I liked that it didn’t say the Government of the Republic of Ireland.

Absolutely. That Poppy represents all British soldiers since WW1- including those in Derry on Bloody Sunday. Reconciliation is good. Complete denial is not.

Yeah he got it exactly right.

Why do all the deluded republicans parrot this same crap -’ It’s the same country but with different governments’
A country is defined has having common political jurisdiction, so no they are not the same country.

Maybe years in the future the 2 states could be part of some loose all Ireland federal government, but I wouldn’t bank on it, the UK has a far stronger economy and more progressive laws, why would anyone living in NI want to?

Irish people are deluded are they, Steve, for seeing all of their 32 counties as one country divided? A place where our ancestors have lived and died for a thousand years? Let me guess, you’re an Engishman or an Ulster unionist?? Yet you presume to dictate to a native Irishman what his country is. East and West Germany were also one country divided, I remember. We all know how that ended.

Considering 4 of NI’s 6 counties already have a nationalist majority, which means 30 of Ireland’s 32 counties have a nationalist majority, then I know which side I’d be betting on.

You make a lot of assumptions there buddy, and all of them wrong, if there was a referendum up north tomorrow you’d see how many of your nationalists there actually are. People want economic prosperity and security, not to worship statues and words of dead men – not that the UK is anything amazing still better than here
East and west Germany were separate countries when they were divided, now they are unified the are the same country. How is that so hard to grasp?

It’s very easy to grasp, Steve, that Germany was one country that was partitioned into two political jurisdictons – just like Ireland. The fact it eventually all came under one political jurisdiction is because it was always one country divided.

Of course if there was a vote tomorrow no one would vote for unification given the economic situation. But eventually they will, because they’re Irishmen and all of Ireland is their country, not England, Scotland or Wales.

#Eileen- don’t be commenting on what our Taoiseach does until you pay all your taxes.

Vincent Dolan, Dillon Costigan Whoever you decide you are this evening.
I do pay all of my taxes, how can I not , that is PAYE for you.I do not pay
the unjust unfair and immoral tax on my home. :) But you digress
Kenny put a wreath on a war memorial ,it is probably the only thing he has
ever done right as taoiseach .
I wonder whose idea it was ?

#Eileen…I didn’t say PAYE, I said all your taxes. Which as you say you don’t pay. Until you do, and your paying for all the services of the state, your opinion on how our Government delivers these services is of no value.

But you keep commenting on my posts annonymous ! .

#Eileen.. Just highlighting your hypocrisy, dear…

And here you are Vincent/ dillon / whoever you are ,pushing the point yet again . How often have I got to say NO.
Vincent / Dillon / Whoever you are . NO means NO.
Your comment is very patronising .

#Eileen..so we’re clear: it was meant to be.

So YOU are clear…
NO.

#Eileen- I don’t know if you’re trying to relive past glories but rest assured…there’s no one here hoping you’ll say yes.

Vincent
Good . I am glad You are clear on that I will NEVER pay the HHC or property tax if I can help it .
Now go away .

#Eileen…”If I can help it”…that’s the thing, isn’t it? You won’t.

This is getting boring . You win . Have the last word .

Your County Council will have the last word…

Vincent
If free speech is to be denied to anyone who is not completely up to date with all their taxes then we will have a very quiet country.
Should this ban be extended to people who have deprived their council by not putting money in the meter for parking as well?
I speak as someone who has payed my household charge & I disagree with Eileen’s stance on it but your argument just doesn’t hold water

#Justin…just pointing out the hypocrisy of the pretty extreme vitriol Eileen sends in the direction of elected officials and their performance when she’s not only not paying all her taxes and urging others to do likewise. He who pays the piper should call the tune…. That’s all.

Hello Paul. With notable exceptions, I don’t think anyone on here would want in any way to add to the grief of Enniskillen. The Taoiseach by laying the wreath made a very notable gesture of solidarity on behalf of the people of Ireland. The wearing of the Poppy, though is an act of respect for a force that perpetrated unspeakable crimes on this island. It is a lot to ask. Reconciliation shouldn’t be about pretending the past didn’t happen- but rather accepting it did and moving on. The whole Poppy season in the UK is about glorifying an army that has a lot of blood on its hands in Ireland- it really is too much to expect Irish people to honour them. British citizens are not asked to commemorate the Luftwaffe.

Religion was never the cause of the conflict except among the most ignorant, Paul.

Kenny laid the wreath ”from the government of Ireland”

GODWINS!!!!1!!eleventy!!!

You lose teh internetzzzzzzzzz

How about the Dublin bombings????Always the same one -sided pro Loyalist attitude :-|

i’ll risk it here caroline and suggest seamus has the same contempt for the cowards who bombed dublin

It was a local IRA brigade who committed the bombing, and they alone are responsible for it. The Fermanagh Brigade was dismantled after this bombing for their actions Рand nobody within Sinn F̩in supported it or endorsed it.

Don’t let that get in the way of a bit of old Sinn Féin bashing though.

Enniskillen was an odious act, but it wasn’t one that Sinn Féin need to be held accountable for. They are not responsible.

#Sean… Spare us the propaganda. Let me guess: Gerry Adams was never in the IRA either. Next you’ll be telling me he’s from Louth. Sinn Fein spouted the same “Independent action- not sanctioned” crap about the murderers of Garda Jerry McCabe. Didn’t stop them lobbying aggressively to get the perpetrators out under the Good Friday Agreement, though.

I’m not providing you with anything other than the reality of the situation. You have zero evidence to suggest that this attack was sanctioned at anything other than by the local brigade of the IRA. The fact that the Fermanagh brigade was dismantled after, rather than to allow any further actions by them – shows that it was a punitive measure, and that the attack did not have support within the Republican movement. Republicans at the time were disgusted by the attack.

