Gerry Adams calls for presidential vote for citizens in the north and diaspora

Ciara, Gerry Adams writes stories in Irish (some of which I have read in Irish) and is a fluent speaker of Irish. You should be sneering at him for speak Irish, a language you so clearly despised and disparaged on another thread.

Clevelander, you must be very old, as Baythebay has implied here that no civil rights have been violated in Ireland since the Black & Tans of 1920.

@bythebay I am amazed how much you sound like the unionist's of the past. I laugh when you generalize statements like no one in Ireland wants a United Ireland, or no one in Ireland was against the queen visiting. It must be great to speak for everyone. Or stating that if you do not live in Ireland at the moment you will never be able to vote in an election. It must be great to be able to deny the people Ireland the right for them to decide. But I tend to think that the issue will be voted on, if you say it's OK for them to do so. Your comments are at best ill-thought, but now that I think of it, your comments are like those of the men and women who denied me and my family basic civil rights, just because you say so. Well those times are gone and I still look forward to reading your post's and shaking my head in dis-belief. Thanks for the entertainment.

@bythebay I am amazed how much you sound like the unionist's of the past. I laugh when you generalize statements like no one in Ireland wants a United Ireland, or no one in Ireland was against the queen visiting. It must be great to speak for everyone. Or stating that if you do not live in Ireland at the moment you will never be able to vote in an election. It must be great to be able to deny the people Ireland the right for them to decide. But I tend to think that the issue will be voted on, if you say it's OK for them to do so. Your comments are at best ill-thought, but now that I think of it, your comments are like those of the men and women who denied me and my family basic civil rights, just because you say so. Well those times are gone and I still look forward to reading your post's and shaking my head in dis-belief. Thanks for the entertainment.

As an Irish born resident of Australia a presidential vote would be fair and reasonable I do not think that this should be extended to the dail.The GFA gave the right for citizens in the north to hold Irish citizenship if they wished to.The usual anti Irish naysayers condemn this action for the usual reasons,their dislike of anything which whiffs of Irish nationalism.As far as Ciara's rantings are concerned people born in other countries do not claim to be Irish.It's Irish born people living overseas that are asking for a presidential vote and they do not deny their Irish birthright.Ciara's arrogant post is ridiculous to say the least. She is sadly misinformed or stupid.

Curitiba, please don't let the Xenophobes get you down. There are snakes on both sides of the Atlantic (human type). Anyway, Gerry Adams TD is addressing the issue in the Dail not in the Irish Central. The Xenophobes have a vote in the Irish Central, but not the Dail. "Keep ya head up", as Tupac would say. By the by Curitiba, you are Irish no matter what some anonymous poster says.

Of course the office of Uachtaran na hEireann is the property of all Irish. Those in the Republic, those in Northern Ireland and those of the Diaspora. Adams recommendation to limit the vote to those holding Irish passports makes sense (as always).

Let's join forces and mount a huge advertising campaign imploring expectant mothers NOT to leave Ireland while pregnant because if they give birth unexpectedly in a foreign country, then their offspring's Irish identity will be completely dissolved by being born in that country, and they have NO claim to being Irish, since they were born abroad of Irish parents. Heaven help them if they are doing a tour of North Korea...

must..stop...posting...comments...must... go..to...sleep! I will resist! Can't! Bythebay, I have an Irish passport. So guess what...The Irish identity must be the most weakest and flimsiest in the world if it is completely dissolved by being born outside Ireland. No other nationality or ethnic group in the world has this problem. If there's no such thing as Irish ethnicity, then there sure ain't any such thing as being Celtic in that case. Tell you what Ciara, I'll make you a deal.

A naturalised citizen, thats the term I was thinking of. Curitiba, you might have celtic blood which is where our link ends Im sure as youre not Irish. This irish ethnicity in nonsense! As you well know, many people have come here over the years so we are a mix.You might be irish to other migrants but to the Irish, youre not Irish. I think youll find its only Americans and now British people (you as Ive never heard another British person tell me theyre Irish!)who declare themselves as irish! I have never met an Aussie or Kiwi who declare themselves as Irish. My Irish mate is married to a Swedish girl and they live in Stockholm with their son. That kid is Swedish not Irish and his parents embrace that.

Curitiba, you're not an Irish citizen, nor a permanent resident of Ireland. Until you are you will not be eligible to vote in Irish elections.

Oh but I am Irish Ciara. My parents are Irish-same as yours. My grandparents are Irish- same as yours. Where you are born has nothing to do with anything. If I were born in the mid-atlantic, would I be the man from Atlantis? If I was born in Iran, would I be Persian? Born in China, Chinese? I think you'll find Irish born people are the only people in the world who cling to this absurd definition of nationality and ethnicity.

Because I think it takes five years for citizenship to come through for people who are living and working here.

Why 5 years? Why not 4? Or 10? Or 1 year? Sounds completely arbitrary to me.

the only people who should be allowed vote in Irish affairs are those who were born here or those who have been here over 5 years. My Swedish mate votes and rightly so.. Hes here 6 years and what happens here affects him.