Apologies pressed the submit button too early:

John Redmond in 1914:
"Irish nationalists can never be the assenting parties to the mutilation of the Irish nation. The two nation theory is to us an abomination and a blasphemy."

1: I think in reading that it is perfectly obvious to all and sundry that John Redmond is speaking for "Irish nationalists" - he was most definitely NOT speaking for the entire nation.

2: Speaking as he was in 1914 John Redmond would be painfully aware of the fact that rather a large minority of Irishmen and Irishwomen wanted absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with an Independent united Ireland. While a two nation "theory" (Note the use of that word "Theory") might be an abomination and a blasphemy to an Irish Nationalist it would not be to an Irish Unionist.

Any argument with any of that?

Am I the only one to note the incongruity of the nationalists demanding their right to self-determination while at the same time denying that self-same right to the Unionists?

My response:

"Cannot really see why it should be such an abomination, they were never a united nation prior to the arrival of the Normans, they were a collection of small kingdoms."

A simple observation and a plain statement of fact that you Jim Carroll seem to agree with judging by what you stated Date: 19 May 16 - 09:36 AM.