'Nuff Said
Hat tip to Slugger O'Toole for pointing me in the direction of a message board where ordinary Dubliners had the opportunity to pass comment on the gaggle of low-lifes (all 4,000 of them) who attended the latest shameless Provo gangbang last Saturday. I will not add further comment to the observations of the two spectators below. I will let you make your own mind up (Sinn Fein supporters don't have minds of their own so they're exempted). Suffice to say that the overwhelming number of comments were similar to the two I have cut and pasted below.
'I was passing back through Dublin's city centre today after meeting my parents. Although I had seen the posters advertising the "make partition history" march (you know the ones with the ginger child waving a tricolour), I hadn't noticed it was today.
I'm not someone who is generally bothered by protests or marches, however I feel about the causes themselves. Live and let live and all that. I was galled enough at the nerve of the parasitic, opportunistic choosing of the slogan "make partition history" by this movement, talk about carjacking a bandwagon. But my main objection to this was that I'd rather not have IRA marches down my city's main streets. For that's what this at least partly was. Of course there was the usual suits (I only saw two Sinn Fein TDs, I assume all the parties leading folk were present though) to add some veneer of respectability, but the many marching bands in their berets and military style sweaters were the focal point of it all.
There were plenty of children there too. Some were chanting "Tiocfaidh Ar Lá" in time, though there was plenty of mis-pronounciation, suggesting they were unfamiliar with the words, and possibly their meaning. Just in front of these children was a fat fellow with a loudspeaker and a gaggle of other middle aged men and women. Among the charming ditties this crowd belted out were "If you hate the British Army clap your hands", and "Kill, Kill, Kill the RUC".
I was standing there looking on with mild disgust (I was tired and these guys were holding up public transport), when who did I see swanning along holding a banner that read "Free All Republican Prisoners Now", but one James Monaghan. Yes, Ireland's leading academic on the Columbian Peace Process, he of the Columbia Three. It's good to know he is still so rigorous in his study of peace, despite his unfortunate self-imposed exile from studying in his chosen country.
Personally, this has nothing to with politics. I hold most politicians in varying degrees of contempt,self-interested and self-serving bunch that they are. But frankly, watching this grotesque carnival of suits and their entourage of brainwashed children, shaven headed beer-bellied "stewards", gangsters and smuggler-thugs saddened me.
There were plenty of foreign people out watching, British among them of course, and I'd liked to have asked some of them what they thought. I haven't even gone into many of the various floats or banners that people carried, many of which harked back to events of a century (or indeed much longer) ago.
I've harboured plans to emigrate for some time now for many key personal reasons. Today I felt I gained another.'
I'm not someone who is generally bothered by protests or marches, however I feel about the causes themselves. Live and let live and all that. I was galled enough at the nerve of the parasitic, opportunistic choosing of the slogan "make partition history" by this movement, talk about carjacking a bandwagon. But my main objection to this was that I'd rather not have IRA marches down my city's main streets. For that's what this at least partly was. Of course there was the usual suits (I only saw two Sinn Fein TDs, I assume all the parties leading folk were present though) to add some veneer of respectability, but the many marching bands in their berets and military style sweaters were the focal point of it all.
There were plenty of children there too. Some were chanting "Tiocfaidh Ar Lá" in time, though there was plenty of mis-pronounciation, suggesting they were unfamiliar with the words, and possibly their meaning. Just in front of these children was a fat fellow with a loudspeaker and a gaggle of other middle aged men and women. Among the charming ditties this crowd belted out were "If you hate the British Army clap your hands", and "Kill, Kill, Kill the RUC".
I was standing there looking on with mild disgust (I was tired and these guys were holding up public transport), when who did I see swanning along holding a banner that read "Free All Republican Prisoners Now", but one James Monaghan. Yes, Ireland's leading academic on the Columbian Peace Process, he of the Columbia Three. It's good to know he is still so rigorous in his study of peace, despite his unfortunate self-imposed exile from studying in his chosen country.
Personally, this has nothing to with politics. I hold most politicians in varying degrees of contempt,self-interested and self-serving bunch that they are. But frankly, watching this grotesque carnival of suits and their entourage of brainwashed children, shaven headed beer-bellied "stewards", gangsters and smuggler-thugs saddened me.
There were plenty of foreign people out watching, British among them of course, and I'd liked to have asked some of them what they thought. I haven't even gone into many of the various floats or banners that people carried, many of which harked back to events of a century (or indeed much longer) ago.
I've harboured plans to emigrate for some time now for many key personal reasons. Today I felt I gained another.'
Posted by 'Bugler'
'Today's "Make Partition History" rally was a travesty, a disgrace, and to be honest a load of horse ****! I stood open mouthed on O'Connell St looking at the the various groups of rabble marching along Dublins main Street with Drums banging, IRA banners flying in the breeze with all kinds of riff raf in tow! so I asked myself - what the hell was it all about? as they chanted "make partition history" "Brits Out" "up the RA" "kill all RUC scum" etc ..........................
Now I am not a Rocket scientist or a ploitician, but isnt Sinn Fein signed-up to the Good Friday Agreement? and as such they agree that N.ireland will remain within the UK for as long as the population living there wish!!!
So why todays march???'
Now I am not a Rocket scientist or a ploitician, but isnt Sinn Fein signed-up to the Good Friday Agreement? and as such they agree that N.ireland will remain within the UK for as long as the population living there wish!!!
So why todays march???'
Posted by 'Arthur F'
I have yet to hear a compelling, non-romanticised reason for the uniting of Ireland. To pick up on your point about Sinn Fein supporters not having minds of their own, that's true to a degree. Knowing a large number of people in West Belfast, I believe many are so indoctrinated by SF propaganda that they don't really know why they want a United Ireland at all.
Tell me if I'll be better paid in a United Ireland. Tell the ghetto supporters if their state benefits and healthcare will be better in a United Ireland. Don't approach a United Ireland like it was a foregone conclusion - explain to all of us why we want to reunite Ireland.
Posted by: levee | September 26, 2005 at 08:18 AM
Needless to say, IRA anthems and flag waving do little to convince me of the Sinn Fein argument.
Posted by: levee | September 26, 2005 at 08:20 AM
For once Andrew I'm in total agreement with you.
I think you will find a large number of people in the South think this was about SF.
Posted by: joc | September 26, 2005 at 10:03 AM
Setting aside the reality that Pearse and the weird and constantly shifting alliance that made up Sinn Féin in those days ensured that partition would occur, Dublin was gridlocked-
Something that our Shinner friends were most indignant about when it happened in Belfast recently ...and whine about every 12th July.
Posted by: Madradin Ruad | September 26, 2005 at 10:04 AM
Dublin wasn't typical of the rest of Ireland MR. Plenty of unionists there in 1916.
Posted by: Dan | September 27, 2005 at 10:06 AM