26 Comments

• billie061 | Nov 02, 2011, 05:28 AM EDT

  I care mr miguinness only I mitched from school i would have been caught up in the Dublin bompings and have memories of the following saturday beeen sheilded under a tank by a soldier beause of a bomb alert I was 11 years old and I was dragged by that soldier underneath that tank. Yes mr mcguiness and I call you Mr very loosely.

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

  One question never asked amid all this is why, despite living in Ardoyne during the worst years of the troubles, did the current President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, refuse to join the IRA, as did so many Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland?

• BrendanDunphy | Oct 06, 2011, 10:01 AM EDT

  An Orangeman defending grammar schools?? Boy, they've come a long way since Ardoyne then!

• sirpeter | Oct 05, 2011, 04:30 PM EDT

  Kilsally.There's an orange streak down your back.I'd say you are a DUP man.You defending grammar schools.They must be elitist if Sinn Fein wanted to make changes.I wouldn't use the word ban though.It's a very strong word for making a few changes.

• Towngate | Oct 05, 2011, 03:50 PM EDT

  AK: are you all under orders to describe McGuinness as the Sinn Fein Candidate? Remember he is pretending to be 'Independent' - but watch out for his Party Machine!!everyone else just live in hope that a Gubber never falls down on you from a great height!

• GeorgeDillon | Oct 05, 2011, 02:23 PM EDT

  "in it their"--What ya talking about, kilsally? Your post is incomprehensible. And why are you screaming Sinnn Fein at me, you dope? Anyone who reads my posts will know I am an opponent of Sinn Fein the Mass Immigration Party. Are you sure you're on the right site, kilsally you nitwit?

• Kilsally | Oct 05, 2011, 02:11 PM EDT

  `But only a bigoted piece of garbage dog in the manger would try to tell others what language to speak, or how to educate their children.`` lol stood in it their George since Sinn Fein have made several attempts to ban the grammar schools in Northern Ireland.

• GeorgeDillon | Oct 05, 2011, 12:17 PM EDT

  "You have a tiny group of airy fairies who have their children taught through Irish". Ireland produces an unending stream of stupid bigots like this gobdawPiggy. Listen, you chump, if you don't know Irish, that's your business. But only a bigoted piece of garbage dog in the manger would try to tell others what language to speak, or how to educate their children. You're a fascist fool, gobdaw is too mild a word for you, imbecile would be better.

• sirpeter | Oct 05, 2011, 11:34 AM EDT

  Legislation is first written in Irish because it's much harder to misinterpret it's meaning when written in Irish.Like any piece of Legislation written in English it turns into gibberish,which is why a person needs a solicitor to interpret certain documents and find out it's true meaning according to the law.English is constantly changing Pig Latin.It shouldn't even be called English.The proper term should be Pig Latin.But the piggy noises are just jargon really and as a language it suits crackhead Negros and West Brits.Example:Gubberish which isn't even a recognised word.Plonker!! That word is however.

• Towngate | Oct 05, 2011, 08:29 AM EDT

  Well said, Gobbie: Seemingly Legislation is first written in Irish. So ... it starts off as gubberish written by gibbering idiots and is then translated into even more gibberish by even more gibbering idiots! Nice! No wonder the country; etc, etc.~ ~ ~ As for the TV 'debates' being broadcast in Irish, I wish they would try it just once to record the numbers of viewers who instantly switch over to Eastenders or Coronation Street!

