Quote Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie View Post
I met an Irish artist/lecturer on a bus in Portugal last week and he was under the impression that people in the south of Ireland no longer look longingly at a united Ireland these days and that things have changed in that respect - and in my opinion it's probably true that many (if not most) people in Britain feel little affinity for the Province and that it is quite alien in many respects.
Are either of those views a fair assessment in general?
From my experience and talking to my fiends and family over the water whilst at times there’s a romantic image of a United Ireland the logical thinking is that the Republic is in a good place. They’ve had their problems over the years but it’s no longer the ultra conservative Catholic state of the likes De Valera espoused and a confident fairly successful nation. Logically the view from a lot is why should they take on a massive massive problem where half the population of the six counties don’t want to be there

It’s a 300 year plus problem, simplistic idea but plantation policy in the 1600’s has a lot to answer for!!

Hundred years ago Belfast was the big industrial heartbeat of Ireland, now it’s stagnated and depopulated due to all the shite that’s gone on.