American Reacts to Why Ireland Split into the Republic of Ireland & Northern Ireland

[@fenellainnis7216]

You’re opening up a can of worms if you do look into the troubles ,be prepared for arguments in the comment section 😂, emotions still run high on that topic.

[@claregale9011]

Tragic times I'm of an age where I remember the bombings in England back in the 90s , of course it was horrific in Ireland too, emotions run deep .

[@rachelBrady-ni]

No it was horrific in Northern Ireland not Ireland. We had the worst of it, STILL. Ireland had nothing compared to us nor did England

[@countzero1136]

And in the 70s and 80s too :(

[@markkavanagh4457]

The English started a conflict that has lasted for eight hundredcand fifty four years, Ulster us still unfree but that's about to change, they came, they saw a fertile land, they plundered, murdered, raped, evicted, starved, exiled and killed us, but we fought back and never stopped, they warred with us in 1169 and 1234, they warned with us in the 13 and 1400s and again in 1546, they broke treaties and peace accords, they destroyed the Gaelic order of our High Kings and usurped the peace of an entire nation, they warred with us again in the 1700s and again in 1898 and 1916, they came, they shot us, our women and our children they bombed us but we never gave in, Britain cried about the IRA bombing its cities and towns whilst ever conceding to its own people that they were also bombing us! We had eight hundred and 50 years of murder! They had thirty!! Hardly a comparison really 🙄. Imagine being the oppressors calling us the terrorists! You don't get more hypocritical than that. England got what it deserved. However I have nothing but sorrow and sympathy for every innocent person that died in this conflict, but let's be honest' it wouldn't have happened if the English had stayed at home and left Ireland alone. They sacrificed their own people, to hold onto something they had no right to steal. If the English people want to be angry about it, then they should be angry with the Monarchy, and their government for dragging them into their political stupidity.

[@markkavanagh4457]

@Baekhyunkinglove Northern Ireland not Ireland!!?? The North of Ireland is Ireland! It's literally right there in the name. It shouldn't need explaining, the North of Ireland had it bad this is true, but let's not forget that the South was bombed as well by British armed forces and the UDR. Its should have ended years ago, but the unionist community allowed the violence to benefit their society. Imagine the DUP calling itself the Democratic Unionist Party, when they don't practise the ideals of democracy in an apparent Democratic society!? The word Democratic and unionist shouldn't even be in the same sentence, the fecking hypocrites.. its over, and we need a new Ireland that everyone can prosper in regardless of faith, gender, or identity.. unionists need to step out of the stone age and stop acting like selfish brats..

[@heffo67]

@@markkavanagh4457 100% Mark. I have long since come to the conclusion, if the Unionist/British side of N. Ireland had treated her Nationalist/Catholic population fairly and with compassion the Provisional I.R.A would never have existed. But no, they are more interested in dominance and triumphalism. They love the idea of doing better than the Catholic under trodden. Still today, while in a position of strength re negotiations regarding the future of the North, Allister and Donaldson and their like do not want what's best for the people of Northern Ireland. They only want 'their' people of Northern Ireland to have the best and have more.

[@mccorama]

1,000 years of history is tough to cover in twenty minutes....take your time

[@CC-nm9jy]

Watched a few of your videos now, Thanks for being respectful, you're doing great keeping up with all the info! Sometimes Irish people are annoyed by Americans claiming Irish roots but at the same time it's very nice that Americans with genuine interest put in so much effort to learn. I'll tell ya most Irish definitely wouldn't be so diligent in return, so thanks.

[@calamityh.6684]

I'm English, I live in Northern Ireland, {40 years} married to an Ulsterman {who has since passed 12 years ago} He was a Soldier and served during troubles. There are things and atrocities he saw, and his mental state of mind was never the same. My mother-in-law was an Irish Catholic. Lovely Lady {a mixed marriage, which was frowned upon} I've lived through the bombings; I've had to check my car every morning. never sat with my back to a door in cafe Etc, security reasons, I love Northern Ireland; My children and grandchildren go to integrated schools, i never got my children christened into any religion, so they could be free of that Burden and culture it's It was Tragic for both sides of the communities. As you are interested in Political side , check out date May 22, 1922, Northern Ireland/ Irish Free State Partition at 100.

[@tridentuk6885]

as an Ulsterman and ex-soldier and someone who felt they had 'a stake in things' it was all a bit daft. Glad your kids had an enlightened upbringing and good on you. I believe that's what your husband would have wanted them to see. Stay safe :)

[@fishfingers8441]

Please do look into the troubles!!

[@Shoomer1988]

Any body interested in history, especially those from the US should do exactly that. Most people from from other part of the world have either no or even worse - a very warped idea about what actually was going on. Also see people that think Braveheart was a documentary.

[@vaudevillian7]

This is why you should never order the American drink of an ‘Irish Car Bomb’ in the UK or Ireland

[@mattsmith5421]

Is that really a thing

[@gallowglass2630]

@@mattsmith5421 I am afraid it is i saw an american tourist vlog where they ordered it

[@philowen6739]

The original video you're reacting to is really good, in terms of historical detail and accuracy. But it doesn't really show how very painful the whole situation has been for a lot of families.

[@sarahpreston1478]

Agree, the reality of living through the troubles for not only the army but also civilians, is still impacting today. Even to the point where I see a bag left somewhere, I stop and think but, then remember and realise it is just a lost bag.

[@kellydev]

Absolutely agree

[@princessliz6201]

My husband was born in the height of the troubles, his dad was a protestant and his mum was Catholic. So you can imagine they were in a sticky situation. His brothers were asked to join one of the gangs. The family fled and came to England. If you haven't done already check out the celebrations for St Patrick's day. It's a huge celebration. The Irish know how to party. I love their music, it's so jolly. And the Irish dances.

[@sccg2424]

The Irish language is taught in schools & there are some amazing summer schools that children can attend & learn to speak

[@spruce381]

But it’s not widely spoken - though appears more popular now than in my 1980s school days.

