Thread: RTE TV/ BBC TV Special - Ireland's Call

Thursday 05 November 2015 00.05

A cross-border survey carried out for Prime Time and BBC NI’s Nolan Live for a unique co-production has found that just over one third of people surveyed in the Republic (36%) would like to see a United Ireland in the “short-medium term”. Just over 2,000 face to face interviews were carried for the survey, 1,029 in the Republic and 1,012 in Northern Ireland.



The survey, conducted by Behaviour & Attitudes between 2 and 16 October on both sides of the border, also showed that just over a quarter of the respondents – 27% - surveyed from a Catholic background in Northern Ireland would choose a United Ireland in the short-medium term. Just over half of Catholics surveyed chose UK options ie Direct Rule or Devolution.



Respondents were also asked if they would like to see a “United Ireland in their lifetime” and the results were markedly different with 66% of respondents in the Republic and 30% in Northern Ireland answering “Yes”.



Among those surveyed in Northern Ireland from a Catholic background, 57% answered “Yes” and 29% answered “Don’t know”.

Prime Time Special - Ireland's Call - RTÉ News

Kevin , I live in the Bogside and to be honest times have changed for the better since the troubles started in 1969 , before the troubles the catholics had bad housing no work nothing the PRODS had everything and ran everything , but not now the tide has turned in our favour and as for a United Ireland it makes no odds to me , we all have to live together and that's the way it is it's like a marriage for better or worse .

This is where I live the bogside

1969 The Bogside the start of the troubles I was 15
ended up getting 1 to 3 years for petrol bombing

Kevin this is where I'm from and this this is where I live , so Kevin you're very good at slagging the Irish and spouting British propaganda but the bottom line is living the troubles at which I have gone through , so Kevin where are you from ? , you have an Irish harp as your avatar are you a plastic Irish man trying to live the dream but spout discontent.

Might i suggest two books to read, then come back and tell me i am spouting propaganda


The 1916 Easter Rising and its aftermath changed Ireland for ever. The British government's execution of 14 republican rebels transformed a group hitherto perceived as cranks and troublemakers into national heroes. Those who avoided the British firing squads of May 1916 went on to plan a new - and ultimately successful - struggle for Ireland's independence, shaping their country's destiny for the century to come. But what sort of country did they create? And to what extent does post-1916 Ireland measure up to the hopes and aspirations of 'MacDonagh and MacBride / And Connolly and Pearse'? Best-selling historian Tim Pat Coogan offers a strongly personal perspective on the Irish century that followed the Rising - charting a flawed history that is marked as much by complacency, corruption and institutional and clerical abuse, as it is by the sacrifices and nation-building achievements of the Republic's founding fathers

Timothy Patrick "Tim Pat" Coogan (born 22 April 1935) is an Irish historical writer, broadcaster and newspaper columnist.



In 1900, Ireland was a restless, impoverished, neglected corner of the British Empire. By 2000, it had become the Celtic Tiger of Europe. This landmark book is a comprehensive social, political, cultural, intellectual, and economic survey of that Irish century.
A ground-breaking history of the twentieth century in Ireland, written on the most ambitious scale by a brilliant young historian. - It is significant that it begins in 1900 and ends in 2000 - most accounts have begun in 1912 or 1922 and largely ignored the end of the century. Politics and political parties are examined in detail but high politics does not dominate the book, which rather sets out to answer the question: 'What was it like to grow up and live in 20th-century Ireland'?- It makes extensive use of unused or neglected sources.- It deals with the North in a comprehensive way, focusing on the social and cultural aspects, not just the obvious political and religious divisions.

Ferriter is Professor of Modern Irish History at University College Dublin. He was formerly a senior lecturer in history at St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra, Dublin City University. He is also the host of What If, a radio programme that broadcasts
weekly on RTÉ 1.[3]

Gentlemen - could it be that the "troubles" as we have to call it was deliberately stoked up by the British Government to create fear in the UK and thus justifying increasing levels of tyrannical laws. I would surmise that the UK government never wanted an end to the "troubles" as without it, they would have to rely on the fear of the cold war to continue to introduce their totalitarian state that is still being pushed forward.

Any poll with the BBC involved is faulted from the start - they are the official propaganda machine of the UK Establishment. RTE? State run, but now more induced into the EU Propaganda machine, which ultimately means that on the whole they will follow the same line as the BBC in most areas. The poll results are therefore meaningless. They would have deliberately targeted areas to get a certain viewpoint.

The point that they will never address is that Irishmen (and women) from both sides of the border, and Irishmen (and women) from all religions would mostly be friendly and pleasant to all others, especially in another country removed from the propaganda of the past, and that division is still stoked and being used today to ensure that if needed, the UK establishment can resurrect the "troubles".

The "troubles" is a classic example of Divide and Conquer. A classic case. The Conquer is not ownership though - the UK establishment do not give a damn about ownership. It is fear they crave. A public in fear is a public easily led.

All seems a bit daft. The border between North and South is always open with no passports required. Just a sodding big wall (very familiar with another wall I could mention)



Take the bloody thing down and let the people talk, live and be happy. That wall is one big lump of propaganda reminding people to be scared and not trust their fellow Irishmen (and women).

