The Loyalists standing against Irish unity | Belfast on Eleventh and Twelfth July

Northern Ireland was invented 100 years ago with six of the nine counties of Ulster to ensure a Protestant unionist majority would rule the statelet forever, after 26 counties of Ireland gained home rule, and then independence from the British.

Today, Northern Ireland has a Catholic nationalist First Minister in Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill, and last week returned more nationalist MPs to Westminster than unionist for the first time since the creation of the state.

The weekend of the Twelfth of July has historically been seen as a display of Protestant supremacy in Northern Ireland, but now the celebrations feel different.

We went to Belfast to find out how the Protestant community feel about the changing landscape of their home.

Reporter: Seán Hickey
Camera: Peter Cooney

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[CatSounds-uf]

They love the U.K. so much, but I'm from Northern Ireland and live in England and it's got to the point I just call myself Irish, because anytime I explain about how NI is part of the U.K. most of them don't even know about it. To NI loyalists, believe, the vast majoirty of the English public don't even know you exist, yet you kiss their feet.

[bankylaw]

For those who aren't familiar

England= Mr Burns
Unionists=Mr Smithers

[austinwaddell]

Loyalist saying that they “respect others cultures” is one of the funniest thing I’ve ever heard

[Gartho]

“Ireland wants our country” it was OUR country to begin with 🤯🤦‍♂️🇮🇪

[irishrebel]

The British crown don’t give two fucks for Northern Ireland people.

[pauljosephbuggle]

It wasnt the Republic or the EC who put the sea border in the Irish Sea, it was the Brexit the people of NI voted against.
GB sold out NI and frankly the Loyalists did it to themselves.

[stypemann]

I was talking to two German guys who came over to Dublin for a wedding. They decided to make a week-long trip out of it and go all over the island. They heard there was a big cultural festival on and decided to go along. When there, they asked what the festival was about and were told "if you don't know, you shouldn't fucking be here" and were chased off.

But ya, it's definitely a great tourist attraction 😂😂

[Deadsmegma]

lmao the loyalists are still anti Irish, surprise surprise

[johnclark]

As an English guy who lives in South Belfast, I detest the 12th, I couldn't even take my four month old son out for a walk without being harassed and shouted at for not being "British", despite being actually from Britain haha. Its also utterly vile the fact that they celabrate this as "culture", when a I walked to the top of my road and could see 10 year olds so drunk they couldn't walk along with their equally drunk parents

[trevordavies]

The irony is that the victory of the Battle of the Boyne was celebrated in the Vatican as the Pope supported the Anti-French Alliance led by William of Orange.

[jamesbarbour]

People should bone up on the history of the 6 Counties of Northern Ireland. It became a Protestant stronghold during an era known as the Ulster Plantation, where both English and Scottish people were 'imported' to that area, to establish a pro British presence, whilst the indigenous Catholic population effectively got side lined and treated as second class citizens.
The decendants of those original settlers, all Protestant, have been loyal (hence the term 'Loyalists'), to the British Crown for hundreds of years but still the English use the Protestants as a Political football, even using their vote to ensure a Conservative Government once again reigned in the Houses of Parliament. But still they get treated with disdain and are even considered an embarrassment by the British Political Establishment. That's all the thanks they get for supporting the British Crown all these years - they're essentially considered a nusience and as such, are effectively expendable !

[larrygerry]

"Cultures" wtf does that even mean. They are celebrating a Dutch guy, winning for Scottish people against Catholics. It is nothing to do with culture.

[JoelJosephson]

Just a matter of time till Ireland is united.

[eph]

Loyalists love England... but England want nothing to do with them

[POLITICUS-DANICUS]

If they want to be British. Then they should go to Britain and be British. What are they doing in Ireland?

[theemperorschosen]

As a British person, i don't undertand this hardcore simpery for a government systen that willingly oppresses them. Just look at how the Tories made soldiers innocent of any crimes committed in NI. It's disgusting as shit.

[BadDubII]

Baffles me they're saying that Ireland wants their country but dont see that the GB took that country from Ireland lol

[phoenixh]

I dont know why unionists think they will be demonised and marginalised in a united Ireland. I'm a dual national with a mixed accent, and I've never felt unwelcome or unsafe. They stir themselves into a frenzy over nothing. The Irish state would do a hell of a lot more for Northern Ireland than The UK ever would.

P.S. The Irish tricolour fundamentally represents the peaceful Union of Catholicism and Protestantism.

[laurencefarrell]

It’s coming home, it’s coming home, Northern Ireland is Coming home, God Bless Ireland 🇮🇪

[kezzt]

Shaun (or Sean) this was seriously impressive and brave journalism.