We would first need to know what role, if any, the Irish authorities had in any lose of life. Before the full facts are uncovered and made public no apology could happen as nobody would know what the Irish government would be saying sorry for.

I genuinely don’t understand this. Are the Irish Government supposed to apologise for the actions of the IRA? What was the Irish Government’s involvement?

I can’t answer this question because it depends on whether their is evidence that the Irish Government were involved in activities that caused the death of people in the North or that they deliberately ignored information that would have prevented atrocities.

If so then they should apologise. But if there isn’t any evidence of this then what would the apology be for?

Let sleeping dogs lie. The Irish Government is probably the party with the least blame in the whole thing. Raking it all up now will just open old wounds,and the mud slinging will start all over again. Grab the peace and look to the future!

What a stupid article. What was the Irish governments role? The article doesn’t make sense. Give an example then ask the question. If the government was involved in murder they should do more than apologise but please tell us what the allegations are.

If there is something to apologise for, by all means. I fail to see exactly what there is to apologise for though. If anything, the Irish government remained far too aloof while people were being slaughtered!

I don’t understand why the families have be campaigning for a year to meet Enda Kenny? What have the Irish Government got to do with the killings? I would love to see what comes of this!

i voted no because i believe what tha government should be apologising for was their lack of involvement,,the Irish government has always had an obligation to provide a political alternative and international diplomatic support for the nationalist population of northern ireland,,and any objective view of the cause of so many pointless deaths on this small island that doesn’t take count of the republics consistant failure on this issue,(for what i believe to be self serving reasons), is inconplete.

No. Has any one north or south ever apologised to the victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings?

Why do they want an apology from the Irish Govt? Nobody was running around killing people in the name of the Irish Govt. On the other hand plenty of killing was done in the name of and by forces representing the British Govt. If Irish armed forces were involved then you could look at the Irish Govt for an apology otherwise it makes no sense.

Apologise for what? British Colonialism?

Disgusting that the British government can just sit there and ignore their role. The Irish part in what happened is nothing compared to the British involvement for which they’ve said nothing about.

Poll: Should the Journal stop making up utterly baseless and irrelevant polls?

This poll is a large dose of bollockology!
Say sorry to whom? For intelligence reports that suggest that a small number of Garda were passing info??
Bollocks, let them apologise for there part,. Documented fact that their intelligence services across the board colluded with the loyalists for years

The Irish government have a lot to apologise for,for standing by while catholic family’s where evicted from there homes in the early 70s and standing by during internment when innocent family’s where put in jail without trial.for standing by while the ruc and loyalist murder gangs helped each Other murder innocent Catholics they where standing by looking on when Irish citizens where murdered by a foreign government in bloody Sunday.They stud by when 10 men starved themselves to death.the British government apologised for bloody Sunday.as should the Irish government for there silence during some of the worst years of Irish history.

This sounds like the media trying to make a story out nothing…

no apology necessary,it’s the British at fault

Did they ever catch the men responsible? Should they not be attempting to apologise rather than lickle Enda

Will the British Government apologise for the the British army bombings in Dublin and Monaghan. This has been proved.

I reckon the Irish government should apologise, but they have very, very little to apologise for compared to Westminster. Wonder will people like Ian Paisley ever apologise for whipping up mass hatred of Catholics, which lead to hundreds of sectarian murders?

If the Irish Government has any apology to make(even more Indas Fg)it would be to the nationalist community,for ignoring the fasist state the had to rise up against.

There was rumours of collaboration between Guards and the IRA in the killing of 2 RUC chiefs on the way back from a meeting in Dundalk. The Arms Crisis bears another question. There was never any direct involvement or strategic military plan by the Irish gov. If anything the Irish gov was leading the campaign for peace in my opinion.

I think the journal is trying to stir shit by asking a question like this…just because the good friday agreement happened,doesn’t make it less of a sore subject, kop on,the Irish government have nothing to apologise for!!

Ridiculous suggestion

Hardline Unionists claim that the Irish government was colluding with Republicans.Hardline Nationalists claim that the Irish government did nothing to help them.

Unionists often complain about the fact that Irish Republicans could flee south after carrying out some atrocity.They never seem interested or concerned about how wanted Loyalists fled to Scotland.The Scots are and always have been up to their necks in Loyalist paramilitary collusion.

Will the british government apologise for the systematic oppression of the Nationalists in the six counties?

I would like to see an apology from the successive dublin governments who ignored the plight of their country men, women and children in the six counties – who were abandoned by them to debasement, torture and oppression by a British regimne. The term “Im alright Jack” comes to mind.

Apologise for what? British Colonialism?, for wanting the right to have our own country, have our own laws and not beg for scraps from an English table, have they said sorry for India, Pakistan, South Africa? no of course not, but I tell you this much, if there is so much as a wiff of a Euro in Enda will say sorry for it.

she’s not your queen so no need to refer to her as ‘queen Elizabeth’. chief of staff of the British armed forces would be more precise. the same chief of staff of the same armed forces responsible for bloody Sunday and colluded with loyalist paramilitaries responsible for the Dublin monaghan bombings.

Absolutely not….that’s like a rape victim apologising for being raped…we were invaded, subjugated and abused for many centuries….we did not impose a system of plantation on Britain and then set about disenfranchising the natives and then treating them as second rate Citizens in their own lands…what happened up north was wrong and resulted in victims on all sides…as Queen Elizabeth said last year perhaps some things should have been done differently or not at all….wise words from a decent woman….apologising for something not done is just as unhelpful as bookstand finger pointing and the unhelpful game blame…let’s move forward not back

Apologies show a generosity of understanding towards victims and can go a far way to heal the wounds of such tragedies. However you also admit liability when you apologize and in the case of the troubles with a history of so many tragic occurences it could cause more harm then help!

