The people in the northern six counties voted last June to stay in the EU. That democratic vote must be respected. The people in the north have spoken. We should not be dragged out of the EU by English votes. It is in the best interests of the people of the north and of the whole island to maintain our ties with the EU. It is in our best interests -socially, economically and politically –to be united with Europe and the rest of Ireland. The EU has been good for Ireland as a whole and has been most helpful in building the peace since the Belfast Agreement in 1998.The impact of the Brexit vote in June, if it is applied to the north, will be felt for generations. The return of ‘a hard border’ will not be good for Ireland.
Anybody who has lived in a border area will know all about the inconvenience and hardship that is caused when governments insist on making an issue about controlling the movement of people and goods. Countries with borders all over the world experience this hardship. Many of us certainly experienced it in the years 1968-1998. During this period we were subjected to intense scrutiny and harassment by British soldiers and RUC.
While the Brexit vote in the whole area known as the United Kingdom was to leave the EU, two areas-Scotland and Northern Ireland -voted by a large majority to remain. If the British insist on the north accepting the Leave vote, it will result in a border of some kind with the Republic which will restrict the free movement of people and goods. That will have many negative implications for all the people living here and as a result for the economy of the whole island. At present, the future is uncertain. One thing we do know is that outside of the EU, the north and the border areas north and south will feel the pinch. Unless the north can maintain its ties with the EU-as Scotland hopes to do- it will lose the grants for peace-building and peace programmes. The farmers will lose their CAP payments which are estimated to make up 80% of their incomes. Business will suffer and economic investment is doubtful in a region that is cut off from everywhere. Students will not be able to benefit from the freedom of access to universities in the EU and the Erasmus exchange scheme will be ended.
This is truly a bad deal for the people of Ireland as a whole and the people living in border regions in particular. Rallies to show concern will be held at various places along the border on Saturday 8th October at 3.00pm. People from all walks of life and all political persuasions are welcome. Make your voice heard by attending one of these rallies. Let us unite to oppose any attempt by the British government to take the north out of the European Union. Let us join together to campaign to maintain our ties with Europe and the rest of Ireland.
Venues for Rallies on 8th October at 3.00pm: Carrickcarnon (Louth/Armagh border)/Moybridge (Tyrone/Monaghan border)/Aghalane (Fermanagh/Cavan border) Belcoo (Fermanagh/Cavan border)/Bridgend (Donegal/Derry border)/Lifford Bridge (Tyrone/Donegal border)
(Joe McVeigh is the Fermanagh spokesperson for Border Communities Against Brexit)
Completely futile campaign. Unfortunately the UK is leaving the EU and we just have to accept it.
I can’t imagine there will be much of a ‘hard’ border.
Good post.
i will be at the Monaghan Rally. Its scary times ahead. I thank you Joe for taking the lead on this, i see your posters around.
I live within sight of the border in North West Monaghan – i cross it everyday to work/Mass/Shops. Any border controls will affect my family significantly.
During my youth my road was cratered. In 94 when it was reopened again, it was like a new world. There has been brilliant peace for the last 25 years now. The border has been none existent were i live
.
The border and any impediments for people going about their daily lives has been the route cause of the conflict in Ireland since the 1920’s. Now if that border returns conflict will obviously return.
The British governments latest move is akin to a suicide bombers mission, surely they must be aware of the potential for trouble again in Ireland. Their brexit ambitions cant work here peacefully.
Both governments must pay attention to the feelings on the ground at the forefront.
“The British governments latest move is akin to a suicide bombers mission, surely they must be aware of the potential for trouble again in Ireland. Their brexit ambitions cant work here peacefully.”
What are you suggesting?
I agree with the sentiment expressed in the piece but we have a very serious problem. It is too late. Not just too late in that the Brexit vote has passed. Not too late in that the Welsh and English voted to leave. But to late in that we in Ireland, north and south, voted either for the GFA or to accept it. And that is the crux of the matter.
In the GFA we accepted the constitutional arrangement that we in the north would have an assembly which would have powers devolved to it from the sovereign govt in England. In other words we accepted that we wold be ruled by Westminster.
To whinge now that we are being pulled out of the EU is too late, we agreed to this. We took the soup and now we have to digest it.
Croiteir
That is about the height of it..
As with the GFA so with the referendum.
If we take part in a referendum or election we the voters are implicitly accepting the terms on which it is held.
In this case the referendum was on a UK (sorry, I mean ‘the area known as the United Kingdom’ as Joe prefers) wide basis with no separate conditions agreed for regions.
The time to complain about that was before the vote and I don’t recall Joe or Jude or anyone else doing so.
Perhaps they like me felt confident there would be a remain vote but there was not.
So campaign away boys but don’t be moaning about a democratic vote which we all took part in. That ship has sailed.
