A Question of Sport?

[Ptarmigan]

Dalriada reborn perhaps?

Today’s European Pipe Bands Championships, which are being held in Lisburn, Co Antrim again, could be a fascinating battle of the giants.

Euro piping contest in Lisburn

The Grade 1 contest between the current World Champions, Field Marshall Montgomery & their rivals, Dublin based St Lawrence O’Toole, who have been sweeping all before them this year, by so far winning the Scottish & the All British titles.

St Laurence O'Toole in British title triumph

So, it seems that not only do the Irish show the Scots how to play Golf, but they also thrash them when it comes to their beloved Bagpipes!

Perhaps this love of Scottish pastimes, by the Irish, indicates that if & when Scotland gains it’s independence, N. I. would be better served perhaps by severing it’s links with England & becoming a province of Scotland instead, re-establishing the old kingdom of Dalriada, if you like?

Now just imagine what that would do for the current Ulster Scots movement?

All those in favour say AYE?

[emdee]

It's interesting to think that that might be a possibility in the political sense. I had never thought of that before! Stranger things have happened, but when one thinks about it, Glaswegians are as different from Aberdonians or Dundonians, or Stornowegians as they all are from the folks in Ulster, and there are also historical connections.

Of course, if the ferry was up and running, it would help.

Whilst not being an anglophobe, I feel that a lot of the problems of the UK are generated by England being an overpopulated country. Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales are certainly not. Most of the countries in northern Europe are sparsely populated. Without even looking at figures. As a graduate in Rural Development, I can see that (parts of) England are being subsidised (or more correctly, sustained) by other parts of the UK, namely???

Unfortunately, the human lifespan is not long enough to see things in their long term perspective, and the real political changes take place over maybe hundreds of years. Things may return to previous political allegiances, maybe we will see it, maybe we will not.