42 Comments

• FallsRNat | Oct 19, 2011, 02:33 PM EDT

  aah c'mn, just cause youse can't/won't engage in the truth, u result to childish snide little remarks, act like a man & take it on the chin.

• seanomelbourne | Oct 18, 2011, 06:57 PM EDT

  Sirpeter can eloquently speak for himself.I do not live in your yellow brick world or give relevance to your Madhatter view of the world.Madhatter - "no wonder your late why! this watch is two days slow" unquote.

• FallsRNat | Oct 18, 2011, 03:42 PM EDT

  seano - everybody knows who was responsible for the 1st murders & I'm assuming that if you are quite rightly condemning the UVF, then you are equally condemning all other terrorist organisations in the north inc PIRA. Back to my main point, the RA from 1916-1992 didn't fight to preserve an Ulster run by the UK, they didn't win & as more & more relevations about the antics of GA & co come to light, you will see that if Bobby Sands was sacrificed for nothing. Be prepared for the Finucane enquiry, the whole rotten republican edifice will come crumbling down when we find out exactly what he was up to, i'm afraid that Hughes, Gillen, Copeland, McIntryre, O'Rawe all PIRA volunteers can't be dismissed, they have all opened up to the truth, for how long will you & sirpeter live in denial.

• seanomelbourne | Oct 16, 2011, 10:23 PM EDT

  If you read my post 14th. oct.Your friends in the UVF Fired the first terrorist bullet in 69. "Status quo" I have no idea what you are talking about and I don't think you know yourself.The majority of the Irish people have always wanted a united Ireland the only differ on the means to attain that goal.You gloss over facts to prove some ridiculous point.

• FallsRNat | Oct 16, 2011, 02:34 PM EDT

  seano - youse no nothing about your own history, various RA didn't fight to preserve the status quo, they fought to end british rule in Ireland, PIRA leaders decided that the loyalists were getting the upper hand in the violence stakes & the craven attitude of the leadership who for years condoned the murders of 100s of people in their vain attempt to force a UI against the wishes of the people of Ireland suddenly saw the light when the UVF started to murder shinners/provies, the UFF killing of Eddie Fullerton proved that nowhere were they safe & 9/11 allowed them to hide behind this tragic event & sue for peace. It has taken us nearly 100 years to realise that violence doesn't pay, i couldn't care less whether McG gets elected or not, it won't deliver a UI, you can't airbrush 3000 lives out of history. I now know that youse & sirpeter are not the same person, even he knows that the RA didn't fight to preserve british rule.

• seanomelbourne | Oct 15, 2011, 06:47 PM EDT

  And you should add "thats why the majority of nationalists in the north vote Sinn Fein".The unionist would not negotiate any civil rights for nationalists. The nationalist are where they are today because Sinn Fein/IRA bombed the Brits/unionists to the negotiating table.John Hume was "a bottle half full"(to use his own words) type of guy.Yes McGuiness will have my support unfortunatley I cannot vote.History proves your "list" gained nothing for nationalists(except maybe Hume). Try as you may to rewrite history Sinn Fein won the day.

• Fergananim | Oct 14, 2011, 08:12 PM EDT

  @ Seanolmealbourne - that's right. In fact, the troubles only really got started when loyalist mobs attacked and burned out Catholic neighbourhoods - as an 18 year old, our current President, Mary McAleese, witnessed the destruction, all happily sponsored by the unionist B-Specials. What the Catholic community endured in those years from the Northern Ireland state was cruel, barbaric, and utterly inhumane. And any time they marched for civil rights they were either beaten or shot.It just demonstrates the depth of charecter of these people that the vast majority of NI Catholics - Mary McAleese, Seamus Heaney, Fr. Denis Faul, John Hume, Eamonn McCann, Nell McCafferty to name just a few of the more prominent ones - REFUSED to do as was done to them. The majority of NI Catholics did not support the IRA, did not vote Sinn Fein, and in the end it was THEIR perseverance that led to the 1998 Belfast Agreement. The SDLP always refused to condone violence, something that Sinn Fein only started doing in 1998. But by then, the IRA had murdered over 1700 people. In other words, they acted as badly as the loyalists and British. Worse, in fact, because they killed more people. They placed bombs in packed pubs, targeted SDLP activists, murdered Irish senators, cops, soliders and civillians. They did this because for decades they consistently refused to follow the democratic will of the Irish people, who still abhor the IRA. THAT is why Mr. McGuinness is so repellent to so many Irish people. He will not have my vote on October 27. Will he have yours?

