Government minister attacks Sinn Fein plan to shake hands with Queen Elizabeth

Sounds like someone needs to buy Hayes and Harris a set of faux pearls to go with their faux outrage. Their staggering ineptitude at running Irish Government is biting them hard and they're looking for anything to divert attention.

The west Brit attack dogs of Fine Gael and their crocodile tears is amusing.The same morons would attack McGuinness if he refused to shake hands with Betsy. Sinn Fein are riding high in the polls and that is their major angst. Maybe I'll send a carton of red white and blue tissues to Leinster house ,One each for the west Brit German groveling Harris and Hayes(tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber)

Kudos for Martin McGuinness for his soon-to-be congratulatory meeting with Queen Elizabeth II when she visits Northern Ireland. I am sure McGuinness will be one of dozens of politicians who will congratulate the Queen on her sixtieth year reign. The McGuinness scoffers in the Republic make it sound as if McGuinness and the Queen are holding a personal summit meeting. McGuinness and other politicians from North and South are doing the correct thing in congratulating a truly great woman.

It's funny how the Irish government can whistle up lots of snarling attack dogs to be set on guys like McGuinness, but can only round up whining poodles and lap dogs when trying to negotiate with the EU and save their country from ruin.

It seems that Hayes, the FG representative, is wary of Sinn Fein's impressive showing in recent opinion polls taken in the Republic of Ireland, and has now decided to fire this broadside against Martin McGuinness. Of course, there may be some political opportunism behind the upcoming meeting with the British queen, but it is also a sign of a more pragmatic approach to nation-building as Sinn Fein view it.

It see that Hayes, the FG representative is wary of Sinn Fein's impressive showing in recent opinion polls taken in the Republic of Ireland, and has now decided to fire this broadside against Martin McGuinness. Of course, there may be some political opportunism behind the upcoming meeting with the British queen, but it is also a sign of a more pragmatic approach to nation-building as Sinn Fein view it.

It remains to be seen how this plays with the Irish Middle Class voters in advance of the next election, and just how strong the whiff of cordite remains. If I were a strategist in any of the parties (FF,FG,LAB) I would be more than a little concerned about how this will play with the aforementioned voters. The major problem of course is that this time, negative politics may not be enough to blunt what will undoubtedly be a major Sinn Fein drive for seats in the Dail given the present levels of disaffection with the political classes that exist. What will happen in a scenario that Sinn Fein get 20 seats for example, which is not impossible based on present polls?

Partitionist politicians of all parties in the Dáil will always be opposed to Sinn Féin's campaihn for full sovereignty of whole Irish nation and the preservation of what's left of the native culture. Maguinness in acting diplomatically and responsibility by shaking hands with the queen from across the water as Deputy First Minikster of the Six-County state. Would Brian Hayes and Simon Harris prfer if McGuinness snubbed the foreign queen and incurred the wrath of Northern Unionists? This is a case od 'damned if I do and damned in I don't for McGuinness - and all Sinn Féin office holders in the Dáil, Stormont, Westminister and the E.U.

Leave it to West Brit Quislings like Simon Harris and Brian Hayes to find any excuse to attack an Irishman. If Joint First Minister Martin McGuiness decided NOT to shake hands with the queen of England they'd have a proper hissy fit over it. Now that Mr McGuiness has agreed to shake her hand, they criticize that too. Let's face it, Fine Gael just doesn't like strong, unapologetic Irish Nationalists.

The country's falling apart, it's practically broke, Bogus asylum seekers are dealing in drugs, prostitution and violent crime and the Irish (typically) are ignoring the real and present danger and are having heated arguements about two people shaking hands. It's an insane asylum. (OOP's Political Correctness has banished that term. Now the nut houses are officially called: Mental health facilities) The entire country is bonkers. It's a mind-blowing culture!

I'm not a Sinn Fein supporter, but I won't take this guy Hayes seriously as long as he and his buddies in Fine Gael are selling out Ireland's interests to the European Union. Just what is the function of a "Government Minister" in Ireland anyway? All they are is tax collectors for the European Union--they enact no independent legislation of any consequence.