Mary Lou McDonald had previously said unification was within "touching distance" after the return of power-sharing government to Northern Ireland, led by her Sinn Fein colleague Michelle O'Neill. But she acknowledges there is "an awful lot of work to be done".

Mary Lou McDonald had previously said unification was within “touching distance” after the return of power-sharing government to Northern Ireland, led by her Sinn Fein colleague Michelle O’Neill. But she acknowledges there is “an awful lot of work to be done”.

Mary Lou McDonald was speaking to Sky News following the restoration of the Northern Ireland executive, where her party - a nationalist group - is now the largest caucus in Belfast for the first time since the Good Friday Agreement came into effect.

She said: “What I firmly believe is - in this decade - we will have those referendums, and it’s my job and the job of people like me who believe in reunification to convince, to win hearts and minds and to convince people of that opportunity - part of which, by the way, will be really consolidating our relationship with Britain as our next door neighbour and good friend.”

Asked if she meant before 2030, Ms McDonald said “yes”.

  • beltsin@lemm.eeEnglish
    832·
    9 months ago

    Reunification is an insane idea that the moment. No need to risk the violence of the past for nationalist dreams.

    • mojofrododojo@lemmy.worldEnglish
      214·
      9 months ago

      Why can’t the religious zealots put aside their bullshit for just a moment? Or does the king just deserve a chunk of Ireland for eternity?

      when does it end if not now?

      • beltsin@lemm.eeEnglish
        44·
        9 months ago

        What does it achieve to unify now? A sizeable portion of the population actively opposes it, and besides that the Northern Irish economy is largely dependent on the British government, meaning that there would be significant cost to the Irish state were they to begin managing the north counties. They chose a century ago to remain in the UK and despite an almost complete lack of acknowledgment from the general British population fiercely defend that decision. It’s about more than just religion, though that can be a common grouping of the different factions.

        • mojofrododojo@lemmy.worldEnglish
          81·
          9 months ago

          What does it achieve to unify now?

          IT SURE FIXES THE BREXIT CRISIS I POINTED OUT IN MY POST YOU NUMPTY

          you know, the one that posted a fucking border checkpoint and restarted talk of the troubles? are you dense or did you just arrive to the situation, or are you completely disconnected from the situation you have no idea what the fuck is happening and just shitposting?

          fuck off

          A sizeable portion of the population actively opposes it

          citation requested.

          largely dependent on the British government

          yeah when you live as a colony for some shitty island this can happen!

          They chose a century ago to remain in the UK and despite

          YES, AND THE UK JOINED THE EU THEN LEFT. SHIT HAPPENS. GET OVER YOURSELF. What kind of abusive relationship do you propose that keeps them there even if they want to leave?

          • beltsin@lemm.eeEnglish
            26·
            9 months ago

            I’m not going to argue further with this aggressive babble. We had issues with Northern Ireland very recently and I do not want any of that to come back any time soon. Brexit didn’t do shit, those tensions have been around for decades. It’s absurd that you think I’m the one disconnected from the situation when in Ireland, Mary Lou has been lambasted for these reunification comments. And no, they don’t want to leave the UK. Go to Northern Ireland. It’s a strange place with strange people, and what they want is not what you want.

            • mojofrododojo@lemmy.worldEnglish
              41·
              9 months ago

              I’m not going to argue further with this aggressive babble.

              you have no argument, so that makes perfect sense. finally one aspect of logic you haven’t disregarded.

              We had issues with Northern Ireland very recently and I do not want any of that to come back any time soon.

              Northern Ireland had issues with your colonialist bullshit. Fuck off with it.

              Brexit didn’t do shit

              Oh really? Creating the ONLY LAND BORDER BETWEEN THE UK AND EU didn’t do shit?

              Are you really that dense?

              Here’s an entire wikipedia article detailing all the problems with the brexit and Irish Independence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brexit_and_the_Irish_border Your premise is vapid. Your arguments are specious and weak.

              Have a great day.

              • beltsin@lemm.eeEnglish
                13·
                9 months ago

                I’m going to assume you’re not Irish and don’t actually understand this because Christ you are inconsolable

                • mojofrododojo@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  2·
                  9 months ago

                  I’m going to assume you’re not irish and don’t understand shit about this because fuck’s sake you’re ignorant.

      • xmunk@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        39·
        9 months ago

        I think it’s more likely to have two independent republics on Eire than a unified one.

        • mojofrododojo@lemmy.worldEnglish
          131·
          9 months ago

          For what? The catholics aren’t going to force their religion on the rest. 15% of the population identify as no religion at all.

          But hey, if the ‘Northern Ireland Peoples Republic’ wants to go it alone whatever I just hope they join the EU because that bullshit brexit caused is not going away and it’s the biggest driver to reunification in my book.

        • maynarkh@feddit.nlEnglish
          4·
          9 months ago

          It would be harder to join the EU as a new republic than just joining with Ireland

    • xor@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      15·
      9 months ago

      I don’t see why now is any worse than any other point in time, frankly.

      NI has a legal right to unify with the rest of Ireland if it is voted for in a referendum, under the good Friday agreement. So being able to reunify whenever they decide to is actually one of the key agreements that ended the violence in the past.

    • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.clubEnglish
      11·
      9 months ago

      Except the question is pretty valid now post Brexit. I wouldn’t even be surprised if GB goes along with it as NI seems to be a lot more trouble than it is worth; a unified Ireland solves the trilemma.

    • Squizzy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      9 months ago

      We should adhere to the demands of violent mobs and not the consensus of the democratic process. You are right.