Consider that you are voting...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

How can they tell if you're Catholic or Protestant and thus in the "wrong" group when you're in an area?

Northern Ireland is a pretty small place and neighborhoods are very tightly knit (unlike the U.S.)  People know when you are not one of "them".  Also don't be stupid enough to wear the wrong soccer jersey in the wrong neighborhood- that can get ugly.

Over 90% of inner city Belfast is segregated IIRC

[patrick1]

well the situation isn't as bad now. Catholics taking over would basically be a Zimbabwe solution, you go from mistreating one group to mistreating another. Given the choice between a fairly socially progressive country like the UK, and a country as socially conservative as the Republican of Ireland, I'll take the UK any day.

That would not happen- pure 100% Loyalist paranoia.  The Republic is not very socially conservative anymore and decreasingly so.

[patrick1]

The truely shocking thing about the military collusion with the Loyalist paramilitaries is that the soldiers were sent to NI to protect the Catholic minority... Bearing in mind how fast things went downhill during the '70's and '80's it's amazing to think that we can look at the sitution today and say that it's bad.

I can remember when I was a kid that we were all a bit nervous about going into city centres

The great thing is that the shooting has stopped and from talking to people it will stay that way.  People just can't stomach going back to the bad ole days.  Most of the stumbling blocks are procedural in nature.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The great thing is that the shooting has stopped and from talking to people it will stay that way.  People just can't stomach going back to the bad ole days.  Most of the stumbling blocks are procedural in nature.

Exactly. The McCartney killing is a good example: even 10 years ago no one would have cared about it, it wouldn't have been reported much if at all, and the familiy certainly wouldn't have dared to kick up a fuss about it.

[??????????]

I'd vote for whatever party wants to rid NI of the occupying british invaders.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I'd vote for whatever party wants to rid NI of the occupying british invaders.

You want a time machine with that?

[??????????]

I'd vote for whatever party wants to rid NI of the occupying british invaders.

You want a time machine with that?

Yes, if possible, but only with HG Wells help.

[minionofmidas]

Catholics were excluded from most jobs (um Harlann and Wolff)- Catholic unemployment was more than double that of Prods

And even that was very high, most of the time

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the local elections udes to be an utter sham, true. I'd forgotten about that. One thing (that also existed in Great Britain until I think 1918) was the Company vote, which meant you got a vote at your home address and another at your business establishment address. This very much favored Protestants.
 Another thing is that the wards themselves were grotesquely apportioned. I saw the figures for Derry once. Just three wards electing 5 or so people each, unchanged from the 20s to the 70s. One ward, half the city's population, 98% Catholic. One ward, 15% of the city (the Historic center, basically), 60-65% Protestant. One ward, 35% of the city, 60-65% Protestant.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Business vote was abolished by the Attlee government in the '40's.
May have lasted longer in NI.

[minionofmidas]

Lasted right until the Army moved in in the 70's, yes.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Lasted right until the Army moved in in the 70's, yes.

Wasn't there also a requirement to own property to vote in local elections?

[minionofmidas]

Possibly. If there was, it was a very low one. I don't remember.

[patrick1]

Catholics were excluded from most jobs (um Harlann and Wolff)- Catholic unemployment was more than double that of Prods

And even that was very high, most of the time

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the local elections udes to be an utter sham, true. I'd forgotten about that. One thing (that also existed in Great Britain until I think 1918) was the Company vote, which meant you got a vote at your home address and another at your business establishment address. This very much favored Protestants.
 Another thing is that the wards themselves were grotesquely apportioned. I saw the figures for Derry once. Just three wards electing 5 or so people each, unchanged from the 20s to the 70s. One ward, half the city's population, 98% Catholic. One ward, 15% of the city (the Historic center, basically), 60-65% Protestant. One ward, 35% of the city, 60-65% Protestant.

The discrimination throughout the Stormont years was pretty ridiculous.
N.I.C.R.A. definatley had ample gripes.  It is a shame that the Bull Connor-esque tactics of the R.U.C., B specials and the reactionary response of some in the loyalist community helped radicalize the Republican movement.  IMO, the IRA never would have gained as much footing if it were not for the police reaction and a loyalist community embodied by Ian Paisley and not Ivan Cooper.