[@DavidDoyleOutdoors]

Hi Steve, I'm from Belfast Northern Ireland, to answer some of your questions, the divide is religious, cultural and political. On both sides there are the moderates and the extremists, on the catholic side the moderates are called 'Nationalists' and the extremists 'Republicans', and on the protestant side the moderates are called 'Unionists' and the extremists 'Loyalists'. On both sides, the extremists also have their paramilitary groups, mainly IRA (Irish Republican Army) for the Catholics, and UDA (Ulster Defence Association) for the Protestants. I very much doubt that the peace walls will be removed by 2023, in fact, more were erected since the good friday agreement, 20 miles in total throughout northern ireland. Most of the peace walls tend to be between communities of working-class areas were there are more people with the more extremist political views and paramilitary groups. There is a lot of distrust between the two side due to past history and the walls makes them feel safer. Today the walls are a tourist attraction, people from all over visit and sign their names on the walls and leave messages. PS search 'belfast peace wall artwork' on google images. There's a good video here showing the wall kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqLRgWaYpsqLgtU If you live in Northern Ireland and you are Catholic most will identify themselves as Irish (some will say Northern Irish too), some Catholics will not call it "northern ireland" instead they call it "the north of ireland", and if you're Protestant most will identify themselves as British/Northern Irish. Part of the Good Friday Agreement allowed people in northern ireland to also own an Irish passport, So you can have own both an Irish passport and a British passport. To give you an idea how bad things were, Belfast had the most bombed hotel in Europe kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3Takqt7pL-aZrc

[@TheKFMProductions]

Tensions still exist but largely everything has settled. NI still an integral part of the U.K. and if the will of the majority changes it will be settled democratically

[@silverstars7882]

I agree and I think that day will be soon as there are more Catholic people living in NI than Protestant.

[@TheKFMProductions]

I disagree but that’s okay! It comes down to the polls

[@philipmccarthy6175]

If a border poll in the future decides on unification of the island of Ireland then don't expect the militant section of unionism to just sit back and accept it peacefully.

[@philipmccarthy6175]

@@philipkelly3238 No one wants to see a return to those dark days but if there is a border poll and it's in favour of unification , I have no doubt it will be the extremists in the Unionist fold that will instigate a militant response in refusing to accept the outcome should it be in favour of unity .As we've seen with the DUP , it's the Unionists who are anti-democratic. They have never wanted to share power with anyone , especially nationalists. Now they're no longer the largest party they're stopping the assembly from doing its job of governing for all of the people of NI. I'm not really sure what Unionists are afraid of , the RC church has lost all authority and the Republic is a tolerant , friendly place and has a reasonably successful economy. While it's not perfect I can't think there are too many places that are any better.

[@Gerishnakov]

@@philipkelly3238 Are you worried that it will happen, of worried about the reaction of unionists?

[@TheKennyboy92]

I think the thing thing this overlooks a lot is how the British tried to eradicate Irish culture and language. We are lucky we have still have people who speak Irish today...

[@maxinedurling3425]

The Troubles was horrendous I grew up in the Uk and still can't walk pass a rubbish bin and the Northern Irish had it a lot worse. By the way the IRA were so good they taught the rest of the world. There are many article's about the IRA and terrorism you might like to look into

[@philipkelly3238]

Catch a grip of yourself. I grew up here in Northern Ireland with bombs & shootings daily I certainly don't bat an eyelid at a bin. Your comment screams.. Me. Me... Me... wise up even in belfasts darkest hours there was always humanity..

[@lazyeyejohn]

We to had bombs in the Republic of Ireland in which my uncle was murdered. They were planted by the UVF with a lot of help from the British army.

[@Gerishnakov]

Yeah if we can say anything at this point it's that there were terrorists on both sides, but the British government did implicitly support one side.

[@nicfewer8393]

@@lazyeyejohn As I mentioned above. The Dublin and Monaghan bombings, I'm sorry about your uncle.

[@kellydev]

@@lazyeyejohn well Said

[@hglundahl]

19:34 A citizen of Eire would typically refer to himself as Irish, and a citizen of UK, Northern Ireland, as an Ulsterman, unless he were Catholic, in which case he too would call himself Irish, while a Protestant outside the six counties would normally be more likely to be Anglican and would often call himself Anglo-Irish. While C. S. Lewis was a native Ulsterman, he was not Ulster Scot, but Anglo-Irish. Belfast, but of Anglican heritage, which is what he went back to when reconverting from Atheism. Yeats was from Eire, and while he was Anglo-Irish, I think he was also Neo-Pagan of sorts, at least at times.

[@barryderrick4693]

Back when you stared you didn't really understand that there was even a difference between Britain and Ireland so is totally understandable it took a wee bit of time to learn that there is more to learn :)

[@Grumpy63uk]

My great grandparents came to Cumbria from Northern Ireland (Walker) and my grandmother always said that Sinn Fein got a lot of money , guns and ammunition from the American Irish who donated and smuggled it into Ireland for them to fight . So Steve you could be closer to this than you thought 😂😂 ❤🇬🇧

[@countzero1136]

It's true that the IRA was heavily supported and funded by America until the practice was stopped in the 90s by the Clinton administration

[@sccg2424]

Btw anyone born in NI is classed as a Irish citizen & can apply for a Irish passport ( which gives them freedom of movement in the EU now) British nationals who have no right through ancestry to claim Irish citizenship can no longer live or travel extensively throughout Europe- 90 days over 12 months is what they are entitled to now.

[@sccg2424]

Do you know what part of the UK & Ireland your family comes from? If you know & have names you can get copies of their birth certificates & or marriage certificates, baptismal certificates. Which can help you build up your family tree.

[@kielycolin]

Some citizens in Northern Ireland see themselves as Irish and not British citizens

[@Shoomer1988]

The "bringing the two parts of the island of Ireland" is what thousands of people have died over. The problem is most people (but not all) in Northern Ireland want to stay part of the UK. Some people in Ireland just want their land back. Both sides have have a valid point and will never agree. It's gone on for too long for that. For now at least the two sides "power share". It's messy and more needs to be done but at least the horrifying violence of the 60s, 70s and 80s has calmed - although not completely gone.

[@ImagesByDavid]

Im from the Republic of Ireland and in the early 90's passed into Northern Ireland as a teenager. I remember the border armed with British soldiers and the town of Derry had police with automatic weapons on display lined up side by side on the city streets.

[@roseanne9986]

​@MsMissy Derry.

