77 Comments

• FallsRNat | May 04, 2011, 06:42 PM EDT

  paddyRanger - why not, u don't think that for a minute the 1m brits in Ulster will want to leave their kith & kin who are buried there, they will want to repatriate the bodies, it's a perfectly natural exchange, sirpeter et al say the brits must go home then it's only right that the irish in the UK (who have paid lip service to the RA) are sent back to their UI.

• paddyRanger | May 04, 2011, 12:49 PM EDT

  Wingeire1 "But you need to remember that it will not be over until British troops are out of Ireland",........and what about the Irish out of Britain then, how do you seperate something like that, and if you kick out all the irish out of England you want me to dig up my grandparents??

• paddyRanger | May 04, 2011, 12:38 PM EDT

  "Unlike millions I slept soundly while the sound and fury signifying nothing from London blathered on"........the sound and "FURY" what fury, you are a bleether, so good for you that you slept through it, and it was hardly nothing if 2 billion people world wide thought it was worth there watching, you comments is pretty small minded

• Fastest | May 02, 2011, 02:13 PM EDT

  Mr.O'Dowd; To further your point about all the attention the 'Royal' wedding has received, there are dozens of comments to your column, yet only several in response to the events in the Middle East.

• Towngate | May 02, 2011, 12:11 PM EDT

  oflaherty:You cite two examples of 'words of wisdom' and then ignore the advice by making snide judgements on fellow commenters and even question the the motives of The Boss himself! ~ another of Twains statements was that when he was eighteen he was appalled by his father's ignorance and stupidity ~ but by the time he was twenty he was amazed how much his father had learned in the last two years. ~ you are invited to share your thoughts on the Posts. Stick to that for the time being. Slainte.

• Liamkeyes | May 02, 2011, 11:07 AM EDT

  The other Capital of Ireland "Liverpool" gave us the Beatles. George Harrison's Mom was from Dublin and he used to visit there all the time before he became famous. Paul McCartney's side was Scotch and Irish. Sorry Ringo, you were only half Irish.

• oflaherty | May 02, 2011, 08:07 AM EDT

  That memorable quote by Mark Twain "Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt" applies on so many levels here! Or as my Dublin mother might say - If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. What do you think, Niall? Methinks you wrote this column just to create a stir.

• Aughavey | May 02, 2011, 06:29 AM EDT

  seanmelbourne said " to remind them as to who is in charge." ..erm the Royals are totally symbolic - the elected government of the UK has all the power - funny some are linking this with the Dutch William of Orange as it was his deposing the King James of England and JOINTLY ruling with his Queen (King James niece) that ushered in many changes diminishing the powers of Monarchy and conferring them on Parliament. `The Glorious Revolution`. Williams League of Augsburg (with support from the Vatican) was about countering King Loui of France with whom King James was in cahoots with - not quite the simplistic `enforcing protestant rule` being portrayed here.

• RedBranch | May 01, 2011, 05:40 PM EDT

  That would be 'great Englishman' Huxley with the soma Niall, Not the socialist Orwell; he did telescreens, doublespeak, etc. etc. I'd be glad to proofread your copy in the future if you think you need it. BTW Miranda wasn't being ironic - I think.

• casualMBA | May 01, 2011, 05:14 PM EDT

  Seems as though there are at least two factors working here. One, the Irish (gals, in particular) fascination with the royals, and, two, Irish(and young women's) fascination(?) with marriage as a (?) triumph of love. May also be fear. Fear of disintegrating relationships in a stressful modern world, and in Irish families, and a desire to focus on the positive aspects of a royal wedding today, and not one's carbon footprints.

• LoveDoolin | May 01, 2011, 11:53 AM EDT

  I love tradition, and this wedding was about tradition. The Royal Family coughed up the millions to pay for the extravaganza. Had Will/Kate eloped or had a private ceremony somewhere, not only would the Brits been outraged, so would the rest of the world. I myself did set my alarm for 4:00 a.m. and stayed glued to the TV all day. It was a feel-good event at a time when there is little to feel good about. It proves dreams can come true and keeps us all optimistic about the future.

• DanOLoingsigh | Apr 30, 2011, 08:36 PM EDT

  seamusmoore - In 1807 Britain’s Royal Navy begin patrols of the African coast to arrest slaving vessels - by 1865, nearly 150,000 people had been freed by British Navy anti-slavery operations.

