NEW YORK BOSTON |#Popular: Irish Celebrity Gossip Irish in US Politics Irish Festivals Irish Roots Irish Entertainment Offbeat Irish

Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > Periscope > Irish govt attacks on McGuinness will rebound with Clintons, leading Americans-----Short sighted assault to cost support in America

Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Irish govt attacks on McGuinness will rebound with Clintons, leading Americans-----Short sighted assault to cost support in America

Posted on Sunday, October 02, 2011 at 11:27 PM

Larger Text

E-mail

27 Comments

RSS

Archives

Fine Gael attacks on Sinn Fein presidential candidate Martin McGuinness will reflect badly on them in America.

They appear to be desperate attempts to try and build law and order vote support for their candidate Gay Mitchell who is foundering in the opinion polls.

It may well end up not helping Mitchell and damaging Irish government and Irish American relationships.

The claim that the election of McGuinness would somehow damage Ireland’s economic prospects among American business is ludicrous and will be seen as such over here.

Martin McGuinness is very well known and deeply respected in American business circles since he became Northern Ireland’s Deputy First minister four year ago.

He has a particularly good relationship with Hillary Clinton the Secretary of State and with her husband, Bill Clinton.

One wonders what Bill Clinton will make of the vilification of McGuinness when he is in Dublin this week for the Irish Diaspora forum.

McGuinness is widely respected by them and a slew of leading Americans for his work on bringing peace to Northern Ireland, a far greater accomplishment than any his detractors have ever aspired to.

He has delivered on many key meetings and helped bring major investment to the North.

There are legitimate questions that can be asked about his IRA past but talking of future impeachment, arrest and denigrating his undeniable role in bringing peace to Ireland is way over the top.

The notion of portraying him as an unrepentant terrorist who would spook American investors is just plain stupid.

It also raises questions about whether this Irish government really cares or knows about the compact that has brought Irish America, Sinn Fein and successive Irish governments together.

It was created in order for the Irish peace process to succeed, for a united front that could speak to successive White Houses and key political supporters with one voice.

That contrasted greatly with past experiences where elements in Irish America opposed the Irish government tooth and nail and caused massive friction with them.

There were often tensions between the various parties since they began working together but a way to resolve them was always found.

The attacks on McGuinness are sure to unsettle the relationship as Sinn Fein’s counter charges about ‘black propaganda’ are bound to resonate with many Irish Americans.

The Fine Gael attacks are the worst kind of short sighted and deeply flawed political thinking.

E-mail

27 Comments

See all comments

audreybolton | Oct 15, 2011, 05:58 PM EDT

As a loyal citizen of the Irish State,explain to me what exactly is a West Brit?

Report abuse

audreybolton | Oct 15, 2011, 05:54 PM EDT

What about John Hume, Gerry Fitt and all the other people who worked for peace don't they deserve a mention?

Report abuse

seanomelbourne | Oct 05, 2011, 07:47 PM EDT

If Hegarty was a british spy he deserved his lot.It has become a faux issue in the continued demonisation of McGuiness.As I stated before Mcguiness delivered for nationalist in the N.E. of Ireland what no other party could do. because the rest did not have the mettle to face the brits and the unionist head on.As General Napper Tandy said in 1798 "When talking peace with the english make sure your swords are sharpened".History only remembers the doers and the rest become a footnote.

Report abuse

Kilsally | Oct 05, 2011, 02:25 PM EDT

Sorry warrenpoint but the election of McGuinness as President will not make an iota of difference to a United Ireland since it is enshrined in international law that only a majority vote in Northern Ireland can change the constitutional position of NI - it wouldn`t make any difference either if Sinn Fein were the government in the South either. However what is relevant is should the head of Ireland be someone who promised the Hegarty`s that their son / brother would be safe returning to Ireland, the Hegarty`s drove their brother to meet the IRA after McGuinness promise. The IRA took him away and shot him in the back of the head, taping up his eyes so they wouldn`t pop out like happened the previous person they killed.

Report abuse

Towngate | Oct 05, 2011, 08:53 AM EDT

barneyjo: McGuinness is canvassing and littering - in the wrong country! He must have failed geography at school (if any)! Seansegotia, maybe he is doing it out of guilt and fear having deserted his elected Office there to go abroad to another country to try and be President there! What a joke!................... NIALL, a chara, two things: Why do you and the Staff Writers insist in describing Martin McGuinness as the 'Sinn Fein Candidate'? He is officially pretending to stand as and Independent, but the dogs in the street know he will exert the SF Party and doorstep canvassing muscle on the hapless voters. ~ ~ ~ Are you seriously suggesting that the Irish shouldn't dare NOT to elect McGuinness for fear of upsetting some opportunistic American commercial investment or the likes of the questionable Clintons. If so,Niall, yer needle has hopped right out of the groove, man! Wake up, a chara, and take the pulse of Ireland today!

