Gerry Adams pushes for united Ireland referendum in US speech

@Gearoid4: "(Unionists) to be credible, must conform to a higher standard of civilized deportment and morals."... This sounds very much like the rhetoric that unionists would aim at nationalists who, in unionist eyes, seemingly did nothing while Republican terrorists committed atrocities in their midsts. I didn't mention anything about these tribes being non Gaelic Brits, it makes little difference to my point. Although it does seems reasonable that those people were there before the arrival of the Gaels and just adopted the the dominant culture, which happened all over the world. Clearly the medieval authors of the Book of Invasions didn't see the island as uniform in culture & ethnicity.

Again, Barneyjo, you make some very valid points. You are correct in your assertion that an "intransigent rump" does not necessarily represent the overall viewpoint of one section of a population. But one cannot overlook the silence or excuses coming from the Unionist/orange leadership which seems to be a signal that the awful behaviour by orange bandsmen and their law-breaking in recent days in Belfast is tolerated by them. They cannot have it both days and to be credible, must conform to a higher standard of civilized deportment and morals. @Citizen 69, The Cruithin, Ulaid, and Dal nARaidi are often cited by pro-unionist historians and commentators as early evidence of contact between the northern part of Ireland and Scotland in the context of non-gaelic British tribes being present in ancient Ulster. But that is pseudo-history which creates it's own myths. These tribes were more than likely very akin to the gaelic tribes which surrounded them in the north of Ireland during the early centuries and this reality does nothing to undermine the thesis that Ireland from that time was in reality an Island nation, uniform in culture, ethnicity and language.

@Barneyjo: Thank you for your kind words. Likewise i find your posts to be balanced, fair & open-minded. Considering that lived the last 40 years 'on the other side of the wall' from me, so to speak, i find myself agreeing with very many of your posts! I know from your posts that, like myself, you grew up in the north and experienced personal tragedy in the 'Troubles' and to not have that slant your willingness to listen to both sides of the argument is a hard thing to do. I'm not sure if i'm quite there yet but i try to understand others points of view!...

@Ancavker: You say "northern Ireland brings nothing to the table in the U.K. and is a drain on taxpayers. To continue to expect them to subsidise the north forever is simply selfish and unfair.". So then i must ask you again; What do the citizens of the south stand to gain? Are they prepared to subsidise the north forever? Are you prepared to have your taxes drained in to an area that apparently brings nothing to the table? It's such a blight yet you seem to want it so bad. You say we are one people regardless of a silly border. Genetically we are one people, culturally & politically we are not. That 'silly border ' doesn't exist because Britain wanted it, it exists because the majority in Ulster demanded it. They clearly didn't see us as 'one people'. Your prediction that there 'may come a time when I and the rest of the Unionists may decide the 2 political entities are better together than apart.' seems as far off now as it did in 1912. I hope you believe me when i say there is nothing more i would love to see than that Unionists of Ulster and the Nationalists of all of Ireland would come to see themselves as brothers. It has happened in the past but ceasefires are not enough on their own and to me it feels like our so-called politicians are drifting further away from understanding by the day. Empty talk of Britain dumping NI isn't going to help.

@Ancavker: I wasn't really trying to compare Dal Riada with the plantation but it is a valid point. It wasn't just the Dal Riada kingdom which had connections with Scotland. Other peoples such as the Cruithin, Ulaid & Dál nAraidi had regular contact with Scotland, both highlands & lowlands. It wasn't just pre history, it continued up through medieval times including the Gallowglass, Scottish mercenaries who would fight for whoever paid them, many settled in Antrim. At one point Queen Elizebeth the 1st put a ban on Scots migrating to Ulster. These peoples were the ancestors to the majority of Ulster-Scots that arrived during the plantation and later. Most Ulster-Scots arrived from Scotlands west coast, from Argyll & Bute to Dumfries & Galloway, the main settlement areas of Irish from Ulster in the first mellenium . Galloway still had large pockets of Gaelic speakers at the time of the Plantations. They may not have had a highland culture but many of the planters had ancient roots in Ulster.

A very fair and valid point about the break up of the british union.For Scotland to even propose independence for its own people is a huge step and a final nail in the coffin for the disintegrating british union.Now where do the british unionists of Ireland go too when that happens, who and where will they be loyal to?The English people are ashamed of these people and as many of them will tell you they want nothing to do with their stange ritual behaviour and expression of loyalism.In all fairness you do not see too many English people,proclaiming their identity by stomping past places of worship in an English city , furiously beating drums to the strains of the heavenly hymn "abide with me".

citizen: There has been movement of people back and forth between what is now Scotland and the northern part of the island of Ireland, no one is debating that. In fact the old Kingdom of Dal Riada in Scotland stretchec across both areas. My wife who is a fluent Irish speaker (both Munster and Ulster dialects) can communicate failry easily with Gaelic speakers in the Scottish highlands. To compare the platations of Ulster in the 1600's with that movment of peoples in pre historic times is simply not valid. Fast forward to today, and all I am saying is that a time may come when England dumps the north of Ireland, threatening violence again (as was done 100 years ago), simply will not be aceptable in this day and age. You can claim your Britishness all you want, but at the end of the day northern Ireland brings nothing to the table in the U.K. and is a drain on taxpayers. To continue to expect them to subsidise the north forever is simply selfish and unfair. If the south is able to get back on it's feet economically there may come a time when you and the rest of the Unionists in the 6 counties may decide the 2 politicla entities are better together than apart. As far as setting foot in Ulster, I am there avey year, and many years twice a year. Blacklion Cavan/Belcoo Fermanagh, we are one people, one place, regardless of what some silly border says.