• sirpeter | Oct 05, 2011, 07:24 AM EDT

  Fallsers.I firmly believe that a UI is the best way forward for this island.I can even understand why the Unionist's wanted separation from the south in 1920.After all the north was the power house industrial wise on the island.But ALL that has changed.Your right in saying nothing is quite what it seems.We already know what a bunch of liars politicians are.It's just a question of what that liar whats to do if elected.McGuinness and company sorted out a big problem in NI.Full stop.The problems in the North were there long before McGuinness was born.So he was not the cause.I also DON'T care if he was Maggie Thatchers toy boy.He helped deliver peace and Sinn Fein managed to persuade the Unionists to share power.That's progress for the ORDINARY PEOPLE on this island.The rest don't give a damn about NI.The Brit politicians are always going to look after their own.And that means England mostly.Down south England at that.But as I stated in another article.AND THIS IS FACT.NI is the poorest part of the UK.That's BAD for everyone on the island.NI needs unity and Ireland as a whole needs unity.It's about time we all move forward together.When it comes to the UK.England is only loyal to England.Look at the price NI has payed.We need a guy like McGuinness to keep our crooks in place and the fact they hate him is a great start.By the way!! Everyone should get real.There is NO SUCH THING AS A TERRORIST.He/She is just a person/persons getting revenge for bad deeds done to them or their country.Export justice and you won't import terror.

• gobdawpaddy | Oct 05, 2011, 06:14 AM EDT

  Trealach finds it a little disturbing that so far only one candidate has spoken as gaeilge and believes that any president should be fluent in Irish. What percentage of the Irish people would be able to understand their president speaking in Irish. I recall when i was getting ready to leave secondary school I was interested in becoming an air traffic controller. I had spent my early schoo years in the USA and started learning Irish a little late so I struggled with it. ATC was ruled out for me back then because of a civil service Irish requirement. Ludicrous! The Irish language is costing this poor country far too much. Every time a politician breaks wind in Ireland or Europe, his/her speech has to be translated. A bar recently fought a late drinking charge because that law had not been translated into Irish. You have a tiny group of airy fairies who have their children taught through Irish - what use is this going to be to them when they are forced to emigrate to Frankfurt, London, Syney, New York etc. etc.?

• macalister | Oct 05, 2011, 12:31 AM EDT

  Leopards do not change their spots.

• antoman | Oct 04, 2011, 07:16 PM EDT

  Mitchell won says one headline in tomorrows newspapers..me ARAS! The hollow man won? And these polls..is someone pulling the hairs from his arse and counting them? Ya know guys, my gut tells me that when the people go to vote it will be McGuinness that will clinch it. No one gives a rats ass about shootings and killings in the North, shure both sides were at it and the British government supplied alot of guns and money to further the grief. Did they not burn Cork to the ground before being run out of town? McGuinness can sit down with Loyalists, Unionists and Catholics. The same can't be said of the other candidates.

• Trealach | Oct 04, 2011, 07:14 PM EDT

  What I find interesting and a little disturbing is that there have been two TV debates, and only One Candidate spoke very briefly in Irish. To become a Teacher, they have to have Irish; To become a Gardá they have to have Irish; To become a commissioned Officer in the Forces, they have to have Irish; to become a Judge, they have to have Irish - is it too much to expect that the President of Ireland should have fluent Irish, after all, it is still the First Official language of the country - Legislation is written in Irish and then translated into English, but in all cases the Irish interpretation takes precedence. N'fheadar conas is féidir go leor de na hiarrthóirí Gaeilge a labhairt?

• FallsRNat | Oct 04, 2011, 06:59 PM EDT

  sirpeter - the truth will out as they say & Martin Ingram's piece in the Irish Mail about a leading provie being a brit agent is tue, it's just a matter of which one. sean callaghan long before he became the arch nemisis of the PIRA, claimed as long ago as 1981 that the Derry brigade of PIRA leaked like a sieve & it wasn't poor Frank Hegarty that he was talking about, I have long learnt that nothing is quite what it seems in Ulster, you would be surprised & shocked if I told you who was protected 24/7 in the troubles & we are not talking unionists/nationalists, it seems that the more cold blooded the terrorist was the more likely he was to throw in his lot with the brits as they were untouchable in their own people's eyes, i must admit that if it turns out to be one of the presidential hopefuls than i would be surprised, but not shocked, i did however, think that Gezza would have been a more likely suspect - how ironic it would be if it turned out that we had elected a brit to be POI.