• seanomelbourne | Apr 30, 2011, 07:45 PM EDT

  "It,s fairytale stuff" mcdolan the wedding is over and the humdrum is still with us.A medieval circus,a bunch of robber barons celebrating the wedding of one of there own.Displaying their ill gotten wealth to the masses to remind them as to who is in charge.

• jacersagain | Apr 30, 2011, 07:37 PM EDT

  Actually, I think Niall might have a point about Irish people being dumbed-down by this quintessentially British event. Perchance, I passed a group of Irish women (and a few men) watching the wedding event live on television just after 11 am Irish time on Friday. If I’d have had a camera on me I would have snapped the very vision that Niall speaks of... the women were all of different ages but their facial expressions showed they were mesmerised, dumb-struck by what they were looking at, eyes a-popping, smiles from ear to ear, clear delight in their faces. Yep, they were all dumbed down alright. And they'll do exactly the same when the British queen visits the country that her family forebears viciously ruled for centuries. God help us Irish.

• Towngate | Apr 30, 2011, 04:51 PM EDT

  God,Niall, you are sure taking a licking on this subject, but I have no doubt you will survive. I will steer it back to a germaine question: The Irish element of the wedding. There may be intentional signals as to deeply held Royal views on the future of Ireland. The Queen rarely makes a move without considerable deliberation and I have no doubt that the Carrickfergus Title connecting Prince William to William of Orange's landing there before putting an end to a Catholic Monarchy in Britain and Ireland, is intended. What niggles me is; that to do so this close to her State Visit to the Irish Republic appears to be ill-advised and combined with Irish President Mary MacAleese who invited her not being asked to the wedding, compounds it. I believe The Queen and her Palace advisers have made a serious psychological misjudgement on this matter and it could well temper the nature of her welcome to the Irish Republic next month. Or even cause it to be cancelled!!

• seamusmoore | Apr 30, 2011, 04:28 PM EDT

  Niall, if you think soccer and rugby are what you love about England and is their gift to the world:, then you understand even less about Americathan I previously thought. Then again, you are from Drogheda, not exactly a GAA stronghold to quote Micheal Moriarity. Steve Somers of WFAN said it best for all Americans back in 2001 when some joker called up to talk about the World Cup qualifiers, he cut off the caller with the admonition: when the history of mankind is written, the British Navy must be taken to task for two heinous crimes against humanity, spreading syphilis and soccer to the rest of the world. AMEN I say and God bless America.

• citizen69 | Apr 30, 2011, 12:02 PM EDT

  Niall complains about the fuss & blanket coverage by the media around the royal wedding. Now take a look at the Irish Central front page over the last few days and view the plethora of stories on his Irish website about... You've guessed it, the British Royal Wedding! Again Niall proves to be a hypocrite!

• Rebelforce | Apr 30, 2011, 09:42 AM EDT

  According to the polls, the vast majority of the American people have no interest in the dysfunctional, wacky British royals or the wedding of Kate and William. Most Americans (thankfully) are not British royal worshippers like Baba Wawa, and tend to be happy that they live in an American Republic.

• Wingeire1 | Apr 30, 2011, 06:30 AM EDT

  @Seagreen that was a nice post. But you need to remember that it will not be over until British troops are out of Ireland, and Ireland is united. However, I think complaining about the marriage of two young people is a ridiculous way to show support for that unification. And Niall is pretending to be a Republican.

• Wingeire1 | Apr 30, 2011, 06:20 AM EDT

  Why is this any different than when Di and Charles married? No one complained then. And its a little late for you to be getting out the anti Brit thing, Niall. No one does a better job of putting down the Irish than you.

• tippboy | Apr 30, 2011, 06:17 AM EDT

  The Royals these days are a tourist attraction and a means of marketing England as a destination. As patmurrihy states, the return on investment of this event will be spectacular! London looked splendid, the prince and princess looked like they stepped out of a fairytale and the cash registers never stopped ringing. People need to lighten up and enjoy - then book a vacation to the UK, with a side trip to Ireland. The only negative is that the dollar is so bloody weak!

