80 Comments

• seamus60 | Aug 01, 2012, 09:09 PM EDT

  IrelandNorth. We might starve, as a big chunk of the money that is keeping all our fat cat politicians is brit money. That could start another war on its own.

• TayandCake | Aug 01, 2012, 11:39 AM EDT

  I always thought the parades, republican or loyalist where tacky and sheer cringe, but hey that's me.

• IrelandNorth | Aug 01, 2012, 09:04 AM EDT

  A 6 county neo-provincial NI statlet hasn't worked in the past. A 26 county proto-republic ROI isn't working now. A 32 county nation within a Commonwealth of Nations might(?) work in the future. To any historically literate citizen old enough to be a survivor of revisionist history, living in a divided Ireland is like trying to operate with an amputated limb. NI is exhibiting shifting demographics towards an Irish nationalist majority over the next 10 years who would vote for a departioned Ireland. The ROI is increasingly heterogenous, secular and Europeanised. Britain is drifting inexorable towards Scottish and Welsh nationalism and English republicanism. In 10 years time, there may be no kingdom to be united with. The economy-of-scale of the ROI is small enough to be insignificant. What would an independent NI's be, in an era of global lliances and banking. Food for thought - guys?

• seamus60 | Aug 01, 2012, 07:53 AM EDT

  ciaradexy. With respect any Gov that can just dish out statements on decisions made without the consent of the house is not democracy. Once again we still have Gerrymandering, religious dicrimination and Internment. Two of which you are presently not suffering from. Hardly a position of authority on the subject.

• ciaradexy | Jul 31, 2012, 05:27 PM EDT

  The government has plenty of opposition Seamus! The Brits dont want NI and neither does the ROI. Leave it on its own as an independent state with some funding from us, the British and Europe. End of story!

• seamus60 | Jul 31, 2012, 03:34 PM EDT

  ciaradexy. Much the same as we had when civil rights marchers took to the streets. A gov without oppossition will never be democracy.

• ciaradexy | Jul 31, 2012, 03:13 PM EDT

  IRA, we have democracy now. You are neither wanted nor needed by the majority. Go away.

• seamus60 | Jul 31, 2012, 03:08 PM EDT

  Schon. Since you seem so keyed into statistics I had expected a prompt reply to my last question. Not much sense you contributing your clearly bigotted views towards any particular religion if you`re not prepared to back it up when challenged. You have continually blasted republicans as brainwashed by the Catholic church and the Irish state. Both of whom the IRA locked horns with on many occassions during the last 40 years. Remember the broadcasting bann or the refusal of funeral mass being afforded to fallen volunteers because of flag draped coffins. Don`t ever remember the unionjack being removed from coffins entering non Catholic churchs. As for what went on with Catholic priests and regardless of how far back it went. I can`t imagine Kincorra being the only time that occurred from another perspective.

• seamus60 | Jul 31, 2012, 02:39 PM EDT

  Mary you will find those most opposed to disclosure of the truth from our past are the ones with most to hide.Haven`t exactly heard any of the political leaders roaring and squealing for the required truth commission. I as a former combatant would be more than happy to take part with honesty and openess to the fore. Its those who pulled the strings from the comfort of back room meetings from all sides that fear the truth. Can`t be exposing all the scullduggery that went on behind the peoples backs. The fall out wouldn`t fit in with the long term plan.

• maryosullivan | Jul 31, 2012, 11:53 AM EDT

  " raking up the past" and " seeking to stir it up" ???? Try those mealy mouthed comments on the next Jew you hear commenting on the Holocaust , if you have the guts Germany and Austria will lock you up if you dare downplay the number of deaths, and Irish people are sneered at because they remember their own people

• YoungPike | Jul 31, 2012, 06:29 AM EDT

  Schon: Fortunatley, the Black & Decker belongs to the bad old days and the boys now embrace DeWalt and Makita!

• seamus60 | Jul 30, 2012, 07:12 PM EDT

  Schon. Have you got an exact figure for the number of Orange parades that take place every year dredging up the past ?

