41 Comments

• DanOLoingsigh | Dec 01, 2012, 11:44 AM EST

  IrelandNorth – Over 100% favour a united Ireland? That sure is great news.

• IrelandNorth | Nov 30, 2012, 08:33 AM EST

  Given that 33% of [Roman?] Catholic's in NI expressed a desire for a united Ireland, (The Irish News/Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 2010). And given that 69% of ROI respondents favour paying higher taxes to fund a united Ireland, (The Irish Times/Ipsos/MRBI Survey, 2012). Despite these polls being two years apart, does this not reperesent a 100% plus FOR a united Ireland in these straw poll in the 10th year of countdown to 2022? Partition costs the British (mainly English) taxpayer STG£30bn p/a, (approx STG£15,000 pps NI). A united Ireland would be more cost effective, (not least with a civically irresponsible 31% of current ROI taxpayers forced to pay their share). Perhaps our G8 paypals will have some serious petty cash to invest in Ireland Inc., relieving the British Exchequer of some serious maundy money.

• ePHraimAg | Nov 30, 2012, 08:30 AM EST

  Devolution does not mean opting out Of The U.K.. Listening to Robinson is stupid and same goes for McGuinness. Ulster is The U in the U.K... so without Ulster there is No U.K. Scotland has the correct idea.. go for Independence.. this can only lead to a reformed U.K. so that England will be secured from the makings of the likes Of the William Hagues who has made a total shambles Of assaying to take control of the Military. If England wants to sell out to the USA..; then let England do so but leave the Crown in Scotland.

• seanomelb | Nov 29, 2012, 06:25 PM EST

  Gee! redbranch yuor a bundle of laughs ignoramus

• Smyrnian | Nov 29, 2012, 06:25 PM EST

  Most Palestinians prefer the status quo and like they way things are. How do I know that? A member of the Israeli government told me! This is another stupid IC story.

• anglo-norman | Nov 29, 2012, 05:55 PM EST

  The 26 Vatican controlled statelet is a borderline 3rd World country again so who in their right mind would want to be part of that.

• RedBranch | Nov 29, 2012, 03:25 PM EST

  curtibia I could just as well say the benefits to the people in the Republic would be..? You can live by pride alone for about 60 days and thats proven

• seamus60 | Nov 29, 2012, 09:57 AM EST

  So we have the head of a political party (whose aspiration is to remain part of something) giving the membership the annual dose of feel good factor via such a speech. Hardly anything groundbreaking or new. I remember believing the same bull about a UI by 2016. As for Scotland, my opinion has changed to Salmon and Co since watching a documentary called "you`ve been Trumped" on BBC during the week. Everything and everyone is for sale.

• ancavker | Nov 29, 2012, 08:52 AM EST

  curitiba: There is no benefit to the people of Britain. Red Branch just wanys that British dole money to keep coming!

• Curitiba | Nov 28, 2012, 04:09 PM EST

  RedBranch: So the benefits for people in Britain of having NI as part of the Union are...?

• RedBranch | Nov 28, 2012, 03:58 PM EST

  Rhodesian independence, that worked out well didn't it? Most of the people driving around the North in Range Rovers and suits are ministers in Stormont, many of them have guns too.

• ancavker | Nov 28, 2012, 02:30 PM EST

  curitiba: Seems like a huge price to pay, to maintain some faded glory. I would like to think that the English people will wake up some day, and dump the place.(the north)

• ancavker | Nov 28, 2012, 02:28 PM EST

  citizen: I know there is only one referendum question. However even if the vote is no, there will be a substanial yes vote that coupled with the no voters who would have voted yes for devo max if it was a second question. This will give the SNP a mandate for even greater independence than waht they already have. After that it will only be a matter of time before complete independence. Far from making the union secure, it will do the exact opposite. Once you start down that road,that (independence) will be the final destination. As far as me caring about the north? Well I do, as I firmly believe partiton was a historic injustice that ruined all of Ireland. Not to mention I hail from right on the border; Cavan/Fermanagh.

• Curitiba | Nov 28, 2012, 02:08 PM EST

  ancavker: norniron is a colonialist fantasy kept alive by mainland politicians who dream of the days they could ride around Rhodesia in a Land Rover and a safari suit and elephant gun, lording it over the natives until they were chucked out. They see the likes of Robinson and co lording it over the natives there and it gets the old juices flowing. Well worth the tens of billions for a ringside seat.Anglo-Saxon supremacy is a dirty word in multicultural Britain but norniron is the place they can live out their fantasies without any of that pesky political correctness or race relations laws.

