What are the differences and likenesses between North Ireland and the Republic?

Question

I'm Irish and would like to know more of my heritage. I looked at wiki and answers.com, but all that seems complicated. I am a Baptist, so I would have to live in North Ireland, right? Why don't they just combine to form just IRELAND?

Answer 1

Whatever the ESPYs are, the picture they showed of Ireland is wrong.  People in the republic couldn't care less what religion you are, as long as you don't try to convert them.  There are many different religions here, though the majority are Catholic.  The conflict in the North is primarily political rather than religious.

Answer 2

I think the 'picture' the OP is referring to is the images from the Holy Cross school from a couple of years ago.

Answer 3

You can live anywhere in Ireland if you are a Baptist, except maybe in some tiny working-class parts of Belfast or Derry where you might find things a bit difficult.

Your remark is a bit like saying "I'm black, so I have to live in Harlem, right?"

As to whether they should just combine to form just IRELAND, you need an in-depth knowledge of the last thousand years of Irish history, and even then you might not be able to answer that question.

Maybe you need to do a bit of research on media studies :-) Just because you see one bad thing on TV doesn't mean it's happening all over the country!

Answer 4

no; some of my best friends are baptists and THEY live in the Republic of Ireland.  Ditto protestants, muslims, mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses (all friends of mine and living here in the republic of Ireland).

I am not sure what you heard about the Republic, but religious persecution DOES not happen here.

You might still run into problems in certain areas of Nothern Ireland such as West/East Belfast and Derry (bogside, waterside).  Problems related to religion can still happen from time to time up there, unfortunately :(

You ask why Northern Ireland and the Republic don't just combine to form IRELAND?? Well the problem is that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and the majority of the people living in Northern Ireland want it to remain that way (and last time i looked Northern Ireland was a democracy).  

imo there is probably more chance of the USA becoming part of Canada  or North Korea combing with south korea than Northern Ireland combining with the Republic

Answer 5

As a Baptist you wouldn't HAVE to live in the North - there are many Baptists (and various other religions) in the south also.

As to why they don't combine that's difficult because the Protestant Unionists in the North believe that the North should remain tied to the British Crown. The Catholic Nationalists would like a united Ireland. At present Northern Ireland has a devolved (semi-independent) government where the Nationalists and the Unionists govern the province together. Residents in the North can also choose whether they want British or Irish citizenship.

I recomment you take a look at this BBC website instead if wiki it may explain things better and more accurately

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_repor...

Hope this helps.