42 Comments

• FallsRNat | Mar 06, 2011, 01:37 PM EST

  sirpeter - well, if you vote for the shinners because yr working class, i can understand that, however, mate, it is a wasted vote (no disrespect). i voted for the alliance party for the last 5 years, but am staring to think that this isn't going to cause major change here, they do well in local elections, but they don't stand a chance of getting elected, the votes to polarised for that. i am a working class tory, but again, with an incumbent tory party already here (OUP), there's no chance of them getting a foothold. I had a meeting with an ex-loyalist group last week in 1 of our exchange visits, they don't seem to think that there will be a major resumption of violence unless the RIRA cause a spectacular bombing with a major loss of life or HM is assassinated in ROI, the only blot on their landscape is the irish falling over themselves to make her welcome (which i think is highly likely) given the the different counties vying for her attention & that they may have to be more reponsive to closer co-operation with their near neighbours in future. As 1 of them said, seamus, let's hope there is a repeat of the republican antics at the love parade, we can throw that back at the ROI as a cold house for us, i said that won't happen & if the baron will have to be careful about overly critising her visit with so many in favour.

• sirpeter | Mar 04, 2011, 09:25 AM EST

  (cont)Some young couples who borrowed,lost their job and can't service the loan,this includes older people to who remortgaged and lost their jobs. At the present rate 1000 people are leaving Ireland a week or 52,000 a year. I reckon over the next 5 years 200,000 will emigrate,mostly young people with no ties. Seamus..lol..I'm a Sinn Fein man..I never voted for Bertie,but I did take advantage of the easy money.Sensible people still have that money. I'm not a bit worried about payback time..I'll let you into a little secret..People who have money don't feel the pinch,because money increases in value when there is a lack of it. As goods and labour prices fall,I get more bang for my money in the bank, then i did 2 years ago..ha ha ha. Simple economics Seamus.But I vote Sinn Fein because I see how unfair the system is. Sinn Fein has to look after the working class or they will lose votes.

• sirpeter | Mar 04, 2011, 08:00 AM EST

  FallsRNat..Well you at least answered my question that not everyone would be happy under the British banner.If that was true I'd say leave partition there. Well saying it was European money is correct,but it was private money not taxpayer's. In all fairness Seamus we did make money ourselves...Our exports were booming and even to-day it's the only bright spark,exports are doing well still. I agree alot of people were fooled into thinking it would never end.Or more then likely they turned a blind eye and wished it wouldn't end. But you are not talking to one of those blind people here. A couple of years ago when the banks started giving out 100% mortgages,I knew the end was coming then.But if you were a young couple who wanted to buy a house but didn't have a penny saved, because they didn't know the meaning of the word savings or money,would you not take the money? My own kids and other kids where i live have the same problem. They leave their Nintendo's Ds's out in the rain during the summer.My eldest left her 600 euro laptop out on the garden furniture last summer and a shower of rain made sh*t of it. When I confronted her,she looked disappointed for about 3 seconds and then when I got mad..She looked confused and said calmly ..Can't we just buy another one.Then they keep begging you again to buy one a few weeks later. It's not easy to say No!! when you have the money and they bullsh*t you by saying they will be more careful. Anyone born in the last 25 to 30 years,most just got what they wanted,because the money started to flow by 1990 onwards. Seamus, here is the reality of those who are going to suffer. Kids who are coming out of school or collage who don't have connections to get a job,they either wait or emigrate.Y

• FallsRNat | Mar 03, 2011, 08:07 PM EST

  sirpeter - believe me, i could stand up on a box in the falls rd with a megaphone, with my family & friends, i won't be the only 1 sucking food through a straw, nothing like a bit of intercine tribal violence, the prods will be loving it. The celtic tiger was built on european money, lots of paddies made money for sure off the back of this, but i draw yr attention to the EU's only annual reports to see the subsidies shifted to the ROI. FF came a calling in 1992 & tried their snake oil charms on the SDLP as a way of seeing off the shinners. To us battle weary, but dour northern irish, it all seemed to a bit of smoke & mirrors, we could all see the money being feted around, but nobody could quite see where it was all coming from. Warren Buffet was in London in 99, complaining about the banking loans being a giant pyramid scheme & most of us 'brits', i use the word collectively, could see that the election of Blair, brought the 'vivian nicholson' school of economics into play - yes, spend, spend, spend & damn the boom & bust which wee gordy said he had abolished. i know it may come as a surprise to u southerners, but we know when we are being sold a 'pup', FF & New Labour were cut from the same cloth - let me tell u a true tale about the englishman, ulsterman & NI RC. We all put down in an envelope where we thought the british economy would be after 10 years of blair rule - the answer, we all predicted bust. i am suprised that most of u southerners were taken in by bertie, there is always a payback time & youse lot are just about to begin yours.

