The IRA have threatened to kill more police officers and said that the Queen's upcoming visit to Ireland is an insult. The IRA believes that Queen Elizabeth II is guilty of war crimes.
Tanaiste (Vice Prime Minister) Eamon Gilmore said he was absolutely disgusted by the IRA's comments with relation to threatening to killer more police officers.
Gilmore said "I think the sight of somebody appearing in a mask and menacingly threatening Catholics, who joined the PSNI, nationalists who joined the PSNI, that they would be killed, threatening the governments and threatening the people of this country, that belongs to the past and that is the past,"
The Tanaiste was meeting with the Irish American Congressman Richard Neal in Dublin on Tuesday when he made the comments.
In Derry Father Michael Canny has offered to meet with the Real IRA in an attempt to convince them to abandon violence. He told RTE (Ireland's national broadcaster) that he is eager to engage with them and stop them going down the road which leads to "death, despair and misery".
He said that the dissidents should be told at every opportunity that "human life is sacred".
Gilmore said "The arrangements in this country have been settled by the Good Friday Agreement, been voted on by the people of this country and nobody has any right to challenge that in the way that these people are doing. The Government is absolutely determined that they will not succeed…If there is anybody who can persuade these people away from the path that they are on and the threats that they are making, then certainly I would welcome that. And I would hope that that would be helpful.”
Leader of the Fianna Fail party, Micheal Martin said "These deluded criminals fail to comprehend the true meaning of republicanism and quite clearly have nothing but contempt for this country and its people,” he said. "Any terrorist group that believes they can return Ireland to the violence of the past is gravely mistaken. Foolish attempts to attack our peace process will not be tolerated and will not work.”
Independent member of Northern Ireland Policing Board, Trevor Ringland, said the threats in the statement were “appalling”, “sinister” and a “throwback to the past”. Ringland commented that the PSNI served both loyalist and republicans.
According the Irish Times reports, former SDLP leader Mark Durkan said the Real IRA’s words "are intended to intimidate everyone but their pretensions to legitimacy will impress no one…Politicians do not really have to argue that this group is morally and politically bankrupt when they are driven to attack and threaten nationalists who want to serve the community and their country through a policing vocation."
A statement released by the Real IRA on Monday said they were not in talks with the Irish or British government and refused to enter into any talks unless they revolved around "the restoration of the Irish sovereignty".
The statement read "If the British are serious about discussing the restoration of Irish sovereignty then we will listen to their proposals, anything else is a waste of time…Óglaigh na hÉireann call on any young nationalist who may have been sold the lie that the RUC/PSNI is somehow a reformed, non-political police service to think again. Those who think they are serving their community are in fact serving the occupation and will be treated as such."
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.barneyjo | May 03, 2011, 06:07 PM EDT
@FallsRNat - and what of the contradiction I noted in your post?
FallsRNat | May 03, 2011, 05:50 PM EDT
Al Qaeda in simple terms known as the base has franchised it's terror machine throughout different parts of the muslim world & whilst they pay homage to bin laden as the 1st leader, they certainly work independently of his organisation, the West's insistence that the liquid bomb plot & NY subway attacks were based on direct links between the groups who planned these attacks & al qaeda are just fantasy, the much misunderstood term 'the base' does mean a centralised organisation per se, but should be viewed in the context of a localised base in a given country. The attacks won't stop because bin laden was an increasing irrelevance in the ideological war taking place, but the US painted itself into a corner, on the promise that he would be hunted down & killed.
FallsRNat | May 03, 2011, 04:26 PM EDT
barneyjo - i certainly don't subscribe to view of bin laden's death that it will hurt al Qaeda. Their modus operendi compared to PIRA & the UVF is that the latter had tightly controlled leadership functions in which 99% of their activities had to be approved by this forum, there were a few incidents where local units ignored the command structure & people like dear Barney Green died as a consequence.
