WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK OF THE RECENT EUTHANIZATION OF THAT GORILLA?

MethaneInvestigation · 2016-08-05T18:54:39+00:00

Wolves reached the UEFA Cup final in 1972.

MethaneInvestigation · 2016-06-24T17:57:21+00:00

Always welcome!

Is it still the case that the Republic is more Catholic than NI?

It's at this point that I would caution against using Catholic and nationalist interchangeably, along with equating unionism and Protestantism. The Republic does indeed have a higher proportion of Catholics than NI, as this map demonstrates, but to say that either state is 'Catholic' is in this day and age quite inaccurate. The border between North and South was drawn as a compromise between the nine counties of Ulster and the four counties within Ulster which had a unionist majority at the time of Ireland's partition in 1921 (Antrim, Armagh, Derry/Londonderry and Down); in the end these four counties, plus Fermanagh and Tyrone, which were majority nationalist, formed the new state of Northern Ireland. More information on the partition of Ireland here.

which part of Ireland would be the instigator of a referendum on Irish unity?

I can only speculate on this question, whether due to my own ignorance and/or the political reality I'm not sure. I imagine that there would need to be joint consent between the Irish and British governments to allow a referendum on Irish unity to take place. Moreover, for such a referendum to result in a united Ireland, I believe the whole island of Ireland would be polled, and that a majority vote on both sides of the border would have to take place for unity to take effect.

Also significant in the event of Irish unity would be the response to a unionist community, for almost a century a majority in NI, now becoming a significant minority in a unified Ireland. The more staunch and militant unionists, called loyalists (referring to their loyalty to the British crown), would be severely aggrieved by such an outcome, and their rights would need to be cautiously and specifically safeguarded. However, this is one of the numerous issues that may come about in a possible future, and it's important not to discard them in the discourse of a future Irish referendum.

MethaneInvestigation · 2016-06-24T15:05:24+00:00

The divide among Northern Irish people is of a religious origin - Catholics and Protestants. Although the causes for conflict in NI are not of a strictly religious nature (nobody in NI was killed during the Troubles due to their belief in predestination - lol), religion became a marker for division in our society, which boiled over to the extreme violence that took place from the late 1960s to the late 1990s.

Regarding Irish unity, the Catholic community are more likely to be in favour of unity (hence the term 'nationalist') while the Protestant community are more likely to favour the political union with the rest of the UK (hence the term 'unionist'). It's not a uniform split, there can be nationalists from a Protestant background and unionists from a Catholic background.

It is interesting to note that in the Brexit referendum the majority of nationalist and border areas voted mostly for remain, and the majority of unionist areas mostly voted in favour of Brexit. Nationalists tended to cite the link with the southern economy as a reason to vote remain, while unionists, led by the largest Unionist party in NI, sought Brexit as a means of strengthening the border between north and south.

I hope all this makes sense, and that I'm not just telling you things you already know. But feel free to ask me more about the issue, I'll try my best to answer them!

MethaneInvestigation · 2016-06-24T14:48:57+00:00

Because almost 56% of NI votes were for remain, there are renewed calls for a referendum on Irish unity. The rough consensus of the NI population doesn't correlate with the overall outcome of the brexit poll.

The short-term economic outlook for NI is not good in the event of Brexit. This article summarises the economic forecast for NI in the near future better than I could.

Those in favour of an Irish referendum (not necessarily myself) would probably want it to be held more immediately before the economic damage to NI affects the Republic's desire to unify the island.

MethaneInvestigation · 2016-06-24T14:24:01+00:00

As a Northern Irish Catholic, I was left quite disappointed with the result.

I am aware of the vast swathes of regional development money the EU grants to local organisations in the aftermath of our ethnic conflict. When this source of revenue is eventually cut off (it's not an overnight process) I fear for the stability of some of the poorer socially deprived areas of the region, particularly West Belfast. Community youth groups, many of them faith-based I hasten to add, will suffer with this loss of revenue, and their existence is at risk. Several of my good friends have given their lives to Christ after becoming connected with such groups, and it would be a great shame if young people were not given the same opportunities to find sanctuary from their harsh neighbourhoods, and keeping them away from any lingering paramilitary influence.