North/South Irish border

Get over it lads, go and dig some peat.

^ yeah - nationality. Irish. Everyone else in the UK sees Northern Irish as being Irish.

Message to the confrontational idiotic nutters - Get over it lads. You are Irish. Now go and dig some peat with your Irish Brothers.

Loud mouth Paddies showing off their personal insecurity issues by showing off that they're Paddier than Paddy, is there anyone worse to get stuck next to.

Besides loud mouth yanks, of course.

Originally Posted by pseudolus

All seems a bit daft. The border between North and South is always open with no passports required. Just a sodding big wall (very familiar with another wall I could mention)

That's not on the border. It's nowhere near the border. Those walls are in Belfast and were put up to separate loyalist neighbourhoods from nationalist neighbourhoods. They're tourist attractions now.

Originally Posted by DrB0b

Originally Posted by pseudolus

All seems a bit daft. The border between North and South is always open with no passports required. Just a sodding big wall (very familiar with another wall I could mention)

That's not on the border. It's nowhere near the border. Those walls are in Belfast and were put up to separate loyalist neighbourhoods from nationalist neighbourhoods. They're tourist attractions now.

Yup - poor wording on my behalf.

However, it should go. It is a permanent reminder every day that they residents are not supposed to like the people on the other side.

Originally Posted by pseudolus

Originally Posted by DrB0b

Originally Posted by pseudolus

All seems a bit daft. The border between North and South is always open with no passports required. Just a sodding big wall (very familiar with another wall I could mention)

That's not on the border. It's nowhere near the border. Those walls are in Belfast and were put up to separate loyalist neighbourhoods from nationalist neighbourhoods. They're tourist attractions now.

Yup - poor wording on my behalf.

However, it should go. It is a permanent reminder every day that they residents are not supposed to like the people on the other side.

The residents DON'T like the people on the other side. Those walls keep the nationalists and loyalists apart for their own protection. People don't want the walls taken down, they're not ready for that yet. Peace is not the same thing as reconciliation. Anybody who believes that "Sure aren't we all Irish anyhow" shite should try waving a tricolour outside a Shankill Road pub on a Saturday night, or ditto a Union flag on the Falls. They'd find out pretty sharpish why the Cupar Way wall is still standing.

Why can't Great Britain look Northern Ireland in the eye?
Emer O'Toole


Great Britain's attitude towards Northern Ireland has been puzzling me lately.

Over the last two months, churches have been petrol bombed, buses hijacked and water cannon and baton rounds deployed, and over 100 police officers have been injured (I could not find reliable numbers for injured civilians). The unrest has placed a massive strain on state resources, and the local economy has been badly affected too.

I moved to the UK from the Republic of Ireland four and a half years ago. Shortly after I arrived, I met a number of British people who were unaware that Ireland was partitioned, with an independent republic in the south and a region of the UK in the north. "I thought it was the same as Scotland and Wales," one explained. At first, I couldn't get my head around how any British citizen could be lacking this knowledge, but having lived here for a longer stretch, I'm no longer as shocked.

There is a very strange reluctance to give due attention to newsworthy Northern Irish events in Britain. Trying to follow the recent happenings in the papers, I found myself wondering why the story was only the third, fourth or fifth item of news on that day. We are, after all, talking about major civil unrest in the UK, which is threatening the peace process that has finally brought stability to the lives of so many British citizens. Isn't this is a pretty massive deal? (like a good ex-pat, I then flicked to the Irish Times where, sure enough, the story was given more attention).

If 100 police officers were injured in clashes with civilians in any other part of the UK, headlines would be screaming it. As Kevin Meagher points out in the New Statesman, using baton rounds and water cannon in any other British city would be unthinkable (water cannon was discussed as a tactical option during the London riots, but never used).

So why the averted gaze? One English friend reckons that while equal weight should be given to violence in all parts of the UK, unrest in Northern Ireland is less surprising and shocking, because there's awareness of the region's complex history.

This statement resulted in my pulling up Wikipedia and making him read all about the Battle of the Boyne. My point was that the history of Northern Ireland is British history: it's the history of the British crown, the history of the United Kingdom. Surely an awareness of it should deepen the resonance of Northern Irish conflicts for British people? Violence in Northern Ireland might not be as surprising as in other parts of the UK but I'm not surprised when I hear that David Cameron has chewed another limb off the NHS – and I still want it reported prominently in my newspapers.

The conversation made me consider that a lack of education in history might be the problem. In Ireland, we're practically force-fed this stuff in school – and maybe that's why events up north seem real to us. Maybe that's why, as an ex-pat, I hunt down coverage of what is happening on my native island but in my adopted state.

Another friend suggested that British people don't like to acknowledge the religious sectarianism and fundamentalism homegrown on British soil: it's much easier to locate politico-religious conflicts far away – something that the Taliban might take part in, or something that might affect the Israelis and Palestinians. I think this is astute: conflict in Northern Ireland messes with Britain's view of its civilised, mainly secular culture, making Northern Ireland an "elsewhere" where events, including the use of water cannon against civilians, are treated differently.

