Deal to remove Northern Ireland sectarian walls

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**Dreadclaw69**

For some reason I haven't yet seen this reported on the BBC news site, or other Northern Irish media yet

http://news.yahoo.com/deal-remove-northern-ireland-sectarian-walls-precedes-g8-231203737.html

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain and Northern Ireland will unveil an agreement on Friday aimed at removing physical walls separating Catholic and Protestant communities in the British province over the next 10 years.

The agreement comes as Northern Ireland, which along with Britain is part of the United Kingdom, will be the setting next week for a meeting of the world's eight major economies (G8).

The meeting will be chaired by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who is hoping to use it to attract investment to the economically struggling province.

In the deal aimed at breaking down economic and physical barriers left behind by the region's troubled past, the Catholic and Protestant communities will also agree to boost investment and temporarily allow Northern Ireland to borrow more money.

The region will also get help to develop its infrastructure and to create new jobs.

"This agreement is a symbol of our ambitious vision for Northern Ireland - a genuinely shared society that is fulfilling its economic potential and strengthening the foundations for peace, stability and prosperity for the future," Cameron said.

A 1998 peace deal largely ended more than three decades of violence in the province between mainly Catholic Irish nationalists seeking union with Ireland and predominantly Protestant Loyalists who want to remain part of the UK.

Cameron and the head of the devolved Northern Irish government Peter Robinson will meet in London to agree the deal ahead of the G8 meeting.

The agreement will include new regeneration programs and measures to better integrate Catholic and Protestant schools and housing, while paving the way for former defense ministry houses and land to be used for civilian purposes.

**Frazzled**

Is Northern Ireland part of the Irish free state or still part of Britain?

Am I the only one who thinks they should merge with Iceland, and required to assume Scandinavian names?

(Visions of black haired "Svenssons" shouting at each other in horrible accents while eating "Icelandic stew" dance like sugar plum fairies in my head)

**Dreadclaw69**

Frazzled wrote:
Is Northern Ireland part of the Irish free state or still part of Britain?

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. Great Britain is England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom is Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The British Isles are the islands of Britain and Ireland. Fun isn't it

And calling the Republic of Ireland the Free State and land you in trouble in certain parts of the Republic

We could have McSvennsons, and O'Svennsons, and some God-awful Gaelic versions of the names

I think Iceland might be one of the few places with less sunlight than Ireland too

**Frazzled**

Wait, whats the correct name for Ireland then? I thought it was Irish Free State. My knowledge of Irish history is limited to films with Liam Neeson and John Wayne.

**purplefood**

Ireland is the island.
There is the republic of Ireland (Independent from the UK and Great Britain)
There is also Northern Ireland (Part of the UK but not Great Britain)

**Dreadclaw69**

Frazzled wrote:
Wait, whats the correct name for Ireland then? I thought it was Irish Free State. My knowledge of Irish history is limited to films with Liam Neeson and John Wayne.

It's the Republic of Ireland

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Free_State

The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann Irish pronunciation: [sˠiːɾˠsˠˈt̪ˠaːt̪ˠ eːɾʲən̪ˠ]; 6 December 1922 – 29 December 1937) was the state established in 1922 as a Dominion of the British Empire under the Anglo-Irish Treaty signed by British and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand.[2] On the day the Irish Free State was established, it comprised the entire island of Ireland, but as expected Northern Ireland almost immediately exercised its right under the treaty to remove itself from the new state. The Irish Free State effectively replaced both the self-proclaimed Irish Republic (founded 21 January 1919) and the Provisional Government of Southern Ireland. W. T. Cosgrave, the first President of the Irish Free State had led both of these "governments" since August 1922.

The Irish Free State came to an end in 1937, when the citizens voted by referendum to replace the 1922 constitution. It was succeeded by the sovereign and current state of Ireland, which until 1949 was often referred to as Eire.

It gets confusing at times

**ArbitorIan**

Yeah.