• Gearoid4 | Nov 28, 2012, 01:46 PM EST

  @Citizen, The constitutional reverberations from a probable yes vote to the question of Independence for Scotland, will have a major impact on the political arrangements on these Islands. People can speculate about x number of years ahead concerning the fate of "northern ireland", but unionists complacently thinking that the so-called union is secure, will get a very alarming wake-up call. It is better that they seek genuine rapprochement with their nationalist neighbours, in anticipation of future arrangements in which they will be numerically a lot weaker than at present.

• citizen69 | Nov 28, 2012, 12:44 PM EST

  @ancavker: There is no suggestion that Scotland will get more autonomy if/when they vote No to independence. Devo Max as it is called will not be an option as Alex Salmon wanted. The Question is Simply "Should Scotland be an independent country?" Yes or No, there's no other offer on the table. I would like to see Scotland get Devo Max though, and i don't think that will do any harm to the Union, actually i think it will make it more stable. As for nobody caring for Northern Ireland because it's a drain, well YOU obviously do!

• ancavker | Nov 28, 2012, 09:08 AM EST

  And again there is the question of Scotland possibly leaving the union, and wven if they do not in 2014, they will get receive even more autonomy, which I believe ultimately will lead to Scottish independence, or a very loose federated union between England and Scotland. How long will the English people want to continue the so called union with northern Ireland.

• ancavker | Nov 28, 2012, 09:04 AM EST

  curtiba: There is absolutely no benefit to the people of England in keeping the six counties. Mr. Robinson said it himself that the people in the north are better off with Britain, translated that means the dole/welfare, hand outs are far better with Britain, then if we reunited with the south. I travel to England and Scotland frequently on business and no one there cares about northern Ireland. It is a drain.

• IrelandNorth | Nov 28, 2012, 08:13 AM EST

  Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 2010 (quoted in last Monday's edition of the northern nationalist quality tabloid - The Irish News, quotes the following results:- (a) Northern Ireland should remain part of the United Kingdom WITH devolved government - 46%. (b) Irish unity - 33%. (c) Direct rule - 6%. (d) Independent state - 4% (e) Other/don't know - 12% While 46% plus 6% equals 52% (ie MOST), 33% plus 4% plus 12% equals 49% (with a mysterious 1% margin of error somewhere in the calculations). A 2% majority isn't very convincing in the first year of our decade of centenaries, 2012-'22. Although the Rt Hon 1st Min is probably the most moderate and progressive leader Ulster unionism has ever had, I respectfully submit that he's over-egging the statistical ommlette with a bit of wish fulfillment. An equally important question would be: Is Britain better off with them? Not least since a unilateral relationship is a contradiction in terms.

• Curitiba | Nov 28, 2012, 02:34 AM EST

  Tayandcake: I'm sure I floated this idea in a post some months back in a previous article. Just thought I'd mention it again so that they build statues to me in Edinburgh and Dublin as the nation's founding father, in case all the credit goes to you, haha!

• Seanmor | Nov 27, 2012, 11:26 PM EST

  Few political leaders in the part of Ireland formerly known as the Free State wholly embrace what's left of the Gaelic culture in that state and most are indifferent, if not hostile, to teanga na nGael.

• jacersagain | Nov 27, 2012, 08:01 PM EST

  Erm, TayandCake, you forgot to add the Isle of Man (in the Irish Sea), Wales (west of England), Cornwall (SW England), Brittany (NW France), the Basques' lands (straddling Spain and France border) and possibly parts of Belgium to be part of "Pan-Celtica"... all of which Mr. Robinson fails to mention have significant Catholic populations.

• TayandCake | Nov 27, 2012, 07:04 PM EST

  Ireland should unite with Scotland to form Pan Celtica

• Curitiba | Nov 27, 2012, 06:27 PM EST

  Sseanomelb; yes I know, which is why I am appealing to anyone to come up with some benefits of having NI in the Union, because I can't think of any.

• seanomelb | Nov 27, 2012, 06:19 PM EST

  Curitiba in recent polls taken in England the English do not give a stuff about the six counties and could not care less if Ireland united. In fact during the eighties a poll taken in England showed 70% of the people favoured a united Ireland.

• Curitiba | Nov 27, 2012, 06:05 PM EST

  What I don't understand is why so many people in Britain are in favour of the Union. I mean, they don't actually benefit from it in any way; actually it costs them billions to maintain a statelet that hardly any of them have ever visited (unless they were in the Army). Although the Unionists are their kith and kin, most of them would have to go back to the 1700's to find any mutual relatives. While the Unionists are keen to maintain British supremacy in NI, they don't seem too keen to encourage any of their co-ethnics on the mainland to come over and boost the population. In fact, I think they would be horrified if a few hundred thousand mainland British turned up looking to settle there. So the Union benefits Robinson and his mates. If there are any benefits for the rest of the British population, I'd like to know what they are.