I’m not defending the attack, I’m simply putting it into context. The reality of the situation is – you don’t like my answer, so instead of engaging it at an intellectual level and actually challenging my points – you simply label it as ‘propaganda’, which ultimately leaves you with a quick hit and run attack – without actually having to engage in a debate.

Enniskillen bombing was an odious act, worthy of the highest condemnation. I doubt you’ll find anyone in Sinn Féin who disagrees with this.

“Gerry Adams was never in the IRA either. Next you’ll be telling me he’s from Louth.”

No, I won’t be telling you that. You can save your strawman arguments.

#Sean- Sinn Fein are accomplished at being associated with the most heinous of crimes & then feigning disgust. Like their very existence didn’t make such events inevitable. I notice while accusing me of not engaging you didn’t touch the murder Garda McCabe. Typical Shinner hypocrisy.

The Jerry McCabe issue was a red herring. It has no bearing on the bombing of Enniskillen. They are two separate incidents. If I was to respond to every red herring you threw up, I’d be here all day. I like to stick to the topic at hand. I wasn’t avoiding your point in an attempt to avoid a discussion on it.

As for the release of his killers – I feel it was a poor decision. Murder is murder. But that does not mean by any stretch of the imagination that by calling for their release, it automatically gives support to an unrelated attack in Enniskillen. That is some seriously skewed logic.

Sinn Féin and it’s activists are not responsible for the attack in Enniskillen. Nobody within Sinn Féin supports, or supported the attack. Those are the facts.

#Sean- my reference to the murder of Garda McCabe was to illustrate that Sinn Fein are liars. They lied about any association with his killers and then lobbied for their release as Republican prisoners under the GFA. When an operation goes wrong they’ll lie outright to win the PR battle. So I’ll not be believing them when they disavow knowledge of any operations, such as Enniskillen, if you don’t mind. And as I said, by their very existence and their assembly of the machinery of war- they make such horrific events inevitable. You should feel free to believe every line in An Phoblacht, of course. We have a Democracy down here.

Another strawman. They never said that they had no association of the men – They stated that the attack on Gerry McCabe was not authorised by the IRA, and that it was directly in contravention of their orders. You’ve yet to present one single point which carries a logical flow of debate.

I’ll provide a parallel for what you are saying – The entire group of X is brought into disrepute if a few members of X perform an act in contravention of orders which is viewed to be reprehensible. I’m afraid, this is an illogical conclusion.

You are making claims which have zero basis in fact РJust conjecture on your behalf. We both agree that the attacks on McCabe and in Enniskillen are reprehensible. But we part ways on whether or not Sinn F̩in as a political party bears the responsibility for the attacks. All evidence suggests that Sinn F̩in does not bear any responsibility, and that they were the actions of members of the IRA operating in direct contravention of orders.

I’m sorry if facts disrupt your agenda to tarnish Sinn Féin, but that’s the reality of the situation. the days of throwing mud until it sticks are long gone.

i supppose you apply your group x logic to the british army, loyalist paramilitary groups, PSNI or garda.

#Sean- just so we’re clear…absolutely nobody in the Republic buys that whole “Sinn Fein and the IRA are separate” rubbish. Save it for the Brits. Whether there was a direct order or not, Shinners put guns into the hands of the men who murdered Garda McCabe and explosives into the hands of the bombers at Eniskillen, so there’s no walking away from responsibility…which they absolutely tried to do in the face of public revulsion at the attacks.

#Johnny- interesting that you list the Gardai alongside the British army, PSNI and loyalist paramilitaries.

@ Vincent off topic but please use fadas where appropriate ya ignorant git

@vincent, why so interesting?

#Chris- congratulations on your appointment to the punctuation police.

The comment about the hunger strikers.

No. He was in Belfast, Ireland.

He was in Enniskillen, still think he should of worn the poppy though

He’s representing our country.

Would he need a Star’s & Strpes pin in his lapel if he was in he US or a turban if he was at a Sikh event?

Arlene’s one is probally big enough for both of them.This poppy wearing is starting to become a joke,donate money the help old vets is a great thing,to wear or not wear a poppy is a personal choice.Well done to the Irish Gov..

I stand corrected. Enniskillen, Ireland.

dead right he should have worn one

@Johnny Why?

He is dead right not to ware one. and he’s also doing a great thing by remembering and attending this ceremony on behalf of the fallen Irish soliders. Credit where credits dew he reached the perfect balance. I’m quick enough to cut him down when I feel he’s wrong.

If the Queen can lay a wreath at the garden of remembrance then Enda should be able to do likewise. Re wearing a poppy, I’m not into symbols though if I were I’d be a lot more likely to wear something to commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of Irish freedom in 1916, than to commentate the army that executed them.

You mean an easter lily? Don’t think that would’ve gone down too well…

You mean the Germans?

hunger strikers were criminals who commited suicide why would he commemerate them

Cormac. I don’t see why people have given you so many red hands. Sorry, I meant red thumbs.

Johnny, it always amazes me that people like you can work computers.

good man colm keep the bag on your head. fact is they were convicted criminals who starved themselves to death. and for what?

For a genuine political belief that millions of us all over this island still hold. Not for war, not for terror, but for what republicans believe is the best way to repair a deeply divided society. An end to the British presence here.

And the bag was a Halloween costume. I’m a rubber bandit. Although, I now see how it looks in this context.

True.

It was mature and dignified and a great way of reaching out to the unionist people of Ireland without being seen to support partition and insult nationalists .

So why are you disgusted? For hatred’s sake?