NEW YORK BOSTON |#Popular: Irish Celebrity Gossip Irish in US Politics Irish Festivals Irish Roots Irish Entertainment Offbeat Irish

Home Page > News > Gay Byrne brands Presidential election candidate Martin McGuinness a liar

Gay Byrne brands Presidential election candidate Martin McGuinness a liar

TV legend launches astonishing attack on Sinn Fein and IRA

CATHAL DERVAN,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Friday, September 23, 2011, 8:19 AM

Updated Friday, September 23, 2011, 1:12 PM

Larger Text

E-mail

20 Comments

Gay Byrne

Photo by Google Images

Irish broadcasting legend Gay Byrne has launched an incredibly bitter attack on Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness – and branded him a liar.

Byrne, who considered running for President himself, has also told a television audience in Ireland that he hates Sinn Fein and the IRA.

The bizarre rant comes just days after Sinn Fein nominated McGuinness to run for the party in next month’s Presidential election.

McGuinness has taken leave of absence from his role as Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister but clearly won’t be getting Byrne’s first preference in the October poll.

Byrne told the TV3 station: “I’ve always been a hater of Sinn Fein and a hater of the Provisional IRA and everything they stood for - and they don’t like me either.

--------------------

David Norris just three signatures away from President nomination

Vicious attacks on presidential candidate Martin McGuinness begin

--------------------

“I’ve interviewed Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams and they are so well disciplined and so well honed that no interviewer gets anywhere with them.

“You get nowhere with them because they lie. They lie all the time. They don’t mind lying and they’ve rehearsed their lies and they’ve been trained to lie, and that’s what they’re doing.”

Just weeks after he courted the major political parties for support in his own bid to run for the Aras,

Byrne has claimed he now has no interest whatsoever in the election to find Mary McAleese’s successor.

“Like so many other Irish people, I have lost interest in the presidential election” added Byrne.

“When I look at Mr McGuinness, I do not think statesman and politician but rather former IRA man and former gunman.

“Do the Irish people want this guy to be head of the armed forces and all those connotations?

“And under the Constitution there are many, many different things about which Sinn Fein, and he will wriggle, and weasel words as usual, because they’re very, very good at doing that.”

McGuinness has yet to reply to the Byrne interview but has again spoken of his IRA past, denying that he ever issued orders for anyone to be shot but confirming that he had discharged firearms.

Speaking in Cork, McGuinness said: “I didn’t say I never fired a gun - I was in the IRA. There were battles on the streets of Derry. I’ve never run away from that.

“No, I was never indirectly responsible for somebody being killed.

“But I’m not going to sensationalize in interviews with something that could then be used to the detriment of the peace process and to the detriment of my colleagues within government.

“I have made my peace with unionist leaders. And I do think some people in the media down here, some elements need to think about peacemaking and how they make their peace with me.”

--------------------

David Norris just three signatures away from President nomination

Vicious attacks on presidential candidate Martin McGuinness begin

Nster.com

E-mail

20 Comments

See all comments

DanOLoingsigh | Sep 27, 2011, 12:33 PM EDT

Who would name a son ‘Gay’? Its Gabriel –…he did an excellent job in airing various taboo subjects on TV and Radio..I well remember fantastic programme he did on a young girl called Ann Lovett –in my opinion still one of the most profound programmes ever aired on RTE, and it contributed hugely to a ‘sea change’ in attitudes to unmarried mothers…yes he challenged the men of violence, and he was right to do so…if an interviewer spoke today to current dissidents, what would we expect him to say?

Report abuse

pilib04 | Sep 25, 2011, 09:17 AM EDT

Gay Byrne has been this way his entire life. I never understood the appeal except that he was always there for RTE and whatever government was in power. Byrne is an acquired taste and you have to understand his penchant for smearing those he disagrees with. Byrne is being honest when he admits to being a hater. Ireland does not need haters in public life. We need leadership who can heal and unite. Martin McGuinness has proven his ability in this area. His co-leadership of the government of Northern Ireland with the Reverend Paisley and then Peter Robinson is a matter of record. The Sinn Fein and Democratic Unionist Party coalition was only recently returned to power and has governed Northern Ireland since 2007.

Report abuse

merefalow | Sep 25, 2011, 06:37 AM EDT

boy how they crawl out of the woodwork occasionally,martin you must have these guys seiously worried for him to reveal his true colours like this,this guy is about as irish deep down as a salami,he would grovel for a kiss ass knighthood and revel in it,yuk,what a creature..sill maybe he was scarred in childhood,what sort of parents would name their son GAY..