@Gearoid4 - again, cant disagree with your view. However, I dont think that is fair or a reasonable proposition to treat the entire Unionist/Loyalist family as one intransigent rump that will say no to just about everything. There are posters here who cite that they hail from working class Unionist communities in Belfast and elswhere and all of which have been poorly served by their political elites, almost since the inception of the State of Northern Ireland. They can speak for themselves, but I get a strong sense that other than a rump of Unionism that has vested interests to protect, that perceptions are changing, and walls are coming down (not so much in Belfast I'll grant you) I think that it is right to acknowledge those Unionist/Loyalist leaders who have stretched themselves and their communities as far as they can (or dare)And its going to fall to another generation to take the next steps on the road to reconcilliation. That said when you hear about the sudden influx of applications to the passport office in Dublin, from young people from a Unionist background in NI in order to try and qualify for free tuition in Scottish Universities, you have to wonder if that process is not already well underway??

@Barnjeyjo, Likewise I broadly agree with your analysis in terms of Republicans and Nationalists having to greet the Umionist concerns. But haven't they been doing this since the enactment of the Good Friday Agreement? Martin McGuinness has been conducting a series of discussions with Unionist political, religious and business leaders to take on board their concerns over recent months. What we need is reciprocity which seems to be not forthcoming. It takes two to tango in such talks and it should not take place in a one way street. I feel that Unionists have been left stranded by the British who fail to identify with their customs e.g. orange marches. An identity crisis is at the heart of much of their intransigent insistence on the status quo.

@Barnjeyjo, Likewise I broadly agree with your analysis in terms of Republicans and Nationalists having to greet the Umionist concerns. But haven't they been doing this since the enactment of the Good Friday Agreement? Martin McGuinness has been conducting a series of discussions with Unionist political, religious and business leaders to take on board their concerns over recent months. What we need is reciprocity which seems to be not forthcoming. It takes two to tango in such talks and it should not take place in a one way street. I feel that Unionists have been left stranded by the British who fail to identify with their customs e.g. orange marches. An identity crisis is at the heart of much of their intransigent insistence on the status quo that we get from them(Unionists).

Why do you keep asking me what I think but then refuse to post my perfectly reasonable comments?Dont you have free speech in America? or is what I am saying too painfully true for you ?

@Gearoid4 - I agree absolutely with your analysis. There are new and "inconvenient" truths for the Orange Order to face up to and for a major rump of that organisation (particularly in Greater Belfast) are still in denial. They can no longer march when and where they will. The situation is much different outside Belfast, where accommodations have been reached. That said, there are also inconvenient truths that Republican Leaders know in their hearts, but have yet to fess up to in public. Chief among these is the fact that you cannot frog march upwards of one million Unionists/Loyalists into a new political dispensation on the island of Ireland, against their will and without their agreement. Citizen69 has already put that in context for all in one of his earlier posts.

@Barneyjo, While the orangemen celebrate the centenary of the Ulster covenant, they should realize that constitutional matters have moved on since the dramatic days of that event. Within the next 2-3 years, the UK might take on a different complexion, if Scotland goes independent They(orangemen) still act as if they are the only population which matters in the north of Ireland and scarcely pay heed to the concerns of their neighbours who are form the Irish and Catholic tradition. The fact remains that they are resident in Ireland but fail to recognize the intrinsic Irishness of the landscape in which they live, in terms of the Gaelic Irish origins of the place-names and townlands in which they are resident. It is about time that they took stock of these realities if they want to live as fully integrated citizens in Ireland as a whole.

warrenpoint100 - I can accept your views are sincerely held, in the same way that Citizen69's are and my own also.What I think you still do not yet fully comprehend is the very deep profound sense of Britishness inherent in the Unionist psyche. Citizen69 is a most articulate and insightful poster and I can safely say that I have learned much from the thoughts and views that he has posted in this blog. And he is right when he says that there is an inherent and entrenched opposition to any movement toward further overt integration for Northern Ireland with the Republic present within the Loyalist/Unionist population which will not change easily or quickly. You saw it manifest this weekend with 30000 Orangemen marching to commemorate the centenary of the signing of the Ulster Covenant. So, pragmatism must take hold within both communities to allow for a future in which all the peoples within the island of Ireland can have a stake. It is happening, where it can be shown to be of benefit to all. Health departments exploring models for sharing acute medical services so that cancer patients in north Donegal dont have to endure a gut-wrenching 6hr round trip to Dublin for just 20 minutes of chemotherapy; but better they cross into county Derry and receive the same treatment at Altnagelvin Regional Acute hospital. Peace comes dropping slow; painfully slow; but it comes, especially where there are people such as Citizen69 and dare I say it myself, who can be pragmatic enough to realise that change can and must come, but not at the expense of one part of society and to the advantage of the other.

Citizen I do respect and accept your point and I am sure your ancestors very genuinely purchased the land you live on.It is a fact though that the English and Scottish planters introduced to Ireland by the british did steal the land belonging to my fore fathers and then turned around and charged those same people rent to live on that land.This outrageous act aided by the English of course at the point of a sword happened in all of the nine counties of Ulster in the 17th century.I must say there were some that did not accept the offer by the English and rightly so stating that they could not have the conscience to live on land that did not belong to them.These planters may have purchased this land for a meagre sum but it did not excuse them from this blatant act of dispossesing Irish land owners from that which they owned for centuries.Some call it dispossesion I call it theft.