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Replying To tireoghainabu:  "I think most people would agree that the calibre of both remaining candidates is the poorest in living memory."
In what way is Connolly 'poorer' than Erskine Childers and Tom O'Higgins to name one full ticket, or poorer than Dana or any of the Dragon's Den contingent for that matter? It's not the eurovision song contest.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4440 - 22/10/2025 20:13:09    2641167

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "Why? There is no electoral evidence to suggest that it would get more than 40% and that's including a sizeable proportion of SDLP and SF voters who in polls say they are not in favour, bizarre as that seems.

I am completely for a united Ireland but it will not come about by participating (nice word) in British rule in Ireland.

The only valid poll would be a 32 county poll on same day with same question and decided on majority in 32 counties.

NOT in six."
There's a lot of people in the Republic who have no interest in a United Ireland whatsoever.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2542 - 22/10/2025 20:19:54    2641169

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "Why? There is no electoral evidence to suggest that it would get more than 40% and that's including a sizeable proportion of SDLP and SF voters who in polls say they are not in favour, bizarre as that seems.

I am completely for a united Ireland but it will not come about by participating (nice word) in British rule in Ireland.

The only valid poll would be a 32 county poll on same day with same question and decided on majority in 32 counties.

NOT in six."
Agreed. Far too much respect for a fictional border.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3989 - 22/10/2025 22:15:21    2641176

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "We don't have to have a referendum for it in the south. Our Constitution already claims that island of Ireland."
Didntvwe chang that Article in 1998 as part of the GFA.
Barney mustn't have heard of the GFA either.

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 176 - 22/10/2025 23:21:17    2641183

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "We don't have to have a referendum for it in the south. Our Constitution already claims that island of Ireland."
Yes we do, the Irish Government (Led by Fianna Fail) in 1998 amended Articles 2 and 3 of our Constitution, to remove territorial claim to the 6 Counties, replacing it with an aspiration for unity based on consent.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1506 - 23/10/2025 07:36:23    2641189

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Replying To Bon:  "There's a lot of people in the Republic who have no interest in a United Ireland whatsoever."
That's a very sad truth Bon

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17307 - 23/10/2025 08:57:12    2641196

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "We don't have to have a referendum for it in the south. Our Constitution already claims that island of Ireland."
Strange as it may seem , the GFA agreement stipulates a referendum in the south as well.
Sinn Fein have joined forces with Labour and the Social Democrats in the presential election, both of these parties have no interest whatsoever in Irish unity and neither will our new president.

tireoghainabu (Tyrone) - Posts: 430 - 23/10/2025 09:27:29    2641200

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Replying To Viking66:  "That's a very sad truth Bon"
Sad there is a minority who don't but consistently in polls support for a UI is always a comfortable majority.

FullOfPorter (Roscommon) - Posts: 430 - 23/10/2025 10:26:21    2641207

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Replying To tireoghainabu:  "Strange as it may seem , the GFA agreement stipulates a referendum in the south as well.
Sinn Fein have joined forces with Labour and the Social Democrats in the presential election, both of these parties have no interest whatsoever in Irish unity and neither will our new president."
How do you know that Labour and Social Democrats have no interest in Irish unity? They're political parties who want to appeal to the electorate at election time so whatever's topical at the time, like Palestine is now, will be on their agenda. If there was a border poll imminent then they and Connolly and Humphreys would be telling you what you want to hear on Irish unity, to get your vote. It doesn't mean that Labour and Social Democrats have no interest in Irish unity, just that they don't think it equates to votes for Presidential candidates.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8308 - 23/10/2025 10:38:07    2641208

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Replying To Commodore:  "Yes we do, the Irish Government (Led by Fianna Fail) in 1998 amended Articles 2 and 3 of our Constitution, to remove territorial claim to the 6 Counties, replacing it with an aspiration for unity based on consent."
The people voted to amend those Articles.
Government can't change Bunreacht na hÉireann.

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 176 - 23/10/2025 11:29:38    2641218

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Replying To Commodore:  "Yes we do, the Irish Government (Led by Fianna Fail) in 1998 amended Articles 2 and 3 of our Constitution, to remove territorial claim to the 6 Counties, replacing it with an aspiration for unity based on consent."
What form must that consent take? Consent in the 6 counties and the 26 counties separately, or all 32 counties overall?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17307 - 23/10/2025 11:54:08    2641227

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Replying To Seanfan:  "Didntvwe chang that Article in 1998 as part of the GFA.
Barney mustn't have heard of the GFA either."
I don't support the GFA. It reinforces Partition. And no, i do not support violence, It was pointless and ended in betrayal. The only valid poll would be a 32 county one binding on whole country and involving a British withdrawal of its claim to sovereignty which unlike the Irish State which abandoned that claim in GFA the Brits have not withdrawn.

I have read GFA, unlike the people in SF who signed it but seem to have forgotten that a poll requires the consent of the Brits and can only be held if he thinks there is evidence it would win. Which there is not!