• seanomelbourne | Oct 14, 2011, 07:21 PM EDT

  Fergananim may wish to know that the 1st,sectarian murders(J.Scullion,P.Ward wrer carried out by the UVF.The first bombs were laid by loyalists.The first state killings were the murder of Sam Devenny by the RUC and 9yr.old Pat Rooney was also shot by the RUC as he slept in bed.The first British soldier murdered in the north was Hugh McCabe.Hugh(a catholic)was home on leave,he was shot by the RUC. All of the above murders took place in 1969.Not one of the above murderers faced a trial,in fact they were treated as heros in their community. When you lay the blame make sure you have the facts sir. BTW if you are using gaelic in your name the gaelic for "name" is "ainm"

• Fergananim | Oct 14, 2011, 09:15 AM EDT

  From the start of the Troubles, the SDLP, the Irish govenrnment, all the leaders of the the Catholic church in Ireland and a majority of Irish people north and south said the only way to achieve peace and civil rights in Northern Ireland was by consent. Not until 1998 did Sinn Fein and the IRA agree. Too late for the hundreds of Irish people murdered by the IRA.

• seanomelbourne | Oct 13, 2011, 07:04 PM EDT

  Reynolds did not have the guts to accept the Adams/Hume document.He consulted his masters in London and was told no.We all know the gutless stickies and their commitment to a communist agenda.They failed and changed their name to the Workers party which was run by a few inntellectual snobs at Trinity college.You know the type fallsr sitting around in the comfort of their leather lounge sweets(red or brown of course) discussing what is best for the workers of Ireland. They think "a spanner is something you take for a walk whilst the wife mixes the cocktails".Mary Robinson was one of those Sticky/worker party types, with an upperclass background.

• FallsRNat | Oct 13, 2011, 01:06 PM EDT

  i suppose coming from a 'stickie' family, you class us as pro-brits, that's what i love about the republican movement, they can't stop the in-fighting. The simple truth of the matter is that the south were asked to vote for peace or war & they chose peace, not surprising really, since the UVF saw them off in 1972-74. My mate's uncle who was in the UVF he was fighting for his very survival, his home, the right to be british, his family not some bastardised fantasy of a UI that has never existed except in the fevered minds of the most committed republican, the truth is that the murder & mayhem that followed the shankill bombing showed that the loyalists viewed terrorism as the ultimate weapon against the NI catholic population, we the nationalists blinked 1st, quite rightly to give peace a chance, who was riding to our rescue, certainly not our southern cousins who couldn't wait to vote for the status quo. Albert Reynolds vetoed the Hume-Adams document, the most undemocratic document that JH has ever put his name too & the rest is history.

• seanomelbourne | Oct 12, 2011, 07:29 PM EDT

  fallsr the question on the republic was loaded to split the republican vote.I'll simplify the referendum question for you. Ist. question"do you wish to retain the queen as head of state"2nd. Question "do you vote for a republic with a president elected by parliament.This question split the republican vote as around 30% of the people wanted a president elected by the people and they felt disenfranchised.the monarchy was uoheld by 40% of the vote. The referndum was worded by a cynical monarchist PM. The ROI voted to change the constitution to remoe articles 2 and three. The question was never asked do you accept a divided Ireland. You are using your voodoo maths again fallsr or skewing the truth to suit your pro british stance.

• FallsRNat | Oct 12, 2011, 07:07 PM EDT

  seano - the aussies can have a republic by voting in a free democratic election for 1 - in Ireland we had 2 democratic votes by the South & the North to preserve the status quo & not use the armalite as a solution to our troubles, why do you have so much trouble disrepecting democratic elections when they don't give you the solution you seek.