• sirpeter | Mar 02, 2011, 09:25 PM EST

  FF didn't try to entice anybody in the north. That's your imagination. The only enticement FF did was the GFA trying to get power sharing and stop the trouble ye were having. Seamus NI might as well be a million miles away from me..We had no interment without trial,checkpoints,soldiers,bombings,kneecappings,Duncrees,discrimation.ect..I can see the attractiveness of living under the british banner over the last 40 years. Are you from the North at all!! It's thanking Sinn Fein you should be for getting a fairer society and making the prods see sense.As a Catholic before the PIRA ye had nothing,been kicked around by the prods. No!! Seamus there was no advantage living under the british banner if you were a Catholic and you know it. I'd hardly say 15 years ago is playing historical mindgames.I don't play mind games..I just state fact's.On the Celtic Tiger. Powerful people in Ireland and Europe do deals Seamus.The likes of you and me don't get a say in those deals.All money is made off the backs of the taxpayer..BUT that was not taxpayers money,you are wrong there.The Celtic tiger was private money (ie rich investors).So the celtic tiger economy was not the Irish peoples celtic tiger..It just happened to happen here..For reasons only powerful people know..Seamus..It's not WE firmly believe that we are better off in the UK..It's YOU firmly believe.Stand up on a box Seamus with a megaphone next Saturday night on the Falls road and tell them that...You can tell me what the hospital food is like in Derry. Seamus my arguments are based on facts..Whereas yours are mostly based on speculation and turning a blind eye to facts. It like you stating as fact--- taxpayers money built the celtic tiger--totally wrong---tax goes to a government that's the peoples money---Private money built the Celtic Tiger.Bondholders Seamus Bondholders (A bondholder is generally defined as an individual)

• FallsRNat | Mar 02, 2011, 03:22 PM EST

  sirpeter the celtic tiger economy was built with european taxpayers money - that is a fact, the boom came from the irish govt allowing the property bubble to run unchecked & the banks to invest their money into highly unsustainable property investments. when the irish economy came crashing down, their was no economic recovery as the countries reserves couldn't contain the debt. FF tried to entice the catholic pop here in the north with the joys of unparalled investment, however, they obviously didn't feel a pressing need to become reunited. If u come up to the falls/markets area, most of us are happy to have a job & keep the roofs over our heads, we see the advantages of living under the british banner, it is highly unlikely that the IR will be given the unprecendented levels of subsidy from the EU again in living memory & until the IR offers a viable alternative to the NI RCs than their won't be a UI. We may pay lip service to the call for a UI, but at the end of the day, we firmly believe that we are better off in the UK, until u change that fact, then playing historical mindgames, just doesn't cut it.

• sirpeter | Mar 01, 2011, 09:54 PM EST

  FallsRNat..I'll leave ya off with the use of that awful term. Seamus..You can't judge a country because of temporary economic crisis. I have no doubt the Republic will come through this crisis no problem,no matter what happens.It will take a bit of time and I think this country will be even stronger..All this crap is just all about bringing Ireland back in line with Europe.Standard of living was away to high compared to Europe.On those counties if it was 5 years ago would you be so confident they wouldn't vote to join the republic. The would have jumped at the chance and even now they still would..They are not stupid.They know things change. You know i read recently that Catholics are still twice as likely to be unemployed as prods.Anyway you can't judge an economy at it's low point. This deflation had to happen.Three bedroom semi's were nearly hitting the half million mark,people were going on 3 holidays a year.I brought a second house for 450,000 and payed it off in 5 years. Two teachers I play cards with have an extra house, which they are all renting..So am I...That's the way it was down here..That had to stop. I thank the master race,they made me alot richer and I'm still rich.Unfortunately those who over extended themselves are in trouble as well as the less well off. If Tyrone,Armagh,Fermanagh,South Down and Derry city and Newry had joined the Republic 10 years ago. A hell of alot of cleaver middle class prods and cats would be alot richer now..This economic crisis is only hitting the poor and the stupid.

