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Bob Geldof feels sympathy for illegal immigrants in Ireland

Rock star remembers his charity work

BARRY J WHYTE,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, October 5, 2010, 8:11 AM

Updated Tuesday, October 5, 2010, 8:16 AM

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Bob Geldof

After spending years living and working illegally in Canada, Bob Geldof feels “a lot of sympathy for people living illegally in Ireland and the UK,” and he believes that Ireland has a cultural and historical obligation to take care of immigrants living in Ireland illegally.

Geldof, who was speaking in Dublin at an event held by Irish music magazine Hot Press, said that “Ireland has a cultural and historical obligation to accept people coming here in search of employment.”
added.

The former Boomtown Rat also played songs, from his solo career as well as songs from his time with the Rats, and spoke about his organization of the Live Aid and Live Eight fund raising concerts, in 1985 and 2005 respectively.

"Oxfam, Save the Children, Concern and a number of other major charities all increased their income by at least 300 per cent after Band Aid, but the political effect has had far greater ramifications for Africa."
In a wide-ranging discussion, he touched on criticism of his friend, Bono ("I know how much time he dedicates to important issues and I just won't have the criticism"), to his ex-wife Paula Yates (after her death he had "difficulty functioning" and felt "brain dead") and touring Africa with George W Bush (and "holding his hand through Africa").

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Portia777 | Oct 06, 2010, 11:52 AM EDT

Bob had no problem keeping the daughter of his ex wife hostage for years and denying her her blood family.Is that a loving caring man? people see right through him.He has never paid a euro in Tax but heep it all safe off shore. How dare he preach to anyone.

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Portia777 | Oct 06, 2010, 11:48 AM EDT

Bob's ancestors might give the clue as to why he hates the Ayrish and why is family were forced oout of their native place and came to Ireland. When Mother Earth began , did she mark off regions on the map and say that belongs to the people of Eire, taht to USA? No, she did not because we are all one human family and she gave us all everything for free- land to feed and water to drink, air to breathe etc. We were elected her GUARDIANS not her owners. It was man who created boundries on maps and passport permissions- BUT A SOVEREIGN HUMAN BEING DOES NOT NEED BOUNDRIES OR PERMISSION TO CROSS FROM ONE TO THE OTHER. We are all prisoners- the way the system has designed it now.

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lostgold | Oct 06, 2010, 11:39 AM EDT

Good for you kickstar you hit the nail right on the head. Ireland has been very generous to people like Mr. Geldof who secretly want to make Ireland in their own image. If he really was honest he would be telling Ireland to take care of its own first. Human rights for all the dark-skinned and eastren European types foreign to the nation but a real Irish person can immigrate to their own destruction. Its time to get rid of all the Geldofs' and Bonos' in Ireland. We need a second purging of the snakes not these maggots masquerading under the flag of internationalism and rock n roll culture.

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kickstar | Oct 05, 2010, 11:29 PM EDT

Geldof Like most Not real "true Irish people" has a real hatred for Irish culture and for Real Irish people, He like those who head up Asylum and Refugee Support organizations in Ireland and Those NGO'S who waste billions of Irish tax dollars abroad are happy to do so because they Truly Hate the Irish and want to harm them in any way they can, Either by spending on corrupt projects in corrupt countries or by flooding Ireland with other foreign cultures like his own or others it doesn't really matter to the likes of him what the culture is as long as it dilutes Irish Culture, As soon as Geldof was old enough or before ...He ran out of Ireland and never came back ...Why ??, Was it because he loves Ireland so much and cannot bear to be away from it ...I think the facts speak for themselves.. No the likes of this grey faced pillock will continue to preach and goad stupid irresponsible Irish Governments to give and give more but you might not have noticed Geldof has never in his life paid one nickel of tax to the government of Ireland and certainly does not today but still thinks he has an inherent right to dictate to Ireland what its policies should be as to Illegals immigrants..To you Bob I say When you pay the Piper you might be able to call the tune until then Blow it out your A**.

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dubhain | Oct 05, 2010, 01:49 PM EDT

What a bunch of hooey Geldof spews. Personally, I feel no country has any kind of obligation to illegals. They're partly to blame for the lack of jobs that should have been awarded to legal citizens. The only people I would have sympathy for are the young children born in the illegal country. They have no control over their parents' actions, yet have to suffer the consequences.

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DrTrelawney | Oct 05, 2010, 10:15 AM EDT

I am, to be fair, Fez referring to the comments rather than the articles, Fez.

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irishfez | Oct 05, 2010, 10:11 AM EDT

DrTrelawney - 'Ill-informed, mean-spirited anti-immigration bilge'? I have reservations about some things on this site, but that is simply untrue.

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DrTrelawney | Oct 05, 2010, 09:04 AM EDT

Pause. Take a deep breath and wait for the usual array of IC bigots to begin spouting their ill-informed, mean-spirited anti-immigration bilge.

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