Totally agree. Our unionist neighbours in Ireland are trying to copper fasten the agreements with both the republic & nationalists in the North. It should be embraced & they should be considered whenever there is united rhetoric on the agenda.

Yes, and make an all ireland soccer team

Mark, you really are so bloody ignorant. I am a SF voter, and would have no issue with the 12th being celebrated. Only a FG Blueshirt would make such a stupid comment.

There is a march in the South every 12th and have been for some time. There is one in Donegal every year that has a huge attendance by all accounts. http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0709/orange_parade.html http://www.irishdigest.com/rossnowlagh-orangemen-thanks-for-dignified-welcome-for-queen/

I’m aware of that Brian, just I’m speaking that it should be recognised as an official day if we want to respect everyones views.

Come on Cal, don’t call me ignorant when your party can’t even do the very basic things like meeting the Queen last year, an ultimate act of reconciliation. If you had no problem with the 12th there would be no parades commission either.

Mark. What Cal said.

People like you have done a lot to keep the poison flowing over the years.

Isn’t it very indicative, that the only sour grapes that are coming out about this is not from Northern Unionists or any Republican. People who lived through the conflict and all the discrimination and poison. No, it is from a person who read about it each week in the Sunday papers or saw it on TV.

It must have been awful hard on you Mark and the people on both sides who lost family etc getting all the attention. They might be going soft but you’ll keep the flag flying!

Screw the begrudgers we have had enough of your poison.

I can’t see people in the south wanting to build large bonefires and decking them up with irish flags and emblems and setting them alight.The 12 th is not the same as paddys day on a global scale.

Oh so you have to live through it to have an opinion? How do you know I didn’t lose friends or family? and even if I did, don’t presume that I would have let it poison me.

I’ve shown no sour grapes, read my comments, I applaud everything Peter Robinson has done. I’m asking for something in return as a nation and thats recognising that we need to celebrate a day. After all there is a significant protestant population in the whole of the country. Tell me whats wrong with that?

Your comments are way off the mark.

Folks, I might suggest that people try to let people bygones be bygones here? Ta.

Gavan thats what my initial comment was inferring!

mcbab, Did you know that approximately 7 million people living in Britain consider themselves Irish and are entitled to Irish citizenship? St Paddys day is a celbration all over the world of all things Irish. They dont distinguish between Northen or Southern Irish…

Mark I have no problem with reciprocating the 12 th as a holiday but as a public holiday? There are only 9 lodges in the Republic and most don’t march. Also in terms of membership I don’t know how many members there are but at a guess I would say about a thousand. Not every Protestant is a member of a lodge or even wants to celebrate the 12th. With this in mind do we really want to shut down the country for a small minority? I think that official recognition should be given to it but I would not go as for as a public Holiday.

Brian again I agree with you. I’m just suggesting some sort of gesture maybe in the short to medium term which we do at the moment. Ian Paisley visiting Bertie Ahern at the Boyne visitor centre etc. Mary McAleese was also excellent during her tenure in having Unionists visit on the 12th.

Maybe I didn’t make myself clear, I meant from a longer term perspective it would have to be a national holiday if we were a 32 county republic. In the event of a 32 county republic, can’t ignore the tradition of 700,000 people.

I understand that people view the 12th as triumphalist etc but I just think in the future its something that needs to happen.

I also didn’t mean to draw comparisons with St Patricks day, it is as you rightly said completely different.

I have no problem with the 12th being made a holiday, nor has any Republican I know whether they are Catholic or Protestant. Move the June bank holiday to the following week done. As is the state give the Orange Order quiet substantial grants each year. The order not being able to get EU funding due to its sectarian constitution. If they get rid of the 16th C. sectarianism then all for it, they don’t have to change much but they have to be treated the same as any other org. and bound by the same rules.

Thats a fair point regarding the sectarian issue Deirdre.

Ah yeah I got you now Mark that makes sense.

Brian: Martin McGuinness might criticize you for having a partitionist mentality. Don’t forget the Protestants of the north. Plenty of orange lodges up there. In anticipation of a politically united Ireland, surely, official recognition of July 12th as a holiday in the 26 counties would be a fine thing.

Paul I think you misunderstood my last comment when I said “I got you now Mark that makes sense”. That was in response to Marks comment ” from a longer term perspective it would have to be a national holiday if we were a 32 county republic.” Just said I’d clear that up.

It should be a week-end event celebrating irish culture,something like the west indian parade celebrates its culture,for too long the irish in the u.k have been in the dark,let them express their heritage if the wish too.

There is always one Lisa ….. and you are it …. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Are you taking the piss Lisa or just really stupid? As a Protestant who grew up in the Republic of Ireland, lived there all of my life and has celebrated St. Patrick’s Day every year, I find your comment offensive and repugnant.

My understanding is that Patrick is the patron saint of the entire island. The Church of Ireland national school I attended was called St. Patrick’s National School. The holiday is central to my identity as an Irish person. So tell me Lisa, why exactly do you think I don’t have a right to celebrate a national holiday? Why does your being a Catholic somehow mean you are more Irish than me? Do you speak our national language with any fluency? I do, can you say the same?

I think you owe myself and other people of a Protestant background a huge apology for your vile bigotry. I very much doubt you have the mettle to do so!

oh dear Lisa you really dropped the ball with that comment, need i mention Wolfetone was a protestant to name but one famous Irish protestant. tut tut