barneyjo | May 02, 2011, 07:18 PM EDT
@FallsRNAT - I'm afraid you take too big a leap in your interpretation of my post. For one thing I think you make the same mistake that the US has made in assessing the impact of Bin Ladens death; the idea being that if you cut of the head of a snake then it will die. You also contradict yourelf by saying on the one hand "the future is built on peace, not war" and then "give the SAS free pass on taking these people out in the 26 counties" Your knowledge of history should tell you that 22nd SAS did have such a remit in the 80s and 90s (remember Loughgall, Gibraltar and a host of other firefights that never had any publicity) and did not succeed in the way you have suggested. The dissidents taking the field now DONT have a political machine to speak of. These are "Goons" that have profited from their involvement with Republicanism and dont want to give it up for that reason alone. However dont make the mistake of confusing that with those who have fought and died for their belief in a sovereign country and who have resisted all attempts by the (British) State to destroy that belief by solely military means. You cant kill an idea, especially one that runs so deeply within the psyche of Irish Nationalists. I have long since believed that Ireland will be re-united, but as you say it will be by the consent of all the peoples living on the Island and it will be endorsed by a majority of all those same people contrary to what sirpeter, clevelander et al wish to believe.
FallsRNat | May 02, 2011, 06:33 PM EDT
barneyjo - any normal rational person would be willing to see both sides of the argument, unfortunately, sirpeter, seanomelbourne & their other acolyites are from the Al Qaeda school of politics, where they are blinded to anybody else's point of view except their own. Thankfully the majority of the irish people have woken up to the fact that the future is built on peace not war, you can never stop a minority of common foot soldiers from being convinced that war is a winnable solution, but if u do to their leadership what the US have done to Al Qaeda & killed most of the leadership, then the warped political machine hits the buffers, if we can't bring ourselves to take on the dissidents, maybe it is time to give the SAS a free pass on taking these people out in the 26 counties, the grunts will soon fall into line as most are apolitical & not recruited to be the 'brains' of the organisation, bvut just the cannon fodder, once they realise this, it will be game over for the RA.
barneyjo | Apr 29, 2011, 11:02 AM EDT
@sirpeter - in reference to your critique of my response to Clevelander on his "limited" view (which I still contend it is) of social history, it may have passed your notice that I used the qualification of "contemporary." I am well aware of the punitive measures adopted to eradicate vestiges of Gaelic Culture in all its aspects in Ireland. Clevelander (God help him) makes the case that the historical scenario he has outlined represents and underpins in some mystical way, the status quo currently which is evidently NOT the case. HE IGNORES the fact that the GAA did away with the rule that prevents British Security Forces from playing Gaelic sports. HE WOULD NOT WISH ME TO REMIND HIM that my son who is a student at a British University took part in this years British Universities Gaelic championship on a team which included students from both a Republican and Loyalist Background. BUT MOST SIGNIFICANTLY, he chooses to bury his head in the sand rather than acknowledge the powerful yet dignified role of the GAA at the funeral of PSNI Constable Ronan Kerr, at which an Uachtaran of an Cumann Lúthchleas Gael carried his coffin. Clevelander ( and whoever else) can choose to stem the tide of history in his own mind as he wishes. I DO NOT, and when I am in the company of the majority of the Irish Nation, its diaspora abroad, the GAA and many other august bodies representing Irish society, thats good enough for me!!
Towngate | Apr 29, 2011, 04:59 AM EDT
Stephendoyle: Your reading of the situation is very understandable and to be wished for, but I can't help feeling that Dream has taken a step further away from us today by the Palace Announcement of the elevation of Prince William to the Duke of Cambridge and Baron Carrickfergus. As he is the Colonel of the Irish Guards, they will form his Guard of Honour outside Westminster Abbey today. I hope it is, but I wonder will it really be 'A Great Day for the Irish' in the long run, as we wait one hour to the Marriage of the future King Billy! P.s. Thanks,Sparklet,very nice of you.
paddyRanger | Apr 28, 2011, 12:38 PM EDT
Sirpeter "peterson..Well you won't qualify anyway. The IRA don't take special needs people".......on the contary, sirpeter, the people calling themselves real IRA now, are all special needs.. it is part of the requirement clearly to be a member ...to be brain damaged to join
Sparklet | Apr 28, 2011, 12:32 PM EDT
And Towngate too.