• aloistmartin | Nov 27, 2012, 05:57 PM EST

  Support the Scottish Republic !

• seanomelb | Nov 27, 2012, 05:21 PM EST

  Robinsons Christmas wishlist a load of bull.

• Happyhippo | Nov 27, 2012, 04:56 PM EST

  What Robinson says is true,and its purely for economic reasons,and not for any political GB staying out of Europe looks like a wise move now that the EU including Ireland is sinking under a mountain of debt,GB is too to a far lesser extent which is the reason the people of the north feel a lot more secure tied to GB

• Smyrnian | Nov 27, 2012, 04:54 PM EST

  The Unionist Peter Robinson speaks for the Catholics now? Who knew? What do people expect a Unionist to say?Ridiculous article.

• shaym | Nov 27, 2012, 02:20 PM EST

  I love the way Unionists continually feel the need to comment on the security of the Union. And to an extent it may be true , for now... One day, maybe not in Peters day, it'll collapse. They know it, we know it. A house with a foundation built on quicksand will only stay right for so long. And thats what 'Northern Ireland' is. As long as there is a significant minority who wish to wish it ended , that quicksand will always remain. It will never , ever disappear. Remember Peter ( and other Unionists ) , you have to be right 365 days a year , for the rest of NI's existance. We only have to be right once , and then its all over. And we will be right.

• kennedy23 | Nov 27, 2012, 02:00 PM EST

  Youngpike What has your comment to do with the above story Happy for you enjoying the Uk but pls read there papers as from last month Police in the Uk told reporters that between 50,000 to 60.000 people are trading pictures in child abuse also a young 11 year Girl was raped on her way home from school last friday very sicking and sad .as for the UK been enlightened and compassionate place from what i read NOT A HOPE .

• solyeant | Nov 27, 2012, 01:55 PM EST

  Well done Peter I had hoped for a conversion sooner than later but it will come The United ireland will arrive and Peter is making the road acceptable No suppression or invasion can alter the intrinsic difference between the irish of Celtic origins and those who are sprung from the loins of aggressors and settlers. Its only in the English language that the word settler seems to have a sense Try it from the angle of those whose land was usurped and from those whose vision of the horizon was clipped by the turrets of Carrick or Enniskillen . I advocate a return to history before the occupation ,we have just about enough history to complete several Cartas. Trouble once again seems to be that intermixing of blood links has even made those who play the Irish tattoo as collaborators in this Peter Robinson charade . My belief is that Robinson doesn't believe it either and can't wait to get back to the golf course in Florida and to hell with this load of Irish cobblers Adieu

• anglo-norman | Nov 27, 2012, 01:44 PM EST

  Even in the dark days of the Troubles the majority of 6 county catholics would have voted to stay in the UK. FACT!!

• Gearoid4 | Nov 27, 2012, 01:39 PM EST

  The probable secession of Scotland from the so called "union" in 2014 will throw the proverbial constitutional cat among the pigeons and the smug smirk may is currently on Robinson's lips may be wiped off by then.

• kubs | Nov 27, 2012, 12:52 PM EST

  Righhhtt ! Just like the Zulus & the Bengalis & the Aboriginies & the Maoris & etc., etc. all wrapped themselves in the Union Jack out of patriotic ferver to an uninvited invading & assumingly entitled & enlightened dominion.

• cillowen | Nov 27, 2012, 12:51 PM EST

  Being as like Palestinians - forever the whipping boy of Barbarian Saxons - this 864 of an England creation. Makes sense to gutless Celts who crave the House of Hanover medals ala McIlroy's MBE and Clarke's OBE. Geldorf, Tony O'Reilly - Danny O'Donnell etc...

• YoungPike | Nov 27, 2012, 12:30 PM EST

  I live in England and have done for many years. I prefer it to Ireland, which has a problem with paedophilia and organised crime. The UK is a far more enlightened and compassionate place!

• Towngate | Nov 27, 2012, 10:48 AM EST

  No need for a referendum. The People have already spoken. Lead on, Peter. You've got this Spot On!

• Seanmor | Nov 27, 2012, 10:34 AM EST

  I have always cherished the idea of seeing the homeland Reunited, as it had been for 7½ centuries of English rule. But I can easily understand why many Irish Catholics living north of the artificial Partition are in no great hurry to be ruled by the Dáil crowd, many of whom prefer immigrants from the Third World to those in the North who firmly cling to the native culture.

• lecorri | Nov 27, 2012, 10:18 AM EST

  Of course he would say that..he is a Unionist!