[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Kizzy the ill feeling is because Ireland was split in two and half the people wanted a unified Ireland and the other "British" half did not. The Orange men are just a way to show how British they are. There were actually Protestants who were in the IRA so that alone blows the theory of it being a religious war out of the water

There was only a British half as they were flooded in to choke off the threat of a catholic uprising from Spain using Ireland as a channel to England weren't they initially?

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

There was only a British half as they were flooded in to choke off the threat of a catholic uprising from Spain using Ireland as a channel to England weren't they initially?

It doesn't matter why they were there, they were there and that's not what the troubles in NI were about, it was about nationality and civil rights

[Cherie]

also coming back to the point about "it being about nothing" every July, many families come south to avoid the Orange Men marching season, as the atmosphere is so intimidating, so even though there are "no troubles" as such, though to listen to someone from NI on the radio this morning there is still a lot going on that doesn't get reported in the rest of the UK ,there are still things going on that affect families and life in NI

[jet]

Originally Posted by Cherie

also coming back to the point about "it being about nothing" every July, many families come south to avoid the Orange Men marching season, as the atmosphere is so intimidating, so even though there are "no troubles" as such, though to listen to someone from NI on the radio this morning there is still a lot going on that doesn't get reported in the rest of the UK ,there are still things going on that affect families and life in NI

What rubbish. I've never been intimidated. I let them get on with it, as do most of us. If you want trouble you'll get it no matter where you are. If you don't bother them, they won't bother you and vice versa. I remember the days when my parents took us to watch the 12th of July parade. There were plenty of Catholics who enjoyed the day out.
Nowadays, a minority of Catholics on the outskirts of Belfast city (where the main parades occur) live in certain 'flashpoints' and don't want them walking the traditional routes near their areas and there can be skirmishes. A 'Parades Commision' has been set up to try to settle the differences. But most of the parade occurs in the city centre and families and tourists come out in force and there is never any trouble there. Parades in other parts of N Ireland pass off peaceably too.
IMO let them have their culture, and let us have ours. There is far more to worry about in the world today than Protestants getting all patriotic about King Billy and marching about with their flutes and accordion bands.
This 'intimidating atmosphere' is just more hyperbole, it really is overly exaggerated and I'm sick of hearing it from people who don't even live here.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by jet

What rubbish. I've never been intimidated. I let them get on with it, as do most of us. If you want trouble you'll get it no matter where you are. If you don't bother them, they won't bother you and vice versa. I remember the days when my parents took us to watch the 12th of July parade. There were plenty of Catholics who enjoyed the day out.
Nowadays, a minority of Catholics on the outskirts of Belfast city (where the main parades occur) live in certain 'flashpoints' and don't want them walking the traditional routes near their areas and there can be skirmishes. A 'Parades Commision' has been set up to try to settle the differences. But most of the parade occurs in the city centre and families and tourists come out in force and there is never any trouble there. Parades in other parts of N Ireland pass off peaceably too.
IMO let them have their culture, and let us have ours. There is far more to worry about in the world today than Protestants getting all patriotic about King Billy and marching about with their flutes and accordion bands.
This 'intimidating atmosphere' is just more hyperbole, it really is overly exaggerated and I'm sick of hearing it from people who don't even live here.

Don't call my post rubbish thanks, I've met many NI families in the on holiday in the South in who July referred to this, you are speaking from your experience not the whole of NI, I lost all interest in what you had to say when you posted the DM as a credible piece of journalism on NI

[jet]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Don't call my post rubbish thanks, I've met many NI families in the on holiday in the South in who July referred to this, you are speaking from your experience not the whole of NI, I lost all interest in what you had to say when you posted the DM as a credible piece of journalism on NI

I didn't call your post rubbish, I was referring to what they have told you as rubbish. Who is supposed to be intimidating these many families? The Protestants or the Catholics? I could understand people feeling intimidated during the Troubles, but not before or after....
Some people just like to dramatise and tell people what they want to hear.

As for the DM Cherie, the article I was referring to was an essay written by a respectable author for the DM. If you only ever read things that you know you will agree with how will you ever get a balanced view of anything?

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by jet

I didn't call your post rubbish, I was referring to what they have told you as rubbish. Who is supposed to be intimidating these many families? The Protestants or the Catholics? I could understand people feeling intimidated during the Troubles, but not before or after....
Some people just like to dramatise and tell people what they want to hear.

As for the DM Cherie, the article I was referring to was an essay written by a respectable author for the DM. If you only ever read things that you know you will agree with how will you ever get a balanced view of anything?

I do have a balanced view, just because I refuse to read articles in DM about it doesn't mean I don't read elsewhere, and if you think the DM presents a balanced view of Ireland you really need to widen your reading material. E

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

It doesn't matter why they were there, they were there and that's not what the troubles in NI were about, it was about nationality and civil rights

It does matter in the context of the debate, now it is about nationality and civil rights but historically it was a holy war.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

It does matter in the context of the debate, now it is about nationality and civil rights but historically it was a holy war.

The troubles in Northern Ireland were not historically a holy war though. the reason for more British to be in NI than the rest of Ireland may have been but not the reason why the troubles started and not the reason there was a division between the two communities.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

The troubles in Northern Ireland were not historically a holy war though. the reason for more British to be in NI than the rest of Ireland may have been but not the reason why the troubles started and not the reason there was a division between the two communities.

Well I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one Niamh.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Well I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one Niamh.

I agree we should agree to disagree