• FallsRNat | Mar 01, 2011, 07:25 PM EST

  sirpeter, i wasn't talking about the british isles in political terms, i was using the geographical version instead of endless writing the 5 country names. there will be no countries left in 50 yrs time, they will be regions of a greater whole. U talk of a UI, but the IR has already sold its soul to a greater european ideal & memebrship of the euro, u don't have any economic/political independence. The master race that dev favoured in WW2 is already running yr country. The areas of NI that u describe have a catholic majority, but i doubt if there was a free vote that they would all (if any) join a UI now, as economically there is no material benefit for them to do that. For all of its problems, the UK has the advantage of an independent exchange rate & that is truly a good thing to have, either IR joins the sterling or not, is irrelevant from the brits point of view, however, if, as historically, the irish are going to get all uppity & start whingeing about 1916 & all that, they will move on without you.

• sirpeter | Mar 01, 2011, 06:51 PM EST

  (cont)Now let's say for argument sake..Tyrone,Armagh,Fermanagh,South Down and Derry city and Newry. Which in fairness have a Catholic majority and would want to throw their lot in with the south. It seems only England and the Irish Republic are more or less self sufficient. You know Ireland got nothing from the EU that we didn't pay back in resources,the amount of fish alone taken from our seas is less then the amount given to Ireland by the EU. Like take our Gas and Oil..Read this!!According to the Petroleum Affairs Division, (PAD), current estimates indicate at least 10 billion barrels of oil lie off the west coast Ireland. The Irish Independent stated that energy exports have the potential to transform Ireland into a “new Middle East.”In a recent publication by the Petroleum Affairs Division, (PAD), entitled Atlantic Ireland, it stated: “The potential shows volumes of over 130 billion barrels of oil and 50 trillion cubic feet of gas.” The Dunquin gas field which is 200km off the coast of Kerry contains an “astonishing” 25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 4,130 million barrels of oil. According to the Irish Independent this alone would meet Ireland’s gas needs – at present consumption levels – for the next 62 years.Further up the coast is the Spanish Point field, which is 200km off the coast of Clare. The field has known reserves of one and a quarter trillion cubic feet of gas and 206 million barrels of oil.. The drilling of wells will start next year and field production field will start in 2011.Inland lies the Lough Allen Basin – an area which was largely famous as a bog. But now the area has been “notionally” contains 9.4 trillion cubic feet of gas and 1.5 billion barrels of oil. What exactly will the NP's contribute. The auld shipbuilding and Linin trade is in a bit of a slump.

• sirpeter | Mar 01, 2011, 04:52 PM EST

  FallsRNat..Sorry..British isles has to go..I'm not British.That term is unacceptable. Also 3.5 counties in NI and two cities would vote to be represented by Dublin.Tyrone,Armagh,Fermanagh,South Down and Derry city and Newry. They must have that choice. This would stop Sinn Fein or the Unionist's real and not perceived ill treatment of Nationlist's.I'll concede that west Belfast has to come under NP control....No Sinn Fein didn't.They campaigned to have a greater say in how the Republic is run..The want to be the biggest party North and South. Comforting isn't it.

• FallsRNat | Mar 01, 2011, 02:22 PM EST

  A united ireland won't exist as there will be no need for it, all countries will have their own regional govt, with each of the 5 electing senior MPs to an upper house, sited on a rota basis in each different state. there will be boundaries to divide the states if they wish to raise local taxes, but harmonise across the UK & Ireland would seem the best bet. it also may serve the 'british isles' (geographical sense) govts to be independent when trying to resolve world issues - otherwise there would be a common passport, currency, freeflow of people, goods etc across the 5 states, so we wouldn't want to take a backward step by trying to impose a govt on any of us that isn't acceptable to the people as a whole. I guess that the downside for the shinners would be trying to impose a one state solution on the North & finding out that a referndum would have to be agreed by all of the voters in the british isles. A 1 state solution is colonist, old hat & would be seen for what it is, the shinners trying to treat the NI prods as serfs in reply to all of the years of their perceived ill treatment. sirpeter u will find that while people did vote for the shinners, they didn't do on a camoaign for a UI, which wasn't even mentioned by Gerry & co in the election campaign.