• seamus60 | Jul 30, 2012, 07:04 PM EDT

  Schon. Don`t remember republicans using the black and deckers. The people who were offended beside the chapel were residents of Carrick hill, some watching and listening from their own front doors. How many thousand Orange men and their supporters travelled from all over the North and futher afield to offend ? The Orange men march every year in Rossnaullagh Co. Donegal without protest from anyone because they are doing it out of the way and not insulting anyone. Funny how they do this when they have been persecuted for just being Protestant. Feel free to belittle my church and the way its being run, I`ve done it myself and I`d agree about the priests. Please don`t insult my faith though as I don`t yours that has men of the collar steeped in the Orange and happily offend fellow christians on their own doorsteps. I won`t bother getting into who wearing a collar thought he was the grand old duke of York, never mind forgiving anyone.

• seamus60 | Jul 30, 2012, 06:47 PM EDT

  Limavady exile. I think Martin and Gerry are worried because those republicans they had depended on to keep things in check have now jumped ship along with their expierance.

• seamus60 | Jul 30, 2012, 06:44 PM EDT

  Philo. Th RA was once a fringe group who needed no mandate and were slagged off by the SDLP and others just as SF are doing now. These groups would not be availing of more oxegyn only for the empty promises by those now in power. Who lets face it have come up with a real genius idea to keep young people from getting involved. Its called Workfare, where young people will work for free. Nothing like making them feel worthy contributers to society

• Schon | Jul 30, 2012, 10:36 AM EDT

  michaelidaho Sorry mate, the replublicans are the ones dredging up the past. Unfortunately, they dissemble in its telling. It is the republicans that are prosecuting a war against a secular state, unlike the Romanised state they want to create to dominate a largely protestant North. The protestant community in the Irish Free state after partition dropped from 25% in 1921 to less than 5% in 1972, thanks to the discrimination practiced in Ireland by the State. It is the republicans that protest that music written to commemorate the Famine is played outside a church, not me. You don't appreciate the ferocity of hate that exists between the republicans and the law abiding majority in the North. The republicans murdered over 2000 non republicans and over 450 Roman Catholics, some of which certainly didn't subscribe to an all Ireland republic, in their recent orgy of violence. Lately, Ireland was being dragged into the 20th Century by the education and return of their disapora. However, this has been put on hold by the financial crisis affetcing Ireland and may provide the seeds of further discontent and support to the republicans again. THe North has been been contemporaneous with developments worldwide and participated in the development of many technical improvements. While the republicans have been brain washed over the years by collusion between the Irish state and the Roman church; if the priests were raping and sodomising the Roman Catholic children over the last 30 years, they have been doing it a lot longer.

• michaelidaho | Jul 30, 2012, 10:00 AM EDT

  Schon, You sound like you got lost in some time machine and should be back fighting the European religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries. Or, maybe you have been hanging out with Ian Paisley a bit too much lately.

• Schon | Jul 30, 2012, 09:58 AM EDT

  The Irish mentality at fighting the Brits hinges on their 1916 rebellion which was unpopular at the time but which lead to the formation of the Irish Free State due to the ferocity of the Brits in prosecuting the rebellion. However, the eventual success has been the recipe for revolution... Attempt military action, exploit any response to this action to engender support in a sympathetic community, use civil disobedience to further the cracks and presto ... a workers paradise, like the new European Ireland of today. The guys that think up the policy get those of lesser intelligence to carry out the dangerous work, of getting killed for the ol' sod, but never no mind, the leaders will be alright, there to take the power and money that they crave. And don't bother about collateral damage. It's good for the cause because we can always blame the Brits. From that is future Ireland plagued.

• Schon | Jul 30, 2012, 09:05 AM EDT

  seamus60 I wrote the 'Listening to the bigoted tripe...' post below, I don't want 'the boys' calling round to your house with the Black and Decker drill, or worse. The band was playing a hymn, the Famine Song. but no one was singing at the church, however the warped minds of the watching republicans interpreted this as being a slight. They were obviously waiting around to be offended having travelled from their homes to a district of Belfast that is largley commercial. But that need to be offended comes from their ingrained inferiority that has developed in their community due to the rape of their children by the pedophillic priests that appear to be endemic, and protected, in the Roman Catholic church. They are schooled to believe that they are downtrodden because their church flourishes in poverty. Their education is tainted by the violent hate by the Irish Roman Catholic Church that still hasn't progressed from the Reformation in its attempts to burn the heretic protestants. Protestants, most of the time, don't think about Roman Catholics in their day to day lives, but if they do they wonder how a people could engage in the canaballistic practise of eating and drinking another human beings' flesh and blood as do they with their ritual of the Transubstantiation. Nor do they understand how a meer mortal such as a priest can forgive murdering republican terrorists for their crimes against man and God.

