It was influenced partly by the need for unionist unity and partly by the impact of Eire where de Valera and Fianna Fail came to power in 1932. Unfortunately,Craig allowed himself to be affected by these changes in the south.

In parliament in April 1934,he gave his often-quoted remark of 'a Protestant parliament'.

The full statement read: '' In the south,they boasted of a Catholic state. They still boast of southern Ireland being a Catholic state. All I boast of is that we are a Protestant parliament and a Protestant state.''

Craig was probably reacting to comments by de Valera and his deputy premier,Sean T O'Kelly.

At a Dublin election meeting in February 1932,de Valera said: 'The majority of the people of Ireland are Catholic and we believe in Catholic principles. ''And as the majority are Catholics,it is right and natural that the principles to be applied by us will be principles consistent with Catholicity.''

In October 1933,in Geneva, O'Kelly declared that ''the Free State Goverment was inspired in its every administrative action by Catholic principles and doctrine.''

B.T. Friday November 26 2010

We in Ulster, if our politicians pushed hard enough could have set in stone the future of Ulster. Instead many seemed to talk the talk and just drifted along before everything came crashing down around them.

Craig was right, we should a been a Protestant state for a Protestant people, unfortunately we were to complacent on the number of Roman Catholics within the boundary’s in Northern Ireland and the number who arrived after partition.

N.I. are due to play Scotland in Dublin. The stadium holds 51,000 I believe. The Tele said there are 5,000 NI supporters going and the same number from Scotland. This leaves 40,000 empty seats. Why take it there. Is it the way the tourament is organised. Will Wales and Scotland be playing at Windsor? If so its a stupid way to run things and once again I see that maybe politics plays its part. No Maze national stadium for Ulster now, Hows about the Aviva Stadium Dublin for the national stadium of all Ireland.

A method to the madness maybe.

'The Sunningdale agreement envisaged the creation of a Council of Ireland. The CoI was to comprise a cross-border body - drawn from seven members of the NI executive and seven members of the Irish goverment. The council was to be vested with minor consulative and research functions but was to have a 'harmonizing' role,and the door was left open for it to expand into institutions capable of forging a united Ireland.'

So its been pretty clear what the plan was for a long time now and it seems to be bearing fruit. Yet we still have those 'loyalist' 'unionists' who tell us the Union is strong,the Union is safe. Are they fifth-columists? I don't know but they certainly could fit that role. None of them appear to me to be acting reluctantly in this plan,in fact the opposite is true as they are going out of their way to be obsequious. I seen Mr McDonald had a few from the republican Belfast Media in Sandy Row a while back and had them at the boxing club there which is part of the OH. No wonder they didn't seem to be interested in Jimmy McLarin in the Rangers Club lol. Of course if McGuigan was to promote it that would be ok. and playing down the fact he was a Prod I bet they would jump to have Jimmy on display then. We'll see what happens on that score.

I might have got it wrong about the Dublin venue for NI and Scotland. I thought I heard something on the TV which gave me the impression that all the matches will be played there.