• sirpeter | Mar 01, 2011, 02:02 PM EST

  FallsRNat..Ok..£12 billion it is..You know the figure. Seamus, watch Sinn Fein swing more to the right as they gain more seat's,but continue to hold on to the working class vote. FF gave to everyone,that's why they were the biggest party. But good FF politicians let their dumb sons/daughters carry on in a job they were to thick for,and lost touch with the electorate. A good party will always get the working man's vote first and work up. Sinn Fein are no more Marxist then Groucho Marx. Well Seamus..I could sell all those good things to the Sinn Fein leadership and to the whole Republic..With all these closer ties in economy,health care,sharing resources,English speaking people,peace, security & friendship..One big happy family,each supporting the other in friendship and for the common good and support in times of war...We have no need for PARTITION then do we? We can have a United Ireland,England,Scotland and Wales. A New Act of Union.Known as the Anglo-Celtic and British peoples Alliance..What do you think Seamus?

• FallsRNat | Mar 01, 2011, 09:56 AM EST

  sirpeter - the unofficial subsidies last year were - Wales £3.8b, Scotland £9b, NI £7b, however, that doesn't take into account the subsidies for the following NI electricity, water, council tax, UB40, civil service, training, security, environment, tourism, sea defence, psni,stormont etc the true total is about £12b, give or take. Ireland needs stability & a lot of it, FG will see out the lifetime of the parliament, Labour will take 6 ministerial portfolios & join the coalition. Yes, pain ahead, but i really don't see the shinners as an economic force, marxist principles don't work in free market economies. The realignment of Irish euros into sterling is an achievable target & makes sound commercial sense, the UK has an economy running into hundreds of billions of pounds, the deficit of anglo-irish etc is a wart on their little finger. If closer economic ties meant more focused education & training for our children, more economic independence outside the euro, job swaps, closer farming ties, no border exchange rates than we have to look at the bigger picture. The brits in times of adversity pull together & in the latest opinion polls more people in scotland, wales are in favour of the union then ever, adding SI's 3m pop, located on their own land with a similar work ethic has its upside. so we won't get a UI, but what we do get is peace, security & friendship.

• sirpeter | Feb 28, 2011, 11:31 PM EST

  FallsRNat..Well there's already talk in Europe about giving Ireland a better deal..How better I don't know. But we will know soon enough. I think Labour are making a mistake going into power with FG..I think they should hold their nerve. They could lead a very strong left wing opposition. When I think about it. Sinn Fein is going to tear strips off Labour,because there is going to be unmerciful cuts in the next two years.Cut's they can blame FF for...But they can only get away with that for so long. Enda is looking forward to been in power for the 100 Anniversary of the 1916 Rising. He might not be in power for that. Interesting times ahead.You'll be happy to know Sinn Fein have lost a seat tonight in Wicklow. Still 14 seat's was a good result. Enda has hit the ground running,so we'll just have to wait. By the way from what I could find the UK subsidy to NI £4.5 Billion. All those good handy security jobs have got to be going. 40% of NI prod workforce were in the civil service in 1992..Tell your prod friends it's about time they found a real job. No wonder the Brit's have to shell out..Only half the workforce is in the real world. Most of them must be Catholic. FG are cutting the civil service by 80 thousand..No wonder the prods don't want a UI..They would have to work for a change..The more I understand about NI.Instead of finding some fair justifiable reason's in favour for the UP's..The more sympathy I have for the Nationalists. Seamus the place is a joke.Only that the Nationalists consider NI their home. I'd recommend they move out..Anywhere..NI doesn't appear to be economically viable at all. Enda's slogan "Get Ireland Working" must be looked at in horror by the proddy civil service.

• FallsRNat | Feb 28, 2011, 05:26 PM EST

  sirpeter - UK subsidy to NI all told is close to £12b a year, there is no way in the next decade that IR will be able to take this debt on, if the IR joins sterling, then the UK could swallow the irish debt, closer economic cooperation would be a consequence. it really is irrelevant if SF gained more seats, they will win power outright as there are too many votes they will never get from the mainsdtream parties - FG/FF/Labour, the best they could hope for is a coalition, but with who, FG is out of the question as a Tory party would never share with marxist party & Labour will never get 50 seats. The irony for SF would be that if there was a UI & the prods stayed in the north, then you will see a combined DUP/OUP (tories) in power with FG.