• Towngate | Apr 30, 2011, 06:13 AM EDT

  Anybody else feel a bit apprehensive about the Baron Carrickfergus Title being given to the future King Billy. It being the site of the Landing in Ireland by the other King Billy who went on to finally rout the Catholic King James near the Boyne? ~ It strengthens the British ties to Ireland and underscores the democratically expressed Will of the majority of voters in Northern Ireland. It does not bode well for any hopes of a united Ireland in the near future, or help stabilise the progress made in the Peace Process. Still, it could be worse; She could have ~ for a bit of Divilment ~ named him Baron of Baginbun (where King Henry II and his soldiers landed in Ireland - unopposed!). That would have be bad news indeed; possibly signalling their intention to recapture 'lost territory'!

• Realist | Apr 30, 2011, 05:48 AM EDT

  I don't see the point of this 'article' other than to display the author's mean-spiritedness or as an embarrassing and uncalled for attempt to make dirt of another country's traditions and the wedding day of two young people in love. Niall, yet again, another new low - well done....lol.

• citizen69 | Apr 30, 2011, 04:31 AM EDT

  Well Said Seagreen! There are some people here who think one cannot be a true Irishman unless they have a hatred for the British, they wear it as a badge of honor. Well let me say that there is no honor in hating anybody. @Ancavker, and what is the preferred method of getting the Irish 'Off their knees'? By bombing & shooting them, creating political & sectarian tensions, polarizing irish communities against each other until everyone becomes radicalized?... Sounds great. Let the British have their day of pride, after all, they don't complain about overt Irishness on St. Paddy's day... in fact they embrace it! Congratulations to the new Baron & Baroness of Carrickfergus.

• mcdolan | Apr 30, 2011, 04:03 AM EDT

  It's fairytale stuff, Niall - great for lifting people out of humdrum lives and recessions. Don't be so harsh and pragmatic. It was a lovely, spiritual ceremony with all the pomp and circumstance and made people feel good!

• Ajreaper | Apr 29, 2011, 11:26 PM EDT

  Maybe folks just like some good news, something positive to focus on for just a bit. Not certain how that makes people dumb its pretty much just human nature more then anything. Whats wrong with feeling good for a bit?

• cailinrua | Apr 29, 2011, 10:15 PM EDT

  I was not one of those who were rose early to watch this. As a matter of fact, when I did eventually get up this morning, I didn't even turn on the TV at all. I eventually remembered the wedding and tuned in to see Kate's dress - which I thought was lovely - on the Today Show. But seriously, what little girl didn't dream of becoming a princess one day. Can't we just take some time off from all the destruction and sadness in the world to celebrate love?

• patmurrihy | Apr 29, 2011, 07:38 PM EDT

  Niall - you miss the point again. The Return on Investment on this spectacular event will be amazing. The Royal Family is generally irrelevant, but like many others around the world they love their connection to Ireland. There's no Imperialism going on, just a Queen giving the future King a bunch of cool titles. With Ireland being in such a sorry state today we need to fix the Irish economy, get rid of the new Irish gangsters, stop the emigration and buy Ireland back from the UK and rest of Europe. And in doing so stop worrying about a brilliant marketing campaign that just sold millions of tourists on coming back to visit England. This article smacks of supreme Irish jealousy. Who could bring that type of PR to Ireland?

• seanomelbourne | Apr 29, 2011, 07:33 PM EDT

  A plague on all your royal families as Diderot said (tongue in cheek) We will hang the last king with the entrails of the last priest"

• johhnyb | Apr 29, 2011, 06:40 PM EDT

  So Niall, if I get you correctly, you have no regard for the Royal family, and wouldn't get out of bed to watch them, but are offended that a Catholic cannot be the heir to the throne. Shouldn't you be happy? Does it not occur to you that there might be just the tiniest inconsistency between being a Catholic and the head of the Church of England? After all the Pope always seems to be a Catholic. Incidentally, the Heads of state of Belgium and Spain have to be Catholics by law. No complaints there I guess.

