Gap between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland down to just three per cent

@ancavker: So it's only loyalists who claim benefits in NI is it? And it the only reason they are British? What stupid condescending remarks. Unionists didn't exactly have 50 years of trouble free rule to put things right. The IRA attacks started from the moment of it's inception. Almost every region in the UK is dependent on London. It's the capital and the one of the world's financial hubs. The tax raised here from corporations far dwarfs any other region and more of my tax pounds are spent in London than anywhere else. Your argument that NI should be dumped because it costs more than it brings in is therefore pretty dumb. Should Dublin dump Limerick, Donegal & Waterford because of their dependency on benefits? You'd have a very small country if you dumped every region that doesn't pay for itself. We wouldn't mind taking Donegal back off your hands but you can keep the rest of the spongers!

I have news for you darragh, the republic of Ireland was founded by IRA types , fought for by IRA types and defended by IRA types while your type was desperatly trying to remain in the union with britain. Your opinion is at best moronic. The people Ireland does need are the types who would vote for a party that gives our future away to the unelected leaders of the european union, i wonder who you voted for last time ? The Ireland i would like to see would include every single human being on it. It would not exclude anyone not even one side of the paramilitary violence that has gone on.

Truth is Northern Irish unionists are geographically Irish but overwhelmingly are not politically or culturally Irish. There are many reasons for that. In fact Irish people are much more culturally British than Unionists are culturally Irish. I am one of the small percentage of people who described themselves as British & Irish in the 2011 census.

I have news for all you IRA types. The republic of Ireland wants a united Ireland but it does not include you.

Let me guess this straight ... Northern Irish people (N.Irish) are not Irish, even though they are born and live all their lives in Ireland, they are not Irish. Instead they are british, which is an island they might never actually step foot on ...... Madeline dear, either wake up, or shut up because apparently speaking isnt doing you any favours.

Northern Irish british are IRISH...even David Ervine said as much. It's nonsense to suggest otherwise.

Norhern irish British are not now and never will be Irish people.

Although the figures can be manipulated depending on ones perspective, it makes bad reading for a border poll at this time.

Anglo-Clueless Perhaps you cna give us some examples of those British names that were Gaelicized? And no one is a pedigree son.

citizen: I focus on it because all of the so called loyalty of the Unionists is because of welfare handouts from British taxpayers. And the economy in the north was in rpaide decline years before the Provo's and their disastrous bombing campaign. That said the unionist community had 50 years to build a thriving economy and society that treated all its residents fairly and with dignity. Of course that did not happen. And the British government finally dismantled Stormont and the little fascist police state set up in 1922. As far as the south, if you look at my posts, I criticize them too all the time. Free money for this child allownaces for that, grants for other nonsense, and on it goes. I have family members who take the free money even though they do not need it, but everyone else takes it so they do. And when I come home to visit, i just shake my head. Things are so bad, and yet the pubs are packed. So yes I do criticize the south as well. But at least the south is taking the handouts from all of Europe,just like other basket case countries in Europe. In the north, it is the English taxpayer who is directly subsidizing residents in the six counties and for what? Whatever taxes you payarea drop i in the bucket in comparison to what England pours in there every year.

@anglonorman, do you ever give it at rest? Its obvious you don't like Ireland or the Irish by reading your comments. So much hatred in you. Why bother.

Site keeps deleting my posts. In short, genetic studies unequivocally demonstrate that the majority of Irish are indigenous and carry specific variants of the R1b haplotype that are unique to ancient Ireland (one has even been traced to a single progenitor, speculated to be Niall of the Nine Hostages). Many Gaelic names were anglicized or just changes due to the british terror state’s restrictions on indigenous populations living within the territories they controlled.

Still waiting to hear what your mongrel mix is. It's your turn of phrase not mine little fella.

WHAT GAP ? IM IRISH I LIVE IN IRELAND AND I HAVE CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT FRIENDS AND FAMILY AS WELL AS A LOT OF BRITISH FRIENDS AND FAMILY ... THERE IS NO GAP WE ARE ALL SOOO SIMILAR ... I LOVE MY NEIGHBORS WHICH IS THE UK ... I DREAD TO THINK IF IRELAND WA GEOGRAPHICALLY S LOCATED NEXT TO SYRIA, SUDAN , NIGERIA OR SOUTH AFRICA AND WHAT A MESS OUR COUNTRY WOULD BE IN ... SO I COUNT MYSELF LUCKY AS AN IRISHMAN LIVING NEXT TO THE UK...AND TO HELL WITH ALL THE AMERICANS AND ( FAR AND FEA IRISHH ) REPUBLICANS WHO ARE FAR AND FEW IN THE YEAR 2012 !!

@citizen69, N.I drains money from westminster, what you pay in taxes in N.I would not cover you, Fact is N.I & Scotland are a burden to the english taxpayer. Since Ireland joined the E.U they received €58 billion, they paid €25 billion back in. The E.U benefits alot more from Ireland as a member than what Ireland received. They took away the majority of Irelands fishing waters, its biggest natural resourse. The EU have taken around €200 billion in raw fish out of irish waters.