Irish Current Affairs.

mancity2012_eamo said:
Before I even heard her answer, I was thinking, that is democracy!

I know I shouldn’t be, but I’m genuinely astounded by the attitude being shown up North.

I’m not nor ever have been a Sinn Féin supporter but if this isn’t a demonstration of the hypocrisy and historical lack of democracy that was the norm and is yearned for again in some quarters, then what is.

If the institutions were up and running and parties were genuinely working cooperatively for the betterment of the people, then you wouldn’t have this polarisation of the nationalist vote and the splitting of the unionist vote.

A Proper PR system with local government working together would be more representative but that’s not SF’s fault.
You work with what you have and the people have spoken.
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The same presenter, Mark Carruthers, was grilling a SF member last week on why Michelle O’Neill went to the coronation.
Was thinking to myself if she hadn’t have gone she’d be getting criticized just as much
 
Posted on TV thread. Watching Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland on iPlayer. Flip me it's a tough watch. I grew up as s protestant with catholic neighbours and so glad that I had parents who taught me respect. We had Catholic estate next to ours and I got battered all the time walking home from town for being who I was as literally our mixed estate was one side of hill and Catholic one other side of street. Aged 61 when I visit home I still don't walk home from pub that way. Take longer route that adds about 15 mins to journey. Friends who murdered and also were murdered. I feel sad
 
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ob said:
Posted on TV thread. Watching Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland on iPlayer. Flip me it's a tough watch. I grew up as s protestant with catholic neighbours and so glad that I had parents who taught me respect. We had Catholic estate next to ours and I got battered all the time walking home from town for being who I was as literally our mixed estate was one side of hill and Catholic one other side of street. Aged 61 when I visit home I still don't walk home from pub that way. Take longer route that adds about 15 mins to journey. Friends who murdered and also were murdered. I feel sad
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It’s a great series so far, watched 3 episodes

There is no going back to those days
 
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IrishBlueSince92 said:
It’s a great series so far, watched 3 episodes

There is no going back to those days
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I saw one episode and am going to watch it all on the player.
Have to say, the guys who impressed me were the likes of the Loyalist guy who openly admitted his past thinking and actions were wrong and had a progressive outlook now.

It gives hope.
 
mancity2012_eamo said:
I saw one episode and am going to watch it all on the player.
Have to say, the guys who impressed me were the likes of the Loyalist guy who openly admitted his past thinking and actions were wrong and had a progressive outlook now.

It gives hope.
Click to expand...
I have watched all but the last episode and boy its a hard, hard watch. Hard, but impressively made and the testaments from each side have been harrowing and sad. Its almost unbelievable that such atrocities occurred on these island but happen they did. What struck me was the strength of will of many of the women involved on both sides, the woman who was still married to the hunger striker, the lady who's husband was murdered after he visited her in maternity hospital.
My god, I hope those that seek to tinker with the hard won peace watch this front to back and reflect long and hard. I suspect they won't though. Irish history including the partitioning of NI and the troubles should be a mandatory subject in UK schools imo.

I'm assuming that the drivers that lead to the troubles have improved significantly (social conditions, work prospects etc.).Is that a true assumption?
How integrated are the communities now?
These are not subjects I ever see covered in mainstream UK media hence my ignorance. Those are general questions for anyone, not just you mate.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
I have watched all but the last episode and boy its a hard, hard watch. Hard, but impressively made and the testaments from each side have been harrowing and sad. Its almost unbelievable that such atrocities occurred on these island but happen they did. What struck me was the strength of will of many of the women involved on both sides, the woman who was still married to the hunger striker, the lady who's husband was murdered after he visited her in maternity hospital.
My god, I hope those that seek to tinker with the hard won peace watch this front to back and reflect long and hard. I suspect they won't though. Irish history including the partitioning of NI and the troubles should be a mandatory subject in UK schools imo.

I'm assuming that the drivers that lead to the troubles have improved significantly (social conditions, work prospects etc.).Is that a true assumption?
How integrated are the communities now?
These are not subjects I ever see covered in mainstream UK media hence my ignorance. Those are general questions for anyone, not just you mate.
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Irish history and partition is covered, to an extent, in school here….however, it’s framed differently….facts are the same, reasons slightly skewed.

Social conditions, to me, have certainly improved….it’s nothing like it was, but I’ve grown up, started working, got married and had kids since “peace time”….so my experience may not reflect everyones.
Things are tough at the moment, economy wise, but I don’t see that as a result of the troubles…all of the UK is facing the same issues….the main reason I wish we could take advantage of our unique situation from Brexit.

Belfast, to me feels integrated…much much more than it used to, but again, my experience may not be typical…I’ve always had a mixed friendship group.
This might be a controversial comment, but I think it can be argued that the loyalist/PUL communities are perhaps experiencing some of what the nationalist/republican communities endured previously….certainly not to the same, violent extent….but they feel marginalised and “forgotten”.


Last week I was on the bus home from work and a fella I knew growing up got on, hadn’t seen him in years so was having a laugh and a catch up….and it struck me after he got off that we had passed the exact place his dad was blown up in a car bomb (his dad was a retired catholic ex police man)….he must travel along there every day…does it remind him every day? I travel passed it, yet I’d forgotten about it, along with all the other terrible things before and after it.

Dunno why I’m mentioning that tbh, but I think it’s a reminder of what just one innocent kid had to experience and now lives with every single day, for ever.
 
AlexWilliamsGloves said:
Irish history and partition is covered, to an extent, in school here….however, it’s framed differently….facts are the same, reasons slightly skewed.

Social conditions, to me, have certainly improved….it’s nothing like it was, but I’ve grown up, started working, got married and had kids since “peace time”….so my experience may not reflect everyones.
Things are tough at the moment, economy wise, but I don’t see that as a result of the troubles…all of the UK is facing the same issues….the main reason I wish we could take advantage of our unique situation from Brexit.

Belfast, to me feels integrated…much much more than it used to, but again, my experience may not be typical…I’ve always had a mixed friendship group.
This might be a controversial comment, but I think it can be argued that the loyalist/PUL communities are perhaps experiencing some of what the nationalist/republican communities endured previously….certainly not to the same, violent extent….but they feel marginalised and “forgotten”.


Last week I was on the bus home from work and a fella I knew growing up got on, hadn’t seen him in years so was having a laugh and a catch up….and it struck me after he got off that we had passed the exact place his dad was blown up in a car bomb (his dad was a retired catholic ex police man)….he must travel along there every day…does it remind him every day? I travel passed it, yet I’d forgotten about it, along with all the other terrible things before and after it.

Dunno why I’m mentioning that tbh, but I think it’s a reminder of what just one innocent kid had to experience and now lives with every single day, for ever.
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Thanks mate. And I read that as very positive. My external view is that the Protestant politics in NI do feel marginalised somewhat but that could well be through a U.K. press view.
I thought one of the guys in the documentary described it that every day he ‘picked up his dad. one day in a small box, one day in a box so heavy. he couldn’t lift it’. So many lives touched for ever that any integration and reconciliation is progress and long may it continue.
 
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