[@thescrewfly]

I visited a friend in Belfast back in the day when the Troubles were past their peak, but I still saw quite a few armoured cars with a phone number on the side you could call to pass on anonymous information to the British army and I occasionally heard the sound of an explosion in the distance. On the way from the airport we passed army bunkers flanking the motorway. From the hills above the city, if it was a clear day, you could easily see the coast of Scotland. What really struck me, though, was what must have been a legacy of the historic Plantation of Ulster: the style of the houses and even the faces of most of the people looked almost identical to the west of Scotland (my family is from Ayrshire). On a lighter note (perhaps), I was struck by a sign on the city hall which read "Belfast Says Noel". It was coming up to Christmas but this made little sense to me until someone explained that the rest of the year it just read "Belfast Says No".

[@LLMoran617]

For a funny but genuinely informative look at Northern Ireland and The Troubles, check out the comedy Derry Girls. I'm only in my 30's but remember the days in the 90's before the Good Friday Agreement. It was scary and very sad and those emotions run deep.

[@19McCloy91]

The Troubles by feature history is a very good 2 part video. Highly reccomend watching it.

[@Dreyno]

Check out “Extra Credits” video series on the famine in Ireland. It’s fundamental to understanding the relationship between Britain and Ireland.

[@kellydev]

Ireland is one country ,but England kept 6 of our counties after we gained independence from them ,England colonised Ireland ,& we were under their rule for nearly 800 years , there's loads of videos available to watch on Ireland's history , Thankfully since the Good Friday agreement there's now peace ,but it's still a touchy subject for many Irish people , I enjoy the content on your channel 😊

[@grantjohnston7972]

They always mention the Norman invasion in these videos but it's not quite the case. They where initially brought over as mercenaries and given land for their service. Many Norman nobles took on an Irish identity which results in the number of true normans dropping significantly and is painted to look like the Irish drove them out. The history of our tiny island is almost impossible to navigate because it has been twisted for political purposes and very few people here are even aware of the actual events that transpired

[@geoffpoole483]

The Normans assimilated into French life; they're of Viking heritage.

[@grantjohnston7972]

@@geoffpoole483 well yes the word "norman" comes from man from the North. The viking lifestyle was based around raids and pillaging and when they made an agreement with the king of France they were given land with the condition they stopped pillaging and adopted Christianity. It could be argued that leaving behind an activity that was a central role of their old way of life left them open to assimilation into other cultures for reasons of trade and relations

[@grantjohnston7972]

@freebeerfordworkers well they were pretty indistinguishable from the French to the Anglo saxons. The modern English language has alot of French words given to us by the normans, Norman being one of them as they came from Normandy. Most words relating to royalty come from Norman French like Crown, Castle or court

[@MackerelCat]

@freebeerfordworkers except the area of France they’re from has been called Normandie for a very long time so….

[@EvsEntps]

@freebeerfordworkers The Normans absolutely did not consider themselves French, nor did the French consider them French. They always identified with their foreign roots and were openly defiant of the French monarchy and often bullied French kings to get more holdings and lands under their control. The historic animosity between England and France originates in the rivalry between Norman and French nobility.

[@maryannedouglas]

Yes, definitely look into the Troubles. Simply an awful time, but you'll learn a lot about anglo-irish relations and how/why certain people feel a certain way. It isn't pretty, it isn't fun but it is reality and it is, unfortunately, ongoing.

[@CaptainX2012]

but thankfully now it is mostly peaceful. yes, there are still problems, but it doesn't compare at all to what my parents lived through

[@brianowen9470]

Riverdance won the hearts of the world as a middle of the show entertainment break or interlude, during the eurovision song contest, held in ireland that year, and the rest is History broadway everything. 1994 eurovision song contest

[@brianowen9470]

Ireland is also world famous for the well known "blarney Stone" a real stone built into a castle wall in Ireland and is said, if you can kiss it by hanging dangerously upside down on a bar, you are said to be given the gift of the silver tongue, the gift of the gab, the gift of the "Blarney".

[@tridentuk6885]

From and live in NI, I will try and answer some of your questions. I will forewarn you that if you do some reaction or studying of recent NI history, it can get messy quickly with political groups and ties with both sides of the actual paramilitary divide. The Good Friday Agreement put into law that if you are born in NI, you can identify as British (UK), Irish or Northern Irish. Or all 3. We have the ability and right to hold both a UK and a Republic of Ireland Passport. NI population are immediately both UK & Irish citizens. Irish (Republic) population are not automatically British (UK). There are still some peace walls up, in and around Belfast (Ardoyne etc) and I think in Derry (some call it Derry, some call it Londonderry). Our Assembly (the NI Parliament) is currently not sitting at the minute due to political disagreements regarding the Irish Sea Border, brought about by BREXIT, so that has likely stalled or significantly slowed progress on getting rid of the walls. I remember as a kid I was caught up in a local bombing where the IRA blew up a local bar. Was 'normal' for us to go into towns and the security forces would close off road access with big yellow barriers to limit people parking up and abandoning car bombs in darkness. Also joint Police/Army checkpoints around Belfast and Vehicle Check Points (VCPs). Just glad my kids don't need to grow up in that situation any more. Today, there's loads of tourism in and around NI with plenty of Europeans, US folks and Chinese coming to see various murals painted around Belfast, or going to the Titanic museum, and a big one is the Game of Thrones tours. GoT was filmed heavily in NI (along with NZ I think) and we've got quite an increasing film industry here over the last decade, which is great to see.

[@jmurray1110]

Honestly I think we should officially rename it to Derry/LondonDerry/contraversalDerry

[@tridentuk6885]

@@jmurray1110 hahaha I can imagine the BBC confusion. I like it.

[@jamiewulfyr4607]

The Irish language is Gaelic and is very similar to the Scottish Gaelic spoken in the West Highlands. "The Pale" was considered the furthest reaches of "civilisation".Everything "beyond the pale" is considered uncouth and barbaric. That's where the term to describe unacceptable behaviour originates from.

[@jamiewulfyr4607]

@@carolejones5676 You're welcome! 😊

[@reactingtomyroots]

Wow I've heard that phrase many times throughout my life and never had a clue where it came from. Thanks for sharing.

