mjmooney Posted February 6 VT Supporter Share Posted February 6 29 minutes ago, maqroll said: Apologies if this sounds ignorant, but are most N.I. Protestants English by blood, or were their ancestors converted? Scottish. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Dogg Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 18 minutes ago, Stevo985 said: I’m sure CT can give you a better answer, but from what I understand the Protestants in NI would originally be traced back to the English (on the most part). However it’s so long ago that a lot of those people wouldn’t know about their English heritage. Or if they did they’d still consider themselves Irish because it would be multiple generations ago. We’re talking centuries They would say Northern Irish or British. Not many Northern Ireland protestants would call themselves Irish. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 6 VT Supporter Share Posted February 6 (edited) 2 hours ago, Mr_Dogg said: They would say Northern Irish or British. Not many Northern Ireland protestants would call themselves Irish. Yes quite, what I meant was they would consider their "roots" to be in the island of Ireland, rather than having moved over from England even though a lot of the time that's where they came from Edited February 6 by Stevo985 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 3 hours ago, maqroll said: Apologies if this sounds ignorant, but are most N.I. Protestants English by blood, or were their ancestors converted? Mainly Scottish from a successful plantation, was a failed one further south before that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 The only way to stop tension in Northern Ireland is to dissolve Rangers and Celtic 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 1 hour ago, Zatman said: The only way to stop tension in Northern Ireland is to dissolve Rangers and Celtic Or merge them. Celtgers F.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 6 Moderator Share Posted February 6 26 minutes ago, maqroll said: Or merge them. Celtgers F.C. Rantic 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 6 Moderator Share Posted February 6 Ah look, a nice Ireland politics thread. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted February 6 VT Supporter Share Posted February 6 6 minutes ago, BOF said: Ah look, a nice Ireland politics thread. Your input would be invaluable Brian. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 6 Moderator Share Posted February 6 1 minute ago, mjmooney said: Your input would be invaluable Brian. I know. I was only being tongue in cheek Had to be done 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted February 6 VT Supporter Share Posted February 6 Apropos of nothing, that's another one of those odd words. Invaluable/valuable. Flammable/inflammable, etc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain_Townsend Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 Former Taoiseach John Bruton. In office 1994-97, died today aged 76. Was Taoiseach in the 'Rainbow Coalition', comprising three parties. He was by no means a hugely popular figure, despite doing a fairly solid job with the economy. He and UK PM at the time, John Major launched the framework documents in 1995, a blueprint for peace talks in Northern Ireland. Bruton is also Noteworthy for making a big effort to reach out to Unionist culture in Northern Ireland in an effort to reassure them they were not facing a "pan nationalist front". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Dogg Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 52 minutes ago, Captain_Townsend said: Former Taoiseach John Bruton. In office 1994-97, died today aged 76. Was Taoiseach in the 'Rainbow Coalition', comprising three parties. He was by no means a hugely popular figure, despite doing a fairly solid job with the economy. He and UK PM at the time, John Major launched the framework documents in 1995, a blueprint for peace talks in Northern Ireland. Bruton is also Noteworthy for making a big effort to reach out to Unionist culture in Northern Ireland in an effort to reassure them they were not facing a "pan nationalist front". He got criticized for it, (although I was bit young to be paying attention then) but figures like him are what are needed going forward if talks of a united Ireland are to pick up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enda Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 Nice thread this. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain_Townsend Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 3 minutes ago, Mr_Dogg said: He got criticized for it, (although I was bit young to be paying attention then) but figures like him are what are needed going forward if talks of a united Ireland are to pick up. After I posted it I had an interesting thought. Bruton was ridiculed in the 90s by FF and SF types for being a bit OTT on reaching out to Unionism. His viewpoint today would be much more mainstream and not altogether that different from what Micheál Martin or Mary Lou would say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enda Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 Given the title of this thread, I must recommend the following book: It’s a belter for anyone who wants to understand more about this island. You can buy it for £5 on Abebooks. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marka Ragnos Posted February 7 Author VT Supporter Share Posted February 7 How come Ireland doesn't seem to have many forests? What happened to the trees? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 7 VT Supporter Share Posted February 7 3 hours ago, Marka Ragnos said: How come Ireland doesn't seem to have many forests? What happened to the trees? St Patrick chased them out of the country 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Dogg Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 4 hours ago, Marka Ragnos said: How come Ireland doesn't seem to have many forests? What happened to the trees? The forests have been cleared over hundreds of years to make way for agriculture and to sell the timber. Ireland has a serious biodiversity issue right now. Regrowth has focused on cash crops such as Sitka spruce, which are grown and felled. Attempts are being made to re-plant native Irish trees through various initiatives. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 7 Moderator Share Posted February 7 2 hours ago, Stevo985 said: 5 hours ago, Marka Ragnos said: How come Ireland doesn't seem to have many forests? What happened to the trees? St Patrick chased them out of the country Part of the great leprechaun purge of the 1740s. Little bastards were great at hiding. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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