Two worlds of Northern Ireland, Ctd Northern Ireland can be a proudly Irish part of the UK

Famous artist, writer, cartooner-person David McElfatrick (@daveexplosm) wrote on the @LADFLEG blog here:

"We are, after all, a part of Ireland that is a part of the UK.  

We are Northern Ireland.  

Protestants must disengage completely from the voices of old such as George Chittick, who bray with fire and brimstone about how engagement with Irish culture is the “slippery slope” towards a United Ireland. A United Ireland is completely irrelevant to this discussion. Irish culture is, after all, as much a Protestant's culture as it is anyone else’s on this island, regardless of the union with Great Britain.

Perhaps we should take a great pride in this together as one, and Northern Ireland can stand tall as a proudly Irish part of the UK.  

I, myself, am from a Protestant background, raised in the very north coast of County Derry. I am a proud Irishman from Northern Ireland. I am slowly learning to speak Irish myself, and I hope to be fluent someday. 

I invite everyone from a Protestant background in the North to reacquaint themselves with our significant connection and contribution to Irish culture. 

So whaddya say, fellas, fancy joining me on this journey?"

Read my The Two Worlds of Northern Ireland series from here. My post on professor John Brewer who said that the silent majority needs to reclaim the peace process here. My blog post on Fionualla Meredith who said that the moderate needs to speak up and pound the streets here. Analysis from Pete Shirlow here. My blog following Richard Haass comment that a majority want peace is here. Brian Feeney and the Unionist who has utterly divorced himself and herself from the political process, the 'internal emigre' here. My post on Seamus Heaney and Conor Cruise O'Brien here. My previous posts in 'The Two Worlds of Northern Ireland' series here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.