• Kilsally | Apr 29, 2011, 06:37 PM EDT

  `If Kate had been unlucky enough to be of that faith, she would never have been allowed to set foot in Buckingham Palace` - think you have your logic wrong - this has happened before and will happen again - the options are for the Royal to drop his entitlement to the throne of for the partner to convert. The law concerning this goes back to the reformation and is hugely more complex than you make it seem. Firstly the Monarch is the head of the Church of England, just as the Pope is head of state of the Vatican State and of the Roman Catholic Church. A Protestant cannot be Pope, cannot be head of the Vatican State or head of the Roman Catholic Church - similarly the Monarch must be Anglican as they are head of the Church of England. To change the law means to de-establish the Church of England and also must involve the heads of the Commonwealth who have the Monarch as their head of State. Also coming into this is the Roman Catholic Churches insistence that in mixed marriages, the marriage is only valid if the children are brought up as Roman Catholics.

• seanomelbourne | Apr 29, 2011, 06:28 PM EDT

  A medieval circus with a modern touch.The robber barons love displaying their power and wealth to their slobbering minions.

• barneyjo | Apr 29, 2011, 05:26 PM EDT

  @ancavker - I think you make too many general assertions on the basis of my post; "and the Irish are still on their knees" if they are then it is you that insist on putting them there in your posts; in your mind the Irish are on their Knees, in reality they are not. The Queen of England is coming on a State Visit to my (our) country in a few weeks time, at the Invitation of the Irish Nation. Unlike the President of the USA she will be here for four days; if you want to talk about ungracious then thats what Obama's extended "Fuel stop" on the way to the UK amounts to. I honour the men of 1916 and the ultimate sacrafice they paid in pursuance of self-determination for this island and its people. They looked into the Nation's soul and acted upon what they found. The problem since, right up to the present day in fact, is that far too many other "Republican Visionaries" have claimed to be able to do the same thing and have got it horribly wrong, to the point where an undemocratic, unelected (and unelectable) Band of "Goons" feel they have the right to say to the Irish People "we're right, you're wrong, now get over it" Well they are wrong. The Irish people on their knees; I think not, so why do you (and others) insist in trying to put them there?

• DrTrelawney | Apr 29, 2011, 05:15 PM EDT

  Oh, for Goodness sake. Soma appears in Huxley's Brave New World, not Nineteen Eighty-Four. Typical! Is your inclusion of the source of Huxley's title some sort of uncharacteristically sophisticated meta-joke?

• Go and Go | Apr 29, 2011, 05:06 PM EDT

  let's say this for the Queen...she does likes the races

• Sparklet | Apr 29, 2011, 03:53 PM EDT

  Seagreen - what a heartfelt post, and Im sure you speak for the majority.

• ancavker | Apr 29, 2011, 03:41 PM EDT

  Sorry 1916 through 1921.

• ancavker | Apr 29, 2011, 03:41 PM EDT

  The royals can have their wedding, and the Irish can watch it. At this time of year I would rather honor the men an women of 1961 through 1921, who tried and almost succeeded to get the Irish up off their knees. Too bad the following generations made a mess of it.

• peterson | Apr 29, 2011, 03:36 PM EDT

  Get over it !! Get a life !!!!!

• GeorgeDillon | Apr 29, 2011, 03:14 PM EDT

  I noticed the Irish Blather Queen McAleese got no invite to that wedding. Hope that shuts up all her toadies here. The Queen of Blab don't rate with Cate!

• seagreen | Apr 29, 2011, 03:14 PM EDT

  Will there always be an unending line of people that will do anything possible to sabotage (poor choice of a word) gestures to begin healing between the tragic times between Ireland and England. It is obvious that there are a substantial amount willing to do that, and a few that want to perpetuate the saddness and despair of the troubles to infinity..Do you just forget? No, however, when both sides want to attempt to repair the damage, and sorrow of those times, should it at least be given a chance. I watched some of the marriage of the British couple today, and saw two decent happy people, regardless of their wealth, status and the grand fuss about their wedding. I'm hoping that somewhere in the Republic two decent people were leaving a church with the same joyous feelings . ( obviously without the spread in England ) Signals are being sent that people want the anger and hatred to end, and an eventual mutual respect to be in place. As for my own country, we have killed 622,107, wounded 1,166,514, and had 18,083 amputees of our own since WWI. WWI and WWII enemies are now trading partners and ally's. Were we right in WWI and II. We think we did the right thing. Were we wrong in Vietnam and Iraq when the underlying reason was oil? I think not.. How many did we kill amd maim there? All of our hands are dirty what with our behavior over the years. Today during the wedding I saw happy faces all around from people of many nations, and noticable gestures from people that are willing to attempt to resolve the bad times of the past. It is a hope that these mutual signals will be recognized, and that years from now England and Ireland will no longer have the invisible shield between them.