• seanomelbourne | Oct 11, 2011, 07:35 PM EDT

  As I said I am stuck with her as head of state,why are you stating the obvious. If you wish to give Liz her full title and grovel like a true west brit so be it.I'll grudgingly accept the status quo in Australia.BTW a referendum on the monarchy about 10 years ago garnered less than 40% votes for the monarchy .The phraseology of the question was loaded to split the republican vote.The Aussies want a republic and you and your Finn Gael mates long for the return of YOUR majesty.

• Towngate | Oct 11, 2011, 05:43 AM EDT

  Seano: Thanks. I did have a lovely day! I could even hear yer cage rattling here in the 'green and lovely lanes ...' and could barely stop laughing at your pathetic attempt to make an even more pointless pointless point based on a couple of 'typos'!!! Look: there is a big difference between my few innocent typing errors and your ridiculous 'intellectual' stance. I can always be more careful, but you are a hopeless cause! Btw: who the hell is 'maggie'? ~~~ If you are unhappy with the Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as your Head of State, you should accept the will of the Australian people who voted democratically to keep her. Tough luck,cobber! As I said 'I never lost a man' - but if you were with me, I might have wished I had! Now:Try and spend less time out in the sun without your auld skillara ...

• seanomelbourne | Oct 10, 2011, 07:05 PM EDT

  Towngate fallsr can speak for himself ,Neither of us need your advice.BTW if you wish to tackle the bastardisation of the english language be careful what you write,I suggest you re-read your silly prose or whatever you would like to call it. AS part of the republican movement in Oz I promise not to pray to maggie, unfortunately I am stuck with her as head of state.-"enery Irishman" "pointsess point"-I suggest you should never enter a glasshouse with a handful of stones. From a south Brit to a west Brit have a good day.

• seanomelbourne | Oct 10, 2011, 06:52 PM EDT

  I dunno Fallsnat you'll have to ask sirpeter,btw i see you are still clutching at straws.

• FallsRNat | Oct 10, 2011, 04:56 PM EDT

  using English, game, set & underpants to the brits, i suppose if they held the election in irish, there would need to be subtitles at the bottom of each RTE news report. seano - will you be posting as sirpeter tomorrow night or is the man on the campaign trail

• Towngate | Oct 10, 2011, 12:44 PM EDT

  Seano, don't worry. All Dubliners and indeed enery Irishman is safe in my hands. I never lost a single one! If you are using English, then why not use it properly, and show respect for your reader by allowing them to draw their own conclusions from your comment, without bastardising the language in order to score a pointsess point! Thanks for trying to Matchmake me with Fallser, but I don't either drink or go out with men in uniforms - ever since I removed mine and burnt it! ~ ~ ~ Take care,South Brit ~ and don't forget to include your Head of State, Queen Elizabeth in your prayers tonight.

• seanomelbourne | Oct 09, 2011, 06:48 PM EDT

  Fallsr what a pathetic attempt to justify your innane ramblings.I notice you are not using your surreal mathematics "99.9%" to strenghten your silly argument.

• FallsRNat | Oct 09, 2011, 07:18 AM EDT

  the loepard never changes its spots, aah Martin, youse need to keep your boys in check, they can't start threatening to shoot people, until after you get elected el presidenti, the brits must be laughing their heads off, the reason that this country will never be united is the behaviour of its various wings of republicanism, threatening to kill the former press officer of official sinn fein, those such as commentators such as sirpeter, seano, you don't understand our own history, who does Martin represent, the 1916, 1921, 1939, 1941, 1965, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1981, 1992, 2005,2011 RA brigades, the 1 thing they all share in common is they were riven by splits & culpable in the murders of former comrades - maybe he was dancing on Wolfe's grave all these years, not celebrating a 'free protestant' irishman who you could count on the fingers of your hand, way back then & still today - that's progress for ye.

• seanomelbourne | Oct 08, 2011, 07:19 PM EDT

  Now Towngate it doe's not auger well for you when you castigate a dubliner with such silliness.I have enough self respect not to Capitalise england and as brit is not a proper word Therefore your argument is facile.Maybe you should have a drink with falls, he's an ex brit soldier and you both can Capitalise every word in the english language.I'm disappointed with your purile response TOWNGATE,like the cCapitals.

