The only reason I joined this forum is to make this point.

I searched for the lyrics to 'The Green Fields of France', therby I came across this site. I followed the link above to 'Give Ireland back ....'.

It is quite simply not so easy to immediatley condemn the current British administration's presence in Ireland as illegal. Under the GF agrement, which the vast majority of Irish people voted for, both north and south, the 6 counties will remain part of the UK until the majority of the people there vote otherwise. Don't quote Pearse or anyone else. That is the democratic wish of the Irish people. We don't need amymore incitement to hatred, what we need is conciliation!!!!!

Move forward, 1 million people aren't going to remove to great britain, just like that because a few Irish-Americans think they should disappear, they are as Irish as I am (born, reared and living in Co. Kildare, and I'm Republican as well).

I don't quite half understand what you mean here. What have the Irish American to do with that?? Moreover who are the one million people you are mentioning???
I will make a few suppositions about this, so as to be able to answer. The Irish American you mention are members of this website and so I'll inform you that they're a real minority on this website. Secondly ur one million are the Northern Irish, then I answer two things : only half of them are Irish and want to be so. The second half, considering themselves British should go back to Britain or accept to live under Irish laws. Quite logical. I was born in France, though my parents are Belgian and I do not ask France to become Belgian. Moreover I don't give a damn what the vote said, everyone knows that that "voting" was not so democratical... British presence in Ireland IS illegal, it's fact, though nobody wants to recognize this.

And as I think about it you call yourself a Republican... Isn't that in complete contradiction with what you said? The basis of republicanism is that British presence must be removed, or have I missed something?

The basis of REPUBLICANISM is inclusivity: Protestant, Catholic and dissenter!!!
That's what Wolfe Tone said. In the current situation that means that republicans respect what Unionist say and are willing to work with them to a better society that does not involve the terrible attrocities that happened in the past. If you think that republicanism is total removal of the british presence then you are sadly wrong. Irish Republicans have always strived to a) protect themselves and (more importantly) achieve unity of all the people of Ireland. There's no confusing Wolfe Tone, the father of republicanism!!!!!!!!

The 1m are Irish people, who are Unionist/Loyalist.

A 32 county real socalist, republican society would be brilliant: IT'S NEVER GOING TO OCCUR, you can bury your head in the sand, I won't.

Your views about republicanism do seem really strange to me. I ask other people on this forum to tell me what they think about that. Respecting Unionists's views, well I respect the fact that they have the right to think whatever they want, I think that's more than enough, but I can't agree with them, that's for sure.


What an interpretation of Wolfe Tone ! The poor man, let him rest in peace. Yes he believed in union between religions. But the matter is not religious. But this union was meant to remove British influence and indeed achieve unity. But UNITY does not only mean some sort of lovely cute little fraternity, it means unity of the territory as well.
Here is quote by Wolfe Tone : �From my earliest youth, I have regarded the connection between Ireland and Great Britain as the curse of the Irish nation�. I suppose it means he wanted union of the two countries...

If I have misunderstood all that, then I don't know. I guess Armata Corsa is in favour of the French Republic's influence on Corsica, the Hamas wants Palestine to be part of Isreal, Emgann wants Britanny to be a region of France and ETA wants Madrid to rulme Catalonia!

A 32 county Republic WILL occur, it's only a matter of time. I'd give it about fifty years now.

Contradiction?

One other thing, it is you southerns with your freedom that are burying your head in the sand.

thats wrong, it would mean that Protestants respect what catholics say, and catholics what protestants, but nut that republicans have to respect the words of Ian Paseley or other Unionists...
what we need is peace in NI, and good living conditions for everyone, that will never be under Unionist rule... and as long as britain is involved into the conflict, Unionists will rule...

Wise talks, at last!

There are as many ways to define Republicanism as there are people in NI.

It is my contention that the view held by Wolfe Tone and the United Irishmen in general was one in which the long-standing religious divisions in which Ireland was steeped for generations should be ignored for the common good. One must keep in mind that some of the most revered patriots of Ireland were Protestants themselves who were seeking to lead the majority Catholic population. Secular attitudes were not merely a philoshophy but an outright necessity.

The current view by many is that Republicanism is a Catholic ideology practiced by the socialist Sinn Fein and the PIRA. Though one may often hear individuals from both sides of the arguement pay lip service to secular ideals, the main hurdle to NI peace is still the sectarian hatred that exists in the north. Between the Unionist's "siege" mentality and the Catholic hatred of their long-time oppressors the path to peace and inclusive government in the north is a long way off.

Will the Republic of Ireland be united once again with the six counties? Of this I am sure, however the time for reunification is far on the horizon. Not only do the residents of NI have to settle their differences, but also Ireland as a whole will have to come to terms with the differences of the two independent nations before reunification is viable.



I must admit to being rather baffled by this comment. It reveals a rather limited world-view and a lack of understanding of not only Americans of Irish heritage but Americans in general. Barring the random comment of an ignorant 15-year-old "PIRA sympathizer", I believe you'll find that the hopes and aims of your average American Gaeilge-phile will be the eventual reunification of the island rather than your insinuated "put the bloody Brits on a boat" approach.

More wise talk, thank you.
I think one of the most destructive victories of Britain was to make this gap between Catholics and Protestants : it was Britain that started the whole segregation thing. "Divide and conquer".

Allow me to say that I can't understand those problems. We got two sides, fighting each other: Protestants and Catholics. But: both of them call themselves "Christians"... there has to be wrong something.

And, for to add some words to the things said before: I'm not Irish. I'm an Austrian living in Switzerland. And for this reason, I wouldn't dare to judge anyone in precious Ireland standing for his opinions and principles, be it north or south. (take this as a little hint to the song "there were roses")
But I think it is a little rough to "correct" one who is living in Ireland, as Cilldara is, about the situation there - at least not throughout one who doesn't live there but in France. What do you think?

You don't understand because you're wrong from the start : it's not Catholics against Protestants. The real point is not religious.

About the "correcting" matter, well what can I say. I have been studying Irish History for years, I am going to live in Ireland quite soon, I love this country more than I have ever loved my own one. I have dedicated all my life to live in Ireland one day. I know I'm not Irish, and maybe I will never be, no matter what my passport will say in 50 years.
But about this particular occurence of correcting : if I hadn't done it, I'm sure many here (pure Irish people this time) would have done it instead of me.
To this all, I would simply add this : if I thought that because I am French, I'd better shut up, I wouldn't be a member of this forum. And if the others thought it, then I wouldn't be a moderator of this Irish Republican forum.

I didn't want to harm you - if I've done that, I'm sorry. But to me, all this seemed a little bit rough. My opinion.
But it's an interesting question to me, that thing with "bein Irish" or not. As I said, I am an Austrian living in Switzerland and being enchanted by Ireland. But I can't call me an Austrian as a patrion, neither a Swiss - so what does it mean, "being" something, respectin on Countries and Religions?