Northern Ireland police boss apologizes to nationalists for loyalist riots

True Tom, but finding the right recipe may be imposible.

Sean, fair point but I really hadn't thought of the queen as a kind of joint head of state. That would most likely be a step too far. However, in light of Ireland's sorry predicament in the EU, an historic realignment with Britain is an interesting notion. Britain remains, by far, the Republic's biggest export market and Britain, as of March 2012, had more exports to Ireland that to the so-called BRIC countries combined: Brazil, Russia, India and China. A powerful economic bond already exists.

Tom a federation of Britain/Ireland sounds wonderful but fanciful as always the devil would be in the detail. Acceping the Queen as head of state is anathema to a lot of Irish people. AS I am Dublin born I say "no royal head of state for Ireland. A better option would be an Irish (32) in the commonwealth with Dublin as the capital where maggie is only an honoury head of state. Most countries in the commonwealth do not recognise her as head of state but head of the commomwealth.

Baggot can apoligise till the cows come home but it won`t change the fact that should the protesters be Nationalists preventing an OO parade walking the queens highway no apoligies would be required.

IrelandNorth, your thought- provoking commentary below regarding a federation of Britain and Ireland is not at all far-fetched and, in fact, makes good sense, provided we can put aside ancient animosities - which I believe we can. It would dramatically strengthen the position of both islands within the EU, while membership of Ireland in the Commonwealth is an economic no-brainer. It can be done, provided we have the leadership and the will. Good post!

Seanmor! There are also modern Europhobes south of the boundary that was never commissioned too, ya know! Europhiles are upper and upper-middle class, whilst Europhobes are lower-middle or working class. As far as this thoroughly modern [Europhobic] Millie is concerned, da north is a geological/topographical/geographical (and therefore politically) integral and permanent part of the rest of Ireland, (a self evident reality to everyone other than British imperialists like UUP/DUP/TUV/PUP/UKIP/BNP/BF and other such geo-political dyslectics in denial). Ergo, BOTH the Irish tricolour and the Saint Patrick's Cross (ie white flag with diagonal red criss/saltire, with uncrowned red hand of Ulster if necessary!) removed from the union jack rightfully belong there. In an Agreed Island of Ireland, pro-British unionists would be entitled to a 16.5 degree alliance with the Island of Great Britain (GB), equivalent to their percentage of the Island of Ireland's population. A provincially federated Island of Ireland, in a confederation with a federated Island of Great Britian, in a economic strategic alliance of the British and/or Irish Isles within the European Union (EU), and a partnership of equals within the Commonwealth of Nations (CoN), is the sanest way out of the centenary long impasse of partition. Majorities no longer rule minorities. Proportionality is where the future action is!

The modern Europhiles south of the artificial border have little or no sympathy for Nationalist victims of the Loyalist violence in Belfast. As fat as these thoroughly modern Southerners are concerned, the North is a natural, integral and permand part of Great Britain and the Union Jack rightfull belongs there, not the Tri-Colour of green, white and orange.

@6countybrittroll – “The loyalists were attacked as they walked past the short strand after the protest at the City hall. Let,s get the basic facts right IrishCentral” Yes, the violent supremacist/loyalist mob suffered an unprovoked attack and just happened to have some pipe bombs and bricks handy to attack nationalists homes with – right.

law enforcement invlolves force.

The orange thugs are chomping at the bit trying to involve nationalists in their dirty little parade of hate and bigotry.

ALL of Ulster isn't British. In fact, even ALL of Northern Ireland (NI) isn't even British. Only 40% of NI population identified themselves as British only, whilst 25%/21% identified themelves as Irish/Northern Irish respectively, (a 6% majority!) (Source: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NIS&RA) Household Survey, 2011). These loyalists lads need to get their facts right. And besides, Ulster was failed five generations ago when Messrs Carson, Craig, Crawford and Company (CCC&C) not only succeeded in partitioning a nation, but partitioning a province too. The Chief [Serviceor] of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), (An Serbhís Poílíní na Tuarscírt Éireann) is obviously underresourced, and should urgently call upon Án Gárda Síochána na h'Éireann (ÁGSÉ) for mutual backup and assistance, since civil unrest in Ulster adversely affects the other three provinces of Ireland. And since Willie Frazer was impressed in his dealingss with AGSE apropos taking his flags protest up to Dublin, the Leinster provincial/and national capitol, (from Belfast, the Ulster provincial capitol) there should be no problem with his loyalists flags protestors.

@6countybrit the filth attacked nationalists houses. Plastic brits we call you.

ALL of Ulster isn't British. In fact, even ALL of Northern Ireland (NI) isn't even British. Only 40% of NI population identified themselves as British only, whilst 25%/21% identified themelves as Irish/Northern Irish respectively, (a 6% majority!) (Source: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NIS&RA) Household Survey, 2011). These loyalists lads need to get their facts right. And besides, Ulster was failed five generations ago when Messrs Carson, Craig, Crawford and Company (CCC&C) not only succeeded in partitioning a nation, but partitioning a province too. The Chief [Serviceor] of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), (An Serbhís Poílíní na Tuarscírt Éireann) is obviously underresourced, and should urgently call upon Án Gárda Síochána na h'Éireann (ÁGSÉ) for mutual backup and assistance, since civil unrest in Ulster adversely affects the other three provinces of Ireland. And since Willie Frazer was impressed in his dealingss with AGSE apropos taking his flags protest up to Dublin, the Leinster provincial/and national capitol, (from Belfast, the Ulster provincial capitol) there should be no problem with his loyalists flags protestors.

ALL of Ulster isn't British. In fact, even ALL of Northern Ireland (NI) isn't even British. Only 40% of NI population identified themselves as British only, whilst 25%/21% identified themelves as Irish/Northern Irish respectively, (a 6% majority!) (Source: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NIS&RA) Household Survey, 2011). These loyalists lads need to get their facts right. And besides, Ulster was failed five generations ago when Messrs Carson, Craig, Crawford and Company (CCC&C) not only succeeded in partitioning a nation, but partitioning a province too. The Chief [Serviceor] of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), (An Serbhís Poílíní na Tuarscírt Éireann) is obviously underresourced, and should urgently call upon Án Gárda Síochána na h'Éireann (ÁGSÉ) for mutual backup and assistance, since civil unrest in Ulster adversely affects the other three provinces of Ireland. And since Willie Frazer was impressed in his dealingss with AGSE apropos taking his flags protest up to Dublin, the Leinster provincial/and national capitol, (from Belfast, the Ulster provincial capitol) there should be no problem with his loyalists flags protestors.

Again it is notable that an irishsite is attracting the comments of 'professional' unionists