( A six to seven-minute read)

THIS IS MY HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDING.

CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG.

In October 1921 Lord George convened a conference in London in which he and other leading statesmen of Britain met with Irish envoys of the De Valera’s Irish Government.

The resulting treaty signed on the 6 of December recognized the Free State of Ireland as a dominion with full powers of self-government and determination but leaving England the control of certain harbors for purposes of defense.

This treaty which created the Irish Free State had a clause which ensured that Northern Ireland could opt out of the deal – which they did.

SO THE DEMAND FOR AN OUT AND OUT REPUBLIC WAS DROPPED AND THE RIGHT TO MAINTAIN ITS OWN EXCLUSION FROM IRELAND WAS ADMITTED FOR THE UNIT OF SIX COUNTIES CALLED ULSTER WHICH IS NOW CALLED NORTHERN IRELAND.

IN FACT, ULSTER HAD ALREADY VOTED ITSELF OUT OF A UNITED IRELAND AND THOUGH PROVISION WAS MADE FOR RE-UNION UNDER ONE PARLIAMENT AT SOME FUTURE DATE IT WAS A DATE NONE COULD FORESEE.

When De Valera was presented with the terms of the treaty he opposed it however it was ratified on the 7th Jan 1922 by 64 votes to 57.

De Valera resigned and a civil war commenced from the 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923. This conflict followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United Kingdom but within the British Empire.

Northern Ireland was created as a separate legal entity on 3 May 1921 resulting in Ireland partitioned into two states with six of the nine counties of the Province of Ulster remaining in the United Kingdom.

The Unionist politicians to this day refer to Northern Ireland as Ulster which it is not.

Any historical record will show that it is an organized plantation by Great Britain which was begun in 1609. The colonization of Ulster had been proposed since the end of the Nine-year war to reward Scottish subjects loyal to King James with land.

IT LEAD TO THE NATIVE IRISH LOSING THEIR LAND AND TO ETHIC AND SECTARIAN CONFLICT WE HAVE WITTINESS TO THIS DAY.

WHERE ARE WE TODAY.

WITH NORTHERN IRELAND NOW ON THE VERGE OF A NEW WORLD RECORD – FOR NO GOVERNMENT.

The only Brexit supporters are the Democratic Unionists – who opposed marriage equality, opposed language rights and the funding of inquests to victims of the conflict.

AFTER DECADES OF REPUGNANT VIOLENCE ON BOTH SIDE THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT OF TWENTY YEARS AGO DEFERRING MAJOR ISSUES.

THE NEED FOR A VISIBLE BORDER FOR ALL INITIATIVE PURPOSED WAS REMOVED.

HOWEVER, THE CONTINUING INFLICTED HISTORICAL AFTER MATE OF PARTITION HAS NOT COME TO AN END OR HAS IT WITH THE ADVENT OF BREXIT.

The tenuous foundation of the Good Friday agreement is now once more putting the question of reunification back on the agenda.

Why?

Because Northern Ireland vote to stay in the European Union.

THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT UNFORTUNATELY REINFORCES THE UNDERLYING SECTARIANISM THAT EXISTS IN AS MUCH AS IT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE SOURCE OF THE BORDER.  ALTHOUGH IT ACKNOWLEDGES THE CONTINUING AND EQUALLY LEGITIMATE POLITICAL ASPERATIONS OF EACH SIDE AND ALLOWS THE POSSIBILITY OF A REFERENDUM IF THE MAJORITIES IN NORTHERN IRELAND AND IRELAND WANT IT. Brexit is now creating its own type of limbo.

WITH THE IDENTITY ISSUES REOPENING THE BORDER  Neither Unionists or Nationalists are preparing their constituencies for a compromise. This position is profoundly undemocratic. 

The Good Friday agreement belongs only to the people of Ireland north and south – it is not a Tory Brexiteer bargaining chip.

All human comments appreciated. All like clicks chucked in the bin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the first time after seven centuries of British rule