Report abuse

maireadinmelb | Oct 05, 2011, 05:18 AM EDT

and following on from Sean, it is a constant attempt to further divide the nation of Ireland!

Report abuse

seanomelbourne | Oct 04, 2011, 05:42 PM EDT

Sinn Fein and the IRA gave nationalist in the north an equality no other party north or south of the border in a 100 years. Equality was only achieved out of the barrel of a gun,this is a sad reflection on all the other parties who failed miserably with their talkfests.Mcguinness should be recognised for dragging the north out of the 17th. century.The tirade of abuse levelled at McGuiness from the west brit parties is born out of fear and guilt

Report abuse

barneyjo | Oct 04, 2011, 04:53 PM EDT

Niall - I thought you might like to know that Sinn Fein have put up posters of Martin McGuinness for the Presedential election in the centre of Omagh, county Tyrone in Northern Ireland. Last time I looked, I dont think we are entitled to vote in this plebicite. Making a point is all well and good. However, even for myself as a Nationalist voter I consider this an improper use of natural resources and an exercise in poor judgement from somone espousing such "Green" credentials :)

Report abuse

sirpeter | Oct 04, 2011, 07:48 AM EDT

@warrenpoint00.You are not far wrong with that comment.We now know the extent of the corruption, cronyism,and down right incompetence of our politicians that has lead Ireland into the economic mess THEY put us in.The people voted no to the Lisbon Treaty and FF AND FG AND Labour said!We are not excepting the vote of the people.All three parties proceeded to scare the crap out of the people until they voted YES.They then burden the people with billions in PRIVATE debt.At least McGuinness will represent the Irish people and I mean ALL the Irish people.Of that I'm at least sure of.McGuinness and company broke up the Unionist cosy cartel in NI.We need the same done down here in the Republic.

Report abuse

warrenpoint00 | Oct 03, 2011, 10:20 PM EDT

Enda and his free staters are scared their little cosy free state is sliding away into a Nation once again. votail McGuinness

Report abuse

pilib04 | Oct 03, 2011, 08:14 PM EDT

What did we expect from Enda Kenny. A lifetime of vilification of Sinn Fein was somehow going to disappear? The Blue Shirts will never change their colours!

Report abuse

petedev | Oct 03, 2011, 07:51 PM EDT

What thinking person in Ireland gives a damn what the Clintons think of the proper serious questions being asked of McGuinness? Anyone who has studied their pasts know that they are a pair of gangsters themselves. McGuinness cannot be trusted. He has consistently lied about his involvement in numerous deaths and now wants to distance himself from Sinn Fein and present himself as "independent". The sensible people of Ireland will remember the numerous deaths of innocents, including seven members of the Gardai by his organisation which has never recognised the present Republic and now he wants to present himself as its President. what dishonesty and sheer delusion to think that people will be taken in by his deception.

Report abuse

petedev | Oct 03, 2011, 05:36 PM EDT

Gearoid4, you are right of course, we've elected some dubious characters in the past to represent us, and, most regretably, still do. Since independence, our politics have been poisoned by a culture of the gun, never too far out of reach, and in government, a culture of corruption, cronyism, incompetence and, at times, blatant criminality. Once in a while we got lucky, Sean Lemass and Garrett Fitzgerald come to mind. The current crop of candidates for the Aras painfully remind me of our own current crop of GOP candidates. God Almighty! is this the best we can do?

Report abuse

Gearoid4 | Oct 03, 2011, 04:13 PM EDT

Well, Tom, if we applied the same litmus test that the increasingly desperate Fine Gael is using to judge Martin McGuinness, then some of the successful candidates in the past would not have been able to set a foot inside Áras an Uachtaráin. Just think about Dev, Sean T. O'Kelly who were not exactly members of the peace corps during the Irish War of Independence and consequent Civil War.

Report abuse

GeorgeDillon | Oct 03, 2011, 03:40 PM EDT

"We need a clean break with the past." TomSwinford says that, and then goes on to cheer for the oldest candidate in the election!! You mean you want that decrepit old liar Higgins?

Report abuse