Posted by PeterH on January 02, 2007 at 21:03:06 from 86.130.138.44 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: Britain was Re: Grammar posted by andyb on January 02, 2007 at 15:07:06:
“The inhabitants of NI are 'Irish', not 'British'.”
Many of them wouldn’t agree with you, which is at the root of the problems.
I have brought in the 3rd umpire, and after viewing it from all angles he confirms that AndyB is out. Andy is confusing ethnic and geographical allegiance with constitutional allegiance. The inhabitants of Northern Ireland are 'Irish' because they live on the large island called 'Ireland'. They live in the northern part of it, but they are still 'Irish' or, to be precise 'Northern Irish'. They are not British, because neither they nor their ancestors for several centuries have lived in Britain. The Rev Ian Paisley himself would not claim to be 'British'.
What the Rev Ian would claim is citizenship of the United Kingdom and his loyalty to the Crown, as do all Protestant Loyalists in NI. The Catholic republicans, on the other hand, claim that the six counties of NI should be governed by the government of the Republic of Ireland. It is that which is 'the root of the problems'.
I hope Andy will walk now, and not glance back at the big screen shaking his head. If all this is baffling US and Canadian TarBoarders, let me baffle you further by saying that if you wish to reduce us English TarBoarders to a quivering jelly right now, you need only say four words: - 'Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne'.