Report abuse

eiregirl | Sep 24, 2011, 11:19 PM EDT

omg...I grew up listening to this joker every Saturday night. It was cringe worthy, the bs that came out of his mouth. I hated him and his attitude toward a part of my country. He has such a superiority complex but his views are so oldschool. I just think he's from that generation of Irish people who weren't given the full story, the truth. Ireland was a fledgling country trying to find it's way and he was listening to propaganda in his elite social circles. I believe that I was fed propaganda watching any news reports be it from RTE, BBC or ITV. The IRA were the big baddies was the newsfeed. Well if they were, they surely weren't the only ones but they were the only ones fighting a cause. Mr. Byrne, do us and yourself a favour, and shut the f up. Anyway, what can McGuinnes lie about now if he was President..."oh the peach flans are made with 100% peaches?? That's organic milk in your tea?? Ireland has changed it's address and phone number, we're not home"

Report abuse

KevinKehoe | Sep 24, 2011, 03:19 PM EDT

We all remember when Gerry Adams was trying to kick start the peace process. He was invited on to the Late Late Show and Gaybo lined up a Hit Squad of 5 ante Republicans to ambush him. It back fired as Adams calmly exposed there narrow minded tunnel vision and tore them to shreds.

Report abuse

cuddlybuddly | Sep 24, 2011, 02:32 PM EDT

Pretty sick of this attitude to Sinn Fein who after all brought the darkside into the light and turned to lawful politics...And we are all part of the IRA and what happened this country, time to admit we all have blood on our hands ...just by being Irish and wanting to stay Irish

Report abuse

Brolaur | Sep 24, 2011, 02:18 PM EDT

Who is Gaybo? Just an old radio and TV hack. What the hell has he ever done for Ireland. He has never lifted a finger for Ireland. He has feathered his own bed well though.

Report abuse

Brolaur | Sep 24, 2011, 02:14 PM EDT

Bankers, Politicians, Rogue developers etc start quaking in your shoes. This President is not afraid to look you straight in the eye. There will be no hiding behind tribunals. It will all be out in the open. This President will restore our faith in our Gov. Weasly words will be a thing of the past McGuinness for the Árus. A Nation once again.

Report abuse

eiriamach | Sep 24, 2011, 11:39 AM EDT

I've found some activities (drug running, catering to bigoted US fundraisers, etc.) of a few Sinn Fein people downright scary, and I understand why some in Donegal, for example, shudder when they hear the name "IRA." But I've always admired the consultative approach that the people in the Sinn Fein 'central office' take to making decisions. Many people have input, women are included, Catholics do not rule the roost, minority needs are not overlooked, and the statements that come out of Sinn Fein have usually been well-reasoned, clear, straight-forward, and framed in democratic values. McGuinness could bring a great sense of political history, an international outlook, skills in strategy, and an understanding of human psychology to the office of Uachtarán na hÉireann. And maybe, just maybe, he would advance the NI peace process from that position. I hope he has a chance of winning.

Report abuse

mamaginnty | Sep 24, 2011, 11:06 AM EDT

He is a two-faced snob, if things don't go his way he rips it to pieces, so used to his own bloody importance that his word is god to the irish people. He lost money yes, and played on the people, but no way down to his last slice of bread. He runs more than half of our national tv, so propaganda is rife on news programmes etc. You have to be a friend of a friend to get a job in it, and it is full of bloody old farts like himself. The day of Gaybo and the bishops rule are gone. Now the government are shaking in thier shoes, they know Sinn Féin are not afraid to ask questions in the Dail, the dirt is flying thick and fast about the the way they have been robbing the citizens for decades in thier ( elite club )under the guise called a government. A president has the duty of signing and passing certain papers, if Martin wins they know he won't be licking arse or bowing down to them. Ireland is so in need of change. A great day in the history of Ireland, Martin and the republic of Eire...go for it.

Report abuse

Tooreenagrena | Sep 24, 2011, 10:16 AM EDT

Anyone who watched the RTE 'ambush in the 80's knows what this amadan is like. No suprises now.

Report abuse

mandrake | Sep 23, 2011, 05:51 PM EDT

On second thought strike "horseshit" it's at least good for something.

Report abuse

sirpeter | Sep 23, 2011, 05:11 PM EDT

Gaybo you wouldn't know a liar if one jumped up a bit you on the ass.Didn't your life long accountant friend whom you cried buckets for when he died take you for every penny you had.Some judge of character you are!!You met your match when you interviewed "The Teflon Brothers" Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams.You spent weeks planing your little traps for them with the help of your West Brit friends.You just couldn't get the dirt to stick no matter how aggressively you tried.Gaybo maybe the dirt wouldn't stick because they were telling it like it was.The Bitter Truth!!

Report abuse

Rebelforce | Sep 23, 2011, 05:03 PM EDT

I was going to say if Ireland had to depend on little old ladies like Gay Byrne to win Irish freedom, we'd still have a British Viceroy ruling at Dublin Castle. But then I thought to myself, why insult little old ladies by comparing them to this worthless gasbag?

Report abuse

cillowen | Sep 23, 2011, 04:26 PM EDT

Twisted face Gay is one gay blade - he would have little problem with the Dev Presidency, one who caused the slaughter of his? fellows. Gay cannot connect the dots he overlooks that "Englands's Greatest Spy" character, who caused the Irish Civil War whose effects will linger long. Dev was focussed on securing a homeland for his father's tribe - a forested area in his name grows proudly in the ME.

Report abuse