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Tuesday, April 29, 2014
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Always learning. Born, bred and still living on the most easterly point of Northern Ireland - the Ards Peninsula - 18 miles across the sea from Scotland. I do lots of things- design, music, talks, trying to be a husband and father. This blog isn't an example of great quality writing or research, it's just a scrapbook pointing towards content that's of interest. © the author; contact me for permissions
Personal blog of Mark Thompson. Formerly Managing Director of GCAS Design in Belfast, Northern Ireland (from 1999 - 2006) and Chairman of the Ulster-Scots Agency (from June 2005 - June 2009). Thoughts on Ulster-Scots heritage, identity, evangelical Protestant faith, music and other stuff I stumble upon.
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5 comments:
Why would we be so cruel as to burden Scotland with NI?
Also, how would we explain this inclusion (and financial drain) to people from Orkney, Shetland, Fife, the Lothians, Aberdeenshire or the borders? i.e. areas that don't give a monkey's about NI.
Glasgow is not Scotland.
That article is a bit mad, but I thought of interest to readers here.
Well yes, it is interesting.
The way I see it, for arguments sake IF NI was tagged along with Scotland (somehow)it would eventually create friction between the two entities.
To a lesser extent, I could see a similar thing happening in the event of a united Ireland.
Once the great nationalist celebration dies down and reality/disappointment kicks in we could easily see a greater north/south divide in terms of culture.
There would be less to divide Protestants and Catholics in the north as the union question will be no more and religion is becoming less and less important.
So many ifs....
Over the past few generations Scotland has rightly been scared of getting to close to NI for fear the problems here would spread. But sectarianism in Scotland isn't as big an issue as some commentators insist it is. However, an NI+Scotland 'state' is not going to happen. But our shared cultural and historical connections bind us together regardless of politics.
Re: this island and the border, there are still ample reasons for neighbourly co-operation as Ulster folk.
But if someone wants to look to selective versions of propagandised history to justify their present-day need to hate, harm or kill their neighbours, then that's not cultural, religious or political - that's a pathological condition.
And whoever brought that condition about is the real enemy.
Well said! :)
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