Is It Wrong/Contradictory To Follow "Northern" Ireland?

It's poor reflection that this thread has even been posted.

 

In my experience, from family there, there is stronger support for a unified Ireland in the Catholic community of the North than the South. Just because it's more consequential to them.

Conversely, never really heard much about not supporting Northern Ireland football team, think it's viewed just as part of life there and not really much of a concern either way. More important and fundamental things to worry about.

Not sure it's relevant at all what Celtic fans feel about it in terms of those who actually live in the various parts of Ireland.

 

I disagree with this in a sense anyone born on the island of Ireland can play for Ireland.

 

Thats down to dual nationality for ALL those born on the island due to the citizens act.

Still doesn't wash with me im afraid. Half of Jackie Charltons Ireland team were English.

International football these days is even less stringent; under the rules I could play for the Republic, The North, Scotland, Malta and Italy. Christ I could play Vietnam if they wanted me.

Has little to do with representation imo.

 

I dont see any reason to support northern Ireland unless I was from there and if I was from there I don't see why I wouldn't support them. Though red hand of ulster and all that, i guess thats the key issue here. I know examples like my dad who's from N.I but always followed the republic that seems like a sacrifice to your own country but its not as if he had much choice.

 

Did you know that Ireland was originally discovered by pirates? They saw the island in the distance and said ''arrrr - land!''
We'll call it arrrland and that's how it got it's name.

 

stupid joke from a stupid idiot

 

The way Ireland are going I might have to start supporting the North, ffs
Honestly though, I’ve zero time for the * and I struggle to understand how any non-loyalists can follow them.

 

To be honest, I personally couldn’t care less one way or the other.

I’m all for a United Ireland and think it will eventually come to fruition, but I wouldn’t necessarily look down on anyone who played for the north. We’ve had several over the years and the politics behind it aren’t as simple as north bad, south good. My great grandfather and grandmother came from the north and south respectively and were essentially disowned for marrying a person of a different religion. Ended up in Scotland and eventually the islands to get away from it all.

That said, my biggest problem with Northern Ireland is the bigoted hun following. I’d find it very difficult to get past that. Football has been hijacked a bit for the purpose of British nationalism. In a way it will always be associated with it.

 

No it's no...

 

of course its * wrong and it doesnt need explaining

 

Purely from a political standpoint I think you're 100% spot on there! I was talking to another Irish Celtic fan recently and he told me he doesn't support "Northern" Ireland or the (Republic Of) Ireland because both teams are partitionist. He went on to say that to a TRUE Irish nationalist, there is no "Northern" Ireland and there is no (Republic Of) Ireland, there's just Ireland. And he finished by saying that he only supports Celtic, and the reason is that Celtic are the only team that represent the full 32 counties of Ireland. I think he and you have a very valid point! However, after doing a fair bit of research into this I've noticed more and more people that claim to be Irish (not British) that support both Celtic and "Northern" Ireland, and they do this because the North is the part of the country they're from so they identify with it more and also see it as Irish not British. I'm guessing they were all born after 1998 although I can't be sure of this.

I think Irish fans fall into 1 of 4 categories, the majority support either "Northern" Ireland or (the Republic of) Ireland, a minority support both and another minority support neither, like yourself, and from a nationalist/republican point of view, that is the correct way, but it's a minority I feel. I think most Irish fans just make up the rules as they go along. For instance, there is a myth that (the Republic Of) Ireland is the REAL Irish team, meaning it reps the full 32 counties, but that's not true, it reps 26 of the 32 so it's partitionist too, it's just not under British rule whereas "Northern" Ireland is, that's the only real difference in my opinion. So I suppose what I'm saying is. from what I can gather most Irish fans just do what they feel like doing, especially in 2025 where there seems to be less of a stigma to being an Irish Celtic fan that supports all 3.

 

I agree with everything you've said but is there not also an argument that by supporting both teams you are supporting the full 32 counties of Ireland? Kinda like supporting the national rugby union team does? I think you can still want a united Ireland politically and support a team that reps the missing 6 counties that (the Republic Of) Ireland team does not. Cause at the end of the day, no matter how much some people disagree, the 6 counties are still Irish and part of Ireland, just as much as the other 26.

 

Well it is. But if the mods wanna move the topic that's fine with me.

 

But that's the fans, not the team. The IFA have tried to stamp out sectarian chanting and a lot of it has gone, there are a minority that still do it but then it's the same with Celtic fans and (Republic Of) Ireland fans.

 

Don't see what supporting them, has to do Celtic.

 

Not all of them have, some certainly have in the past, but not in 2025.

The thing is the history of the 2 Irish football teams is very complicated, even without the usual politics. Back when there was an all Ireland team (albeit one that was under British rule) the governing body was the IFA, the same IFA that governs the "Northern" Ireland team today, so they are the original Ireland team. In fact they refused to even refer to themselves as "Northern" Ireland for decades after the partition of the country and claimed they were also repping the full 32 counties. In the 1970s they finally gave in and accepted the name change of the team.

So let's imagine you were an Irish football fan before the border was created, there's a very good chance you would've supported the IFA team, unless you were a diehard republican of course, but let's say you did support the IFA team, when the split happened and the FAI team was created, what would you have done? Switch sides? Abandon the team you'd supported all your life and support the new one? Maybe support both? And Celtic? So it's not quite as straight forward as "the North team are British and the Republic are the real Irish team" which many do think. But I totally get your point about Scotland and GB.

Yeah but that was years ago, not 2025.

But Rangers are a 100% British team, "Northern" Ireland are Irish, even if many of their support don't want them to be.

 

The question is "is it okay to support CELTIC, the (Republic Of) Ireland and "Northern" Ireland in 2025?". So it's a bit of a give away really. But like I say if the mods wanna move it I'm not fussed.

 

Hopefully moved to the bin..

 

Hehehe. You don't HAVE to read it or participate in it, just cause YOU don't like it doesn't mean others don't, if they didn't nobody would participate would they?!