Ireland

[sidemunch88]

when will the british monceys go back to their own island?

[sidemunch88]

God gave them their own island to live on, so why are they surprised when the Irish fight them?

[Aloysius]

I do believe you've just solved the whole dilema!

somebody must send a message to the Queen! she must not have realized this! she thought she could leave her monceys anwhere she wanted, little did she know that God had given her an island upon which to let her monceys live!

I shall write the letter immediately

[quote]Your Majesty,

It has recently come to our attention that your monceys are living on the wrong island and it is causing wars.  Please move your monceys at once and stop telling us how to spell our own langage.  Thank you,

Aloysius[/quote]

[sidemunch88]

Hey, I'm sorry that my eyboard doesn't have a "cay."

[Aloysuis]

I apologize sidemunch, I realize that you are cool and that I could only hope to aspire to dream about being that cool

[KnightofChrist]

All of Ireland should be free from British Rule. The Brits stole Ireland long ago, they gave Hong Kong to China, why not give Northern Ireland back to the people it actually belongs too.

[sidemunch88]

China is a major military power, Ireland isn't. That, my friend, is the difference

[God the Father]

I was born on a Dublin street where the loyal drums did beat
And those loving English feet they walked all over us
And every single night when me da would come home tight
He'd invite the neighbours out with this chorus

Come out ye black and tans, come out and fight me like a man
Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders
Tell her how the IRA made you run like hell away
From the green and lovely lanes of Killashandra

Come let us here you tell how you slandered great Parnell
When you thought him well and truly persecuted
Where are the snears and jeers that you loudly let us hear
When our leaders of Sixteen where executed

Come out ye black and tans, come out and fight me like a man
Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders
Tell her how the IRA made you run like hell away
From the green and lovely lanes of Killashandra

Come tell us how you slew them oul Arabs two by two
Like the Zulus they had spears and bow and arrows
How bravely you faced one with your sixteen pounder gun
And you frightened them beaver dam natives to the marrow

Come out ye black and tans, come out and fight me like a man
Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders
Tell her how the IRA made you run like hell away
From the green and lovely lanes of Killashandra

Now the time is coming fast and I think them days are here
When each English shawneen he'll run before us
And if there'll be a need then our kids will say God speed
With a verse or two of singing this fine chorus

Come out ye black and tans, come out and fight me like a man
Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders
Tell her how the IRA made you run like hell away
From the green and lovely lanes of Killashandra

[RandomProddy]

[url="http://www.britishirishcouncil.org/welcome/text.asp"]http://www.britishirishcouncil.org/welcome/text.asp[/url]

Edited February 23, 2006 by RandomProddy

[Noel's angel]

I'm afraid my American friends that life just isn't that simple, especially over here.

[RandomProddy]

Hi

[Noel's angel]

hay! You didn't reply to my last PM!!

[Aloysius]

What do you think the Queen would think of my letter? I bet if she saw my letter she'd think it that simple.

[Noel's angel]

I don't think the Queen would be very interested. Plus there's the fact that she doesn't really have any power anyway....

[Ash Wednesday]

[quote name='Noel's angel' date='Feb 23 2006, 02:05 PM']I'm afraid my American friends that life just isn't that simple, especially over here.
[right][snapback]895748[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]

Bingo. One of my closest friends studied at the University of Ulster and she found that the situation is extremely complicated. What she also told me is that, the south of Ireland have grown rather complacent about the whole thing, and that in reality there are citizens in Northern Ireland that may be Irish but don't want things to change, and want to remain part of the U.K. for various political or socioeconomic reasons (at the time they explained it to her.)

I also think the idea that this is some sort of "religious" conflict is a bunch of hooey. It's easy for Americans of Catholic Irish heritage to somehow gloss it over and glamorize it as being a good old Catholic vs. Protestant fight and that the good Catholic Irish should get their land back from those bloody evil Protestant British, but that seems nowdays to be a cartoon version of reality.

I'm doubtful that anything will change for quite a long time.

[Noel's angel]

Yeah, the whole Catholic v. Protestant thing is just an excuse. It's easy to say that it's Catholic v. Protestant rather than face up to the truth that they're all just a bunch of hypocrites who don't give a beaver dam about their religion 'cause if they did, they wouldn't be in this fine mess

[goldbug16]

I love the british but please just leave the poor Irish alone. POTATO FAMINE!!!!! Sorry that was long ago.

[Noel's angel]

uh huh...

Really the politicians of Northern Ireland are their own worst enemies.

[Aloysius]

Like I've said before on this board, republicanism has won itself into the situation Michael Collins had-- except instead of negotiating with the British Government it's negotiating with the Northern Irish people. They've taken the British government to the point where they're saying: okay, whoever the people want to rule there can rule there.

Now, with the sweeping wins of Sinn Fein in the last election, there is promise. Despite some certain indifferences here and there in the six counties, I think that it is possible within our lifetime that Northern Ireland will join the Republic.... of course the real question is will the Republic still be its own individual sovereign state or will it be under the thumb of the EU by then? sigh... ah well, they're doin it to themselves for economic benefit

But I digress...

I once posted a whole slew of maps showing the population trends over the last century-- protestant population has been dwindiling and Catholic population has been going up (haha, cause we don't contracept as much!)... and if the trends on those maps continue I think we'd see a Catholic majority in Norhtern Ireland by 2050ish...

ehh... we'll see. but anyway, it's not so much the british government anymore. the british government basically made their sentiment official in the good friday agreement that they really don't want anything to do with the place anymore because it's so much trouble, but there is a large group of people who consider themselves british citizens there and they are obligated to them to remain.

and from an historical perspective: I don't care what pope told England to conquer Ireland it was a huge mistake and even admitting the initial papal command to invade, it was horridly abused by the british all through history.

and I really think if I sent my letter to the queen it would clear everything up!

[color=green]26[/color]+[color=orange]6[/color]=1

actually, I think I should rephrase that...

[color=green]26[/color]+[color=orange]6[/color] - EU =1

haha :

[Noel's angel]

sorry, but the DUP is the largest party in Northern Ireland....