User talk:83.70.220.252

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It is deeply offensive to many and geographically inaccurate to say that Northern Ireland is not Ireland. To make fun of the conflict in NI as you're doing here is not an appropriate thing to do when our goal here is to build an encyclopedia. Please choose your words with more care in the future. Snoutwood (talk) 05:34, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

Did you ever see the comedian Patrick Kielty, he is very popular in Northern Ireland, on both sides of the so called divide. He makes my little attempt at humour seem very mild indeed. Ireland is a sovereign state and it does not include NI, that's the legal position, it's not in my gift to change that. Ireland is also an island and includes NI, and it's not in my gift to change that either. When referring to all of Ireland, or Ireland as an island the term island of Ireland is the more proper usage. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this.83.70.220.252
Hi 83. You asked a question on the Talk:Crack (craic) page, which was this: "NI choose to be British back in 1922. Please make up your minds! Are you Irish or are you British? Or are you both? Really I am getting very confused and bewildered".
The answer isn't quite straightforward. Here is a brief synopsis:
  • Loyalists - British, but not Irish (generally, though there are some exceptions).
  • Unionists - British and Irish (again, there are exceptions. It is analoguous to being British and Scottish, British and English or British and Welsh)
  • Nationalists - Irish not British (though there are some who readily accept that they are de facto British)
  • Republicans - Irish never British. Although they are British by default, they reject it.

Some of the terminolgy:

  • Ulsterman - everyone in Northern Ireland is an Ulsterman (person.. woman..). Because the term has been hijacked to some extent by loyalists and some unionists, this is sometimes not so popular amongst nationalists or republicans, depending on the context. For example, loyalists and some unionists refer to Northern Ireland as "Ulster" - to the exclusion of the other three counties.
  • Brit - quite often used to refer specifically to British soldiers. Also used to refer to unionists.
  • Northern Irish - this is one of the more popular labels that people of NI use to refer to themselves. In various independant polls this term was preferred by a slight majority - even of Roman Catholics - it was more popular than the other terms 'British', 'Irish' and 'Ulster'.
So the short answer to your question is, in my case, both. Forgive me if this explaination seems slightly patronising - that was not my intention. I assumed you know nothing about it only for the sake of clarity in my explaination. --Mal 13:45, 28 April 2006 (UTC)
Not in the slightest bit patronising, and it is very informative, thanks!-83.70.253.125 18:01, 28 April 2006 (UTC)
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