[@jamiewulfyr4607]

@@reactingtomyroots You're welcome brother! 👍

[@amandadonaghey7540]

My father was a lifelong member of the British Air Force born of a southern Irish mother and a northern Irish father (both catholic). “The troubles “ have been a black dog that haunted my family. Poverty and prejudice brought most of the family to England. Joining the European Union has had a major role in offering a route to unity without violence. I am an Irish citizen living in France with great hopes of a peaceful united Ireland 🇮🇪

[@geoffpoole483]

Hi Steve, History is full of surprises and Irish history is no exception. The partition of Ireland and the Troubles arouse strong emotions. Some of the leading campaigners for Irish freedom were actually Protestant, such as Theobald Wolfe Tone who led the 1798 rebellion. I suggest you take a look into the Irish language and Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) sports such as hurling and Gaelic football. In terms of places, look at videos of Dublin, Belfast and rural attractions such as the Burren in County Clare and the Giant's Causeway which is in County Antrim. If you want to look at the situation in Northern Ireland then programmes presented by Peter Taylor are a good starting point. His interviews with Brendan Duddy, who had a part to play in the peace process, are fascinating. A word of warning; Irish history is addictive!

[@reactingtomyroots]

Thanks so much for the recommendations. :)

[@gallowglass2630]

@@reactingtomyroots The Original language is celtic language called gaelic originally,but we usually refer to it modern ireland as irish. Its a very different language from english ,its in no way understandable to a native english speaker.Its aminority language now but it was the majority language of the country up to the early 1800s.

[@mikeriordan6940]

Although I class myself as English, my Father was from Tipperary in Ireland, from where I live in Manchester England it's only a 50 minutes flight to Dublin, there's lots of Irish people in Manchester and every year on or near St Patrick's day there's a big Irish procession, I did mention to you to look at the Irish guards, especially when they have Seamus with them, there's lots on KZbin

[@silverstars7882]

My husband was sent to NI in the 70`s and they were dark days for us all. He took the Queen`s shilling (as it was sometimes called) to get away from a troubled homelife. Neither of us wanted him to have to go but it was what it was. Many British soldiers married girls from NI both Catholic and Protestant and it could still cause friction amongst those ladies even when in England. Division in religion has a lot to answer for.

[@raphaelspub0486]

You might be interested to look into Brexit and its implications for inter-Irish relations, as Ireland is part of the EU and its Internal Market (secured a.o. by external borders), which the UK has left completely, so is outside of now. This video is from 2015 and the Brexit referendum only happened in 2016.

[@raphaelspub0486]

This, by the way, is I think the reason for calls ro (re-) unification of Ireland, which you mentioned.

[@johnatkins2665]

Up front, I'm an Englishman , living in the Netherlands, and a staunch supporter of Northern Ireland becoming one with the Republic of Ireland. Even though the 2 communities of NI were supposed to be equal, the catholic community was always disadvantaged socially, economically and politically as it was always effectively run by a Unionist (pro british) administration. If you want a concise, unbiased, factual and up to date account of everything political in the u.k. then look no further than the TLDR news channel on you tube. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iH_RiXinn6d9hLc . A fantastic news channel covering a very broad range of subject. I highly recommend it.

[@Simonmc78]

the constitutional name of the country is éire or ireland. we dont use the term british isles in Ireland either. we call them the islands of Britain and Ireland.

[@lazyeyejohn]

My uncle lost his life in the troubles. He was murdered by a bomb made by the British army and planted by a group of protestant terrorists in Dublin.

[@thomaslowdon5510]

Answer to your thumbnail. 100% yes.. Its a religion thing... Simplified explanation... The troubles..wow you will be totally shocked at what happened in this period... real shocking vicious conflict .. murder.bombing..slaughter real bad stuff...

[@thequietman760]

It's started out as religion, more to do with class and politics nowa days

[@markkavanagh4457]

It's not a religious thing ffs, that's the lie they used to perpetrate the killings on both sides. The whole damn thing is political and always has been. For you to say it's religious, tells me you haven't a clue about the troubles. If it's about religion, then explain why Protestants in the south don't identify with those in the North, and then explain why there are protestant nationalists in the IRA and explain why a vast amount of Protestants don't identify with loyalists, unionists or the Orange order?! You don't have a clue what it's about!! Come back when you've done some actual research..

[@macconchradha5324]

Geography now Ireland is a nice video

[@dannytarr4293]

2023 and the walls are still up. I don’t see them coming down for a long time. We don’t even have a fully functioning government in NI since Brexit 🤣

[@collywobbles1163]

I am South African, born in Rhodesia now Zimbabwe. My grandad was born in Armagh. Scene of the crime. Since Henry VIII dismantled all Catholic churches. Prostants in Northern Ireland sided with England and not Southern Ireland. Who are mostly Catholic. Hence, the troubles also because of the Monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II got a standing ovation in Southern Ireland 🇮🇪 The first to visit in near on 100 years.

[@Padraigofloinn]

In Ireland, Catholicism and Protestantism are seen as ethnicities. Catholics consider themselves Celtic and have a history of speaking Irish. Whereas Protestants consider themselves Anglo Saxon and have a history of speaking English. Instead of saying Celtic and Anglo Saxon for ethnicities, we have a history of using religion. Which makes sense as after hundreds of years our ethnicities are pretty mixed and the political devider is religion, even if you're not actually religious.

[@michael_177]

People in the comments will say you're "opening a can of worms", but take it from me, you're not. The only way you could do that is if you started to talk actual political opinions about ireland, which I'd imagine (if you dont know anything about it) isnt easy lol. So you're fine Steve. Also I'd imagine most Americans don't know about the "peace walls" in Ireland separating entire communities. The video kinda just ended on that. When the reason they are there is quite a big deal. Mostly sprining from The Troubles. I think looking into The Troubles, while sad, would be very informative Also wow, you've gained over 4k subs since i last looked

[@reactingtomyroots]

That's what I was thinking as well. I'll have to look into the topic to truly understand Irish history at all. But I don't feel I could support a particular side, as like you said I don't know anything about it. Sort of like Brexit, I need to know about it because it's a big part of modern British history, but I wouldn't pick a side, because I wasn't a part of it and therefore I don't know all the intricate details of how it truly affected actual British people. If that makes sense. LOL It definitely makes me happy that so many people have an interest in following my journey.

