely bring. The current display of British hyper-nationalism betrays a people of deep insecurity and even a mass psychosis among some elements of unionism. They seem to be poorly led and have been crassly manipulated by their political leadership. Irish nationalists in the north continue to hold out the hand of friendship to their unionist neighbors, and seek to build a consensus without the political structures up there. At the moment, they are being severely tested but wise heads should prevail. Consensus politics are the way forward despite the usual tribal shennigans of unionist politicians.

That is a very good and practical question that you pose, Barneyjo and is deserving of a thoughtful and thorough response. One cannot of course force a political settlement on a people who constitute at least 15% of the total population of the whole of Ireland. This would be a recipe for disaster and would bring an unparalleled level of death and ruin in it's wake. During the 1980's,the representatives(except for Sinn Fein who were treated then as personae non gratae due to The Troubles)of Irish nationalism on the Island of Ireland setup a round table meeting in the form of the New Ireland Forum to thrash this question. They all agreed to unity by consent and not by coercion and this approach was largely driven by John Hume, the then leader of the SDLP. This led ultimately to the Good Friday Agreement of 1995. The unionists of course can reject any overture from Irish nationalists as it is their God-given right to do so, but I think that events in the near future will impose upon them the necessity to think seriously about their relationships with the rest of the people on the Island of Ireland. At the moment they seem to be ill-prepared for the storms to come as such realities as the outcome to the referendum for Scottish Independence will surely bring. The current display of British hyper-nationalism betrays a people of deep insecurity and even a mass psychosis among some elements of unionism. They seem to be poorly led and have been crassly manipulated by their political leadership. Irish nationalists in the north continue to hold out the hand of friendship to their unionist neighbors, and seek to build a consensus without the political structures up there. At the moment, they are being severely tested but wise heads should prevail. Consensus politics are the way forward despite the usual tribal shennigans of unionist politicians.

A Catholic (by background) majority in NI was inevitable. But this does not mean that a majority of Catholics would vote for separation from Britain. That might happen if the UK conservatives manage to truly wreck the British welfare state but not otherwise. The NI tax base could not possibly match the subsidy from London.

As a Catholic & Nationalist LIVING in Northern Ireland, I have yet to see any posts that answers perhaps THE most significant question in relation to an emerging Catholic majority in Northern Ireland. And it is this;"By what means will anyone frogmarch upwards of 750,000 Unionists/ Loyalists into a new political dispensation that is built on a 32 County Sovereign State Model? Who is going to enforce this on the voters who do not agree? The Irish Army, the Garda?? maybe with the assistance of the British Military, or even why not request the assistance of US Military Forces? I jest of course, but the question remains unanswered; how do you reclaim the "Fourth Green Field" without turning it "BLOOD RED"??