• GeorgeDillon | Apr 29, 2011, 03:12 PM EDT

  Trealach, What a toady you are. I can understand the hateful nonsense you posted on other topics now. But your attack on O'Dowd is under the belt. He doesn't need me to defend him, indeed I have criticized him on this site. But to believe the achievements of a man who had to make his own way in the world and in a foreign land are inferior to those of people who never did a day's work in their lives, wow, that's a pathologically warped scale of values. You're pretty disgusting, aren't you, Trealach Toadie? Come out from behind the shield of anonymity and tell us what you ever did that was worthwhile. I have a hundred bucks that says you're a good-for-nothing toadie.

• GeorgeDillon | Apr 29, 2011, 03:07 PM EDT

  We ought to be careful about demanding apologies - it can get a bit dicey. For example, whom should we demand an apology from for the treason of Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster, for prostrating himself at the court of Henry ll and pleading for military help to regain his kingdom from the Ard Ri - thus beginning English intervention in Ireland in the late 12th century. And should we demand an apology from Pope Benedict XVl because Pope Adrian lV issued a Papal Bull in 1155 granting Henry ll permission to annex Ireland and cleanse the Irish Church. And down through the centuries no pope ever supported Irish asperations for independence. Indeed, quite the contrary. Since the time of Henry Vlll the Irish demonstrated a depressing willingness to die for their Roman faith but during the murderous Jacobite War in Ireland the pope, Alexander Vlll, was actually supporting and financing the other side, yes, good king Billy of Orange. Irony upon irony, you can't make this stuff up. It gets worse: In the 1860s Pope Pius lX asked for Irish volunteers - and got a battalion full - to help him slaughter Italian Catholics who dared challenge his authority over the Papal States - a chunk of Italy about half the size of Ireland that popes historically ruled. These impoverished Italians were trying to secure their own independence in a unified, democratic Italy and end the repressive, often brutal rule of the pope. Now there's an irony for you, our lads taking a break from fighting for Irish independence from the Brits to go help another repressive regime cling to power. We should let the apology bit go. The more you get into Irish history the uglier it becomes.

• Towngate | Apr 29, 2011, 02:50 PM EDT

  NIALL - a Chara: I don't intend to increase your discomfiture at reading the disapproving Comments below, but I do hope you will take heed of the lesson you are being taught in Good Irish Manners and Courtesy. It is intended as a lesson for VERY slow learners. That means YOU,Taoiseach of this site.

• ancavker | Apr 29, 2011, 02:43 PM EDT

  barneyjo: The Irish have become more English than the English, that is true. It is only because they believe that if it is English/British than it has to be better. 95 years later, and the Irish are still on their knees, aping the English. The Irish in America and Britain are far more culturally Irish than the Irish are. It is what it is now, and sadly I do not think this will change. The current economic crisis is just more ammunition for the revisionists who believe that independence was a mistake, and the Irish should have never left the UK. It was not a mistake IMO, but it was wasted on the Irish. The royals can have their wedding, and the Irish can watch all they want. I would rather honor the men and women of 1916, and in the war of who struggled and made one final attempt to finally get the Irish people up off their knees.

• SeamusMor | Apr 29, 2011, 02:40 PM EDT

  Soma? Do you get a baked potato with that? I wonder why the Irish don't cash in on royalty. The Irish have among the chiefs and princes of the ancient Gaelic royal families still living in Ireland. Why not put one up for President of Ireland? The openly hetrosexual chief of the O'Briens would be a better choice than some are putting forward. Millions of tourists fly over and around Ireland on their way to see the trappings of British monarchy. Why not weave the golden thread of your ancient, native, gaelic royaly into the fabric of the modern Irish presidency, and see some of those millions going to London add Dublin to their itineraries.

• AengusOg | Apr 29, 2011, 02:22 PM EDT

  We all have our favorite spectacles. This was just another that wasn't my cup of tea. High fashion, the red carpet, etc. it's all the same carry on to me.

• Nicomax | Apr 29, 2011, 02:14 PM EDT

  The Church of England was once Catholic, until young Henry got his undies in a tangle, and then it became simply, The Church of England. Maybe it could drift back to being the Catholic Church, better yet, no state church at all.