Great Britain is unwilling to meet Northern Ireland's eyes. Which is a shame, because British people could learn a lot by taking a long hard look at it all. 2012 marked the centenary of the Ulster Covenant, a declaration of loyalty to the UK signed by half a million people; Ulster loyalists are still this devoted to their British identity. And, like a nonchalant lover strongly pursued, the UK needs to face up to what that means.

Why can't Great Britain look Northern Ireland in the eye? | Emer O'Toole | Comment is free | The Guardian

All excellent points, very well made.

Anyway time for a bit of fun...

Sinn Féin in Government

After an impressive election campaign which would see Sinn Féin campaign for workers rights, a reformed health service and telling the ECB and IMF where to stick it, the first act of a Gerry Adams led Government would logically be an all out war on the Brits, with a stunning victory and repatriation of the 6 counties which Westminister really don’t want anyway. Such is the benevolence of this Sinn Féin Government, they would even find time to throw in a bonus county: the Falklands.

Every facet of Irish life would be nationalised and thus owned by the people of Ireland as it shouldnt be. All airlines and all banks would join the ranks of other important cornerstones of Irish life such as roundabouts, lampposts, Wednesdays, and Che Guevera berets being fully nationalised entities. Even those shitty hipster cafes would be nationalised, bringing an end to those annoying pun-heavy names for coffee specials, instead they would simply be known as a good old sweet cup of Gerry.

Ireland would continue to be more progressive in its relationship with minorities, meaning worse treatment of asylum seekers but also removing the horrible stigma faced by some proud republicans, which has seen them forced to cover up their lovely faces.

Under several years of crippling austerity, many families have struggled to purchase even the most basic good, but with a Government subsidised scheme everything from milk, bread, semtex and knee cap reconstruction surgery will be commonplace and affordable.

Much like other venerated leaders in a socialist utopia, Gerry Adams would be revered, respected and lauded like the cuddly uncle he is. Holding what he would call ‘Daily Adams Anecdotes’ (same same Prayuth ) he would regale enthralled crowds with stories of how he vanquished the evils of capitalism, in favour a more equal and just Ireland. After much badgering from party, Gerry would finally agree to being cryogenically frozen in 2079.

Orange Order celebrations

JOYOUS and violent celebrations carried out by members of the Loyalist community in Northern Ireland have left many feeling more British than ever.
As part of the annual Orange Order parades, a minority of the Unionist community asserted their allegiance to Britain by having a great big fooking riot, bringing them one step closer to a euphoric state of Britishness.

Clashes with PSNI officers saw 24 members of the police service injured with one officer requiring 12 stitches in his hand after one proud Briton savagely bit his finger.
“You know, it wasn’t until I sank my teeth into his flesh that I started to really feel quite British,” explained the man who carried out the attack, “we have a unique culture and it needs to be protected, but I don’t think people can argue with it really, like, I’m absolutely buzzing with fooking Britishness right now”.
Officials in Northern Ireland have reluctantly accepted last night’s violence.
“Well, look, it’s simple. We can’t dismiss the studies conducted last year by leading scientists that said marching around, burning pallets and fighting police actually released a very special, naturally occurring chemical in the Unionist brain,” explained a PSNI Sgt.
“After a good bonfire and a punch or two at my officiers, the perpetrators began speaking like Boris Johnson and sat down to tea and crumpets. It really has enhanced their Britishness to strawberries and cream at Wimbledon levels of quaint Britishness,” the Sgt said...
It is expected that the Queen will ring everyone one of the rioters individually later today to thank them for their display of loyalty.

Originally Posted by DrB0b

Originally Posted by pseudolus

Originally Posted by DrB0b

Originally Posted by pseudolus

All seems a bit daft. The border between North and South is always open with no passports required. Just a sodding big wall (very familiar with another wall I could mention)

That's not on the border. It's nowhere near the border. Those walls are in Belfast and were put up to separate loyalist neighbourhoods from nationalist neighbourhoods. They're tourist attractions now.

Yup - poor wording on my behalf.

However, it should go. It is a permanent reminder every day that they residents are not supposed to like the people on the other side.

The residents DON'T like the people on the other side. Those walls keep the nationalists and loyalists apart for their own protection. People don't want the walls taken down, they're not ready for that yet. Peace is not the same thing as reconciliation. Anybody who believes that "Sure aren't we all Irish anyhow" shite should try waving a tricolour outside a Shankill Road pub on a Saturday night, or ditto a Union flag on the Falls. They'd find out pretty sharpish why the Cupar Way wall is still standing.

But why would anyone wave a tricolour outside a shankill rd pub? I would hazzard a guess that 99.9999% of people would not even think of doing that, and the few who would would be doing it simply to get a reaction. Same vice versa.

Originally Posted by pseudolus

But why would anyone wave a tricolour outside a shankill rd pub? I would hazzard a guess that 99.9999% of people would not even think of doing that, and the few who would would be doing it simply to get a reaction. Same vice versa.

And why would the Orange order march through catholic areas?
Are you equally dumb in real life?