[@SirZanZa]

i'm an Ulsterman from Northern Ireland .. we really do NOT want to be part of the south! (at least 99% of everyone i know ) their form of Government and state religion is NOT compatible with our own! i am British first Irish second! why would we want to leave a world leading economic cultural and military power with a Permanent security council seat at the United Nations (1 of 5 ) a recognised and Legal Nuclear weapons state (1 of 5 ) a foundign member of the 5 eyes alliance and a core member of NATO to join a Nation of people who don't have any of that and don't even really want us int he first place. the UK has a functioning democracy and the Irish "FREE" state is ruled from abroad in Brussels by the European Union ..... madness

[@Glenn036]

Ulsterman here also Belfast born & Bred still living here and totally agree with you 100%👌

[@geoffpoole483]

Are you speaking for everyone in Northern Ireland or just your DUP/TUV mates?

[@more-reasons6655]

@@geoffpoole483 he said 99% of people, that's obviously not everyone, sorry to step on your "gotcha moment"

[@SirZanZa]

@@geoffpoole483 "99% of everyone i know" didn't claim to speak for everyone. if it ever came to a border poll people will see the overwhelming negatives of leaving a Great power like the United Kingdom with its massive $3 Trillion economy (3000 million ) vs Irelands $380 billion

[@yermanoffthetelly]

@@SirZanZa Quoting numbers out of context makes no sense, China has a GDP of $14.7 trillion, it says nothing about the distribution, development or wellbeing of its citizens. If you break it down NI has an equivalent to a GDP of $53bn with a population of 1.9 million. Meanwhile the ROI actually has a GDP of $498bn with a population of 5.1 million. If Ireland had the same population as the UK it's GDP would be $5.6 trillion!

[@iantrott9152]

Sadly it’s a real “can of worms” that goes back centuries :( The situation with Brexit and the Northern Irish Agreement has the potential to start a flare up once again! :(

[@vaudevillian7]

It gets even more complicated when you get into early Irish nationalist movements like the United Irishmen as many of the leadership were Protestant as were those advocating for the Irish language and cultural resurgence. The orange on the Irish tricolour flag is to represent Protestants

[@DavidDoyleOutdoors]

that explains why in some republican areas of belfast i've seen the orange replaced with yellow

[@dooley5977]

@@DavidDoyleOutdoors Probably just faded by the sun :)

[@TheDrumlinBoy]

By the way if it had not been for US support The Republic of Ireland would not exist and thanks to the US support for the Good Friday Agreement.

[@shelleyphilcox4743]

There is a bit of background missing here about the invasion in 1171 by Henry II. At that time, Ireland was not one Kingdom, but several seperate Kingdoms and a High King. The King of Leinster, Diarmaid MacMurchada,.was kicked out of Leinster by Ruaidri Ua Conchobair, King of Connacht, and the High King, because he had kidnapped the wife of the King of Breifne. So, Diarmaid approached Richard de Clare, known as Strongbow and a powerful Norman Welsh lord of Wales, to help him recover Leinster on the basis that he could marry his daughter Aoife and then be made heir to Leinster. Richard de Clare was a subject of Henry II and because Richard de Clares family had previously backed Henry IIs Uncle King Stephen to have the throne of England rather than his mother Empress Matilda who was the natural heir, he needed to keep Richard de Clare in order. Henry II did go to Leinster and successfully negotiate a treaty. Henry II also negotiated the release of all English slaves held across all the Kingdoms of Ireland and for their return to England at the Council of Armagh in 1171. At the time, Dublin was the largest slave market in western europe and had been so between the 5th to 12tth century, when it went into decline because Henry II curbed the taking, kidnapping and trading of English people as slaves in Dublin. People enslaved and sold through Dublin either stayed in Irish kingdoms or were traded as far as Iceland to the Indus river for centuries.

[@Mgaffo222]

The British Isles is not a term recognised by the Republic of Ireland...

[@enemde3025]

You need to look into the TROUBLES (1960s - 1990s) a bit more deeply. For some reason, Americans who have Irish heritage backed the IRA at the time.

[@yermanoffthetelly]

Maybe you should look into why there are so many Irish-Americans and why their history would lead them to feel that way.

[@ellesee7079]

Your take away from this should be by all means, look into your family history in Ireland, but when you find out where you are from, keep it to yourself, that way, you won't upset anyone!

[@Dreyno]

Looks like a Biffo to me……😑

[@marcuswardle3180]

If you want to learn more about Modern Irish history look into Michael Collins and William Parnell. Parnell could have united Ireland under the Home Rule Bill back in the 1860's but was betrayed by his party and thus .....! Michael Collins is often overlooked due to Eamon de Valera's influence but Collin's was sent to London by de Valera to negotiate the Treaty and thus a poisoned chalice.

[@nicfewer8393]

Charles Stewart Parnell, inventor of the peaceful form of protest, the "boycott".

[@vaudevillian7]

Irish is the traditional Irish language 😉 sometimes known as Gaeilge (and sometime Gaelic but most Irish people don’t like that). Definitely worth looking into, will see if there’s some good videos out there for you - langfocus is usually good

[@markkavanagh4457]

What do you mean, we don't like that? In reference to Gaelic..

[@Subjagator]

@@markkavanagh4457 I think it is just better to refer to it as Irish or Gaeilge because it is much more commonly referred to as either of those and there is less chance it will be confused with Scottish Gaelic or all the Gaelic languages as a whole. Referring to Gaeilge as simply Gaelic might come across as it is the first or only Gaelic language and dismiss the aforementioned Scottish Gaelic and Manx as other Gaelic languages. I wouldn't say most Irish people don't like it being called Gaelic like the OP did, but Irish or Gaeilge is what it would typically be referred to in Ireland by Irish people.

[@Mgaffo222]

@@markkavanagh4457 By itself Gaelic is not a language but a language subgroup in the Celtic languages being Goidelic (Gaelic) being Gaeilge Manx and Scottish Gaelic and Brittonic being Welsh, Cornish and Breton.

[@catherinewilkins2760]

There are three dominant political parties in ROI. Fianna Fail, Fianna Gael and Sinn Fein , no mention of Fianna Gael who under William Cosgrove formed the first Government. Sinn Fein has yet to form a Government in ROI. A reasonable video but only gives a scant view. No mention that when part of UK was subject to all rights and legislation. Don't recognise the comments about Catholics being restricted in ownership, as my Irish family were not subject to these , owned motor vehicles and had land and good education prior to the outbreak of WW1. Many of the restrictions were lifted when the Duke of Wellington was in Government. So sad at the way ROI is being dealt with by the EU.