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3749 - 23/10/2025 11:57:44    2641228

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "I don't support the GFA. It reinforces Partition. And no, i do not support violence, It was pointless and ended in betrayal. The only valid poll would be a 32 county one binding on whole country and involving a British withdrawal of its claim to sovereignty which unlike the Irish State which abandoned that claim in GFA the Brits have not withdrawn.

I have read GFA, unlike the people in SF who signed it but seem to have forgotten that a poll requires the consent of the Brits and can only be held if he thinks there is evidence it would win. Which there is not!"
I agree, a truly democratic decision is that for the entire people of Ireland north and south...one referendum. It should only ever have been the Irish people as a whole who decided on it. But the GFA is now an international binding treaty and there is no longer a claim by the Irish state for jurisdiction in the north or mechanism to allow an island wide vote to decide on sovereignty. The best people can hope for now in that regard is for Farage to be the next PM of Britain driving the middle ground in the north closer to the Irish state. Brexit definitely convinced some small u unionists that a UI could be a positive thing. I think more chaos under Farage would convince even more. In addition to that, Reform are only concerned about England and would gladly drop the north in a shot.

FullOfPorter (Roscommon) - Posts: 430 - 23/10/2025 12:16:08    2641237

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Ah he's also read the GFA. Course he has.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8573 - 23/10/2025 12:16:44    2641238

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Replying To Viking66:  "What form must that consent take? Consent in the 6 counties and the 26 counties separately, or all 32 counties overall?"
Or a county by county basis. Still no GAA marriages in Roscommon afaik.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4440 - 23/10/2025 12:49:41    2641246

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Replying To Viking66:  "What form must that consent take? Consent in the 6 counties and the 26 counties separately, or all 32 counties overall?"
Consent in the 6 Counties and 26 Counties separately, because regardless of opinions or preferences, both are currently distinct political regions, so both will have present majority votes in support of a United Ireland. So all Island consent, but in two different Polls.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1506 - 23/10/2025 13:25:22    2641257

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Replying To Commodore:  "Consent in the 6 Counties and 26 Counties separately, because regardless of opinions or preferences, both are currently distinct political regions, so both will have present majority votes in support of a United Ireland. So all Island consent, but in two different Polls."
That's the whole reason why it will never be passed!

Partition was imposed to override the democratic decision of the Irish people in 1918.

Sad to say, former nationalists are now happy not only to accept it but to administer it.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3749 - 23/10/2025 13:45:23    2641261

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "I don't support the GFA. It reinforces Partition. And no, i do not support violence, It was pointless and ended in betrayal. The only valid poll would be a 32 county one binding on whole country and involving a British withdrawal of its claim to sovereignty which unlike the Irish State which abandoned that claim in GFA the Brits have not withdrawn.

I have read GFA, unlike the people in SF who signed it but seem to have forgotten that a poll requires the consent of the Brits and can only be held if he thinks there is evidence it would win. Which there is not!"
The Brits don't let go of their empire easily, I think Tom Barry had them well figured, the Brits armed the Free State to defeat the republicans in the civil war, the Govs we have had in Dublin never had any real interest in getting the 6 counties back, they were happy with the bit they had.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3512 - 23/10/2025 13:45:47    2641262

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Replying To Commodore:  "Yes we do, the Irish Government (Led by Fianna Fail) in 1998 amended Articles 2 and 3 of our Constitution, to remove territorial claim to the 6 Counties, replacing it with an aspiration for unity based on consent."
What does that mean though? Unity by consent of who?

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3989 - 23/10/2025 14:00:38    2641266

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Replying To FullOfPorter:  "I'm not sure what all the fuss is this time about the selection of candidates. It's always been the same just for one reason or another it's left us with only two candidates, which isn't ideal, but it's not the end of the world. People were giving out that there were too many on the ballot last time. The system has worked well most of the time, it just happened to be uninspiring on this occassion. Anyone cribbing about the lack of choice and complete reform of the system or cancelling the election should be asking themselves, why weren't you volunteering for an alternative candidate early this year to get them into a good position for selection. The minute Michael D got re elected 7 years ago people knew they had 7 years to work on getting someone that represented them onto the ballot paper. Why wasn't Peadar Toibin, and the rest of the disgruntled, preparing someone that they felt represented them way back and do the necessary ground work? Catherine Connolly threw her hat in early doors which worked to her advantage. Maria Steen turns up like a student trying to do an assignment the night before the due date. She definitely would have got the 20 Oireachtas votes if they had worked on that early enough."
# FullOfPorter:
I'm a bit confused as to how the posting regulations work here, the most recent post of mine that didn't get by Admin was this morning in reply to this post of yours, I think my reply was squeaky clean and malice free, perhaps some posts are randomly chosen to set a standard ?.
In the mean time you have a couple of good posts to your credit, keep up the good work.

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 3284 - 23/10/2025 14:29:14    2641274

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