If someone is from northern Ireland are they British, Irish or northern Irish?

Question

My fave band in case of fire come from northern Ireland and I've just been watching this video but as you can see if you look down people are having a sort of argument on if they British, Irish and someone has said they northern Irish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGU7MJB7_2s

can anyone help with this

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

It depends on who you ask, and what their political allegiances are.

In case of fire are from Portadown, so I'm guessing they would consider themselves British. And there names are "Robinson" and "Williamson".

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

thanks, I've sent the band a comment on their page to see what they say their are

so many answers thanks to you all

x

Answer 2

British-Irish!

There actually classed as part of England even tho there not attached. Southern Ireland are there own state.

Answer 3

People don't really say Northern Irish, they just say they're from northern Ireland or just Irish.

The United Kingdom is England, Wales, Scotland,Northern Ireland and all the other islands and things we have.
Britain is just England, Wales and scotland. It's normally called Great Britain and Northern Ireland,

So technically their not british

Answer 4

Northern Ireland isn't part of Britain its only part of the UK. Because they're part of the united kingdom of Great Britain they are technically British although there not from Britain.

its complicated but id call them Irish personally and i wouldn't be wrong in saying that because they have a dual nationality meaning they can apply for a British or Irish passport.

Answer 5

IRISH....

Answer 6

British, Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, despite what the god botherers called catholics say.

AJ your wrong they are classed as British. The great in Great Britain means the greater part, as in Greater London could be shortened to Great London.

Answer 7

They are British and hold the passport that says so, but in Great Britain/ UK/ British Isles meaning England,Wales and Scotland they would be Northern Irish

Answer 8

Actually, in law they have dual nationality, Irish and British ie they can apply for either or both passports. What they call themselves usually depends on what side of the political divide they come from. Most nationalists call themselves Irish and unionists tend to call themselves British. Most wouldn't use the term Northern Irish. County Donegal has the most northerly point on the island thereby being northern geographically, but politically the county is in the Republic!

Answer 9

They are Irish. FULL STOP.

Source(s):

I'm from Clare but I don't say I'm a republican Irish. ugh

Answer 10

It depends on who you ask and where their allegiances are. I'm sure you are aware of the long running historical issues that would make the subject one of debate.

My friend in Larne says she is British. Although on a technical point Northern Ireland is not part of Britain but is part of the United Kingdom. I know what she means anyway.

Answer 11

As a result of many years of unhappy relationships between Britain and Ireland which contributed to and emanated from the Troubles of the late 1960s and on into the 1980s, it was decided that the people of Northern Ireland could choose individually what nationality they wished to have.

If someone born in Belfast wished to be a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, they simply have to apply for it. If an immediate family member wishes to be a British citizen, they are perfectly entitled to do so.

Technically the territory is part of the United Kingdom, but this could be very different in 50 years' time.

Answer 12

Irish.

Answer 13

They can be either.

Technically, anyone from Northern Ireland is 'Northern Irish' - for example, I'm from Belfast and consider myself fully Irish, yet if someone called me 'Northern Irish' I wouldn't mind, if someone called me British I would mind.

People from Northern Ireland have the right to choose whether they're British and hold a British Passport or if they are Irish and hold an Irish Passport - we can even consider ourselves both British and Irish and have a passport for each one.

So it really depends on what the people in the band consider themselves to be.

Source(s):

Irish from Belfast, N.Ireland

Answer 14

Its so simple. Born in the Uk you are automatically and naturally British. N. Ireland is part of Uk. Thousands of women and children died in recent years to remain British not be forced to become Irish.
Obviously as throughout the whole world. its the same. However if someone ones to add the dual nationality of having a Irish passport they can. However born British always British. Whether they like it or not. This does not make you Irish as you were born in Uk. It just means you have a second passport.
Hence the Uk British passport includes N. ireland.
Very very simple.

Source(s):

Commonsense. World logic.

Answer 15

Any.
All depends on the person really.

Answer 16

they can be all three

Answer 17

The diplomatic way out of it is to describe them as Northern Irish, individuals decide what they are & it's up to them if they want to let you know what that is

Answer 18

northern irish. some people would call themselves irish, sum people british, depending where their loyalties lie.

sinterish - godbotherers? so protestants dont believe in god no? idiot. i consider northern ireland irish as myself its only a technicality and a result of domination that britain can claim it.

Answer 19

Ah dear, trust some people to even bring their silly arguments to a musical thread on Youtube!

Well, in terms of passport and on official documentation, an individual can be either Irish, British, or Both if they choose dual nationality.

Many people say Northern Irish to specify exactly where they are from, or simply say "from Northern Ireland" as someone mentioned above.

This is exactly the same as someone from one of the three countries in Britain can identify themselves as being English or British, Welsh or British, Scottish or British etc.

So the bottom line is, people can pick and choose whichever they want, and anyone, be it here, or on the Youtube thread, who tries to insist that everyone MUST be British or MUST be Irish is pathetic.

Answer 20

Ireland is a very small island with a population of around 6 million. To everyone else we are simply known as Irish. I know when I go on holidays people simply would refer to us as Irish.

The only confusion starts when you actually live here. Ireland is not just one country politically. There are six counties which form Northern Ireland and are part of the UK. The majority (about60%) would see themselves as part of the UK and would call themselves British whereas around 40% would prefer to live in a United Ireland. That 40% would class themselves as Irish and in fact can hold both Irish and British passports.

The other 26 counties which form the largest part known as Southern Ireland would always say they are Irish.

Northern Irish would be a term used as a politically correct way of saying we wish to be known as Irish but we live in the North.

Hope this helps.

Answer 21

You must be shocked by the level of response! lol. And as you can see, it's not the most straight forward thing in the world, but there are certain things you can consider in order to come to a conclusion. For instance, Bushmills Distillery is an Irish distillery which produces Irish Whiskey, situated in Co Antrim, Northern Ireland. The IFA stands for the Irish Football Association and they govern the professional game in Northern Ireland. Sportsmen and women from Northern Ireland will compete as part of an all Ireland squad in sports like rugby, hockey boxing and athletics. Many food products farmed and produced in Northern Ireland will pertain to being an Irish product. Many people from Northern Ireland involved the art world (musicians, actors, visual artist etc) will be regarded globally as Irish. The word 'Ireland' is of course a big clue. But many people (ie Unionists and Loyalists) will probably never admit to being Irish. At the end of the day, there are still people living who are older than the Partition of Ireland. My granny being one. The Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a political union, nothing more, nothing less. It used to be the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until the Irish of the time forced Britain's hand. Unfortunately, Belfast politicians opted out of the Free State and thus, Northern Ireland came into being. People in Northern Ireland are absolutely and irrefutably Irish. To say otherwise is simply wrong and misguided, and ultimately the result of BS politics as well as cultural and religious segregation over the years. I like the band by the way, I will look out for more.

Answer 22

We can't be British because we live in the united Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland so British must refer to everything except N Ireland, yet we have British passports ... I give up.

Answer 23

I'm from Belfast, and I get asked this question too much from americans when I visit there.
I'm Northern Irish, that's what I call myself.
It's a country, a separate country in my opinion.
Scottish or welsh people would not call themselves English,
I come from Northern Ireland, therefore I'm Northern Irish.

Answer 24

I suppose you can say either :)

Like most of my family are frorn Northern Ireland and they say they are Irish.. But then my friend is from around the same place and she says she is British

I suppoose it is tecniclly correct to say that they are Irish.. But ya never know :)

That should be a survey carried out.. "Do you condsider yourself Irish or British?" Lolz

Orlaa 'xO