[@Dreyno]

The EU? Away and sh1te. Being a member of the EU has helped us become a wealthy, modern country. Something denied to us under British rule and impossible to achieve outside the EU. Sick of hearing ignorant, misinformed bullsh1t being bandied about by idiots on the internet. If you don’t recognise the restrictions on Catholics it’s because you know nothing about Irish history. You have some neck commenting when you haven’t the decency to learn the first thing about the place first.

[@grimreaper-qh2zn]

Sometime have a look at "The Clearances" in both Scotland and Ireland.

[@stuartfitch7093]

Because the Protestants of Northern Ireland are descendants of the Scots and English who went over with such as Oliver Cromwell, they want Northern Ireland to remain within the UK family whereas the Catholics of Northern Ireland are more related to the people of the Republic of Ireland who want Northern Ireland to join with the Republic of Ireland to create one nation. This is why there is ongoing tension and no clear solution. Because whichever path is chosen for the future of Northern Ireland, wether that be stay in the UK union or leave and join the Republic of Ireland as one nation, one half of the Northern Irish population will be happy and one upset. So there's no ideal solution that makes everyone happy at the same time.

[@Kevc00]

Feature History has a great 2 videos on the Troubles which as an Irish historian I can say are pretty accurate. Also it used to be purely religion but over time has evolved into an ethnic nationalist divide. Catholics are more likely to identify as Irish and are more likely to be nationalists. Protestants are more likely to identify as British and more likely to be Unionist. On the issue of the peace walls they are not coming down any time soon. The North is no where near ready for them to come down so they will not be coming down next year or any time soon.

[@paulharvey9149]

It would be quite wrong of me as a Scot with no contacts in Northern Ireland, to attempt to answer your question regarding how divided it is these days - save to confirm that it looks better than it did during the Troubles, at least on the surface. That said, they have made very long-term impressions upon many people, who are perhaps more politically aware than they might otherwise be - one consequence of which is that there are still a number of communities in and around Belfast who continue to feel the need to literally fly the flags of their politics and all its associated bodies to this day. While this may be of comfort to them it is obviously a political statement of sorts and feels distinctly uneasy, for the casual visitor. I would imagine it would also make it difficult for individual members within that community to move on under their own steam and so, I would suggest that such tensions will remain with us for the foreseeable future. I believe that the Province of Ulster (as opposed to the six counties that remain part of the UK), did originally include the counties of Donegal, Monaghan, Leitrim and Cavan. To this day, these largely rural counties must struggle to survive in the absence of their tradition regional centres, that included the cities of Derry / Londonderry and Armagh, both of which are across the border - as the larger cities of the Irish Republic including Galway and Athlone, are more than twice the distance to the south... Steve - do you know who your ancestors were and in which parts of the UK and Ireland they lived? How about their occupations and religions? If you were willing to share some of that information with us, we might between us be able to direct you towards more localised content that you might wish to react to. Only a thought.

[@Dreyno]

Leitrim is in Connacht. And Athlone would not have been looked on as important. Or Galway for that matter. Dublin was close to Monaghan and parts of Cavan. Sligo was Leitrim’s Nd West Cavan’s nearest big town.

[@paulharvey9149]

@@Dreyno Well there you go - I did say I couldn't really give an opinion as a non- Irish person!

[@Dreyno]

@@paulharvey9149 😂

[@retireearly7223]

If you’re interested in the Troubles, a good place to start is Bloody Sunday in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1972

[@karenblackadder1183]

I did tell you!! Everything in British history is *extremely* complicated.

[@dand1977]

Check out Scottish football in Glasgow(Celtic and Rangers) and Edinburgh(Hearts and Hibs) and you will see the troubles continue in football/soccer. Its interesting historically and relates to Irish political and religious history.

[@minch333]

It's kind of amazing how chill things are now in comparison to how they used to be. My dad grew up near Belfast and really saw the worst of the troubles (his parents were from Manchester, he was born in Dublin and grew up in Belfast then he went to Oxford for uni then moved to London, so I'm personally very much ethnically English) but in just a single generation it really feels like a conflict from the past. Not to say that it's completely resolved but it's incredible how quickly times are moving on from such a long history of extreme tensions and subjugation.

[@AM-dz2sh]

I feel like I have a very similar background to you.. I agree.. there are tensions in small communities but thankfully the youth., at least part of the outreach programmes I'm involved with.. are leading the way... They want it to be a 'yesteryear'.. a bygone era.. I feel really hopeful!

[@CaptainX2012]

I live in Northern Ireland, Belfast is a lovely city and it's great to see it evolve into a lovely shared province. it really does feel like the only ones holding us back are the old people who keep whining about the troubles.

[@alantomlinson5740]

The division is both religious and cultural. The Protestant northerners are quite diifferent from the ostensibly Catholic population of the south, even if religion doesn't play an active role in their lives. The reason?..... culture.

[@yermanoffthetelly]

Well the Protestant northerners are now a minority in NI. Seeing as religious differences are not really a thing in the south of Ireland, I would ask what are these cultural differences they speak of actually are? You'll find alot of their traditions are practiced in the Republic also. They might find they have a better home in Ireland then as part of a UK that (really!) doesn't want them.

[@Dreyno]

Northern Protestants have next to nothing in common with southern Protestants either.

[@alantomlinson5740]

@@yermanoffthetelly it's not really a question of whether the UK want NI, it's that NI want the UK. The religious differences are not as prominent as they used to be, but they're still there. But in the end it all boils down to cultural roots. The majority of the people of NI are Scots and feel a kinship with the UK and not with the Irish. Indeed, the Irish were the enemy, in religious and cultural terms, for several generations. Most people from the north that I know, even Catholics, have no great desire to become part of a united Ireland. One of my professors at university was from Belfast. He was Catholic, anti-British to a certain extent, carried an Irish passport etc, and was clearly from the nationalist side of the debate. However, he was content for the status quo to continue. He said that the will of the people of NI was to stay in the UK, and if he was desperate to live in a Republic of Ireland he'd move there.

[@gallowglass2630]

@@alantomlinson5740 For many along the border they can benefit from the best parts of both economies,greater wages in the republic and lower cost of living in NI

[@saundyuk]

@@alantomlinson5740 It's interesting you mention the Scots heritage because it raises a question I've been curious about for some time: what happens if Scotland becomes an independent country? Will that affect the British identity of Protestant Unionists? If your ancestors are no longer part of the UK - will you still feel part of the UK yourselves?