Would it be a futile plea that the GFA was enshrined with so much EU influence and caveats that to leave the EU would make the GFA redundant? I know this may have been written about before but without the EU in the GFA, surely all other conditions, such as the point raised by you, i.e ruled from Westminster, are nullified and that we do not have to accept this outcome
“Would it be a futile plea that the GFA was enshrined with so much EU influence and caveats that to leave the EU would make the GFA redundant?”
Yes. In fact it would be an absurd plea. There are no ‘EU influence and caveats’ ‘enshrined’ in the EU.
“I know this may have been written about before but without the EU in the GFA, surely all other conditions, such as the point raised by you, i.e ruled from Westminster, are nullified and that we do not have to accept this outcome.”
Eh?
The current court cases will provide the outcome MT.
“The current court cases will provide the outcome MT.”
They will.
Yes it would – that is a grasping at straw argument. Nowhere does it say the any of the two states have to be a member of the EU or have the ECHR enshrined in law.
Yes, we voted for short term gains and long term disaster when some of us voted for the magic solution – the magic bullet. What about a rerun of the GFA and then a rerun of the Brexit fairy tale. Does anybody know how Gibraltar is dealing with the problem that they face caused by the English secessionists?
Fr Mc Veigh
You claim that B C A B is representative of the whole community yet it seems to me that it is essentially a Sinn Fein inspired grouping.Maybe you could give us an idea of the non S F individuals/organisations that are involved in the overall group?
Giordanbruno you say that because someone voted in the referendum they are complicit. How so? We were offered no say in the terms of reference. The referendum was imposed upon us as you may recall. If something is imposed, then it surely does not make one complicit in any way. For instance, the state of NI is imposed upon the Irish/Nationalist people. Just because we are prepared to get on with our lives and work within same statelet, in no way makes us complicit towards its establishment. That would be an absurd proposition.
“The referendum was imposed upon us as you may recall.”
It was decided by Parliament.
“Giordanbruno you say that because someone voted in the referendum they are complicit. How so? We were offered no say in the terms of reference. The referendum was imposed upon us as you may recall. If something is imposed, then it surely does not make one complicit in any way. For instance, the state of NI is imposed upon the Irish/Nationalist people. Just because we are prepared to get on with our lives and work within same statelet, in no way makes us complicit towards its establishment. That would be an absurd proposition.”
I agree that ‘complicit’ isn’t the right concept, but we are obliged in a democracy to accept the outcome.
Freddie
I didn’t say we are complicit, I said that by voting in anything we are implicitly accepting the terms of the vote.
Yes the referendum was imposed, but as I say I don’t recall any campaign to boycott it in the run up.
It is pointless to complain about how it was run now.
Furthermore this campaign seems like a waste of time now.
What are the aims of the campaign and how will they be achieved.
If Joe is going to bring people out onto the streets he might care to explain what he hopes to achieve.
The North to remain in the EU while the rest of the UK leaves?
How would that work even if it were possible?
In reality that would only happen through a United Ireland.
Therefore he is really looking for a referendum on the border.
Why not say so?
Pointlessly misleading people is not going to help anyone.
I thought it would be easier if I rewrote the first paragraph:
The people of Northern Ireland (Unionist, Nationalist and other), in exercising their right as British citizens, voted last June in a referendum to decide whether or not the United Kingdom should leave the EU.
That democratic vote must be respected.
The people of Northern Ireland, along with the people of the other nations of the Kingdom, have spoken. Collectively, Northern Irish votes, Scottish votes, Welsh votes and English votes have decided that it is in the best interests of the people of the constituent parts and of the whole Kingdom to cut our ties with the EU. It is in our best interests – socially, economically and politically to be united together as a free and sovereign people outside Europe. Should the rest of the people of the island of Ireland wish to join us in this venture towards freedom, they will be most welcome.
The EU has not been good for Europe as a whole, for, while seeking to build the peace since WW2, it has become an unaccountable monolith of out of touch politicians. The impact of the Brexit vote in June, if it is applied according to the wishes of the people, will be felt for generations, and for the good. The return of ‘a hard border’ would not be good for Ireland (and there is no need for one), but such would reflect the fact that it remains a foreign nation lacking its own sovereignty and one which has capitulated to the faceless bureaucrats of the EU.
There remains, however, an opportunity for the people of the Republic of Ireland to reunite with their kith and kin throughout the Isles – I trust it is one they will avail of.
