NM: N.Irish Leader O’Neill Predicts Irish Unity Vote Within Decade Read more: N.Irish Leader O’Neill Predicts Irish Unity Vote within Decade

1916 declaration for Irish unity (Wikipedia)

NewsMax reported the following:

N.Irish Leader O’Neill Predicts Irish Unity Vote Within Decade

February 4, 2024
Northern Ireland has begun a “decade of opportunity” during which it will hold a vote on unification with Ireland, the UK territory’s first nationalist leader said in an interview aired Sunday.

Pro-Irish unity politician Michelle O’Neill made history on Saturday becoming Northern Ireland’s first minister, in a return of power-sharing after the biggest pro-UK party ended a two-year boycott.

Speaking shortly after the landmark for the UK region, Sinn Fein’s O’Neill said she expected a referendum on reunifying with the Republic of Ireland in the next 10 years. https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/northern-ireland-vote/2024/02/04/id/1152189/

Sinn Fein was originally considered to be a terrorist organization until after it signed an agreement back in 1998. It opposed Northern Ireland being part of the UK and wanted the entire isle of Ireland to all be part of the Republic of Ireland.

That said, yes, I believe Ireland will be unified within a decade.

Whether it is by a vote, or whether it is because the UK will be conquered (which will happen), Northern Ireland will not remain part of the United Kingdom.

That view is also consistent with something the old Worldwide Church of God published, which also had some historical background on the situation in Ireland:

OF COURSE I want a united Ireland,” said the young teacher in Londonderry. “But not with that lot down South,” she added with scorn.

That expresses one of the tragedies in Northern Ireland today.

Most southern Irish dream of a united Ireland while those in the North are bitterly divided over any effort in that direction. Ireland’s divergent groups say they want peace and unity — but on their own terms. …

How Irish Strife Began

Protestants and Catholics in Ireland have distrusted each other for centuries. “The Irish have long memories,” one man told me.

To understand why there is strife in Ulster today, we must understand Irish history. Ireland has a complex history that involves cultural, ethnic, economic, political, temperamental and social differences.

It’s a history filled with conflict between the native Irish and the foreign colonizers — whether they were Danes, Normans, English or Scots. The Irish also fought among themselves. There were feuds between families, battles between tribes and wars between provinces.

In the 12th century, Pope Adrian appealed to England’s King Henry II (1154-89) for help in reforming Ireland by establishing full Papal authority. Pope Adrian’s document said: “You shall enter that island and execute whatever may tend to the honour of God and the welfare of the land; and also that the people of that land shall receive you with honour and revere you as their lord…” (text of Laudabiliter in Irish Historical Documents, edited by Curtis and McDowell, pages 17, 18).

But England did not fully conquer Ireland until the time of Elizabeth I.

Meanwhile, Ireland, in the reign of Edward II (1307-27), was divided between Irish and English who had different languages, habits and laws. Their deep animosity toward each other was evident long before Protestantism. The English and Irish systems of land tenure, property and inheritance increased resentment and bitterness between the two factions. Religious conflict developed only later.

The Ulster Plantations

England’s first Protestant king, Henry VIII, abolished papal authority in Ireland by declaring himself the head of the Irish church. But the Catholic friars were beyond Henry’s power. They continued to preach everywhere among the people. Toward the end of Henry’s reign, the Jesuits came to Ireland under the protection of Con O’Neill, “prince of the Irish of Ulster.” Because they helped keep Roman Catholic traditions alive, most of Ireland remained faithful to Rome.

In 1541, the English Parliament declared Henry VIII “King of this land of Ireland, annexed and knit forever to the imperial crown of the realm of England.” This paved the way for the effective conquest of Ireland by Queen Elizabeth I.

Ulster demanded the immediate attention of Queen Elizabeth. It was here that the Catholic Earl of Tyrone led the last pocket of Gaelic Irish resistance against English conquest and colonization. His army was defeated at Kinsdale in 1601. His lands — comprising six of the nine counties of Ulster — were planted or settled with Scottish Protestants.

Under James I, massive tracts of land were seized from the natives and granted to Scottish and English colonizers. By 1640, Protestants owned three million out of 3.5 million acres.

These “Ulster Plantations” divided Ireland into two antagonistic communities. The conquered and impoverished Catholic natives remained side by side with the Protestant settlers. When Sir George Carew reported on the plantations in 1611, he clearly foresaw that the Irish would rebel again.

The Scots who settled in Ulster were considered by the native Irish as being proud and haughty aliens. To the Scots, the Irish were backward in manners and customs. Thus the scorn of the Scot was met by the curse of the Celt — “the wild Irish” as they appeared to the eyes of the Scots.

In parts of Ireland, English colonists became absorbed by the native population. But in Ulster, Presbyterian Scots didn’t generally intermarry with the devoutly Catholic native Irish.

Irish Catholics resented being ruled by persons of a different ethnic background and a different religion. To them, it was Protestant monarchs in England who had exploited and oppressed them. They felt discriminated against in respect to land tenure, housing, employment and political opportunity. This discrimination led to the uprisings in 1641, 1798 and, most recently, 1969.