• IrelandNorth | Jul 30, 2012, 08:50 AM EDT

  They haven't been able to dent the peace process because their declared aim is to force the British military out - militarily - before parleying! And because it's difficult to dent something which they consider not to exist. First there was the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Then there was the Official and Provisional IRAs. Then there was the Real and Continuity IRAs. This is an historical recurring dynamic between constitutionalits and physical forcists. However, as symptomology, one hopes the imperial disease is being treated constitutioanlly so as to make such paramiliatary symptomology constitutionally unecessary.

• YoungPike | Jul 30, 2012, 05:59 AM EDT

  Time to sort this out once and for all. First step: Relocate Celtic FC to Belfast. Second: Voluntarily relocate all those in Scotland who claim Irish heritage to Northren Ireland. Third: Voluntarily relocate all those in Northern Ireland who have Scots heritage back to Scotland. Fourth: Unification of Ireland. All this could be achieved over two or three years!

• pilib04 | Jul 29, 2012, 09:00 PM EDT

  Having read two of the pages of posts I'm afraid we have a number of people who forgot to take their meds today.

• pilib04 | Jul 29, 2012, 08:57 PM EDT

  Belphagar, Gerry Adams is the President of Sinn Fein and the leader of the Sinn Fein delegation in the Dail and Martin McGuinness is the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. Not sure about the rest of your paranoid ramblings. Sinn Fein is not a military organization and encourages its members and supporters to utilize the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). As for the pseudo IRA-Army Council, it has not legitimacy from the people of Ireland, in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

• pilib04 | Jul 29, 2012, 08:42 PM EDT

  With Martin McGuinness in the leadership of the Northern Ireland Government and Gerry Adams solidifying Sinn Fein's power in the government of the Republic of Ireland, the days of the gun are truly over. As Adams said in his address to the world wide diaspora in 1993, the gun must be taken out of Irish politics. Good Friday brought us to that point. St.Andrews placed Sinn Fein in the leadership. Continued election victories have solidified Sinn Fein's claim as leader of the Republican community. These fringe groups are exactly that, fringe groups.

• LimavadyExile | Jul 29, 2012, 05:48 PM EDT

  Some very interesting comments from readers. I don't think that raking up the past is the best solution, and as Sparklet says, the majority, North and South, don't want a return to violence. The "boyos" seeking to "stir it up" are completely out of touch with grassroots opinion - they must have thrown up when Martin McGuinness shook hands with the Queen. And if they do raise their ugly heads, you can bet that McGuinness and Adams will call on all Republicans committed to the political agreement to denounce them to the PSNI. Then we'll see what happens.

• seamus60 | Jul 29, 2012, 05:47 PM EDT

  The post 2 before this is not mine though the one after is my reply to the confused individual.

• seamus60 | Jul 29, 2012, 01:40 PM EDT

  Is your name tripe. Was that republicans or even ordinary Nationalists dancing round the outside of the Catholic church. Most orange men are bigots as they persist in insulting Catholics who want them to march around them as opposed to through them.These Orange men aren`t the brightest. Are you an ex Para, Their story - all the guns were removed from those murdered on Bloody Sunday. Loyalists were quickly caught and locked up, you mean allowed to stay in place to participate in the preferred exercise of collusion that they are only now being confronted about pulling the british trigger. A confrontation that is dwindling because the party expected to keep the focus on the issue have lost interest in cleaning up our past.

• seamus60 | Jul 29, 2012, 07:48 AM EDT

  Listening to the bigoted tripe from these armchair republicans and their threat to 'wipe out' and 'get rid' of the majority of people in the North sounds the same as the Nazi rants in the past. The republicans inability co co-exist even with co-religionists that think differently from them is demonstrated by the high numbers of Roman Catholics murdered during the Troubles by the republicans. This pathological hate resulted in the forced exodus of a large section of the pre-partition Protestant community. ( The 1911 census showed that in counties that were to have Home rule the protestant population was 25% while in 1971 census it had dropped to less than 5%). During the Troubles the protestants that were turning to violence tended to be not the brightest of the bunch and, because the loyalist commity was basically law abiding, many were quickly caught and locked up. They had no knowledge of who the enemy actually was, because the republicans hid their identities. If killed in action, a volunteer would retrieve their weapon and another 'innocent Roman Catholic' was murdered by British security forces. As a consequence of this, loyalist paramilitaries targeted the Roman Catholic population killing randomly. At this time there was no real danger of British pull-out with the Provence being subsumed by Eire. However, I fear that if there is a likelihood that this was to happen, there will be civil war and the death and destruction will dwarf what happened in the troubles.