You’ll all be very welcome:
Maybe it is time for Irish people to unite as a nation and follow the sound logic of one country with it’s own governmental, educational, health,legal and monetary systems which can prosper financially without the interference of a foreign country, namely Britain. Partition has been an unmitigated disaster for Ireland on a social, political and economic level for the last 100 years or more. Scottish independence is more likely now than ever in the wake of Theresa May’s unambiguous statement that a clean break is now on the cards between UK and the EU. An All-Ireland forum is being put in place to discuss the ramifications of the Britexit vote to leave for the Irish nation as a whole. Hopefully it will lead to very much closer co-operation between the two partitioned parts of our country on a number of fronts and create solid foundations for economic and then political unity. Then Ireland can at last take her place in the global family of nations.in close partnership with our friends in Europe.
“Maybe it is time for Irish people to unite as a nation and follow the sound logic of one country with it’s own governmental, educational, health,legal and monetary systems which can prosper financially without the interference of a foreign country, namely Britain.”
Or maybe it isn’t. Maybe it’s for British people to unite?
“Partition has been an unmitigated disaster for Ireland on a social, political and economic level for the last 100 years or more.”
Really? An unmitigated disaster? Explain, then, the economic growth, improved health outcomes, improved infrastructure, improved housing, and greater prosperity?
Who are the “British” people??? They’ll be somewhat reduced in number by the likely Scotsexit -the upcoming rejoinder of the Scottiish people to Britexit from the EC. “Britishness” is just a cover name for the English colonization of the other nations in these Islands. Properly the inhabitants of Britain should designate themselves as British and the natives of Ireland should be free to express themselves as Irish in a united country free from outside interference.
Both parts of Ireland have failed their inhabitants miserably on a number of levels. The entity called “Northern Ireland” has been a parody of democracy since it’s inception based on a sectarian gerrymander and decades of discrimination against the Catholic population . It has in reality been an economic basket-case for much of it;s existence kept alive currently by an annual welfare grant from the coffers of the colonial masters in Westminster. NI lags away behind Britain on key economic indicators like disposable income( households in the north on average have £100 per week to play with in stark contrast to their counterparts in the UK who have at least £198 per week to spend) The Republic did have a golden period of economic growth in the 1990’s in the era of the “Celtic Tiger” but only a narrow circle of people directly benefited from it and citizens down south are now living with the debt-ridden circumstances of the burst bubble. Their futures have been effectively re-mortgaged for generations to come. The health services in both parts of Ireland seem to be in a permanent state of crisis, The Republic now seems to experiencing growth again but not in the runaway fashion it did in the 90’s.
Modeling Irish Unification,” was published by KLC Consulting in Canada along with University of British Columbia academics recently and it realistically forecasts that a united country could benefit from a €35.6 billion within 7-8 years. A United Ireland is a realistic and reachable objective and will not go way.
“Who are the “British” people???”
In the context of this discussion, UK citizens.
“They’ll be somewhat reduced in number by the likely Scotsexit -the upcoming rejoinder of the Scottiish people to Britexit from the EC.”
Not if they unite as suggested.
““Britishness” is just a cover name for the English colonization of the other nations in these Islands.”
No it isn’t. Not that that’s relevant to the discussion anyway.
“Modeling Irish Unification,” was published by KLC Consulting in Canada along with University of British Columbia academics recently and it realistically forecasts that a united country could benefit from a €35.6 billion within 7-8 years. A United Ireland is a realistic and reachable objective and will not go way.”
That was the non-peer-reviewed research commissioned by Friends of Sinn Fein, right? Which proposed adopting right-wing neoloberal economic policies.
“Maybe it is time for Irish people to unite as a nation and follow the sound logic of one country with it’s own governmental, educational, health,legal and monetary systems which can prosper financially without the interference of a foreign country, namely Britain.”
The single most important point you overlook with this comment is that if Ireland did reunite outside of the United Kingdom, it could not do so alone. You speak of partnership with Europe, but a partnership would not be sufficient – and, therefore, an Ireland within the EU would not have, and could not have its own government etc.
It could, however, have that in a Federal arrangement of the Isles.
Go and troll somewhere else.
“Britishness” is increasingly becoming a meaningless or irrelevant national designation for the majority of Scottish people as poll after poll consistently show that “Scottish” is their sole preference. The same is very much true for English and Welsh people. Constitutional change is more likely than ever and the UK as a consequence will be referred to in the past tense. As for the study concerning the benefits of a United Ireland, the academics and economists involved are very much respected in their own fields of expertise and have no horses running in the race so to speak concerning the constitutional position of the north of Ireland in the present or future..
“As for the study concerning the benefits of a United Ireland, the academics and economists involved are very much respected in their own fields of expertise and have no horses running in the race so to speak concerning the constitutional position of the north of Ireland in the present or future..”
One wonders why they chose not to submit it for peer review. Those paying the piper usually get to choose the tune.
MT – time to go to the aural equivalent of Specsavers, maybe?
“MT – time to go to the aural equivalent of Specsavers, maybe?”
????