It should apologise for not standing up to the sectarian stormont and the british government. Its should apologise for not defending the nationalist people from british imperialism and the thugs of armed loyalism.

The should apologise for abandoning the people in the 6 counties when they needed them most. They should also apologise for pandering to British State terrorism during the war. They should apologise for shooting Republicans in the back, wrongfully imprisoning Irish republicans. They should apologise for the harrasment of Irish Republicans, that continues to this day.

Dear Jennifer Wade,
Please elaborate on what you feel the Irish government should apologise for instead of making a shit stirring vague statement with no foundation of fact of matter? What role did they play if any! The British govt are the ones with blood on their hands not the Irish so maybe run a poll in relation to that le do thoil

apologise for?

The Irish government should apologize. They should apologize for the acquiescence to partition, to loyalist intimidation of Irish citizens and for being toadies to a foreign power.

Codswallop.

“ah leave it ouh!”

Even if the Gardai were passing information to the IRA, that Times article doesn’t say anything about the Gardai passing in information that led directly to the Kingsmill massacre, so I really don’t see what the government needs to be apologising.

I don’t think that the government should apologise. They were murdered by an organization that is independent to any state. As for the article, if you think its lazy journalism don’t read it, or comment on it, easy!

Apologise for doing f*** all while a war was being fought on Irish soil maybe

Absolutely spot on. I also echo Chris Kelly’s comment . Ludicrous carry on Jennifer to be doing such a ridiculous poll. At least 82% (as at 1pm) didnt reply yes to the question. No surprise there then.

WHAT IS THIS POLE ABOUT?
pUT ONE UP THAT ASKS IS THIS LAZY JOURNALISM???

For apathy maybe

Since the IRA is not a government body the Irish government are not responsible. and I would be so bold as to say that the GB government is more responsible than the Irish government for terrible acts commited and cover up and deaths. Both sides have blood and blame on their hands. We should not be seeking an apology from GB or be asked for one. a peace treaty should be enough that both sides agreed that fighting should end.

Both sides had roles but one side more predominantly. I suppose you can deem the collusion by some parts of the Irish govt and security forces with republicans and other Irish roles as the lesser of two evils, especially when we compare ot with what the neighbours did. Both sides should clear it all up, say what needs to be said on the events and move forward.

The Good Friday Agreement is a good thing, and while opinion polls suggest there’d be no unification by vote currently, in 50 years or so it may happen.

Though that being said we need to sort out countless things before we take on 6 more counties. You’d need political and structural reform completed before the process began.

Enda can do whatever his conscience dictates. The loss of lives lost on either side of the conflict are regrettable and unretrievable. If apologising for those lost moves reconciliation one iota forward, what’s the loss to the greater good?

NO.

Why is it that the retort “educate yourself” is used primarily by commenters who, measured by their debating skills, don’t seem to be very well-educated? Facts always win over opinions, ands facts are only facts if they can be verified by an external and credible source.

Can we expect an apology from Sinn Fein for the sustained 25 year bombing campaign including such atrocities as the Deal Barracks Bombing and the attack on Conservative Party Conference?

There needs to be full disclosure first. Hold nothing back, make it unbiased, scientific. Then we shall know who needs to actually apologise.
It’s easy to say it was the British, colonialism or whatever, but I think it’s a lot more complicated than the British done it.

If the Irish government had any part in the troubles then yes they should apologis regardless if the British do or do not apologis for their involvement!!

I would like to see one all inclusive apology. What I mean by that is all parties involved in the conflict meet at once in one place and apologise to the hurt they caused not only to members of the other communities but also to the members of their own community.

Well it’s likely Ireland had a role in the troubles, probably not actually fighting but definitely people funding it and saying “ah well they’ve got a point” despite not really having a clue. I mean, there were government ministers accused of running guns for the IRA remember.

We should apologise for Mick Collins and his treachery when he signed the treaty. (Are you going to remove this aswell Jennyfur)

We can’t vote without any information What would the apology be in regards to? Has anyone actually specified what exactly the supposed role of the Irish government was?

Huh wonder when the english n traitor prot irish orangemen apilogise for the oppression o over 800 years o our ppl. And when lezobit#h n maggot thatcher are brought before the war crimes court n executed then maaaaaybe they might get a whoops my bad.

Certain members of a govt at the time Arranging cash for weapons to be bought by the ira. Weapons that were then used to murder unarmed gardai by saor eire and prob ruc. Investigations then going nowhere with no reason given FF need to apologise. Please don’t delete as these facts have been published.

WOW. Lots of anglophobes here. If we have ANYTHING to apologise for, we should apologise.

Let’s try to be the ‘better nation’ we want to be.

The IRA that came south are now in our government. Pity.
Limerick is heavily populated with people from the north. We should have introduced a visa system.
There are more guns in the south of Ireland than ever and the drug trade these guys run is huge. So I am sorry but very little good has come from there. They are also catholic terrorists.
Great little country. What good has the religion been to Ireland??

@ Damien Flinter.. Excellent comment.. Comment of the week?? I think so… !

Maybe we should send Obama over to apologise, he’s an expert at it