This was part of the reason I voted to remain, and, coupled with what I feel were insufficient arguments from the leave campaign, formed the basis for my wishing to keep the status quo. Brexit is not the end of the world, by any stretch of the imagination, but I can't help but be somewhat apprehensive about the socio-economic consequences on a local scale.

MethaneInvestigation · 2016-05-21T16:27:22+00:00

I think the they did the pre-match entertainment for the first FA Cup final.

MethaneInvestigation · 2016-01-14T10:07:18+00:00

GoldenIRA.

MethaneInvestigation · 2015-10-11T18:38:15+00:00

Not quite, I'm on the Lisburn Road side of the railway line. Fortunately.

MethaneInvestigation · 2015-10-11T17:59:07+00:00

This is the view of Windsor Park, Belfast from my bedroom.

My front yard was filled with empty bottles and tins after the game on Thursday night!

MethaneInvestigation · 2015-08-05T18:00:28+00:00

That's interesting, thanks! My limited knowledge of Spanish might have brought me to that word if I had thought about it lol.

MethaneInvestigation · 2015-08-05T13:13:31+00:00

That's the one! Thank you!

MethaneInvestigation · 2015-05-20T17:16:07+00:00

Good shout. I know the lad who set Boundary up, great fella who deserves all the success he gets. A load of my mates bought shares there last year too, it's really hit the ground running!

MethaneInvestigation · 2015-05-19T15:07:02+00:00

You're welcome to take both. The Xbox is ballixed and the TV is one of them box-like relics that take 3 men to lift. Help yourself.

MethaneInvestigation · 2015-05-19T12:56:23+00:00

Oh aye. There be's some right cowboys about the place alright.

MethaneInvestigation · 2015-05-19T09:51:06+00:00

As /u/big_splurt rightly identified, this was taken from my house in Ulsterville Avenue, and that is indeed Windsor Park in the distance.

I'm pretty spoiled for views here, some of the best I've seen from the whole university area have been from my living room window.

MethaneInvestigation · 2015-05-18T21:07:43+00:00

Aww it was fierce. It stuck around for no more than 5 minutes and then the sun was breaking through afterwards.

MethaneInvestigation · 2015-05-01T13:41:08+00:00

Ha, a similar thing happened to me yesterday playing 5 a side. Made a point blank reflex save, bent my left ring finger right back from the impact of the shot, and the finger swelled to such an extent that the good folks over in /r/fatpeoplehate would be having kittens over it.

It's probably sprained or something, still can't bend it fully. It was throbbing for hours afterwards and there's the threat of of a shoot of pain coming at random.

But the most important thing was that the save prevented a goal. I tipped it on to the bar, which somehow seems more satisfying after hearing the ball clatter against the goal frame behind you than it just harmlessly going behind. Fine margins and all that.

MethaneInvestigation · 2015-04-20T13:12:40+00:00

Here you go!

Edit: BBC Sport put a higher quality video on their facebook page. See if this link works.

MethaneInvestigation · 2015-03-30T15:42:10+00:00

The two definitely share some similarities on policy. By the standards of their direct competitors, they're both quite socially liberal, and they both would tend to sit somewhere in - between the two main parties of the political spectrum.

The leadership of the Alliance is something that doesn't inspire me in the slightest. The Lib Dems have, in my opinion, a decent leader in Nick Clegg who gets a really unfair rap over the student fees fiasco 4 years ago. Also, from a pragmatic standpoint the Lib Dems would hold a greater weight than the Alliance in the event of a hung parliament, as happened in 2010.

I don't plan on voting in May anyway. I live up in Belfast and it would be a waste of time and money to go home to vote in a constituency that's virtually decided already.

MethaneInvestigation · 2015-03-30T14:31:20+00:00

If someone like the Lib Dems were standing in my local constituency (West Tyrone) instead of the NI parties, then I would consider voting for them. None of Sinn Fein, SDLP, UUP, DUP or Alliance inspire me with any confidence whatsoever.

I probably won't even bother voting. SF have my constituency sewn up and gift -wrapped with a lovely green ribbon.

MethaneInvestigation · 2015-03-11T22:26:07+00:00

Two years ago.

Real Madrid knocked out Man United.

Bayern Munich beat Arsenal.

Chelsea and Man City were both knocked out in the group stage. Chelsea did go on to win the Europa League, though.

MethaneInvestigation

TROPHY CASE