• sirpeter | Feb 27, 2011, 11:42 PM EST

  FallsRNat..8 loopy independents..each demanding an airport in their constituency for starters and a lite rail system for every move FG make after that..2 election's?..They wouldn't last 2 years in my opinion..It's a possibility..but FG know this government has to last. Seamus.. If FG/8 or FG/LAB whatever they choose..If it crashes and burns..The opinion of everyone in the republic is they will not vote back in FF..But swing left. This means more seat's for Sinn Fein. What you say makes sense to pull out of the Euro and join Sterling and ally ourselves to the NAFTA. That's not a bad idea. But there still is the debt..The British public would go mental,could you see the brits going along with that one? England is in trouble as it is. To be honest I can't see Europe letting that happen.The kraut's will crumble,they always do,because they have bigger plans. They have to cut a better deal or Ireland will default,and who knows what will happen if we default. It's an interesting concept though.It's hard to trust the brits though. They kinda don't give a sh*t about anybody but themselves. Anyway Seamus I wouldn't hold your breath. The reality is as I see it..No matter how much sh*t the media and FF/FG tried to throw at Sinn Fein..It didn't stick and they really tried. They have more funding,more media coverage,people are going to start to see them as an alternative dynamic party,strong voice in government,not gunmen anymore,they know where they are going and they are so good at getting where they want to be,young politicians. Gerry topped the poll in the south. They have one main goal and you know what it is Seamus.Ireland's debt is Sinn Feins gain in seat's. I really can't see how anybody can stop them.

• FallsRNat | Feb 27, 2011, 06:08 PM EST

  part 2 - a federation of states would mean freeflow of peoples, trade, currency etc, they should close the irish sea to all fishing except the 5 nation state - no more UI as each state would have their own independent govt, but work together as a unit. i'm sure that the brits wouldn't like to take on the IR's debt, but in the long term, it may work for the best of all states. I remeber my dad telling me in 69 that the daily telegraph offered this solution back then, we should have listened, we wouldn't have been in the mess that we are now. The only opposition to this ideal will be the freeloading TDs, MPs & MEPs who will lose their jobs, after all what can be better for the taxpayers than having a smaller dail, HoC etc

• FallsRNat | Feb 27, 2011, 06:02 PM EST

  sirpeter, FG are in sight of 75 seats, they only need 8 independents then they are in power for at least 2 elections, that's right, 2, the irish people realise that they were fecked by FF & they are in for major pain economically with at least 2 parliaments sitting in the IR to sort it out, even if FG & Labour are in power together, they are unlikely to throw them out after 1 parliament to re-elect FF. Now, the body blow for SF is that there is an alternative for FG to hang over the EU, for renegotiation of the loan, that is, to pull out of the euro & join sterling outside the eurozone. Kenny has spent time with Cameron/Osborne & i'm sure its being discussed, what u will be left with is a federation of 5 states - Eng, Sco, NI, Wal & IR who can ally themselves to the NAFTA, the irish could rejoin the commonwealth if they wanted & get cheap bananas from WI.

• sirpeter | Feb 27, 2011, 04:30 PM EST

  Seamus..You say ..Quote"you'll be surprised at the attitude taking place here even in the falls" When you say something like that. You are agreeing with what I have been saying since we started chatting. If you open your eyes..There is no threat to UP's culture..Only to bigotry and a lack of respect..If the Orange Order wanted to pass my house a banging and a fluting. I wouldn't mind at all..Id even go out with the kids and watch them..As you say I might even enjoy it...But if they say..We are passing your house weather you like it or not and start shouting..Fu*k the Pope,and croppies lie down..I'm not going to be happy with that..Would a UP? or anybody. Because the Orange Order has shown more respect,then the Nationalist's are going to be alot more tolerant which they are now..That's a fact. You and the UP's have to snap out of this siege mentality. You and the UP's live in Ireland and there will be a reunited Ireland,because it makes sense, and Ireland is NI's natural mother and she want's her son's back. She has given a home to, the Celt's,the Vikings,the Normans,the English,and the Polish.

