Support our Nation today - please donate here
News

Irish newspaper calls for union between Ireland, Wales and Scotland

12 Aug 2019 2 minute read
Picture by the National Assembly (CC BY 2.0)

Wales, Ireland and Scotland should form a ‘Celtic pact’ and leave England behind to sort out Brexit for itself, according to the Irish Mirror.

Writing for the newspaper, Jason O’Toole suggests that a pact of the four nations – Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – would be similar to the Scandinavians with their Nordic Council.

He says Wales and the rest could mimic the inter-parliamentary co-operation between Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Greenland and other smaller islands.

“There would no doubt be countless benefits if we replicated their model, such as with trade agreements and unrestricted borders, which would solve the Irish backstop,” Jason O’Toole.

“And it would collectively make us a much stronger power within the EU too.

“I know there might be a knee-jerk reaction to the idea, but it makes sense for the Celtic nations to swim off together into the sunset – while Boris Johnson sinks England with Brexit.”

A poll conducted between 30 July and 2 August by Lord Ashcroft projected that the ‘Yes’ vote in a Scottish Independence poll had a 3% lead.

There is no suggestion yet of majority support for a united Ireland, however. An Irish Times/Ipsos Mori poll in March had yes on 32%, no on 45%, with 23% on don’t know.

The most recent ‘yes/no’ poll on Welsh independence, conducted by Sky News Data in December 2018, had 17% yes, 67% no, and 16% don’t know.


Support our Nation today

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
62 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Labhras de brun
Labhras de brun
4 years ago

Why not?

Tudor Rees
Tudor Rees
4 years ago

Syniad diddorol. Os bydd y DU yn gadael gyda “No Deal” bydd hyn yn ffordd nol i’r Undeb Ewrop, i ni yng Nghymru.

Paul Wilson
4 years ago
Reply to  Tudor Rees

Could you translate that please?

Sion Jones
Sion Jones
4 years ago
Reply to  Paul Wilson

Translation from Welsh into English:
Interesting idea. If the UK leaves with a “No Deal” this will be a way back to the European Union, to us in Wales

Nick Dykes
Nick Dykes
4 years ago
Reply to  Sion Jones

A country that voted overwhelmingly to Leave.

Tegell Du
Tegell Du
4 years ago
Reply to  Nick Dykes

Actually Welsh speaking Wales – the part with least English immigration- voted to remain

Penderyn
Penderyn
4 years ago
Reply to  Tegell Du

most of the leave voting valleys might be anglicised and saw huge english immigrations in the 1800s…but they arent from direct english immigrations – so you cant blame it on recent stuff………. mindsets of UK will do fine is probably more the case

Jill D. Richards
Jill D. Richards
4 years ago
Reply to  Tegell Du

So True

Chris J Priest
Chris J Priest
4 years ago
Reply to  Nick Dykes

Not overwhelmingly and not for no deal!

Siobhan Dykes
Siobhan Dykes
2 years ago
Reply to  Nick Dykes

you have no idea of reality, grow up and educate yourself, or just shut up

Sibrydionmawr
Sibrydionmawr
4 years ago
Reply to  Paul Wilson

In future, simply copy and paste into Google Translate – it won’t be a perfect translation, but you’ll get the gist. Alternatively, sign up for learning Cymraeg!

Michael Jones
Michael Jones
4 years ago
Reply to  Sibrydionmawr

d******d.

Richard Derrick
Richard Derrick
4 years ago
Reply to  Tudor Rees

Dim diolch

Pete Rogers
Pete Rogers
4 years ago

Much has changed since the Sky poll of last December, with a lot of momentum for Wales independence.
I strongly support the principle of the Celtic alliance. England has run roughshod over Wales for centuries.
All Celtic peoples together as a strong unit in EU is a very appealing idea and makes sense. England will drag us all down with their ultimate act of self harm – Brexit

gary cullen
gary cullen
4 years ago
Reply to  Pete Rogers

it makes perfect sense then England can run its corruption machine alone ,I for one am sick of Westminster turning a blind eye to everyone else’s opinions and running roughshod over us, I guess that’s an Anglo saxon thing , we urgently need to unite and build our alliances in a normal peaceful way and to end the warmongering ways of Westminster , We are sons of celts and family and have always had a close relationship with each other so the only decent thing is for Westminster to get this done and we can all live in peace and… Read more »

Jill D. Richards
Jill D. Richards
4 years ago
Reply to  gary cullen

Well said.

Bryn Colion
Bryn Colion
4 years ago
Reply to  Pete Rogers

Ive felt a shift from older harder brexiters towards London rule and against devolution …. polarisation is happenng……keep your ears open

Norm
Norm
4 years ago
Reply to  Pete Rogers

Wales voted to leave too and its working class population always votes the same as post industrial England. Celts are you ”Aryans” aren’t they….