• seamus60 | Jul 28, 2012, 08:17 PM EDT

  Barneyjoe. A few years back the language used against these groups by the likes of Gerry Kelly was by its manner filled with anticipation that these groups would be rejected by their communities. As their tone has some what mellowed, down to the scale of ego`s etc. Hardly smacks of the old confidence that was there when calling them Traitors to the island of Ireland etc etc. SF have lost out to groups like GARC in North Belfast ( who brought thousands onto the streets recently ) whilst Gerry and Big Bobby Storey stood watching with their massive egos shrunk to the size of pimples. But hey what did they expect the reception from locals to be like considering their party have robbed the same people of badly needed housing and then had the cheek to say the locals were being used by outside infleunces. Thats what happens after years of hemming your own in to allow the Orange free passage.

• seamus60 | Jul 28, 2012, 07:31 PM EDT

  Sparklet. In the previous climate the majority never wanted the violance either. But that didn`t stop Adams or Mc Guinness. Remember Martin`s statement after getting elected " it will be the cutting force of the IRA that will free Ireland and nothing else" He still hasn`t delivered or gotten any one any closer to what he always envisaged at other peoples expence.

• aloistmartin | Jul 28, 2012, 06:12 PM EDT

  There is no such thing as a Protestant Irishman ! British Occupants of N. Ireland have No Say, Large or Small in the partition of Irish Nationality !

• Sparklet | Jul 28, 2012, 06:05 PM EDT

  What's happened in the past, has never been fair. But in the present climate, the majority of people in both north and south don't want a return to violence.

• seamus60 | Jul 28, 2012, 05:22 PM EDT

  Well Sparklet it does seem really fair that the majority of a minority of the people on the island of Ireland have the veto.

• Sparklet | Jul 28, 2012, 10:10 AM EDT

  Clevelander, does Ireland 'as a whole being free' include the Protestant majority in NI, who where the reason there was partition in the first place? Or will they sit back quietly and accept whatever?

• Schon | Jul 28, 2012, 09:51 AM EDT

  MichaelMcGrath Adams speaks slow so you can understand him, he knows that the republican community that supported PIRA in the past were incapable of thinking for themselves and had to be given their instructions a piece at a time. Most terrorist movements are structured with the boyos at the top who want fame and MONEY from their exploits of criminially stupid thugs who carry out their orders... and die. That's how Adams and McGuinness worked it.

• barneyjo | Jul 28, 2012, 06:03 AM EDT

  Thats right lads; give it a good lash. And then set your stopwatches to see how long it takes for everyone to see you all for what you are; and that is a pale and poor imitation of what has gone before. And thats all you will ever be. And one day, soon the Nationalist communities across NI, upon whose necks you have currenty placed your unwelcome size 10 boots, will also see you for what you are, and turn on you. And I wouldnt want to be you when that day comes :)

• Belphagor | Jul 28, 2012, 04:56 AM EDT

  This isn't a new Ira, this is just a pr exercise, the Coninuity and real ira have been trying to kill innocent people since the good friday agreement was signed and they have killed Catholics as well as proestants. Adams and Marty will not be hunting them down by using Sinn Fein resources, which would be very easy to do and by not doing this they are both condoning it, in fact I would go as far as to say they are supporting it, Plan B? Keep the attacks up against the people and the British and if things dont go to plan, and by using the info that we have from within the security forces we can insure a few spectaculours. The reason the Continuity wasnt included is also part of the plan, if the New Ira kill too many innocent people in an attack and it looks like it may damage their image, they will just blame it on the Continuity IRA. I thought it was interesting how Patrick described the RAAD "A loose coalition of independent armed groups" to the rest of the world that means Gangsters. They only discipline those who dont give them a cut of their evil gotten gains, everyone knows the IRA have been behind all major drug supplies in Ireland and have been for over 35 years. Dan Breen, you are embarrassing yourself son with every cliche and statement that you attempt to make, Marion Price was a Terrorist and has recently been involved in terrorist activity and should be dealt with according to Justice. In actively working towards getting rid of the small British community in Ireland you are advocating a Facist policy by exterminating an ethnic minority, This New Facist IRA will not succeed as Facism never does.