[@carolineskipper6976]

Late to the party with this video. It was a pretty good run-through about how we go to where we are. You definitely need to find an in depth video or two about The Troubles, and once you've got a handle on that, then learn about the Good Friday Agreement - which was a unbelievable feat by all those involved - and then all the issues that are raising their heads since Brexit. In a nutshell- you CANNOT have a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland - but Ireland is still in the EU, whereas NI isn't, and therefore there MUST be a hard border between the two. Squaring a circle has nothing on THAT conundrum!

[@vaudevillian7]

Poblacht na hÉireann is the Republic of Ireland in Irish

[@TrudyBusterKittyMadness]

Yes , terrorism was a real threat growing up in the UK. Aswell as the troubles which is pivotal to Irelands recent history. You also need to look into sectarianism particularly in relation to football which is an issue in the west coast of Scotland.

[@TrudyBusterKittyMadness]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGKtmqaXe6x7fLs

[@TrudyBusterKittyMadness]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaCllKV9fraEmsk

[@gallowglass2630]

Eileen Yes Thats more of the west of scotland thing ,whereas though there is sectarian division in football in terms of catholics supporting republic of ireland and protestants supporting NI ,but there Gaelic football and hurling for example are played almost exclusively by catholics ,whereas rugby hockey and cricket are considered protestant sports

[@judewarner1536]

The ''Troubles'' in Ireland that most people think of as a mid-late-20th century problem actually started around 409 - 410 AD when the Romans finally abandoned the Province of Britannia. Almost immediately Irish tribes from the east coast of Ireland began raiding British west coast villages. This continued during the early Anglo-Saxon period (to the point where Irish Scots invaded and eventually took over Pictland, which became Scotland) and after the Norman Conquest (1066 AD). The Norman Kings were not inclined to put up with this & punitive expeditions followed during which Ireland was ''conquered'', but never really subdued. As in most post-invasion / colonial scenarios atrocities occurred on both sides and this continued for centuries even after the creation of the Republic of Ireland in 1922. As colonisers, the Normans, and then the English used every possible means of abuse to subdue Irish nationalism (becoming linked with Roman Catholicism after Henry VIII) from the Norman period to the 20th century while the Irish used ''terrorist'' tactics in response. It is often said that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. It is unlikely that the situation will be remedied until Ireland is reunited, a scenario I predict will occur before 2040.

[@lizstratton9689]

Loving the Irish journey. I do LARP and play an Irish Character - brilliant history and so related to the story of the USA. As a Brit I love the Irish, we treated them terribly and I am so pleased they are a free Nation - it is a message of hope for all those countries out there that are fighting for their freedom. I know that some of the people who negotiated the Good Friday peace treaty work today with opposition parties to help broker peace deals. I would be sad for those people of Northern Ireland if they unified but to be honest I would also be happy for them - it would make life so much easier for them and us. The results of the 2021 Northern Ireland census have been released and they show that 42.3% of the population identify as Catholic and 37.3% as Protestant or other Christian.

[@gavinhall6040]

I'm a big fan of you mate so don't be rushed into commenting on the troubles because it was a massive civil war in the UK, so no matter where you have an opinion just be careful sharing as you are obviously entitled having one just like the rest of us. Eg, this war brought in Americans, Colombians, Libyans and people were murdered in Spain, Germany and France, pregnant women, children, grannies were killed, governments colluded, police, security forces, army on all sides did horrible things in secret, tortures, rapes, child abuse. Everything and more happened in the list above, whatever you do you'll upset folk - including this message 😉

[@lashark06]

We didn't split we were invaded

[@marytansey1771]

Wow not a mention of the famine in which over 1million Irish were allowed to starve and two million forced to emigrate. The most significant event in Irish History. Please get this history from an Irish perspective or you are not getting the facts.

[@michalgul980]

I’m irish And had no idea of this

[@Shoomer1988]

The Irish language is form of "Gaelic" (sort of) and is actually based a Celtic language going even further back. The original "Goidelic" language has various "flavours" including a Scottish version, an isle of Man version, and related to but different, to Welsh and Cornish. It's a fascinating subject by itself. This a pretty good explainer for the history of Celtic languages used in the British Isles. - kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJqUh6pprJaSZ5I

[@stephwaite2700]

I was in my late teens and 20s in the 70s " The Troubles" were a bad time for both England and Northern Ireland. So many innocent people were killed in the bombings. Sadly there were people in the USA who funded the IRA

[@gallowglass2630]

They are a number things of an irish culture that you should luck 1 Irish folklore and legends 2 Trad folkmusic and irish stepdancing including bands like the dubliners,chieftains,the fureys and the pogues and of course in the dancing Riverdance 3 Literature Yeats joyce and beckett 4 The irish language.They are a number of irish channels promoting the language,but the canadian ytuber Langfocus has videos that are a good introduction to irish and other celtic languages 5 Gaelic games and the Gaelic Athletic Association which runs them.Gaelic games are sports native to ireland they include Hurling, Gaelic football,gaelic handball ,and rounders.However the main ones are hurling and Gaelic football they are probably the most popular sports in the country .Gaelic football is like soccer mixed with rugby and basketball and hurling is very similar except a small ball and stick is used instead of the foot and big ball. 82300 people attend the championship games of both every year 6 Comedy .

[@hglundahl]

20:07 _"both Irish nations back together"_ Do you mean the states on the island or the ethnicities of Northern Ireland? Pushing to bring Northern Ireland into the Republic is called Republicanism, and it's represented by Sinn Féin and by IRA, while pushing for peaceful together in Northern Ireland is called the Good Friday agreement.

[@G0UDG]

Cromwell conducted his ethnic Cleansing campaign in Erin between 1649 and 1654

[@seamusconnolly9710]

Depends upon the person

[@sebbiesda3305]

I'm from Belfast. Most Catholics from Northern Ireland would call themselves "Irish", or sometimes "Northern Irish" Most Protestants would call themselves "British" or sometimes "Northern Irish".

[@rachelBrady-ni]

As a Catholic you're wrong. Everyone in my family's church say British or Northern Irish mate. Not many are saying Irish anymore (thank God)

[@sebbiesda3305]

@@rachelBrady-ni Your the only Catholic from Northern Ireland Iv heard off that would call themself British.