Jill D. Richards
Jill D. Richards
4 years ago
Reply to  Pete Rogers

Completely agree, england couldn’t care less about Wales, or anyone else for that matter, they say Wales is too small a country to go it alone, though other countries are small & go on their own, but ok Wales, Scotland and Ireland together would be excellent. The Celtic Nations.

David Roberts
David Roberts
4 years ago

We need another Yes/No poll Independence poll!!

Geraint Tudur
Geraint Tudur
4 years ago

Syniad da!

Paul Dunbar
Paul Dunbar
4 years ago

Jason O’Toole you appear to have overlooked Cornwall, which is not merely a member of the Celtic League, not merely with its people having recognition under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, its language recognised under the Charter for Lesser Used Languages, and having a political party Mebyon Kernow – dedicated to campaigning for greater levels of self government for Cornwall and working towards independence, but also and very significantly Cornwall has never, ever, had an Act of Union or Joinder with any other territory, and certainly not with England, unlike Ireland, Scotland and Wales. So Cornwall… Read more »

Bill Lloyd
Bill Lloyd
4 years ago
Reply to  Paul Dunbar

What about Cumberland?

Mike
Mike
4 years ago
Reply to  Bill Lloyd

Cumberland is not recognised by the Celtic League. I’m guessing the nuclear industry would be a problem there

Gareth
Gareth
4 years ago
Reply to  Mike

What like the former, current and future nuclear power stations in Plaid Cymru seats in north Wales? Scotland has nuclear power stations too.

Bryn Colion
Bryn Colion
4 years ago
Reply to  Bill Lloyd

Cumbria and Cumberland …. names with the same root as Cambria and Cymru

Anne Kennedy Truscott
Anne Kennedy Truscott
4 years ago
Reply to  Paul Dunbar

I agree 100% with Paul Dunbar that the Celtic nation of Cornwall has once again been overlooked. It is really annoying when one hears reference to “the four nations” (Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales,and England) when in fact there are five, because it suits the powers that be to ignore our existence, despite Westminster having signed up to the Charter for Lesser Used Languages, recognising the the Celtic Language of Cornwall, and to the European Framework for the Protection of Lesser Used Languages, recognising the ethnicity of the Cornish ! Please get it right,Mr O’Toole, there are 5 nations, NOT 4… Read more »

Elwyn Price
Elwyn Price
4 years ago

Never mind I recognise Kernow as a separate entity to England.

Sue Pike
Sue Pike
4 years ago

The Cornish might be up for this too!

Mike
Mike
4 years ago
Reply to  Sue Pike

Not forgetting the Manx!

Beryl
Beryl
4 years ago

I totally agree with this idea. When do we start putting this plan together?

Clive
Clive
4 years ago

Sound idea

Rosanna Stefanelli
Rosanna Stefanelli
4 years ago

I am very much of an outsider as I was born and obtained my first degree in Italy before moving to England where I obtained a second degree from London University and spent the rest of my working life teaching languages to adult students in Further Education Institutes. The UK is synonymous of tradition and pride, this is how outsiders perceived it, how it perceives itself and who its residual colonies of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland I believe still perceived it until Brexit lifted the curtain on the political stage and the light technician starting directing his spotlights on… Read more »

Rhosddu
Rhosddu
4 years ago

Certainly a customs and free trade deal with the EU would be a good move for Wales (which is what the UK signed up for originally). A lot of Welsh voters are still likely to be put off by the moves towards political integration promoted by the EU, however.

Still, it would be the lesser of two evils compared to remaining a colony of the UK, and I’m definitely up for some sort of federation with the other Celtic countries.

Minydon
4 years ago
Reply to  Rhosddu

What’s wrong with just being independent?

jr humphrys
jr humphrys
4 years ago

Rosanna is correct in stating that people in Europe had this constant view of the “UK”, which has been shattered by the Brexit fight, and people now see the uglier side.
btw the Nordic Union is not an economic/trade – union, rather cultural and relaxed discussion group, as I see it.
(Norway and Denmark are members of Nato, but Sweden and Finland are not.)

Jonathon Gammond
Jonathon Gammond
4 years ago

Isn’t there already a Council of the Isles under one of the Northern Ireland peace agreements? It would be interesting to know what the Nordic Council does exactly as Norway has voted twice not to join the EU, Greenland voted to leave and Iceland has never been a member, while Denmark, Finland and Sweden are EU members, but not all have adopted the euro. It all sounds very complicated so if anyone is an expert on dealing with borders, such people may be found in Scandinavia. As for Cornwall, it was absorbed into Wessex long before Parliaments met and started… Read more »

Rhosddu
Rhosddu
4 years ago

Maybe, but until the 17th-Century wars between Parliament and the king, Cornwall was treated as a separate political entity, though in practice it had little or no practical autonomy except in its economy. After the post-war genocide of adult males in Cornwall, successive English governments simply by-passed Cornwall’s special status and Stannary enactments and started treating it as ‘just another English county’. It was never formerly annexed or entered a, ahem, ‘union’, with England. Because Westminster legislation no longer makes special reference to Cornwall, then, technically, such legislation has no legal force there.