• Scotchtommy | Jul 28, 2012, 04:03 AM EDT

  So it's back to the car bombs going off.God have mercy on Ireland

• IrishmanOz | Jul 28, 2012, 02:52 AM EDT

  I haven't read one remark worth a comment upon except OBPiper's about the "return of the Neanderthals". There is 5,500 years of Irish civilisation you must study before any of you are qualified to make a comment on this subject. I grew up in Ireland in the 70's and witnessed the atrocities committed by the British e.g. Bloody Sunday, The Hunger Strikes, the death of Bobby Sands Member of Parliament and other patriots on Hunger Strike, The Thatcher years, The Guilford 4, The Birmingham 6, The Maguire 7, The Gibraltar 3, the miner strikes etc.. Run for your search engine! The point is this subject is far too complex to say who is right and who is wrong. In fact there is no right and wrong in the North, there’s just Rich & Poor and an impotent middle class in the middle. A Republican Nationalist believes that he is right with as much conviction as a Loyalist believes Ireland should remain in the United Kingdom. Their common denominator is that they are all from low socio economic families. Democratic referendums in both Communities together with Billions of Dollars of investment in N.I. have led us to the relative peace and stability we see today. In summary: 98.9% of the Northern Irish population voted to stay in the United Kingdom in 1973. 71% in N.I. and 94% in the Republic voted in favour of the The Good Friday agreement on the same day in 1998. Democracy rules in the Island of Ireland not Britannia!

• CHICANODEAZTLAN | Jul 28, 2012, 12:10 AM EDT

  “The Irish people have been sold a phoney peace, rubber-stamped by a token legislature in Stormont." “The necessity of armed struggle in pursuit of Irish freedom against the forces of the British crown will only be avoided by the removal of the British military presence in Northern Ireland." WE Brown Mexican RAZA have also been fighting for OUR own liberation against English Euro-ameriKKKan imperialism and occupation of OUR homeland of AZTLAN (California to Texas) for the past 170 years, just like OUR Irish brethren are also fighting for their own independence from the bloody Brits! LA RAZA in occupied ameriKKKa is with you Irish comrades! OUT WITH THE BRITS! OFF THE BRITS AND IT'S TRAITORS! LONG LIVE THE SAN PATRICIO BRIGADE WHO DIED IN MEXICO DURING THE 1800s! - E.F. Mohammed Martinez - Chicano Anti-Fascist Freedom Fighter - Spear of the Aztlan National Congress

• michaelidaho | Jul 27, 2012, 11:23 PM EDT

  dan Breen, et al; Do you think the fact that over one million Ulster Protestants were absolutely opposed to being part of a 32 county Ireland had something to do with partition? or Do you think that had nothing to do with it all and it was only those evil Brits?

• clevelander | Jul 27, 2012, 07:15 PM EDT

  @woundedego you state "the IRA in the 1970s when it had massive support within the Catholic community of the North, plus substantial support in the South, was unable to make any advance towards a United Ireland, it is inconceivable that an armed group could make progress in today's environment. An armed campaign would be not only wrong, but also irrelevant" Come on George, you know better than that. The support for the Provos came after the campaign started. Well after. Sinn Fein, the former Republican political party never had anything close to the support you are insinuating. Once the people of Ireland saw the that standing up for themselves was an option as opposed to sitting back and excepting a foreign rule with all it's bigotry and hate did the people come on board. It will take some time but rest assured it will happen again and again untill Ireland as a whole is free.

• Sparklet | Jul 27, 2012, 06:56 PM EDT

  Reminds me of some graffiti I saw once. Underneath Free Derry, someone wrote "in every packet of cornflakes"

• peterson | Jul 27, 2012, 06:48 PM EDT

  The IRA, outlaws at best !!

• aloistmartin | Jul 27, 2012, 05:53 PM EDT

  Support the Amalgamation ! Free Derry ! There Isn`t enough Double Cream in Devon, to appease the Separatist Hoax ! One Ireland ! Republican, Catholic, and Free !

• PhlutiePhan | Jul 27, 2012, 04:52 PM EDT

  Gerry Adams is the man! Believe him at your risk. He is a flim flam man! It is all about socialism and Iranian and Chinese support. You don't bring in arms and explosives of that magnitude with cereal box tops.