• moygannon | Apr 29, 2011, 01:56 PM EDT

  It was just a wedding of two young people. Its a pity the church was involved. Its time to take religion out of all personal activities of the people. The church has a warring history including murder,genocide, revolution etc., and yet has a following of devoted, duped, half baked believers throughout the world. Terror in the name of God.

• Trealach | Apr 29, 2011, 01:47 PM EDT

  "..from this day forward, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish ....." I bet William's old man Dumbo must have choked when he heard and thought of those words again, which he uttered to his son's mother - but never kept! William and Kate seem a very suitable and mature couple. I hope William has the strength and courage to refuse the crap his mother had to contend with from his grandmother. As for their personal achievements, which Niall O'Dowd is disparaging of - what exactly are YOUR achievements, other than being a rather second rate journalist who can't spell half the time. Do you have an honours Degree from Oxford? William and Kate have. Can you fly an aircraft, even a Military one? William does! So what exactly is it that they haven't achieved at the age of 29?

• Sparklet | Apr 29, 2011, 01:17 PM EDT

  Susanna, nothing can bring back the dead, and an apology is at least a step forward, no matter how small. I'd love to see American apologise for the murder of thousands of Iraqis who died because of weapons of mass destruction, which never existed - it was about oil, yes, but even more so, about revenge and Bush wanting to continue where his father left off.

• susanna | Apr 29, 2011, 01:01 PM EDT

  Irishphotograph -what you say is quite valid, but the monarchy of England apologizing for the deaths of the Irish will not more bring back these people or heal wounds any more than the United States government apologizing to Iraq for killing over, well over, 100,000 people and maiming thousands of Iraqis (many children) and displacing thousands more within Iraq and outside of Iraq. All of this in the guise of getting rid of a dictator when it was really for greed- OIL!

• Sparklet | Apr 29, 2011, 12:46 PM EDT

  Im a born optimist, so I hope that the future of Britain's royal family lies with William, Kate and Harry - they seem like they are in tune with common folk. Maybe they can distance modern day royalty from the shame of its past.

• biggles008 | Apr 29, 2011, 12:45 PM EDT

  I have noting against the wedding but it's some waste of money, and some people who havent enough to eat paying for it.

• snakehips | Apr 29, 2011, 12:33 PM EDT

  Great thoughts Niall! I agree with your premise that we as a society want to boil down the very complicated and important into the most simplistic terms, not to mention the inane diversions that we substitute for what is important and complicated. Weel done!

• Irishphotograph | Apr 29, 2011, 11:25 AM EDT

  Ireland's dead cry out from the land on this day...

• susanna | Apr 29, 2011, 11:25 AM EDT

  jamieLM - I totally concur with your entire comment.

• Irishphotograph | Apr 29, 2011, 11:25 AM EDT

  There is alot of hurt and resentment in Ireland towards the Royal Family's involvement in Ireland and so this is a day we remember Ireland's dead..We call on the Queen of England to make a full public Official Apology to heal the hurt that was done to the Irish people in her family's name.

• citizen69 | Apr 29, 2011, 11:02 AM EDT

  Your point about the terrible & sad deaths of hundreds of American citizens during the recent storms is a very valid one Niall but that was NOT the point you were making in your article, which was more a rant about the British royal family than the fickle media. The obsession over this wedding by the world's press (which i agree is way over the top) is no fault of the royal family.

• jamieLM | Apr 29, 2011, 10:54 AM EDT

  WKnee - I wasn't talking about elected Irish Presidents. I was talking about IF an Irish monarchy (Irish royal Catholic family) were tied to the Catholic Church as the Protestant British monarchy is tied to the Church of England, the members of the Irish monarchy would be expected to be Catholics. Just recently, someone who was marrying into one of the other European royal families had to convert. I plead guilty for enjoying watching all WEDDINGS. I like the fashion and the happiness of them. I'd watch an Irish wedding, or anyone else's, if it was televised. This just happened to be a British wedding. Life is hard enough, so I always wish every couple best wishes, whoever they are. Anyway, I didn't write the above wedding article that was open to comments. Mr. O'Dowd did. He didn't have to write about the British royal wedding for IC if he had no interest in it or if he didn't want anyone to comment on the wedding. I don't mind when you, or anyone, correct factual errors in my posts, but I don't understand why you feel it's necessary to insult and demean me when you do it.