The British Isles are the whole group of islands off the coast of western Europe. Ireland and Great Britain are the names of the two biggest islands.

There are two nations in the British Isles - The United Kingdom (comprising Great Britain, the northern part of Ireland and the surrounding small islands) and the Republic of Ireland (comprising the majority of Ireland and the surrounding small islands)

Great Britain (the island) is where the majority of England, Scotland and Wales are.

**Frazzled**

Cool.
So its just Scotland, England, and Wales, or do they have speciifc names too?

**ArbitorIan**

No, Scotland, England and Wales are generally just called Scotland, England and Wales. Technically, the first two are Kingdoms and the last is a Principality.

In function, it's easier to think of the UK as a nation state comprised of a collection of US-style 'states', where England is Washington DC. Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland have their own local parliament/assembly which can set local laws, and govern over local matters. The parliament in London (which presides over law in England) is actually voted for by everyone in the UK, and also presides over international/foreign affairs. The head of the parliament in London is the Prime Minister.

Of course, technically all four are 'countries' in their own right, so they all field, for example, national football teams.

Ireland is MUCH easier. It's one state, on mostly one bit of land, with one national team for everything.

Phew...

**Dreadclaw69**

ArbitorIan wrote:
Ireland is MUCH easier. It's one state, on mostly one bit of land, with one national team for everything.

Phew...

But each county in Ireland has its own unique, and sometimes impossible to understand, accent

**Frazzled**

ArbitorIan wrote:
No, Scotland, England and Wales are generally just called Scotland, England and Wales. Technically, the first two are Kingdoms and the last is a Principality.

In function, it's easier to think of the UK as a nation state comprised of a collection of US-style 'states', where England is Washington DC. Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland have their own local parliament/assembly which can set local laws, and govern over local matters. The parliament in London (which presides over law in England) is actually voted for by everyone in the UK, and also presides over international/foreign affairs. The head of the parliament in London is the Prime Minister.

Of course, technically all four are 'countries' in their own right, so they all field, for example, national football teams.

Ireland is MUCH easier. It's one state, on mostly one bit of land, with one national team for everything.

Phew...

So the Irish Republic (aka main ireland) is it a separate country? I thought it was under the EU.

**Dreadclaw69**

Frazzled wrote:
So the Irish Republic (aka main ireland) is it a separate country? I thought it was under the EU.

It is a separate sovereign country, but still a part of the EU

**purplefood**

You can be a part of the EU and still be a country...

**Wyrmalla**

You can be part of NATO and still be a country.... The EU isn't the CCCP, despite how much people think it'll be a super state or whatever in fifty years. =P

**ArbitorIan**

Frazzled wrote:
So the Irish Republic (aka main ireland) is it a separate country? I thought it was under the EU.

Both the UK and Ireland are part of the EU - the EU is a sort of a league of nations, a bit like NATO or the UN (but more regional and less defense based). Within the EU, you can move and work where you like without a VISA, and many of the EU countries also share a single currency. The EU has a parliament, which mostly tries to regulate trade laws and human rights laws across the member states. It's ability to govern the individual local affairs of each state is pretty limited, though.

You might have got this impression because Ireland opted into the single currency (the Euro), while the UK opted out of it, and there's been a lot of trouble with the Euro recently. So, Ireland is part of what we call 'the Eurozone' - the area which uses the Euro as a currency.

**Frazzled**

Sorry to be clear, I thought it was an independent country because it was part of the EU.

**purplefood**

The republic of Ireland was formed a long time before the EU...

**Frazzled**

I caught that...jeez my point was that it was part of an organization made up of coutries, therefore I thought it was a country...

**purplefood**

You managed to say the exact opposite...

**Dreadclaw69**

So is it bad that I got what Frazz meant

Either way, mystery solved

**Breotan**

Okay, Frazzled. Here is a little tutorial to help you get this stuff sorted out.