• sirpeter | Feb 27, 2011, 04:29 PM EST

  (Cont)You know Sinn Fein are unstoppable. Now that they are going to break out of their traditional heartlands in the Republic..I reckon 10 years or sooner Sinn Fein will be in power with FF or Labour....Watch this space Seamus..Forget the nitty-gritty..Plus the wishful thinking. This is going to happen. NI has been going through a process since partition. Up to the 60's discrimination was excepted by the world..The troubles were a necessary part..It's message was Proddy's,if our life's are sh*t,we'll make your life's sh*t. This worked,as it has worked all over the world. Now there is peace and power sharing. But this peace is unglueing the Loyalist's,nothing is polarizing them anymore. The young don't care about religion and with more mixing...There will be more and more proddy-cats..More and more North-South connection,s as is already happening. It will be a painless slip into a United Ireland..With your grand kids saying....Mom!! ..Grandad is trying to get to Scotland again and is crying and fell out of his wheelchair...Well what do you expect Mary..Telling him you are going to marry Taoiseach Gerry Adams Great grandson. ;))

• sirpeter | Feb 27, 2011, 02:17 PM EST

  Seamus..You might think FG are coming to the fore.But that is not what i see at all..I'll post this again...The mighty Sinn Fein machine is on the move,tripling their seat's in the Dail.Gerry wrote a book called "Before the Dawn" Well the dawn has arrived..It's a Sinn Fein sunrise and this is only the beginning. FF are gone!.Their core vote has deserted them for good,they will never get them back. The price of treason, and it will never be forgotten, as is the Irish way,Their core vote was also ageing and they don't have many dynamic young people coming up either. FG/LAB have been handed a poisoned chalice and they will pay the price for that in the next election if Europe doesn't look between the lines. Europe must start to understand,that this is not a FG victory,but a FF extermination. Those who think it isn't, are in cloud cuckoo land. The Irish electorate have thrown with force, that poisoned chalice at FG and said You too have caused this mess..FIX IT OR ELSE!! If Europe doesn't deliver, FG are next for the chop.These 70 odd seat's are not FG seat's,they are on lone. If the left are allowed reach critical mass then Europe will have a big problem. Labour know they have to deliver too.So it won't be F'G,s, 5 point plan..But FG's Two and a bit plan.Or Labour with will send this FG government crashing down in flames. This would suit Sinn Fein down to the ground. The Kraut's have a choice, talk to Enda and Labour or next time round, Gerry and Sinn Fein who will be holding back,the many baying for Kraut blood Independent's that were elected. It won't be Tiocfaidh ár lá...It will be "Chucky" has arrived... in the bedroom's of the bondholders at night.

• FallsRNat | Feb 25, 2011, 11:18 PM EST

  aah sirpeter, i suppose they did make a mistake at drumcree, but you'll be surprised at the attitude taking place here even in the falls, we aren't opposed to orange marches per se & we certainly don't want to be accused of religious bigotry ourselves. I attended 5 orange marches last year - 1 in scotland, 2 in england, 1 in NI & 1 in the IR. I must say that i wasn't intiminated at all by the banging of the lambeg drum & i thought that some of the flute bands were musically very good. i suppose that as i don't consider myself a victim of prod ascendancy, it doesn't affect me as much as others. After all when i look at the tricolour, i see green, white & orange - however, under the present circumstances in the 26 counties, if the comments on this board are anything to go by, i think that the orange part should be removed. However, my faith in the ability of the more modernist ireland coming to the fore is considerably cheered by the fact that the 'blue shirts' are finally coming to power in ireland - the end of the republican ideal is in sight & a new secular free state can be enjoyed by all regardless of race, colour or creed.

• sirpeter | Feb 25, 2011, 11:54 AM EST

  FallsRNat..I'm not taken in by anybody..I just look at facts.1691 Depositions, that were digitized by Trinity College in Dublin last year and sent to the University of Aberdeen in Scotland who then announce the NI Prods are a pack of liars..Question is why Scotland,why not announce the so called fictitious massacre's in Dublin or London or anywhere else. The 1691 massacre's are at the very heart of the Orange Order. If that isn't a lethal injection by the Scots into the root of the Orange Order I don't know what is. The fact is the Orange Order is dying Seamus. The fact is the Orange Order and their marches, has been dying a slow death all over the world, over the last 40 years. See that's a fact Seamus.Drumcree was where the prods cut their own throat..A bunch of mad Orangemen trying to get down a road in front the international media.Too pig headed to see how Sinn Fein set them up, and again the Prods gave birth to The Parades Commission who went and banned the parade along most of the route including the Garvaghy Road. They are not walking the Queens highway now. Off to Scotland with them or keep out of nationalist areas in NI where they are not wanted. That's far from a resurgence. That's called moving the Orange Order to Scotland. Seems to be working Seamus.