James Burns
James Burns
4 years ago

Hardly any Welsh in Wales, mostly English newcomers. Nl is not a country, its Six of Ulster’s nine counties and a divided part of lreland’s 32. Without Scotland there is no YooKay. Wales was conquered as was lreland… lreland fought back to rid remselves of foreign rule. Scotland of course suffers the scourge of the filthy Orange Order. Anti Catholic and pro English Crown bigots pollute our streets with over 350 marches in and around Glasgow every year. Ireland and Scotland, hopefully the Welsh, unite and say goodbye to ‘Mother’ England. As my uncle Jack used to say… I serve… Read more »

Joanne Davies
Joanne Davies
4 years ago
Reply to  James Burns

True. Welsh people will eventually become a minority just like the Protestants in NI.

If you’re a Welsh speaker, just enjoy your culture while you can. It’s fading fast.

Bryn Colion
Bryn Colion
4 years ago

.From my ramblings round Wales…Ive gathered that very roughly
About 25% of Wales is against self rule primarily as they feel closer to a English/UK identity.
About 5-10% are NO because of delusions about international socialism – they think Welsh self rule is WORSE than imperialist London rule.

And then the 30-35% left against NO … feel Welsh but think the economy is a third world country (its not – they’ve just been lied too)

Bimble
Bimble
4 years ago

That’s a whole lot of new hard borders.

Yay!!

Rhosddu
Rhosddu
4 years ago
Reply to  Bimble

The harder the better, in Cymru’s case.

Mawkernewek
Mawkernewek
4 years ago
Reply to  Rhosddu

Though if you want to build a moat, then if it is at Cymru’s initiative then territorial changes for this would have to be at Wales’ expense.
Better to provoke England into it, then they’d have to give you large chunks of Shropshire since the Shropshire Hills are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the physical infrastructure that a hard border would spoil the views.

David simpson
David simpson
4 years ago

I

Jonathan Dean
Jonathan Dean
4 years ago

Great idea! If I was a royalist, we could call it the United Kingdom! Lol

Norm
Norm
4 years ago

Proves Irish, welsh and Scottish nationalism is basically ethnic nationalism…ie they think the English are a Germanic breed. DNA has proven otherwise, more English ”celts” than the other 3 put togrther.

Norm
Norm
4 years ago

Celtic league = modern day form of Aryanism, ethnic nationalism

Benjiman Angwin
Benjiman Angwin
4 years ago

No single language dominates the Nordic Council. A Celtic Council would be dominated by the English Language, which could become problematic for speakers of Celtic Languages. We need to sort that out first.

Norm
Norm
4 years ago

An Anglophobic celtic council would be dominated by Scotland and Ireland and would work against the interests of wales where the bulk of the population are 30 mins or less from England.

Jill D. Richards
Jill D. Richards
4 years ago
Reply to  Norm

Norm I’m sorry but you really dont know what your talking about!

john davies
john davies
4 years ago

Fantastic idea.

William Cooke
William Cooke
4 years ago

This would be pretty funny to watch. Refugees would be fleeing into England and they would have to put up walls.

Paul cummins
4 years ago

First time I’ve bothered to contribute to these comment sections, but it’s a topic worth considering. As an Irish man I would welcome Welsh independence, rather I would encourage it. But it would come at a price! Unlike Ireland you are connected to England and the partioning of our island has been disasterious – so those advocating independence must be aware the you could coz massive problems. Equally you could potentially create massive opportunity, particularly in a Celtic union with a common currency. Indeed the isle of man could be considered as the parliamentary capital of such a Celtic Union.… Read more »

Keith miller
Keith miller
4 years ago

Wales is practically England now. They have done a good job of assimilating them. Same thing will happen to Scotland if we dint get out toot sweet.

Rhosddu
Rhosddu
4 years ago
Reply to  Keith miller

Thanks for your, ahem, words of encouragement.

Richard Derrick
Richard Derrick
4 years ago

Why are we concerning ourselves about what an Irish newspaper think
s?

Jill D. Richards
Jill D. Richards
4 years ago

Yes It would be Wonderful for Wales, Scotland and Ireland to join forces & separate from england, we would be the Celtic Nations which we should be.

Simon
Simon
4 years ago

England sunk by Brexit? Really have you such a poor opinion of us? It may or may not be a great decision, but one thing for sure , we won’t sink good luck in the EU taking their rules, as the puppets of the Germans and French

Donald Anderson
Donald Anderson
3 years ago

Absolutely! Britain Put of Ireland. Scotland and Wales Out of Britain!

Donald Anderson
Donald Anderson
3 years ago

Absolutely! Britain Out of Ireland! Scotland and Wales Out of Britain!

Stu
Stu
3 years ago

What’s about Kernow and manin they are celt nations as well and maybe brezih

Our Supporters

All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018.