Sparklet | Apr 28, 2011, 11:27 AM EDT
Stephendoyle, very well said.
stephendoyle | Apr 28, 2011, 09:47 AM EDT
This is not a monarch coming to see what she has, but one coming to see what they have lost. Ireland and the Irish are better people than to be petty and vindictive. It is time to say look at us and who we are, a free and independent country that will one day be inclusive of all the island. Violence will not unite Ireland, time will and the Catholic birth rate. If it unites now it would be the Irish army in Belfast dealing with loyalist bombings. In time the majority will want a united Ireland...........
Towngate | Apr 28, 2011, 06:41 AM EDT
Now back to serious matters raised in the Kate's Article. ~ If any harm comes to The Queen in accepting an Official Invitation by the President of the Irish republic as an attempt to display to the World the Peace,Friendship and Harmony that now exists between two Nations who have shared a turbulent history, it will be to Irelands eternal detriment and shame.
esatdigiwank | Apr 28, 2011, 04:24 AM EDT
"restoration of Irish sovereignty" ho hum! Whats left of that, the i m f & frankfurt has now. Do the slow-learner, flat-footed, pot-bellied wonders in army fatigues wish to take on the faraway suits also )
Sparklet | Apr 28, 2011, 03:07 AM EDT
Theres too much of the old inferiority complex around these days and it's not necessary. This obsession that people might think England is better than us is so outdated. Your average English person who has visited Ireland usually goes back over and over, because they love it there - I've several English friends who have said they wish they were Irish because of the respect Ireland has worldwide, and because they love the place and the people. And (mainly because I've educated them :) ) they are appalled about their own history there.
jamieLM | Apr 27, 2011, 10:30 PM EDT
Can one person speak for "all Irish" as if everyone in Ireland were of one mind and one voice and just a clone of one another? If "all Irish" hated the British so much, why would so many of them move to England and stay there to live, work, and even inter-marry? Searlit and Sparklet, I agree with your posts. Violence and hatred just fuels more of the same and then it becomes never-ending. Who really benefits from a continuing cycle of death and sorrow? Is NI better off now that a young Catholic policeman was recently murdered? What good things would result for Ireland from killing one old British woman? Btw: didn't someone from Ireland INVITE the Queen to come?
sirpeter | Apr 27, 2011, 10:26 PM EDT
peterson..Well you won't qualify anyway. The IRA don't take special needs people.
sirpeter | Apr 27, 2011, 10:22 PM EDT
barneyjo..You know well enough that what clevelander has posted is true somewhere along the line in British Policy in Ireland.You dig at him/her personally but you don't put up an argument.This is exactly what he/she is saying.In history the pieces have to fit.Clevelander is dead on in the reality of the way it was..But your post at Apr 27, 2011, 08:03 PM EDT is empty.Serious ..You posted nothing in return.Where as he did.
sirpeter | Apr 27, 2011, 09:54 PM EDT
FallsRNat..As a person I think I like ya.You keep answering my posts.I have been rather ungentlemanly,but you keep replying.I like that in a person.You ignore the insults and you read the content.You don't agree with anything I say..But you reply anyway.I read your posts too.This is a bad site lol.I never log out of this site feeling good about this island.To be honest I just want the people of this island to love this island. I just want people to stop looking to England as if they are better then us.We have proved over and over again Protestant and Catholic that we are pretty amazing as a people for a little fart of an island.I know Irish history and I hate when you say NI is now dependent on English money to survive. Because that wasn't the way NI was 100 years ago.NI was a powerhouse of industry.We can't even agree on our history.But North and South is like a marriage we live in the same house and there is no winner's or losers..We either both win or we both lose.
peterson | Apr 27, 2011, 09:41 PM EDT
How low an IQ does it take to join the IRA ??
barneyjo | Apr 27, 2011, 08:03 PM EDT
@clevelander - I dont want to labour the point, but your knowledge of contemporary Irish social history is on the verge of being embarrassing to read. I have noted from your posts on various topics on IC that you seem to walk yourself into a dead end. The thought does occur that if you find yourself in a hole, its probably best to stop digging.
clevelander | Apr 27, 2011, 07:29 PM EDT
@fallsrnat "the brits have bent over backwards to ensure that irish culture is recognized & appreciated, the boost to the irish language resources" Is this before or after they made the Irish Language Illegal to speak as well as the Irish Sports? Ya Ya I know it was a long time ago/times have changed/get over it/move on/peace at any cost. There is nothing you or the likes of you have said that has changed my thought's or actions. Take Care
antoman | Apr 27, 2011, 02:46 PM EDT
If the English Market in Cork is cordoned off and carnivores have no access while HERSELF is inside with the whole place to herself.There's people outside going hungry like cause they can't get in.I expect the dinner won't be ready till very late in the evening.