[@rachelBrady-ni]

@@sebbiesda3305 then u obv don't know anyone then mate Every Catholic in my school did. Every Catholic in my area do. Plus my whole family altho my mums side is protestant but not the point. It is a British country FACT and period Bye

[@sebbiesda3305]

@@rachelBrady-ni yes it is a British country. but check out the 2022 census results. the vast majority of Catholics in Northern Ireland describe themselves as Irish or Northern Irish. Thats FACT.

[@rachelBrady-ni]

@@sebbiesda3305 That's not true bc politics lie and polls lie, that's a fact. Everything gets rigged. As a Catholic, who went to a Catholic school, in a Catholic area, everyone of us actually Catholics say British. And that is a fact. Stop embarrassing yourself and don't speak to me

[@transponderful]

Please don't dig this up, we don't need it. thanks.

[@craigmccullough7333]

Ireland is what happens when religion gets involved in politics.

[@seansmith445]

Politics has its roots in religion.

[@JMBPro]

It started off as religious differences but now although religion still plays a part, it's now mainly a political, cultural and nationality difference; tribalism. People can tell when meeting others based on how they pronounce words and even when saying the letter "h" for example. Protestants in Northern Ireland pronounce it as "aich" whereas Catholics pronounce it as "Haich". Housing areas across Northern Ireland have been categorized as protestant and catholic areas but this doesn't mean all the residents are religious, Catholics are more from an Irish background whereas Protestants are more from a British background basically so that people can tell who is who. Names are also a dead giveaway. I'm agnostic so I'm not religious but I have political opinions which I prefer not to mention for obvious reasons, but someone could probably work out my background based on my name, and where I live. Also I've never heard of the peace walls being removed, I honestly don't see it happening. They have to close the gates every night to prevent both sides of the wall from rioting towards each other.

[@davidricks7128]

I was born in Belfast in 1965 during the troubles my family moved to Scotland when i was 8 last time i went to Ireland was 1987 for my friend's funeral, he was murdered by the IRA that was the last time I will never go to Ireland again. I now suffer PTSD and have constant nightmares about what happened when i was young

[@NatureandWildlife1978]

Hi great channel and love what you do but I little thing the Republic of Ireland is not part of the british isles, the pale is the area around the center of Dublin or Duiblinn from old irish which traslates to black pool. But love your channel, The main cause of the troubles was the cathlioc's where treated as second class citizens, I honestly think the video you are watching is a complete brush over of the history but love ur video❤❤

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

Don't go there, my friend. As a man who has many family ties from my family in Scotland to both 'sides' in Ireland, whi had relatives killed, both soldier and civilians, on both sides you are opening up a can of worms, the Troubles ended 25 years ago and there is still a LOT of unfinished and remembered pain from the period. Best not pick at this scab. Let time heal.

[@CeleWolf]

It's not easy viewing but if you have not already I think you need to look into what happened to the Irish people when England ruled them and The Troubles.

[@DruncanUK]

That wall looks a lot more effective than Trump's travesty of a wall! 🤣

[@markkavanagh4457]

Saying Ireland is in the British Isles is like claimg America is in Europe..

[@brianowen9470]

Tragic Times as I myself walked the Northern Irish streets in 2000 serving in the Army, but Glad to hear its better now, but again this island of ireland is steeped in lots of History, but on the plus side there's riverdance, from irish national dance ceili, pronounced Kay Lee, which you may know, and the break away show, lord of the dance, where the original Riverdance Male lead, Michael Flatly, made his own show based on the Irish Dance check it out.

[@Shoomer1988]

Riverdance has literally noting to do with Celi. It's like comparing Mozart with Britney Spears.

[@brianowen9470]

I do apologise if its not quite correct, please, forgive me. I was merely attempting to add other ideas to this gentlemans journey about ireland, please correct me if you wish, as correct information is what Steve really needs, I would glady stand corrected and accept other statements about this, as I am not the font of all knowledge, and am more than willing to get better info from a reliable source and update it and add to my own knowledge, as I believe is the same goal as Steve here, so thank you i will be doing more research along with anyone elses suggestions.

[@pilgrum23]

Even Irish flag represents the pain dune by French green is prodstant and and yellow is cathedral while is neutral yest there is still trouble there

[@raphaelspub0486]

I guess, I (a German) would rather compare the inner-Irish wall to the Israeli-Palestinian wall rather than the Berlin wall. But I don't know. Also: comparisons can be very difficult, as you sure know.

[@ImagesByDavid]

Yes Peace Walls separate Irish Catholic Nationalist community from the British Protestant Unionist Community in Northern Ireland. I've videos filmed many years ago on my channel of the Peace Wall. I doubt that the Peace Walls will come down next year. KZbin: Troubles news clips.....old news reports of the Troubles.

[@markwolstenholme3354]

Film. The Young Offenders, 2016. Absolutely hilarious film set in Cork, Ireland. 🤣🤣🤣. Strong Irish accent.

[@MackerelCat]

Long story short British and Irish are cousins, we share a lot and identify with eachother in numerous ways. However conflicts over religion, culture and power over centuries lead to some unhappy political divides and very bad decisions causing a lot of suffering, pain and hurt. There is a lot of bitterness still, but also a lot of love, since so many of us are related - literally, since so many Brits have an Irish parent or grandparent, and many Irish have British relatives too. If it was simple, we’d have sorted it all by now, but it’s not simple, it’s really damn complicated, so we’re still working on it.

[@themanftheworld8439]

You mean English and irish.

[@avs4365]

It has, with the British vote to leave the EU (Brexit) caused another round of political problems re trade and the transition of goods. Border problems again as Southern Ireland the Republic, voted to stay within the European Union, making what was an open border between the two independent nations now a matter of deep concern to the people living there as politicians voice their opposition to any restriction or how they will be implemented. The other change has been that in Northern Ireland the Catholic population now outnumber the Protestant. Uneasy times ahead.

[@williamlogan659]

At the last election in Northeren Ireland, in 2021, siin fein , or the catholic population were the largest party for the first time , who want to join a united Ireland , This is an unfolding history in the future the two parts of Ireland will finally be one country. Sinn fein want a vote on Irish unity.