• Niall O'Dowd | Apr 29, 2011, 10:44 AM EDT

  My point is that 300 Americans died in horrific storms in the past two days and today it hardly got mentioned

• citizen69 | Apr 29, 2011, 10:39 AM EDT

  You're entitled to your opinion of course Niall but as an Ulsterman proud of my Irish & British culture I thought it was great to see prince William wearing the Irish Guards uniform for his wedding day. Good luck to 'em!

• Searlit | Apr 29, 2011, 10:38 AM EDT

  I didn't watch the ceremony, but I have looked at the pictures. It means something to me in that Prince William is Diana's son. Good to see Prince Harry, also. I have high hopes for them, and wish them and their families well.

• bunkerhill | Apr 29, 2011, 10:22 AM EDT

  Our local newspaper did a survey this week and found that only 11% of it's readers were in any way interested in the royal wedding. Then our editor did a wonderful piece on the irrelevancy of the royals and the beauty of the USA. We have had a plethora of movies about English royals all of which on the release date are "slated" for "oscars." However no one ever goes to see them. Hollywood and our media present us with celebrity fluff and we have to watch the European stations to get the daily news. We haven't been watching the BBC lately, but we have seen unhappy Britons burning things and breaking windows. What's happening there? Hillary is trying to do away with our freedom to watch Eurpean stations. For any American admirer of royals there are planes leaving every day. Put your pocket books where your mouths are. Did you know that Ireland was the first country to say "All men are created equal," the concept on which our beautiful country was built. As Fergie said when caught peddling influence for Andrew, "Andrew is a prince. He can't work." After watching the European news I flipped through all the large US station including PBS and saw the same travesty. However our local station was delivering the news of the terrible tragedy that has befallen Alabama and Georgia. They are true Americans broadcasting the US daily news. No mentions of royals. God Bless America and the early settlers who fought the royals off in the Revolution war and then when they tried again in 1812. By the way did you know that a pivotal figure in the Revolutionary was a young man named Timothy Murphy. There was a History Channel program on him. He was a young sharp shooter who turned the tide in New York State.

• Waitingis1 | Apr 29, 2011, 10:20 AM EDT

  Gorgeous. Just a beautiful, elegant event. For a few hours they represent love, hope, happiness and peace... then we must remember what British royalty really stands for...

• pugsmom | Apr 29, 2011, 10:12 AM EDT

  Well, however unpopular the event may be to many, I must say I thought it was lovely, well-done and not OVER-done, and I wish this young couple many years of happiness.

• Nanaof5 | Apr 29, 2011, 10:09 AM EDT

  Mr. O'Dowd -Can you not simply enjoy a lovely young couple and their very special day? Good Lord knows that we needed at least this one day to actually cheer something.If you need to be negative, there certainly is no shortage of things about which you can write but, this does not happen to be one of them.

• goldenblade | Apr 29, 2011, 09:59 AM EDT

  Oh pants Niall - this is such a non-article. Two lovely young people are getting married. And you have no right to decide what the British do with - or without - their monarchy. Thank God it drowned out war - dissident republicans, economies - there is as much bad news as one can shake a stick at. I bet you are a real joy on a night out! (Not)

• OBPiper | Apr 29, 2011, 09:54 AM EDT

  Hey, I was raised "Roman Catholic" though Irish. There is no longer an Irish Catholic or Celtic Church. Perpetuating cultural and religious and sexist imperialism from the land of the mafia does not resonate with me.

• Helen Ferone | Apr 29, 2011, 09:34 AM EDT

  How refreshing to get away from murders, tornados, war etc. for a change, and see a fairytale wedding without a lot of nonsense criticism.