Ulster Presbyterians such as Henry Cooke, Thomas Drew and Hugh Hanna became involved in politics as early as 1820. Politics and religion became mingled together, remaining so to this day. …

Discrimination in employment is still a problem in Northern Ireland. Protestant-owned firms employ mainly Protestants. Catholic firms do the same. Employers don’t want to upset their employees by hiring someone of a different religion. They have yet to acquire the courage to be impartial in whom they hire rather than practice sectarian discrimination. …

Will Ireland be united in the foreseeable future? The chasms that divide the island are so deep and wide, it could take years before there is any hope of reconciliation. (Boraker R. When Peace Comes to Ireland. Plain Truth magazine, October 1984)

A type of unity has existed in Ireland for a couple of decades after the signing of the ‘Good Friday’ agreement in 1998.

The border between the Republic of Ireland and the UK’s Northern Ireland was totally open for some time, but now there are some issues because of Brexit.

The UK wants to retain control of Northern Ireland. Most in Northern Ireland (which is mainly nominally Protestant) do not want be to under control of the Republic of Ireland to its south (which is mainly nominally Roman Catholic).

The EU and Ireland have their agendas and keep pushing for it.

The EU wants Northern Ireland to act like it is part of the EU, whereas Ireland wants Northern Ireland to decide it should really be part of it and not the UK. This has partially occurred because of Brexit.

Despite British hopes for its future, Northern Ireland will cease to be part of the UK. British loss of territories will one day include Northern Ireland. Notice a few prophetic warnings that are consistent with that:

24 ‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. 25 For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants. 26 You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you 27 (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), 28 lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you. (Leviticus 18:24-28)

23 ‘And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, 24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. (Leviticus 26:23-25)

58 “If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD, 59 then the Lord will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues — great and prolonged plagues — and serious and prolonged sicknesses. 60 Moreover He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. 61 Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the Lord bring upon you until you are destroyed. 62 You shall be left few in number, whereas you were as the stars of heaven in multitude, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. 63 And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess. (Deuteronomy 28:58-63)

These territorial losses will include Northern Ireland and Gibraltar, as well as England, Wales, and Scotland (and also its naval presence in Cyprus and other places). Yes, one day, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will be no more.

Back in 2022, I wrote:

I expect that the Republic of Ireland (or at least an Irish leader) will have control over Northern Ireland and probably other lands as well with the next decade or so. (Thiel B. DW: Northern Ireland’s peace faces new Brexit threats … Northern Ireland is de facto still part of the European Union’s single market. COGwriter, January 20, 2022)

So, we have now seen another call for that.

Furthermore, notice what Article 3 the Irish Constitution states:

It is the firm will of the Irish Nation, in harmony and friendship, to unite all the people who share the territory of the island of Ireland, in all the diversity of their identities and traditions, recognising that a united Ireland shall be brought about only by peaceful means with the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island. Until then, the laws enacted by the Parliament established by this Constitution shall have the like area and extent of application as the laws enacted by the Parliament that existed immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution.

While the democratic way is one way, if that does not work, military pressure will accomplish this (cf. Daniel 8:24-25, 11:39).

Northern Ireland will be united with the rest of the island and become dominated by Europe.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Brexit and the fate of Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, the UK, and the USA On April 29, 2017, 27 of the nations of the European Union agreed to certain guidelines for the negotiations with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which gave its notice to leave on March 29, 2017. These guidelines are contrary to what the UK wants. Does the EU intend the UK to pay a price for leaving the EU? What does Spain want? What does the Republic of Ireland want? Will Northern Ireland and Gibraltar eventually fall under European control? Will the UK and USA be conquered? What does the Bible teach? Dr. Thiel answer these questions and more in this video.
Brexit Happened: Now What? At 11:00 pm January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally left the European Union. Many celebrated, while many mourned. Nigel Farage stated, “This is the greatest moment in modern British history.” What will happen to the United Kingdom? Will the UK be involved in trade deals with the United States of America and the Europeans? Will the UK regret the BRitish Exit (Brexit) from the EU?What will happen with the European Union? Is Europe prophesied to have a great army and many ships? Does the Bible prophesy a reorganization of Europe? Does it prophesy that the Europeans will become a conquering military power? Is the United Kingdom prophesied to be conquered? How does the Bible name the British-descended peoples? Was the British Empire the largest in world history? Was Brexit predicted by Church of God leaders in 1970 and the early 1990s? Will the European Union be negatively affected financially by the departure of the UK? Will this turn out well for the UK or the Europeans? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more in this video.
‘Ten Prophetic Clues Concerning Dan – the Irish’ Not part of the ‘144,000’ Could the Irish and Danes have descent from the tribe of Dan?
Will the UK Lose Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands? Spain wants Gibraltar and Argentina wants the Falklands (also known as the Malvinas). Does the Bible give clues as to what will happen with these ‘sea gates’? A version of the article in the Spanish language would be ¿Perderá el Reino Unido a Gibraltar y las Islas Falkland (Malvinas)?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
Will the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future. A sermon of related interest is also available: Canada in Prophecy.
Australia and New Zealand in Prophecy Do biblical prophecies help explain the wealth blessings for Australia and New Zealand? Might cursings from disobedience come in the 21st century? Here is a link to a related sermon: Australia and New Zealand: Origins and Prophecy.
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future. A sermon of related interest is also available: Canada in Prophecy.
Australia and New Zealand in Prophecy Do biblical prophecies help explain the wealth blessings for Australia and New Zealand? Might cursings from disobedience come in the 21st century? Here is a link to a related sermon: Australia and New Zealand: Origins and Prophecy.
Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? People of all faiths may be surprised to see what various Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophets have been predicting as many of their predictions will be looked to in the 21st century.
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. A related sermon is titled: Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is are links to related videos: European history and the Bible, Europe In Prophecy, The End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.