• FallsRNat | Oct 08, 2011, 04:42 PM EDT

  warrenpoint - my family were in the IRA, but they certainly don't stand shoulder to shoulder with McGuiness, murdering the people of Ulster certainly never forced the brits to handover the north to a UI, following your analogy, you will quite rightly acknowledge one of my best friends whose uncle was an active member of the UVF in the 70s, another freeddom fighter, abeit for the other side. Without that acknowledgement there will never be a UI unless of course you are finally admiting that to be in a UI you have to be a nationalist/republicain catholic.

• FallsRNat | Oct 08, 2011, 04:37 PM EDT

  keep up the good work Enda & get McGuniness elected, he is then open to all sorts of pressure to come clean on his role within PIRA, he is already starting to denounce his former comrades & their crimes, somebody once said 'they haven't gone away you know', these past acts & his cosying up to the brits from 1985 onwards, his past will be open for all to see once he is president.

• Brolaur | Oct 08, 2011, 02:37 PM EDT

  Gay is getting on peoples' nerves.He has nothing to offer and he knows that. So,as has been said, Martin is the word, Martin is the man; our man for the Áras.

• warrenpoint00 | Oct 08, 2011, 12:28 PM EDT

  Whats the big deal about Martin being in the IRA, tell us something new.Every real Irish person has been or has had a relative or friends involved with the IRA at one time or another.Irish nationalist people I am talking about here ..not your west brit or free stater type

• warrenpoint00 | Oct 08, 2011, 09:07 AM EDT

  Agree Towngate, I am amazed at terms like 'blueshirts. free staters, west Brits' etc. are being used in an election in 2011. It demonstrates to me the lack of education and backwardness of your average RA?SF sympathiozer. Of course if one had ever passed by Liberty Hall or the Mansion House during a RA/SF get together and witnessed the collection of thuggish louts hanging around, one can see what you are dealing with.

• Towngate | Oct 08, 2011, 12:07 AM EDT

  Seano: Are you talking about the true Irish or the Antipodean South Brits like yourself who have Elizabeth II as your Monarch? Take a chill pill and stop worrying about what other people who know what they are talking ,are doing on the other side of the world. You are so infected you haven't even enough self respect to bring yourself to type 'caps' for 'England' and 'Brits'. Have a think,Sean. Slainte!

• seanomelbourne | Oct 07, 2011, 07:33 PM EDT

  I have never heard so many west brits spew so much hate and crap as I have on this site.maybe they should go back to england where they feel at home. Us true Irish don't need them,maybe they can take Dana,Norris and mitchell with them.

• IronMountainMovies | Oct 07, 2011, 09:56 AM EDT

  An important question is whether any of our journalists are still in journalism or are they now actively engaged in politics? Ronan Gallagher Leitrim Ireland

• firinne | Oct 06, 2011, 09:54 PM EDT

  My fault, that word should have been,trying to damage and derail the "CANDIDACY" of Martin McGuinness. Slan

• firinne | Oct 06, 2011, 09:50 PM EDT

  Quite clearly, the opposition has their hatchet men out trying to damage and derail the cadency of Martin McGuinness. In one sense, this is encouraging, in that Martin’s opponents are now feeling the heat that’s coming of a “popularly supported candidate”! But in other ways, it also spells out the type of ruthless antics that his opponents will employ. Translation, they plan to throw anything and everything at Martin to stop him. But how do you top all of the everyday people of Ireland who want Martin and his strong abilities in leadership? Upward and onward dear Martin! Slan