• Happyhippo | Jul 27, 2012, 04:22 PM EDT

  As one of the clear majority who voted for the good Friday agreement to end the violence in this country which caused so much suffering to so many,while these so called patriots are intent on another campaign of judge jury and executioner to anyone who stands in their way,here in the south we have more pressing problems like getting rid of the IMF,getting jobs for 500,000,and getting the country back on track again,these are our priorities and where we will direct our efforts.

• OBPiper | Jul 27, 2012, 03:22 PM EDT

  OMG, the Neadertals are back on the warpath. They should mate with asses and be lost in a generation's time. What an embarassment to my Irish heritage and all the Irish I know. Shame.

• Sparklet | Jul 27, 2012, 02:24 PM EDT

  Fuiseog, you're missing the point. The majority of people who live in Ireland don't want a return to violence, and most of them dont care about what's past. Well, they care, but they recognise that it's over. Are you suggesting that the wishes of the majority should be ignored? Kilsally - no need to apologise.

• Kilsally | Jul 27, 2012, 02:21 PM EDT

  fuselog - as michaelidaho says an Independent self governing Northern Ireland is more likely than a United Ireland, although he refers to the British leaving / not leaving whereas it would be quite difficult when unionists consider themselves British/ Northern Irish / Irish

• Kilsally | Jul 27, 2012, 02:16 PM EDT

  apoligies sparklett - I meant constable Peadar Heffron had his legs blown off by an undercar bomb

• fuiseog | Jul 27, 2012, 02:00 PM EDT

  Colonial occupation is terrorism, genocide is terrorism. We have endured England's long attempts of domination for too long. Will Irish attempts of counter terrorism succeed? Is there another way. Imperialists do not respond to pleas to respect human rights. From those of you who castigate militant action against illegal occupation, I'd like to hear a viable alternative.

• Irishstorm | Jul 27, 2012, 01:58 PM EDT

  Do they really think anybody wants to see a return to the dark old days? The world has moved on, and therein lies the new enemy, "The Bankers and Financial Institutions". If they want to target anyone and drive them out of Ireland, target them. They have stolen Ireland sovereignty. At least, they would gain support internationally by targeting the enemy of us all.

• michaelidaho | Jul 27, 2012, 01:51 PM EDT

  The real issue here is that ever since the first Home Rule Bill was passed in 1886, the Protestants of Ulster have had no interest in a 32 county Ireland. They have resisted it successfully through constitutional methods, the threat of violence (i.e. 1912 Covenant and UVF) and the use of violence masquerading as law (i.e. Stormont, RUC, B-Specials, etc). Gladstone, Redmond, Old IRA, Anti-Treaty IRA, Provisional IRA, Collins, DeValera, Blaney, Haughey, Fitzgerald, Adams, Hume, etc. were not able to pull it off. Do these clowns really think that they will be able to do it? The solution is not for the British to leave as many have suggested, which is no surprise. The Unionists would simply fight for an independent country as they have threatened to do at various times ever since the late nineteenth century. The only road to a united Ireland is for all parties to work together to ensure equality and justice before the law under the terms of the GFA. Eventually, in an environment of peace and stability, when the demographic and economic factors are favorable, you will have a united Ireland. Engaging in violence is not only immoral, it is irrational and delusional.

• Irishphotograph | Jul 27, 2012, 01:10 PM EDT

  Rome financed King Billy William of Orange to conquer Ireland William was rabidly anti-French, and was an eager recruit to the alliance of powers which opposed Louis. Other leaders of the League of Augsburg - later the Grand Alliance - included the Austrian emperor, Leopold, and Pope Alexander VIII. Thus, when James landed in Ireland in a doomed attempt to win back his throne and promote the Catholic faith, he was indirectly fighting the Pope. And William, defending the Protestant ascendancy in both of John Bull's islands, was at the same time advancing the cause of the Vatican.

