Survey deals blow to Sinn Féin hopes of united Ireland

[Cecelia5578]

The majority of people in NI want to stay in the UK. End of story.

Honestly, why the fuck did you even bother post in this thread?

As for Ireland, I would be curious to see the level of support for a United Ireland prior to the GFC and several months after the worst of it. I'm sure people in NI would be looking south at the virtual depression in Ireland and not being enthused at the thought of unification.

Perhaps though in the long run Unionist feeling in NI will subside, because the influence of the RCC in Ireland has diminished a lot in recent years. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to live in Ireland for most of the 20th century-the church's influence was just too strong. However, as mass attendance declines and the church loses much of its former power, I'd imagine that a lot of the traditional antipathy towards the Irish Republic would be softened. No more Catholic boogeyman.

[madd0ct0r]

Without the pressures from the troubles, the religious fervour on both sides seems to be declining.

Last time I was over, a friend commented on it. Her husband is an accountant and a weekend farmer. This means he has to be on the farm on sundays, because that's the only time he has. It's not a desperately unusual situation. A lot of farming families cannot make the farm pay any more, but the land is in their blood.

So often enough she takes the girls to church without him. She once apologized to the vicar (protestant) regarding his absence.

"ahh, I'd rather he were in his tractor, thinking on God, then in church thinking of his tractor."

This is not an attitude that existed even a decade ago. Times change. thank fuck.