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From ITV (https://www.itv.com/news/utv/2021-04-13/minister-concerned-after-burning-car-left-on-railway-track)


Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom - thus this post is in "Wider Picture UK" and not "Wider Picture Overseas".

But I am moving on to a personal comment here that I look at the situation and wider events with deep despair rather than any optimism at all. In my view, while the UK was a part of the EU, there was a reducing importance of borders both within the island of Ireland, and on the Irish Sea, and a real ongoing development of the province within the greater Europe which pointed towards a much more peaceful future for the future than we have seen in the past.  Sadly, Brexit has re-enforced those borders that had faded over the past couple of decades, and the peaceful route forward which was there and pretty well working for the most part has been torn asunder. Depressing.

I should add - I appreciate that there were many other issues involved in the choice that voters made for the UK to leave Europe, and I suspect that few people who voted to leave actually took too much notice of the effect of their vote on Northern Ireland - a place which I suspect a minority of English people (written carefully - English not British) have visited.

Poll - NOT asking for political votes, purely to inform on travel / visits to Northern Ireland of our members.

An outcome I feared and projected

Completely agree with you.

I don’t believe the “pro -Brexit” politicians even thought about Northern Ireland for more than a few seconds. 

Completely foreseeable issues unfortunately...

Politics means a lot more in Northern Ireland than it does in England, and always has. Borders of any kind are a major issue, and the London government didn't get it. Years ago, border posts arrived, and were attacked. The police were sent to protect the posts, and ultimately the army was sent to protect the police. Smuggling flourished, and darker forces took advantage. I sincerely hope that we never end up in that situation again, not even if I have my own family border post.

(https://i0.wp.com/www.irishcatholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/border-ireland-e1553621185832.png?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=1)

I do wish people would stop using this photo staged by the Ulster Unionists/Brexit supporters.

Part of the problem is that politicians both sides of the water have not been open and honest about Brexit and its implications to the people of Northern Ireland.

I did think that photo looked odd. There'd be no point stopping cyclists (you surely still don't need a passport to cross the border so nothing to check?) and the official is wearing something resembling a 1970s London Underground Station Inspector's uniform...

I'll tell the rest of my family. :)

(I suppose you need to know a little more about me to understand why. That "K" has to stand for something.)

Very interesting comment.  The last time I was in Northern Ireland was in 2019 - well before Brexit was implemented.

I rode the train from Dublin to Belfast - no checks, just like a domestic journey even though it was international.  I then took the ferry from Belfast (gawd it's a long walk from Belfast Central!) to Birkenhead - a domestic journey, and on arrival at Birkenhead I was grilled by a member of the security forces and asked for ID as if it was an international journey. 

Great temptation was to ask why passengers on this domestic journey were being challenged (never had it on the Isle of Wight ferry!) but with an advance fare train to catch at Lime Street and a meeting (remember them?) in London, I decided to go along with answers to intrusive questions.

Poll closed ... "How often have you visited Northern Ireland?
Never.   - 17 (42.5%)
Just once   - 14 (35%)
A few times   - 8 (20%)
Quite often   - 0 (0%)
Frequently   - 1 (2.5%)
I live there   - 0 (0%)

As noted at the start, this was very much a fact-finding poll, and not seeking an opinion.   The shape of the result (far move people hardly been there than regulars) is not a surprise, but the magnitude of the difference is.

I dispair / have no magic answer I can suggest to troubles.  While Ireland and Great Britain were growing even closer, the troubles were less.  Now with the British decision to separate, it's being torn apart.

I am aware I didn't ask a second "control" question ... I wonder what "how often have you visited Scotland" would reveal?

I would be interested to see the answers......

Question asked ... answer at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=24906.msg304899#msg304899