• FallsRNat | Feb 24, 2011, 09:04 PM EST

  sirpeter don't get taken in by the jocks, they say anything now, but under the Scots Nats there has been a resurgence of orange marches in bonny wee scotland, the real protestant church in the UK is the Church of Scotland, it is not affiliated to the CoE or CoI, which are anglican churches. The presbyterian churches in NI are all allied to the protestant church. I have attended many football matches in scotland as an arab, yes i have even dressed as 1 at ibrox with the other visiting Dundee U supporters, there has been a quiet revolution going on over the last 5 years, where the only 'other' team in scotland is celtic, all the catholic clubs even inc Hibs have fallen over themselves to welcome the british troops @ their football grounds in what is described as showing their 'britishness' The majority of Rcs will not welcome an independent scotland as they will ally themselves with an independent NI with the prods once more in the ascendancy. The wondering thing for ireland is that alot of the English would welcome this, the financial tap would be turned off & a firecely nationalistic alternative country will be sitting on your doorstep.

• sirpeter | Feb 24, 2011, 08:30 PM EST

  FallsRNat..Apologize for what..The PIRA were born out of the civil right's movement and discrimination. The prods had 50 years to set up a fair society. They did not..The cry was: A Protestant Ulster for a Protestant people. They all clapped and cheered.It's the Protestant people gave birth to the PIRA by burning out Catholics ect Any pain and misery they got was well deserved voting in bigot after bigot for 50 years..Apologise my ass. The Nationalist's were provoked into a bloody war. I couldn't care less who did what, during that war. I'm only interested in the overall facts of what created the troubles, The peace now and the power sharing. I have learned enough from YOU,that there is no reconciliation or reasoning in this generation of Protestant's or Nationalist's. But when the Scots are telling UP's their history is a pack of lies. I think you should start packing your bags fairly soon as you were saying,because Sinn Fein,the Irish government and the British government have plans for youse boys.

• FallsRNat | Feb 24, 2011, 10:05 AM EST

  i was making a statement that is quite factual, GA & his cohorts said they weren't sectarian in their killing, therefore surely Jean McConville is a contradiction in terms, a lot of their murders were of innocent prods, they however, chose to claim that only the loyalist murders were sectarian (which they were), so over to you sirpeter, is the murder of innocent catholics during the troubles sectarian & the murder of innocent prods not, i also note that PIRA have still not apologised for the pain & misery that they caused during the troubles. While i am cynical of the loyalists apology, at least they made a start my acknowledging their role in the deaths of innocents during the conflict.

• sirpeter | Feb 24, 2011, 09:16 AM EST

  FallsRNat...Again..You make a statement,telling me to do something constructive. Seamus what the hell you know about what I'm doing? On a one to one level,there is is no talking to you on anything constructive. Therefore you leave me with no other choice but to counter-act any bullsh*t you come out with. To throw the death of Jean McConville at me is an insult..So expect insults back.

• FallsRNat | Feb 24, 2011, 05:42 AM EST

  instead of reforming to type why don't you do something constructive & join the irish association if u really are committed to an inclusive ireland.

• sirpeter | Feb 23, 2011, 09:02 PM EST

  Seamus..Bringing Jean McConville into it..You have lost all my respect. I have nothing to do with that.

• sirpeter | Feb 23, 2011, 08:57 PM EST

  FallsRNat..Ahhh..Fu*k off so Seamus...Don't be bringing up jean mcconville! to me..It has nothing to do with me...

• FallsRNat | Feb 23, 2011, 03:01 PM EST

  i don't post on fiction sites what i know to be fact, why do i need to defend the prods, they are more than capable of that, a shinner defending the prods, be late for jean mcconville!

• sirpeter | Feb 22, 2011, 11:48 PM EST

  FallsRNat...What are you telling me for? I agree with ya about the 1641 massacre. Question is why are you posting it here? and not on the "1641 massacre of Protestant's a fiction topic" As least you could turn up to defend your prod friends..You obviously haven't read my defense of the prods...I suppose you can't stomach a shinner defending prods either..