• Irishphotograph | Jul 27, 2012, 01:06 PM EDT

  HOW THE ROMAN POPES GAVE IRELAND TO THE ENGLISH TO RULE OVER US ROME WANTED TO SUPPRESS THE CHURCH SAINT PATRICK HELP ESTABLISH. THE CELTIC CHRISTIAN CHURCH. This was indeed what King Henry did and one of his first acts was to call the Council of Cashel in 1172 at which the ancient Celtic Church of Ireland was brought into submission to the yoke of Roman bondage. As for the Papal insults that the Irish were a rude, ignorant, uncivilized people, had not the missionaries of Patrick's Celtic Church brought the uncorrupted Gospel not only to the rest of the British Isles but to Europe? Was it a savage people who produced such beautifully illuminated Christian manuscripts as the Book of Kells, and who preserved the primitive Christian faith in their communities even under Viking attack, whilst Papal Rome was sunk in, the depths of vice and superstitions? The Roman Catholic writer O'Driscoll admits: "The Christian Church of Ireland was founded by St. Patrick, existed for many centuries free and unshackled ... and differed on many points from Rome. From the days of Patrick to the Council of Cashel was a bright and glorious career for Ireland. From the sitting of that Council to our own times the lot of Ireland has been unmixed evil and all her history a tale of woe." Views of Ireland, Vol. 2, Page 84. ROME ALSO GAVE KING WILLIAM (BILLY) FINANCE TO CRUSH THE IRISH.

• Searlit | Jul 27, 2012, 12:35 PM EDT

  I don't support pipe bombs being set or killing innocent people or police. That will never bring self-respect or the respect of honorable people. I want to see change so that Ireland can be United as a country, and free of foreign occupation. Every country has a right to their indigenous culture. That is integrity! The British have their Royals while the Irish have their Chieftains,and many Kings. Aren't the Irish related to the British through Brian Boru? Let the Irish be Irish!

• Sparklet | Jul 27, 2012, 12:27 PM EDT

  Kilsally, Ronan was killed also.

• Kilsally | Jul 27, 2012, 12:06 PM EDT

  Madness - in particular their targtting of Catholic police officers which killed constable Stephen Carroll and blew the legs off constable Ronan Kerr amongst others in recent years

• WoundedKnee | Jul 27, 2012, 11:52 AM EDT

  Sirpeter was one of the posters--his girlfriend Ciara was another-- who called Americans "rats". You're racist vermin, sirpeter, but I'll continue to show you up for the bigot you are.

• OldMariner | Jul 27, 2012, 11:51 AM EDT

  Mike McGrath: I readily admit that I do not follow Irish (Eire or Ulster) politics. I never cared for Gerry Adams to begin with, so with my lack of interest for Irish politics in general, and Adams in particular, I can only speak as an American. If this "new" amalgam of IRA groups ever enjoys the wide support here in America as the old one did, look for harsher visa restrictions for Irish citizens as potential terrorists. The British-American government alliance remains very strong especially when it comes to terrorist activities of all stripes.

• WoundedKnee | Jul 27, 2012, 11:50 AM EDT

  Sirpeter: You're not just a racist, you're a liar. The quote you ascribe to George Dillon is false. I challenge you to show evidence for your slur. Since you cannot, withdraw it, though since you're just a piece of racist garbage I suspect you won't have the integrity to do so. You're racist vermin, that's true, maybe you got confused because Dillon was addressing you.

• WoundedKnee | Jul 27, 2012, 11:31 AM EDT

  If the IRA in the 1970s when it had massive support within the Catholic community of the North, plus substantial support in the South, was unable to make any advance towards a United Ireland, it is inconceivable that an armed group could make progress in today's environment. An armed campaign would be not only wrong, but also irrrelevant, since it would not address the real issues facing Ireland. One of those issues is of course the violent demographic changes--a million migrants in a decade-- brought about by the Irish capitalists' crazy policy of Mass Immigration. Only yesterday we read that 40% of young Irish men and women are unemployed, even while migrant settlers throng thru Dublin Airport each day. This Unlimited Cheap Labor policy is certainly supported by the "useful idiots" of the Adams-led Sinn Fein, but I am not aware that so-called dissidents differ from Adams on this issue. Any young man or woman who killed or was killed fighting for an Ireland ruled by guys like Adams would be a lunatic. Any person so tempted should think of the sacrifice of people like Francis Hughes and Mairead Farrell. What for? So that Adams and McGuinness could have their luxury vacation homes in Donegal, guys who never worked a day in their lives?

• Sparklet | Jul 27, 2012, 11:21 AM EDT

  What makes these people any better than those from generations past who inflicted their will on a majority? What entitles them to ignore the wishes of the people of Ireland, both north and south? Just curious.

• mamaginnty | Jul 27, 2012, 11:15 AM EDT

  MichaelMcGrath, you sound like the twin of GoergeDillon. The government let the immigrants in you fool not Gerry Adams. Plus there is not half as many as there was 5 yrs ago. As far as there being a few hundred joining a new IRA, in their dreams only. We will have a united Ireland in time but not this way, there has been enough killing on BOTH sides. Kenny could not run rings round a daisy, Sinn Féin have made him do turnarounds on certain things he was planning to put on the people. Can't beat people like Mary Lou and Pearse Doherty. They are Sinn Féin, not SF/IRA.