• sirpeter | Oct 04, 2011, 05:56 PM EDT

  On Vincent Browns Big Presidential Debate to-night.The poll is as follows:Mary Davis 5%~Seán Gallagher 15%~Michael D. Higgins 13%~Dana Rosemary Scallon 6%~David Norris 19%~Gay Mitchell 8%~Martin McGuinness 34%.

• GeorgeDillon | Oct 04, 2011, 03:26 PM EDT

  dona1951: "McCabe's funeral was (I believe) the largest ever in Limerick". That's obviously wrong to anyone who knows Irish history. The largest funeral in Limerick was that of Sean South in 1957. There's probably some footage of it on youtube.

• DanOLoingsigh | Oct 04, 2011, 02:45 PM EDT

  How can anyone’s past not be important? Candidates stand on their record; this seems to be saying ‘only look at the parts of my past which show me in a positive light’…I’m sure all candidates would prefer to highlight a selective version of their past…I’m not sure most voters are that gullible…btw the bookies have made MDH the favourite…

• Towngate | Oct 04, 2011, 02:41 PM EDT

  Martin McGuinness will find out soon enough just what the Irish people think of him. I hope he has a return ticket for when he heads back up to the British jurisdiction with his tail between his legs - hoping they kept their word and held his old job open for him! Slán Abhaile!

• greensod | Oct 04, 2011, 01:16 PM EDT

  85 years of high crimes by FF against the Irish people is what needs to be addressed.

• Paradigm | Oct 04, 2011, 01:00 PM EDT

  But the Hegarty family in Derry do care - a path paved with blood: The family of IRA victim Frank Hegarty insist that Martin McGuinness lured him to his death. Now, more than ever, don’t we all deserve the truth? "The family of Frank Hegarty, shot in the head by the IRA for ‘informing’, have voiced their horror at the prospect of Martin McGuinness becoming President of Ireland. "The Hegartys, who haven’t spoken publicly about their brother ­for nearly two decades, last night broke their silence to insist that ­Mr McGuinness had lured Frank to ­ his death. "They say Mr McGuinness inveigled his way into their family home with promises that Frank would not be harmed if he came home to Derry and met the IRA. Mr McGuinness is described as kneeling at the feet of Rose Hegarty, Frank’s mother, as he promised that Frank would not be harmed". Would you trust this man?

• Sparklet | Oct 04, 2011, 11:42 AM EDT

  Doesn't matter about his past. It's what he is now that matters. But the fact that his past made him a passionate Irishman should count for something too.

• donal1951 | Oct 04, 2011, 10:18 AM EDT

  As a citizen of the USA and Ireland, but a resident since birth of the United States, I cannot and would not claim to speak for the Irish people. But Mr. McGuinness has played a key role in the peace process and has every right to run. Would he be my candidate if I lived in Ireland, no, but it has nothing to do with his past. I personally think Higgins is the most qualified candidate.

• donal1951 | Oct 04, 2011, 10:05 AM EDT

  McGuinness, Adams and others are to be commended for eventually having the sense to realize the futility of the RA/Sinn Fein campaign of violence. McGuinness's activities earlier in his life however are of relevance in this election and people do care. Last week I was in Limerick where people recall McGuinness's efforts to have Gerry McCabes killers realesed early. They remember his jailhouse visits to those parasites and refusal to condemn his killing. That killing still hits a raw nerve with people there. Detective McCabe's funeral was (I believe) the largest ever in Limerick as the citizens of that region expressed their abhorrence at that cowardly act. McGuinness to this day will not condemn his RA pals who were involved. People want in an Irish president somebody they can all respect and be proud of no matter who they voted for, as is the case with Mary McAlease. McGuinness is nowhere close to being a McAlease.

• stephendoyle | Oct 04, 2011, 09:26 AM EDT

  Not caring about his past is incorrect. I do care, and am damn proud of it..........