British Prime Minister David Cameron clashes with Pope Francis over Falkland Islands

BrendanDunphy and Seano: Captain Bolton said she and her fellow officers could not swear alligence to Sinn/IRA "if they attempted to take over the democratic Irish State by force". You obviously misunderstood either by accident or because you wanted to. Nobody is turning their backs on the North but would you want to take on people who can't come to terms with each other (and they have been given every chance the last few years). Why should people in the Republic disrupt their lives, both financially and emotionally, for the six counties. It was never our fight. We grew up in a peaceful democratic state and spent years being treated as suspected terrorists at airports around the world and in general just because we lived next door to the North. When the Nationalists came South in the 1970s to avoid the marching season etc., and we housed them for a few weeks feeding them, clothing etc. all they did was complain to us about the Republic,one of them told my parents "well we know where to come again if we need a holiday". The next time the then Irish Government appealed to people to put them up for a few weeks, there were no takers. Can you not understand why people in the Irish State want to keep their distance nowadays. Since neither of you live in the State at the moment, your airy fairy notions about a United Ireland won't cut any ice as nobody is interested. So stop being silly and bitter. Scouse Tony thanks for your comments re the Irish Defence Forces, I'm sure they will appreciate them. Enough said.

@Anglo-Norman ... Yes, very much disappointed in them as well. Perhaps you missed my references to peace ... Or my point altogether ...

BrendanDunphy- GROW UP SON... Are you disappointed with the young Irish who murdered,maimed,kidnapped & terrorised ordinary Irish people in their aims for a United Ireland?

@GordanDuggan ... while I certainly understand and respect your and Audrey's desire for peace, I must say that I also share Armagh City's disappointment with today's Irish, not only for turning their backs on their fellow countrymen in the north but also because of their generally unfriendly, even downright hostile and angry, attitudes. You can read it in their nasty angry posts here. In a sense, today's generation of Irish is the generation that is failing all previous generations, as well as failing their fellow countrymen in the North. You can achieve unity without war. My dear friends in the North, peaceful friends I might add, are disappointed in today's (26 county) Irish as well. By saying no to unity is turning your back on your countrymen, and on your history, and is selfish to say the least. I'm certain the Irish will have a profanity-laced field day in their angry responses to these comments, but so be it. Three final thoughts: (1) A country that was on the receiving end of bigotry for 800 years should not be producing bigots of their own. (2) Unity and peace are not mutually exclusive. (3) If the heroes of 1916 shared Audrey's attitude of "move on already", then there would be no Irish Republic. Respectfully.

KilkennyCats The Irish Defence Force isn't desperate for what they already have. The IDF has some of the best ATO's putting their ball on the block in Afghanistan, chaired the Resilient Threat Management conference in Brussels earlier this month and have one of the most in demand bomb disposal training teams. Not 9 to 5 and obviously not interesting enough for IC, perhaps if they dressed as Leprechauns and shouted Beggorah and Bejaybus they could get an article of their own.

The Question asked of Audrey was if Sinn Fein were elected, her answer was, that she and her officer friends would defy the elected government. It's a re-run of the Curragh mutiny where British Army officers refused to carry out the orders of the government. And if Sinn Fein were elected it would have to abide by the constitution. The narrow thinking by the likes of Bolton to only serve those with whom they politically agree with is far from democratiic and smacks a little of right wing middle of the road fascism.

Kilkenny. Use your common sense. The Irish Defence Forces don't keep office hours you know. The Irish Army is very well respected both at home and abroad. All soldiers are entitled to a holiday after a long spell of duty. Why are you paranoic about the Defence Forces? Have you something to hide or are you just a bitter person?

Irish Army member Audrey Bolton said she had one last comment to make "before she goes on leave". What is THAT all about?! This Irish Army that is OBVIOUSLY quite thirsty for a bit of respect (i.e., see Gordan Duggan's comments as well) spends their working hours surfing the internet?! Rest easy, Eire, internet surfers have your back. You can't make this stuff up ...

IrishCop: I don't believe that to be the case any more, but it was back in the 80's. From what I have seen myself and heard, most of that crowd you speak of went back to Irealnd in the late 1990's early 00's. That being said you are correct that more than a few Irish from Ireland despise Americans and Irish-Americans in particular. It is one of the reasons that many Irish-Americas want no part of helping to leagalize the new wave of Irish that are coming into the U.S.

Disappointed in today's Irish Armagh City? Tough, it's notup to you (how old are you anyway) Maybe you don't get we mordern Irish who don't want have a Civil War over a piece of land North of the Border. Our grandparents went through all that. I would recommend everyone who can watch the Irish TV series "In the name of the Republic" (Monday night 9 o'clock) in which Professor Eunan O'Halpin tackles some of the more troubling aspects of the War of Independence. He admits his ancestors were not angels during this time. Archaelogists are now seeking the remains of victims secretly buried during the hostilities. We have relatives who were victims of both sides of the conflict and my grandparents asked us to promise not to ever go to war again with our fellow Irish. Wise advise. I get where A. Bolton is coming from. As an Irish Army Peacekeeper she has seen what war does to other countries who tear themselves apart. I also think she was making the point that Irish Defance Forces being the only legitimate army in the Irish State could not swear alligance to a dictatorship such as SinnFeinn/IRA would surely be if they took over the Government which I can't see happening anytime soon (the numbers don't stack up). The Irish Army would become like the Free French or the French Resistance during World War 11 under the Nazis. Most Irish people don't trust Sinn Finn/IRA which is why Martin McGuinnes was never elected President of Ireland. We all suspect this organisation have a hidden agenda for the Republic which is probably to force us and the North into a United Ireland. God help us. Ireland has enough dead already.

AudreyBolton is a perfect example of why I am sooo disappointed in today's Irish.

ANGLO-NORMAN ... why do you say "FACT". It discredits you. It may be what a poll says, it may be your opinion, but it is not fact. No one can predict the future.

seanmelb: I normally find your posts very insightful and agree wih many of them. But surely you cannot equate the Provo's with the IRA form 1918-1923? ANd the Irish Defense Forces are the only legitimate army on the island of Ireland.

99.8% :)

IrelandNorth - "Faux-klan'd Islands" Love it!