Northern Ireland is in more danger since Brexit

It shows the mentality of the parents who allow their children to commit violence. This is why the country will never be peaceful when you have past generations teaching their offspring to do what they did. Sheer insanity.

I agree EllanV it's time the cycle of violence and destruction was broken once and for all.

Trisher probably the best plan.

Historically, 'The Irish Question' has always been a difficult one. I despair when I see the scenes on the news but, being born and bred in NI and now living for over 50 years in England, it doesn't surprise me. Anyone from Ireland knows the Peace Agreement has always been wafer thin and both main communities watch one another like hawks for any sign of favouritism or perceived favouritism. It is a scab that is continually picked at.
For those of you interested in the setting up of the North, BBC Sounds are running a 'Year 21' radio programme for the 100th Year celebration which each week tells a different part of the story from all sides. Just type in 'Year 21' on the search on BBC and it comes up. It is not a heavy historical/political presentation, more memories of various events and various participants. A weekly programme, each one about 30 minutes and going, I think, through the entire year. I have discovered a lot I didn't know and it does help you to get a picture of the very difficult situation, historically, that NI presents.
Like Alexa I grew up in a Protestant household and have no problem with a United Ireland either in Europe (which I would prefer) or part of the Commonwealth. However, I won't be bombed into it or accept a one-sided agreement and therein lies the difficulty.

My mother and aunt from Northern Ireland were once Irish , before partition, and thought of themselves as Irish rather than British. My Scottish liberal Protestant father thought of his wife as an Irish girl not a British girl, and they married before partition. However the Protestant rowdies of today seem to think of themselves as British not Irish.

It is awful to witness children being egged on to throw petrol bombs and fireworks; to an adolescent with nothing to do it is exciting and dangerous, they have not experienced the reality of living with the day in day out violence and there was some hope that a generation had grown up without it. It was obvious to anyone, even without knowledge of the difficulties of Ireland, that Brexit was going to be a massive trigger, and frankly, anyone in government who voted for Brexit is either responsible for the re-start of the predictable violence or too stupid to understand the implications; either way they are unfit to hold office. Are any of the GN Brexit cheerleaders able to tell us how this will all work out well? Or should NI residents just be told this is a 'bumpy road', stop being negative?

" Protestant rowdies ?" A bit harsh, isn't it Alexa ?

You sound like you have a very similar background to me, Alexa. Both the Irish and Scottish part of my family had no problem with mixing with both communities. My Scottish grandmother firmly believed partition was a big mistake. The 1921 solution was sorted out as a result of the Easter Rising and in the aftermath of the First World War and the world wide problems it presented. 5 years to set up an independent country is nothing and I would suspect it would take a lot longer today if the North was to be integrated into the Republic or vice versa. Who foots the pension/health bill etc? Where would the political centre be? Would it be in Belfast with the imposing building of Stormont or Dublin? What happens if the Republic vote not to integrate the North? Or the EU refuses to have them in. Or one million Protestants decide to migrate to the mainland. Also, approximately 420000 Irish passports have been issued to people outside of Ireland since the Brexit vote. Just imagine if they were also allowed to vote.

I do feel very sorry for these youths who are rioting. They do not always have the best start in life and sadly, episodes like this, give them some standing and respect in their communities. Education, employment, stable government is part of the way forward. I listened to Keir Starmer when he was interviewed yesterday and thought he came across as a sane voice of reason.

It is obvious that this is a desperately difficult situation and always has been, but one thing I am certain of is that Johnson is not of the intellect, moral code or ability to negotiate anything like the GFA team.

I have zero sympathy for unionists in NI as far as Brexit is concerned they are in no worse position than the rest of us, this rioting is a blatant attempt to get cash as “compensation” for what they think is disadvantage. In exactly the same way they blackmailed Theresa May over Brexit, it needs to stop now, they aren’t loyalists at all just terrorists.

You have a good grasp of the situation Devorgilla

Katie59 : that is not a helpful comment to make saying people are not loyalists they are all terrorists.

People who do not want to see this violence at the moment are saying the situation is recreational anti social behaviour and are not resorting to calling people terrorists.
How can anyone justify calling young people of ages 13/14 terrorists. The ages of the eldest rioters was about 20 years old and the youngest 13 years old.
Nearly all those involved know nothing of the worst troubles 32 years ago as they have lived with the Peace Agreement in place. It is not something that needs to get a strong hold in
N. Ireland and every single person in government needs to sort it out.
Boris has said it is appalling what is happening in N. Ireland
well part of it has come from his government so he needs to do something about it.

Recreational anti-social behavior, just lads having fun, it looked a lot more than that, organized destruction more like.

Recreational anti-social behaviour does not look pleasant,
but are these young children because that is what many of them are at the moment are not terrorists and so much has to be done so they don't get the mind set of many over the years in N. Ireland that planned and organized the terrorist way of life.

Who foots the pension/health bill etc?. I remember discussing this a few year ago with my cousin, who made his home in the Republic and has lived there for many years. He said “even if we wanted it, I doubt we could afford it!”

Greyduster, I have a University friend who lives in Dublin and she says much the same, that the Republic would struggle to afford the North and I suspect the EU wouldn't be too keen either.

The EU might pour in some of their deprivation funding?

As part of a proper country, rather than on the periphery of an island that is uninterested in them for most of the time, perhaps NI might have a chance to develop.

Unification isn’t going to happen in the near future, think at least 20 yrs and probably 50yrs.
So the unionists have just got to live with being on friendly terms with their neighbours and stop this stupid power struggle, they are no worse off than many other UK regions.

If unification does become a realistic option within the EU cash will be found to make it happen, until then they are part of the UK and will get their share of development.

If unification does become a realistic option within the EU cash will be found to make it happen, until then they are part of the UK and will get their share of development.

Isn't the complaint always that NI 'costs' the UK a great deal of money for no return? (Which I thin, BTW, is an unpleasant way of looking at it)

An update from our local newspaper for anyone who is interested.
m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/psni-rules-out-involvement-of-loyalist-paramilitaries-in-orchestrating-violence-40294368.html

I always wondered why Ireland didn’t just unite and get on with it. It seems ridiculous to have half the country one way and half the other and always has. I know there are a lot of people very keen to stay under the British rule but , well, maybe they should have a long hard look at what is best for the place now with all this Brexit business. There will always be a certain amount of trouble whilst it is disunited. The United Republic of Ireland has a good ring to it.

nadateturbe

An update from our local newspaper for anyone who is interested.
m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/psni-rules-out-involvement-of-loyalist-paramilitaries-in-orchestrating-violence-40294368.html

How can you be sure that the PSNI hasn't had pressure applied to backtrack on what it initially said?

growstuff

nadateturbe

An update from our local newspaper for anyone who is interested.
m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/psni-rules-out-involvement-of-loyalist-paramilitaries-in-orchestrating-violence-40294368.html

How can you be sure that the PSNI hasn't had pressure applied to backtrack on what it initially said?

They will have had pressure applied that’s politics

I'm not getting into a debate. Merely giving you an update.