• joeustace | Jul 27, 2012, 11:04 AM EDT

  They sound like what Dick Cheney used to call "dead-enders"; but then they fought the US for years. Better deal with thewir demands now, before Derry begins to look like Iraq.

• GregShox | Jul 27, 2012, 10:50 AM EDT

  What's this? Another IRA? The high-fibre, low-cholesterol IRA? The sugar-free IRA? New improved Killit-Bang? Now kills 99% of all who disagree with it. Looks like the People's Front of Judea to me, or is it the Judean People's Front?

• Silling | Jul 27, 2012, 10:49 AM EDT

  suicides have doubled since the war ended, a new campaign might rectify this.

• MichaelMcGrath | Jul 27, 2012, 10:41 AM EDT

  Why, OldMariner, what's so wrong with replacing Adams whose only achievement is to become the biggest bumbler in the Irish Parliament and go outside the Dail gates to personally champion Black illegals protesting for their "rights" , namely to get the Irish Dole, that they came here for in the first place. Surely Sinn Fein/IRA should champion the resettlement of the Diaspora back home to Ireland instead as advocated by one of Ireland's best economists David McWilliams rather than seek to repopulate Ireland by immigrants with whom we have nothing historically in common. This move by McWilliams was supported by Niall O'Dowd filmed on youtube supporting McWilliams. BTW Adams is a dreadful speaker, he's horribly slow, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, of all people, has run rings around him in the Dail. I don't think there's much brainpower there...

• citizen69 | Jul 27, 2012, 10:36 AM EDT

  @MichaelMcGrath: You wish them every success i suppose like the one they had in 1998 when they murdered 31 innocent people in the Omagh bomb? You sound like just the kind of racist narrow-minded bigot who would support these clowns.

• OldMariner | Jul 27, 2012, 10:29 AM EDT

  "They have also been unable to win any broad-based community support or attract any significant followers in the US." Let us all fervently hope that this remains so.

• MichaelMcGrath | Jul 27, 2012, 10:24 AM EDT

  Bound to happen. The ordinary decent volunteer was sold down the river by the Trotskyist Adams and his Sinn Fein in their bid to replace Fianna Fail. Some volunteers have woken up, smelled the stench and dedided to do something about it. They are the greatest danger yet to Adams and McGuinness and their championship of the plan for a new Plantation of Ireland by Nigerians, driving the native irish into emigration, and as such I welcome them. As opposed to Adams and McGuinness they will get support in the South as well.

• Padraig8 | Jul 27, 2012, 10:05 AM EDT

  There has been NO change in the occupation of a Country so i can understand the frustration of people who want the whole island to be FREE of a foriegn power that invaded ,no matter how long ago. Time does NOT heal all wounds tiocfaidh ar la

• NYCsheridan | Jul 27, 2012, 10:03 AM EDT

  Republican Action Against Drugs? The hell?

• clevelander | Jul 27, 2012, 09:59 AM EDT

  They have not gone a way you know!!!!!

• MichaelMcGrath | Jul 27, 2012, 09:58 AM EDT

  I wish them every success against the traitors Adams and McGuinness who want to repopulate Ireland with Nigerians.

• citizen69 | Jul 27, 2012, 09:46 AM EDT

  Yet another 'IRA' that refuse to accept the will of the people of Ireland. The original IRA of the early 20th century disappeared a long time ago, long before the 'Continuity IRA', 'Real IRA', 'Provisional IRA', 'Official IRA', 'Diet IRA', 'I Can't Believe It's Not IRA' and all the rest of the pathetic wannabes. I wonder does this sad lot believe they are the true legitimate (yet unelected) government of Ireland also? The vast majority of Ireland doesn't want you and there are only a few hundred bigots who are still interested in your message of hate... and no amount of re-branding is gonna change that.

• billyjustin | Jul 27, 2012, 09:41 AM EDT

  we have enough problems in ireland without more killings..

• gordongoblin | Jul 27, 2012, 09:29 AM EDT

  The time is long past to tell them they are neither needed nor wanted.

• dingle999 | Jul 27, 2012, 08:37 AM EDT

  Living in the past.... the War is over