• barneyjo | Apr 29, 2011, 09:25 AM EDT

  Anyone watching today couldn't failed to have noticed the Irish Tricolours held aloft next to the Union Jacks. I watched the RTE coverage of the "British" Royal wedding. Add to that, I am also now aware of the considerable input to the day of Irish people. In the fullness of time we will also get viewing figures from RTE as to the number that actually watched the event in London and I have no doubt that it will be very large. What this does is to provide an "inconvenient truth" for "so called" Irish Republicans which, try as they have, they cannot destroy by force of arms; which is that the Irish Psyche comes from the same DNA strain as that of our nearest neighbour. It is manifested in so many other ways; the numbers of Irish who support British Football teams in preference to their own home grown alternatives; the proliferation of British High ST retail outlets in towns and cities across Ireland to name but a few. I have posed this question before; is this what the signatories to the 1916 proclaimation of independence had in mind for the birth of an Irish Nation? Frankly I dont think so. If this be the case then what has the last 95 years been about?

• fatherericf | Apr 29, 2011, 09:23 AM EDT

  Just to clarify one point... Lots of Catholics have and will sit on the English throne. The reformed Catholics of the Church of England. (You Romans need to stop using the word "Catholic" as if it applied only to your own particular branch of Christ's church.)

• WoundedKnee | Apr 29, 2011, 08:54 AM EDT

  jmieLM --For a person who says that "it doesn't affect me" you sure have an obsession with the British Royal (sic) Family! What's going on? Anyway, that's your prerogative. However, you should have your ass spanked English-style for your stupid claim that "If Ireland had a monarchy, everyone would have to be Catholic." Now THAT is a genuinely idiotic remark (how old are you--12?). It doesn't even merit a response, but I 'll be kind and remind you that the nearest thing Ireland has to a Queen is its President. As far as I remember two out of the eight (someone correct me if these figures are slightly off) people to be President of Ireland were Protestants. So keep your garbage for your home, jamielm, don't spread it here.

• jamieLM | Apr 29, 2011, 08:40 AM EDT

  Oh, such sour grapes. If Ireland had a monarchy, everyone would have to be Catholic. The Catholic Church has demanded that Protestants convert for hundreds of years. How hypocritical of you to criticize the English over this issue. It's their country and their tradition. Btw: There are no guarantees for anyone who enters into marriage that their marriage will endure. No one knows the future. As for working, there are plenty of people who have accomplished very little or nothing and haven't worked a day in their lives and they aren't royal. I realize the British have a deplorable record in regard to Ireland, but ridiculing and sneering at this young couple can't and won't change the past. When hasn't the world had troubles? Are we never allowed to celebrate anything just because there are problems? With your reasoning, there should be no celebrations of anything, ever. We shouldn't have even one moment of happiness. We must always be miserable because there is so much misery in the world. Lastly, who are you or anyone else to judge someone else's personal life in such a condescending manner? Let the British carry on with their traditions and other countries can carry on with theirs. I'm American, so what they do or don't do doesn't affect me. Being "royal" is just a title, but it's up to the British people to keep or get rid of the monarchy.

• antoman | Apr 29, 2011, 08:37 AM EDT

  The Bride is beautiful.The Prince wore shamrock on his collar.The weather was nice.A Lancaster Bomber flew overhead.The people were joyous and polite.I'm going to my bedroom now to play the bagpipes a wee while ta calm down.

• antoman | Apr 29, 2011, 08:29 AM EDT

  Niall, I didn't set my clock either but I did turn on the telly when I arose. Like most, I love a good show and the Brits can put on a royal show like no one else. I thought it a bit mean-spirited that you felt it necessary on this day to re-establish your anti-royals credentials. With great privilege comes great responsibility - and to know, as William and Katherine Windsor surely know, that their lives are not their own. I wouldn't choose such an existence for anything, would you? They seem like pretty decent, down-to-earth people to me. I wish them long life, enduring love and the resillience to live perpetually under an unforgiving public lens.

• FallsRNat | Apr 29, 2011, 06:59 AM EDT

  Niall, like all good irishmen you fail to recognise the hypocracy that you criticise others for. You're line about the sectarinism of the british monarchy saying that catholics cannot marry into the family, they can, it's just that in a line of succession, any male heirs will have to be brought up as Church of England, i'm sorry, but i don't see anything wrong in that. My brother married a CoI girl & talk exception to the RC priest espoucing on about mixed marriages & that children born into this union would have to be raised as Catholics - the same rule as the Royal Family's, but in reverse, i don't here any criticism on this board or your columns in that regard. I am proud that my brother took the decision to raise his kids as CoI, my kids haven't been baptised as RCs either. What a hypocratic irish world we live in eh.