FallsRNat | Apr 27, 2011, 12:33 PM EDT
sirpeter - u need to start taking the tablets again, the brits have bent over backwards to ensure that irish culture is recognised & appreciated, the boost to the irish language resources, comes at a time when the 26 counties are doing their best to get rid of it - i must say that this is something that i totally agree on. Its a pity that the so called 'free state' cannot bring itself to treat their own people as equals, rather than dance to the anti protestant retoric spewing from PSF. The RIRA etc are deluding themselves if they think that a violent solution to the Ulster problem is going to create an irish free state.
Searlit | Apr 27, 2011, 12:30 PM EDT
It reminds me of gang members who victimize their own people through crimes. They stop at nothing to control their communities. This isn't the way to gain respect, influence or power. It only leads to more violence, retribution, and sentencing. Destroying lives, including their own, by way of violence, causes heartbreak to anyone who loves Ireland.
Sparklet | Apr 27, 2011, 11:22 AM EDT
A lot of Irish people will watch the wedding out of curiosity not out of any allegiance. William and Kate are less like the Royals of old and will hopefully bring new attitudes to the whole thing. But it makes me laugh how many people on here attempt to speak for Ireland as a whole, with their outmoded comments. Yes, the history should never be forgotten, but it's gone, and the people who created that history are mainly dead and gone, or not in a position of power any longer. Irish move to the UK to live and work, and English/Scots/Welsh move to Ireland. We inter-marry. The actions of past Governments don't get in the way of the friendship that exists between your average citizen.
jerrydonovan | Apr 27, 2011, 10:50 AM EDT
We will soon see the men in white coats going around looking for the escapee looneybins.In case anyone is intrested as to why these so called "patriots" keep up their garbage the answer is simple.EGO!Most of them are misfits and to compensate for their perceived lack of esteem by the general public they give themselves titles like commandant etc.,then they go on manouvers in graveyards after which they then go home and watch John Wayne movies to help them brush up on their tactical skills.They haven't yet realized that they are yesterday's people.The one's with commonsense have moved on.
johnymac60 | Apr 27, 2011, 10:41 AM EDT
I'd be against the people who call themselves 'IRA'. They are off target, the Peace process is underway. They need to stop all violence now. But no-one has actually asked the Irish what we think of the threats against this queen, and no-one is actually qualified to speak to that matter. I hold this queen very responsible, along with her ministers, for much violence and abuse upon the Irish people. But the time has come to move on. So just as the Unionists must accept democracy that includes former IRA members, I accept the future without forgetting the evils committed by the English in the past.
sirpeter | Apr 27, 2011, 10:28 AM EDT
The British never got over the fact that the Irish have their own culture and never wanted to be like them.Since the IRA was created by British policy WHY would the Irish be disgusted? The old trick of shifting the blame to the Irish people..WHEN THE WHOLE DAMNED LOT WAS THE FAULT OF THE BRITISH. NO!! THE IRISH ARE NOT DISGUSTED, WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE QUEEN AND WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE THREATS AND WE KNOW THIS IS JUST MORE MEDIA CRAP..WHY!! BECAUSE THE MEDIA NEVER ASKED THE IRISH PEOPLE WHAT THEY THOUGHT.The Irish government would want to be careful what they do and say. BECAUSE IRISH PEOPLE ARE DISGUSTED WITH ALL OF THEM. The Fianna Fail kicking was just a warning.
cillowen | Apr 27, 2011, 10:04 AM EDT
the irish are disgusted when it comes to their queen. They hate St Patrick's programming from making them ready and willing little englishmen like the welsh and scots.
MalcomAC | Apr 27, 2011, 09:57 AM EDT
And I'm disgusted by the violent comments that Irish Central has let stand.