Northern Ireland

[FoxyPV]

Given the recent rioting over here and the rioting over the summer, I'm curious to find out how you lot across the water and further afield view this delightful province I reside in.

[Webbo]

We're often told on the news here that the knobheads on both sides are just a minority but I sometimes wonder if that's true.

[Rocket-Ron]

My sister lived in Derry for some 5 years during the early to mid 90's.

I loved visiting her, some of the nicest people I have ever met in the world came from ulster.

[pSinatra]

some of the stories I have heard from lads serving over there........I have nothing but respect to anyone who has to live under those circumstances. I was under the impression that it had been understood that peace is preferable to needless loss, but some people will never see it that way & don't want to see it that way. It was never going to be easy given the history & it was going to take compromise from both sides.

I'm more interested in how people like yourself cope with it all?

[Tielemans63]

My sister lived in Derry for some 5 years during the early to mid 90's.

I loved visiting her, some of the nicest people I have ever met in the world came from ulster.

Yep. My brother lives there and has done for the last 5 years. I love going over there to visit him and have never experienced anything but warmth and friendliness from the Derry folk. I've been out in the City loads of times and never felt intimidated. What's ironic is that his in-laws all think England is a really dangerous country!

I'm not saying it's all sweetness and light in either country but the media certainly know how to hype things up out of all proportion.

[Fox92]

One of my flatmates (girl), is from Belfast. Hasn't really spoke of this at the minute, but can really get into some Religious debates with her. She is a nice girl though, a good laugh. I've heard most Irish people are nice to get along with though, including in the post's above.

[Finnegan]

****ing horrific accent. Topped only by Yarkshuh.

[z-layrex]

****ing horrific accent. Topped only by Yarkshuh.

I dunno it's alright on a fit girl.

[BunkMoreland]

No real interest in the country. Don't know much about what is going/has gone on there. Don't have any motivation to learn. It's a bit like Lithuania in that if it suddenly stopped existing I wouldn't notice or care.

[Vacamion]

When al qaeda brought down buildings andnowhere in the west was safe, 300 year old squabbles about which sort of batshit christianity was better seemed to be petty and phoned warnings about bombs in bins seemed a bit feeble.

I'd hoped that the hatred was over. After all, if Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness could share a sofa and laugh together, surely all that hatred stuff was a waste of effort.

However, if living in the West of Scotland has taught me anything, it is that ugly sectarian hatreds can bubble under the surface without actual unrest and killing, for generations.

I hope that the current trouble stops but I fear that the same old resentments will persist.

[ADK]

I think it goes hand in hand with the economic climate. When there are a quantity of bored young males you seem to get violence. I can't imagine anyone with an education and a job caring that much.

[Finnegan]

I think it goes hand in hand with the economic climate. When there are a quantity of bored young males you seem to get violence. I can't imagine anyone with an education and a job caring that much.

Geezers need excitement, if their lives don't provide them they incite violence.

Common sense, simple common sense.

[FoxyPV]

There's plenty of people who would agree with what people riot about (and are willing to defend it) but won't participate themselves.

There's also many people who fvcking hate what is going and can't believe that this shot is still happening.

There is a layer of people of who haven't not benefitted from the peace process and therefore are more likely to be disenfranchised and riot.

I thought many across the water would be apathetic (as I would).

[FoxyPV]

****ing horrific accent. Topped only by Yarkshuh.

Pot and kettle, bitch!

[Finnegan]

... I was about to respond in phonetics before realizing how hard a valleys accent is to put in writing.

[flowwolf]

Couple of good books to read from a squaddies point of view on N.Ireland , both by Ken Wharton, One is called Bloody Belfast and the other is " Sir they're taking the kids in doors' I have contributed to both with my stories and photos of my time over there.

[ozleicester]

Religion

[Zingari]

I heard there were lots of orange men in Ulster so I assumed it was just like Essex .

[Rocket-Ron]

I heard there were lots of orange men in Ulster so I assumed it was just like Essex .

Yeah they all work for willie wonka

[Vacamion]

I heard there were lots of orange men in Ulster so I assumed it was just like Essex .

Not just in UIster.

There are Orange walks all over Glasgow and the West of Scotland. Bastards will fight you if you try and cross the road in front of their march (how was I to know?) and act like they own the city. I have also sat in traffic waiting for the march to go by on numerous occasions, too.

It was a war 300 years ago in another country about stuff that belongs on the same shelf as Batman, FFS.

[flowwolf]

Not just in UIster.

There are Orange walks all over Glasgow and the West of Scotland. Bastards will fight you if you try and cross the road in front of their march (how was I to know?) and act like they own the city. I have also sat in traffic waiting for the march to go by on numerous occasions, too.

It was a war 300 years ago in another country about stuff that belongs on the same shelf as Batman, FFS.

With all respects I wish it were as simple as that.

[Vacamion]

With all respects I wish it were as simple as that.

My point was that certain people in the West of Scotland get really angry about stuff that happpens across the water.

I know for a fact that most people in the rest of Scotland think that those in the West of Scotland are NUTS to care so much about the religious divide in another country and apply it to their own.

I mostly agree.

[flowwolf]

By another country do you mean N.Ireland which is part of the UK ? The religious divide is as strong in Scotland as it is in N.Ireland hence the Celtic - Rangers fiasco. If you read your history you will find most of the religious divide started in Scotland and spread to N.Ireland during the Scottish protestant plantations invasion under Elizabeth the first. Celtic fans are not even of Scottish stock but came over from Ireland during the great famine years in the 1840's , hence the Rangers chants of " fvck off home the famines over"

[Vacamion]

If you read your history

It appears that you are implying that I don't and then telling me stuff everyone up here knows...

Yes, I consider that Northern Ireland is another country. It may rest within the UK politically & economically (and even that isn't certain to be the situation for ever, if the demographic trends announced yesterday continue), our cultural Venn diagrams may intersect a great deal, but the events of the last few days have underlined that things happen differently there.

That's why I would stick to my opinion that Orange Walks and Easter Parades perpetuating old divides are lamentable enough in Northern Ireland in 2012, but they really should have no place in the West of Scotland, where they poison society and inflame ancient greivances from "another country".

Having seen the drunken aggressive hoardes of mostly young men following the parades in Glasgow, I have reflected that the world would be a better place if it were populated by sexually fulfilled atheist cannabis users...

[flowwolf]

So because you consider N.Ireland another country it becomes fact instead of opinion. You will be implying the Isle of White is French next. While I totally agree with the futility of sectarianism which you pointed out very well you have to understand that the majority of the people in N.Ireland want to stay as part of the uk as is their guaranteed democratic right. This latest concession to the republicans about only flying the union jack on special occasions at Belfast hall is seen by the majority as another step towards capitulation and eventual unification with the South. In my opinion the loyalist have already seen what happens if you go down that route with the appointment of two I.R.A murderers masquerading as politicians and they are in no mood to stand for any more. A return to the dark days are just a step away only this time we will not see the introduction of British troops on the streets of Ulster again.