Who's side are Americans generally on for Northern Ireland? The British Government or the nationalists????????

Answer 1

British. We love the limey's and we broke from them but we dont want to help anyone else get free.

Answer 2

You shouldn't really take notice of most of those who've already replied - as it's a load of balls. Only 2 American Presidents have been sympathetic to Irish Nationalism (Kennedy & Clinton), while the rest have been supportive to successive British Governments. It's nothing to do with 9/11 as anyone will know that the IRA had already stopped fighting long before 2001.

Irish/America is a strange one as they haven't got anywhere near the influence that most people seem to believe - it really depends if a certain President is willing to listen. By the way, Sinn Feins money hasn't dropped a dollar in 13 years. hardly a declining support.

The comment below about the percentages and democracy is entirely wrong. There are roughly 53% to 46% in favour of protestants in the North at the moment - the majority being bigger in favour of Protestants as the age grows older. In the ages of 18 and under - it is 58% catholic to 40% Protestant, so some believe the tide is turning - I don't. A United Ireland (Our day) will come through economic reforms more than anything else. As for the democracy statement. Northern Ireland is actually an illegal bastard statelet - there's no democracy in that, is there?

Answer 3

The IRA and Sein Fein have always been majority funded by American's. That's why Gerry Adams goes to the USA every year for party donations.

There are literally millions of American's in New York and Boston that still call themselves part Irish. It goes back to the days of the Irish potato famine and the mass evacuation from mainland Ireland to America.

My understanding is that the American's that funded the IRA didn't really understand the issue.

Whilst it's true that the British government were very wrong in some of their actions, it cannot excuse the funding of terrorists groups.

The American's that donated money to the IRA helped finance the attacks on innocent English citizens.

Let's hope it's all behind us now.

Answer 4

Nationalists. When the troubles were on Gerry Adams always used to go fundraising for Sinn Fein I.R.A. Irish republican army in the U.S. Till the U.S. Government wouldnt grant him or any irish Repubican a visa into the country. In Ny and boston a charity was setup called Noraid to get donations from wealthy irish americans to fund the armed struggle of Northen Ireland.

Answer 5

The Irish Catholics in the United States usually support Ireland. The Protestants (at least the ones of British descent) in the United States usually support the Brits.

Answer 6

We love the British but we feel for the nationalists, but we don't like the IRA at all.

There may be some groups here (Irish Catholic Americans) who feel differently, though. It is a big country.

( I did note that while the UK is not in the diversity lottery for a US greencard, Northern Ireland is, though.)

Answer 7

If you mean politically, it depends on the President at the time. Clinton granted a visa to Adams. Kennedy, it seems, supported the nationalists because of a religious bias. Otherwise, it's left to ordinary Americans, most of whom claim to have Irish ancestry when it suits. Just another case of parochialism on the part of a super power.
Maybe one day Ireland will be united but it won't be thanks to the Americans.

Answer 8

There's a huge Irish population in America, and apparently McDonalds has been funding the IRA, therefore I think overall they support the nationalists.

Answer 9

I once heard an American refer to Northern Ireland as, "An occupied territory"...

Answer 10

I would say the Irish. They are saddled with what we went to war with Britain for. The Irish want Freedom and independence, too. Religion has caused more wars than all other causes combined.
question; Would the Irish stop killing each other over religion if the Brits left them alone?

Answer 11

America has generally been considered to be pro republican / nationalist, this is because there are a lot of Irish who emigrated to America.