• jacersagain | Feb 22, 2011, 05:11 PM EST

  It doesn’t surprise me to see this headline re dissident Republicans out to target the wedding of William and Kate. That was a crass mistake by Willo’s parents to give him a name associated with the fellow who won the Battle of the Boyne. Back when Charles & Diana’s first-born’s name was announced, Ulster’s die-hard Protestants whooped with glee that at last there would be a new future King Billie for them while Ulster’s die hard Republicans rubbed their hands with glee that they would have a new future target to stop a King Billie emerging. I don’t think either side is going to see that day... given all the momentum of what’s been happening in Nth African countries and other such anti-monarchist places, it won’t be long before the Anti-Royalist factions in mainland Britain itself raise their flags once again and storm the streets around Buckingham Palace (bejacers, ye hafta laugh at that name - 'Bucking Ham' - in the face of Britain's Muslims). And the dissident won’t even hafta lift a finger.

• Laura Wilson | Feb 22, 2011, 05:01 PM EST

  Boring, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ................. everyone leave that beautiful young man & his furture bride the hell ALONE OMFG..

• FallsRNat | Feb 22, 2011, 04:15 PM EST

  sir peter Academics from the University of Aberdeen have been given a £334,000 grant to examine the depositions of English and Scottish settlers about the masscre of Protestants in Ulster in 1641. The 4,000 depositions are held in Trinity College Dublin and describe the events of that terrible time. The historians will use cutting-edge software to examine and cross-reference names, places, words and phrases in an effort to establish just how many people were murdered. The most recent estimates put the figure at between 4,000 and 12,000. There can be no doubt that the Irish rebels had a sectarian motivation. Writing on 7 December 1641 Father Hugh Bourke, at that time commisary of the Irish Friars Minor in Germany and Belgium, admitted that the war was ‘begun solely in the interest of the Catholic and Roman religion’. [Jesuit Plots p 163; Report on Franciscan Manuscripts, Command Paper 2867, HMSO 1906] Indeed the fact that this was a Roman Catholic rebellion against Protestantism was acknowledged by the Jesuit writer Oliver P Rafferty in his history of Roman Catholicism in Ulster: 'The bloody Ulster uprising of 1641 ... represented ... a spontaneous outpouring of hatred against Protestantism and all it stood for.' [Catholicism in Ulster 1603-1983 p 1] But what was the extent of the massacre? In the past there were grossly exaggerated figures but even if it were only 4,000 or 12,000 people it was still a dreadful massacre and left a dreadful legacy of hatred and fear. Even the lower figure of 4,000 is greater than the number of people killed in the recent Troubles in Northern Ireland and yet the killing happened at a time when the Protestant population of Ulster was much smaller, around 100,000. Furthermore it happened in a much shorter period and in addition to those who were murdered, many others died as a result of ill treatment and deprivation.

• FallsRNat | Feb 22, 2011, 04:04 PM EST

  thanks dan, i should have said the tractors of evil

• DanOLoingsigh | Feb 22, 2011, 03:48 PM EST

  Not sure if the group calling themselves ‘nutters claiming they want to marry William’ pose much of a threat, best to focus on the others…and of course the IFA, though the Central London congestion charge should keep their tractors well away.

• FallsRNat | Feb 22, 2011, 03:42 PM EST

  why bother, u lot are welcome to RIRA, CIRA, even the basques have turned their back on violence, just IRA & Al al qaeda left. maybe the yanks will invade ireland soon as it is obviously part of the axis of eveil.

• sirpeter | Feb 22, 2011, 01:03 PM EST

  antoman..I see you haven't got attacked yet by the Brit lovers for that post,that's only because they have fallen off their computer chairs and are still hyper-ventilating.LOL

• cillowen | Feb 22, 2011, 10:45 AM EST

  great hype - for a bestselling book when all hell breaks thru with this union.

• Chieftain | Feb 22, 2011, 10:10 AM EST

  @ Antoman... wow! LOL

• antoman | Feb 22, 2011, 09:29 AM EST

  Prince Charles aggrieved at not being able to get his ears pinned back in New York on account he's English and not liking the bride anyway might take humbridge and ask MI6 to make it look like the IFA(Irish farmers Association)were responsible for disrupting the wedding.Maybe even do a Diana...a car accident.