Official- The Orange State is Dead

Surely this is negated somewhat by an increasing number of Catholics wanting to remain in the union and/or identifying as British? 

Hotlips_Hoolahan wrote: Surely this is negated somewhat by an increasing number of Catholics wanting to remain in the union and/or identifying as British?

What it will come down to in a border poll may well be the votes of ethnic minorities, up to 3.4% I think it is now with Poles the largest grouping, and agnostics such as Alliance Party supporters. The bad treatment of ethnic minorities by loyalists may influence their views and a lot of agnostics are now leaning towards constitutional change not least because of Brexit. The prospect of getting back into the EU ( our “precious union”) would certainly be a significant campaigning issue. On top of which, you can never underestimate the stupidity and obduracy of political unionism. So-all good, then.

Edited by Green Cockade - 22 Sep 2022 at 12:55pm

I think its well known that public service is a huge employer in NI and many from the Catholic/Nationalist persuasion have belatedly forged decent paying careers therein. I wonder would that influence the more middle class nationalist thinking if they and their jobs are subsumed into the Republics public service and promotion chances reduced. 

zizu Kilbane wrote: Newryrep wrote: zizu Kilbane wrote: Catholics are now officially in the majority in the 6 counties. Although religion certainly does not equate nationality (also borne out of the census results), this is quite a watershed moment in history of the island.  The 'Protestant State for a Protestant Peope' is dead and not coming back. Whatever happens in the future to the constitutional position of the 6 counties, unionism will no longer be able to play the orange card. Unionism now actually will need the support of a sizable portion of the catholic electorate to maintain the status quo and safeguard the union. That's an incredible thing to witness given the history of the last 100 years on this island. Bryson, Allister et al still haven't copped onto this yet of course. The sh*t fit 167 has been having twitter the last 24 hours is hilarious as it is predictable. Any way, in the words of Yates..'all changed, changed utterly'  Really ? last time i checked 42% wasnt a majority nor indeed is 46% !   Sorry, worded poorly on my part. Catholics are now the largest faith group  in NI, but no faith group has an overall majority as you've pointed out. Still massively significant

BrendanD88 wrote: zizu Kilbane wrote: Newryrep wrote: zizu Kilbane wrote: Catholics are now officially in the majority in the 6 counties. Although religion certainly does not equate nationality (also borne out of the census results), this is quite a watershed moment in history of the island.  The 'Protestant State for a Protestant Peope' is dead and not coming back. Whatever happens in the future to the constitutional position of the 6 counties, unionism will no longer be able to play the orange card. Unionism now actually will need the support of a sizable portion of the catholic electorate to maintain the status quo and safeguard the union. That's an incredible thing to witness given the history of the last 100 years on this island. Bryson, Allister et al still haven't copped onto this yet of course. The sh*t fit 167 has been having twitter the last 24 hours is hilarious as it is predictable. Any way, in the words of Yates..'all changed, changed utterly'  Really ? last time i checked 42% wasnt a majority nor indeed is 46% !   Sorry, worded poorly on my part. Catholics are now the largest faith group  in NI, but no faith group has an overall majority as you've pointed out. Still massively significant  Don’t worry we all knew what you meant! Newryrep is a Unionist so he’s not happy with the Census results.

A lot of Cathics are now identifying as Northern Irish and not nationalists.

The “Northern Irish” category was thrown in as a deliberately mischievous construct. Anyone from Derry, Belfast etc is factually that so you would have literal minded people of a nationalist/ republican ethos ticking that box as well as drum banging Kyle Lafferty types. There is no way of knowing the proportions making up the overall group and the question was designed to that end. What will ultimately seal the fate of this sectarian statelet is the inability of political unionism to reinvent itself sufficiently to include or attract anyone outside the borders of its own inbred paranoid dystopia.

Borussia wrote: Trap junior wrote: A lot of Cathics are now identifying as Northern Irish and not nationalists. United Eire still miles off.  A premature referendum would actually do the cause more damage imo. I would concur with this. A lot of people in the census identify across multiple categories e.g. Irish & Northern Irish, Irish & British etc. I think over time that trend may well continue.