Most Irish Catholics suported James II simply because he was a Catholic: the Williamite Wars were not about Irish indpendence but about the religion of the Monarch. Independence was never an issue until 1798. If James had won at Boyne, Augrhrim and Limerick, Ireland would have had a British Catholic king, rather than a Protestant one, but it would still have been part of the United Kingdom.

The position of NI is very simple: nothing to do with the EU or captalism or social class, or economics: because of their differing cultures and religions most Catholics want a united Ireland and most Protestants don't. The question is what to do about it? Hammer out a political accommodation (like the Good Friday Argreement) or resort to violence, in the process handing over power to ruthless gangsters on both sides and setting back even further the very fabric of society.