# It's Ulster Day! \[09-29-2012\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 29, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249 "2012-09-29T19:53:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/21 "2012-10-02T22:46:15Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > If you’ll allow me to indulge the hypothetical again, in an all-island political system the Catholic church couldn’t have been nearly as powerful and influential as it remained through much of the 20th century in the South. Unionist/Protestant voters would have represented a significant bloc providing a balance against Church influence. There was mutual distrust on both sides going back centuries so it was perhaps inevitable that a split had to happen, it’s sad though. Now that’s something I can agree with and it’s a very nice hypothetical! ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/22 "2012-10-03T02:40:56Z")
Has the Northern Irish accent mellowed and generalized in recent years? I spoke to a woman in Ulster the other day and I couldn’t tell if she were Protestant or Catholic and, unlike Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams, I had no desire to punch her in the mouth just listening to her. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/23 "2012-10-11T02:04:22Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Has the Northern Irish accent mellowed and generalized in recent years? I spoke to a woman in Ulster the other day and I couldn’t tell if she were Protestant or Catholic and, unlike Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams, I had no desire to punch her in the mouth just listening to her. 😉 Hey they have lovely accents up there, ya hater. 🙂 Ian Paisley is a bit of an outlier even as NI is concerned. And for years Adams spoke so awfully they didn’t allow him speak in his own voice on the telly or radio. I’m sure accents there, like most parts of the english speaking world have mellowed a bit over the years. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/24 "2012-10-11T02:42:08Z")
Knew a woman from Derry/Londonderry\* with an accent and voice that could make time stand still. Unfortunately, she had a face that could stop a clock. - - Or is that Londonderry/Derry? I’d hate to pick sides, especially now that most everybody is playing nice and I no longer wish to nuke the fucking country from orbit because it annoyed me. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/25 "2012-10-11T03:02:15Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Knew a woman from Derry/Londonderry\* with an accent and voice that could make time stand still. Unfortunately, she had a face that could stop a clock. > > - > - Or is that Londonderry/Derry? I’d hate to pick sides, especially now that most everybody is playing nice and I no longer wish to nuke the fucking country from orbit because it annoyed me. L’Derry is my preferred term. 🙂 You wanted to nuke a country from orbit? Harsh. ---
**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/26 "2012-10-11T04:50:58Z")
It’s really called Ulster Day? Sucks for the people in Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/27 "2012-10-11T05:02:47Z")
> [@gatorslap](#): > > It’s really called Ulster Day? > > Sucks for the people in Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan. I think that’s a term LC Strawhouse made up. ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/28 "2012-10-11T09:29:33Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > . And for years Adams spoke so awfully they didn’t allow him speak in his own voice on the telly or radio. I’m sure accents there, like most parts of the english speaking world have mellowed a bit over the years. I thought that was because of a law banning the BBC from giving “terrorists”airtime. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/29 "2012-10-11T11:09:37Z")
> [@willthekittensurvive](#): > > I thought that was because of a law banning the BBC from giving “terrorists”airtime. There was a daft piece of legislation passed that meant that broadcasters could report the words of Gerry Adams, but not use recordings of Gerry Adams saying them. This lead to a boom in job opportunities for Irish voice-over actors. This whole idiocy was parodied quite nicely here: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UOUeauLWEaE/hqdefault.jpg "The Day Today - IRA") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOUeauLWEaE) ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/30 "2012-10-11T19:11:46Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I think that’s a term LC Strawhouse made up. I didn’t make up “Ulster Day”, I got it from the news articles. [example](http://www.newsletter.co.uk/community/letters/anniversary-of-ulster-day-was-historic-occasion-1-4324150) [example](http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/ulster_covenant/ulster_day.htm) [example from 2006](http://www.ballymenatimes.com/news/local/ulster-day-parade-in-ballymena-1-1902571) ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/31 "2012-10-12T01:21:49Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > You wanted to nuke a country from orbit? Harsh. (shrug) Northern Ireland, as a nation, was really annoying in the '70s and '80s, and when you have the nukes you sometimes feel a need to use them. It’s human nature. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/32 "2012-10-12T02:06:13Z")
Wow, **dropzone**. Quite the nice username-post combo there. Although it doesn’t sound like it’s a supply drop. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/33 "2012-10-12T02:09:12Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > (shrug) Northern Ireland, as a nation, was really annoying in the '70s and '80s, and when you have the nukes you sometimes feel a need to use them. It’s human nature. Looking back on it, the North American coverage of NI was utterly misleading in the 1980s, probably because of the Cold War influence on the news. I remember the NI conflict being presented as some simplistic battle between “rebels” and Margaret Thatcher’s soldiers from London. One could probably watch the news for ten years and not realize that the long standing majority unionist population in NI even existed. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/34 "2012-10-12T02:30:15Z")
Nah. I knew all that. I was just sick of it. That happened when you lived in Chicago, a home for plenty of old IRA wannabes. I wanted to kill the lot of them. There was an outfit down the street that brought over Protestant and Catholic children for vacations in a place where the two groups got along. It doesn’t exist anymore. I hope it’s because it isn’t needed anymore. A few years back I recall a news story out of NI about some sort of government water treatment scandal, or something, that was dominating the news. One person said something like, “Isn’t it grand? We’re finally a real country with real country problems!” Hardened cynic that I might be (but I’m not), quick with The Button that I might be (but I’m not), it brought a tear to this part-Irish mutt’s eye. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/35 "2012-10-13T07:07:08Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > I didn’t make up “Ulster Day”, I got it from the news articles. > > [example](http://www.newsletter.co.uk/community/letters/anniversary-of-ulster-day-was-historic-occasion-1-4324150) > > [example](http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/ulster_covenant/ulster_day.htm) > > [example from 2006](http://www.ballymenatimes.com/news/local/ulster-day-parade-in-ballymena-1-1902571) Oops sorry, i honestly thought you’d come up with that. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/36 "2012-10-13T07:13:11Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > Looking back on it, the North American coverage of NI was utterly misleading in the 1980s, probably because of the Cold War influence on the news. I remember the NI conflict being presented as some simplistic battle between “rebels” and Margaret Thatcher’s soldiers from London. One could probably watch the news for ten years and not realize that the long standing majority unionist population in NI even existed. Nor that they had subjected the Catholic minority to second class nationhood. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/37 "2012-10-13T15:13:41Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Nor that they had subjected the Catholic minority to second class nationhood. I hope you’ll forgive some shameless [whataboutery](http://www.impartialreporter.com/news/roundup/articles/2012/09/27/398183-memories-of-attacks-cause-hurt-to-this-day/) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/38 "2012-10-13T21:23:39Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > I hope you’ll forgive some shameless [whataboutery](http://www.impartialreporter.com/news/roundup/articles/2012/09/27/398183-memories-of-attacks-cause-hurt-to-this-day/) Well what about it? What is your opinion of the article you posted? No doubt people from all communities in the north suffered in the Troubles. It’s not something I’ve disputed or would wish to dispute. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/39 "2012-10-14T01:14:41Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Well what about it? What is your opinion of the article you posted? > > No doubt people from all communities in the north suffered in the Troubles. It’s not something I’ve disputed or would wish to dispute. I think it illustrates that neither group can be accused of living the high life over the other when you look at the context across the whole island. Even the border between NI/ROI is apparently somewhat porous, and those Prod farmers weren’t subjugating anybody. Side note - the “Ulster-Scots language” is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen, I saw it on some NI government pamphlets and was giggling like a little kid the rest of the day. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249/40 "2012-10-14T01:45:51Z")
Oh. Politics. Not clothing. Carry on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ulster-day-09-29-2012/636249.md?page=3)