• mamaginnty | Oct 06, 2011, 05:01 PM EDT

  They are a sick bunch of blue shirts who turned thier back on the north during the troubles. IC and Bernie Boy are every bit as bad with the Headline. Vincent Browne did not claim Martin M G. was STILL in the IRA, his claim was that Martin was still in the IRA after 1974 up until the peace process. Martin has already said he had to keep in contact with the IRA and also with the unionists and the brit government to help get peace and Vincent actually praised him for it. Our southern bunch of gits in government hate SF being the main opposition party, but the people of Ireland voted SF in. It also sickens the gits that SF all take just the industrial wage, where as the gits would like to keep thier 2000 to 3000 a week. Martin said if he gets in, he will only except the industrial wage, the rest will go to help employment. The gits, national television, and certain newspaper have never mentioned anything about the industrial wages or SF. SF or Martin M G. will never bow down and lick ass with this government who are robbing the poorest in the country. Ireland needs Martin Mc Guinness and I wish him the best of luck. Also..he is second man in the running of the north of Ireland, and people on both sides are glad because it is helping with peace, they are not shouting for Martins blood, so why the hell are the south gov. gits trying so hard to get rid of him. They are running scared because the truth will come out about all the crookery that has been going on with this government and the last gits to.

• JohnGeeTee | Oct 06, 2011, 03:17 PM EDT

  The 26 counties media especially RTE and the Irish Independent are doing their best to be Fine Gael's blueshirt hatchet men to down Martin's campaign. Fine Gael's candidate Gay Mitchell has been more interested in biting the shin of McGuinness than actually trying to promote himself and has made a complete fool of himself several times on live radio and television. It's a sad reflection of what the country has become when Fine Gael's civil war politics is very much to the fore of their thinking rather than the welfare of the nation and people.

• ancavker | Oct 06, 2011, 03:03 PM EDT

  cillowen: Get a grip> De Valera did not start the civil war, and in fact was considered suspect by die hard republicans, like Barry, Deasy and O Malley. Although he could have made more of an effort to stop it. Second He was not a British spy; that nonsense has been refuted.Finally the Provo's were not the inheritor's of the 1918-21 fight for independence.

• Trealach | Oct 06, 2011, 02:29 PM EDT

  It's interesting how Vincent Brown "Claims to know" but completely lacks ANY EVIDENCE. Why didn't he name the people who said McGuinness is STILL in the IRA? Surely this information is almost as important as reporting a Paedophile!! Aren't the people entitled to see the evidence?

• cillowen | Oct 06, 2011, 02:19 PM EDT

  Dev-conman, Collins, Kevin Barry, Pearse, Sarsfield, Hugh O'Neill and you dare to call me terrorist. Flip side Cromwell, Thatcher, Henry VIII, George III, Jack the Ripper. Martin McGuinness is Ireland, the others can't claim to have the interests of all the people of Ireland. A man in our time whose courage helped to throw off the yolk of oppression that his countrymen and women had to endure for too too long. The peaceful marching beating that he and friends were to experience in that carved out statelet got him involved at age 18 to protect his fellows as would be manly natural. His ability to turn abuser priviliged souls and their Merry O protector around speaks volumes. As compared to Prez Dev much loved con artist - we learn that he was England's Greatest Spy. The same chap who caused brother to fight brother through his triggering of the Irish Civil War. This Dev guy's presidency has to be most embarrassing positioning of a weasel of his ilk. Ireland needs to correct the dysfunction that currently keeps on giving - it time to change course, the diaspora cries out for respectability - can't abide with the dumb that be. s

• Towngate | Oct 06, 2011, 01:40 PM EDT

  MEMO TO IC PICTURE EDITOR: Save this photo for when the Election Result is declared. Suggest "Rumbled" as the caption.

• Rebelforce | Oct 06, 2011, 12:09 PM EDT

  Can you imagine Charles DeGaulle ever being "grilled" by some pipsqueek quisling journalists in France: "Admit it DeGaulle!! We have PROOF that you were a member of the "Free French" terrorists during World War II. You were responsible for directing terrorist operations against the Germans and French civilians!!!"

• Springfield9 | Oct 06, 2011, 09:39 AM EDT

  I don't think you get a Discharge from the IRA ..... well, maybe a 9mm.

• gobdawpaddy | Oct 06, 2011, 09:26 AM EDT

  The RA/Sinn Fein is like the mob (in many ways), one never leaves the mob.

• sirpeter | Oct 06, 2011, 08:48 AM EDT

  I saw that debate.lol The IRA section of the library is cleaned out.McGuinness was right they are only doing damage to their own campaigns as has shown.As an Irishman it's kinda hard to take one politician calling another politician a liar at the moment.Lying is an art form to all of them.