Not a patch on letting him and 94 of his murdering cronies out of jail in the first place.

We're fighting a 'war on terrorism' you know.........

You should have seen what the bastards were up to when I was there in 1976. Now I can't take my toothpaste on an aeroplane. And he's got a highly paid job under Blairs wing. It makes me fuc king spit.

amen

I wouldn't shake Blairs hand either.....

You just beat me to that one

Oh well forgive my personal experience of tramping the streets of Belfast in full battle gear. To my amazement I don't remember the uniformed enemy coming over the hill in their combat gear like they do in a war. They were more concerned with shooting people in the knees, blowing up pubs full of drinkers on the mainland and on one occasion up at Black Mountain Golf Club, nailing a bloke up through the neck with his back to a door while he was stood on tiptoe.

There's thousands of people who CAN'T move on because of the evil bastards.

But never mind eh?? That's OK...........

I remember all the squaddies in Belfast, and the road blocks too!! mad as, loads of em were just lads and they looked scared stiff.

Mind I was scared of there trigger fingers pointing at us!!



I got my own scars that I struggle to get over, and mine pales into insignificance of that which others bear...I'm glad its over meself.

is there not atrocities on both sides in any conflict

Ghastly period of history altogether, and I can't begin to imagine the mentality of the murderers in cases like the Golf Club one you mention.
But I would still argue that the big major difference between the IRA and the British Govt over the years is that the latter were considered legal.

just remembering when the prison break happened outta the maze and all the IRA were on the run. My parents had some friends over from boro staying - but they were originally from Dublin.... Roadblock, he's driving, got no passport or ID!!! he was questioned for ages , as was the french twat....!!

I was a kid and the army were all over our car, I was bricking it!


the next day at school [which was a state -Protestant- school in a Catholic IRA stronghold, Castlewellan] there was loads of IRA men in the woods behind the schoolfield, army helicopters landed on the field and soldiers legged em in the woods, there was gunfire and it was mad as!! when they caught some of em, all the kids were hanging out the windows cheering.....

McGuiness shouldn't have been able to shake hands with Blair -he should have hung with all the other murdering scum like him, Catholic or Protestant.

Same with all terrorists - in fact him now being a "respected politician" kind of confirms my belief in the death penalty for terrorists

McGuiness / Adams / Mandela / George Washington / Bin Laden

All 'terrorists' and all 'freedom fighters'

Mixed emotions over this one, I have friends who have been disfigured by the IRA and a couple who were killed. One guy I know of rather than know, was captured and had his body drilled including a black and decker through the cheekbones.

Most of my time in Ireland was spent in Bessbrook and South Armagh rather than the patrolling the street although I have to acknowedge a shiver when I walked past the Divis Flats a year or two ago but even so I don't have the early 'troubles' experience of Kev.

As for the releases; a lot of those released were gangsters rather than out and out 'soldiers of the IRA' and that was also wrong.

As for MMG/Adams; they recognised that their time was up after the Omagh bombings which was when they lot their mandate with the people of NI. After that they started talking peace. Even so, it took guts to go down that road and for that they deserve credit. Whether it's enough credit to wipe out their past atrocities is quite another matter. As for PP's point of both sides being guilty...... only right in a very minor way. We (Brits) did carry out some dodgy activities such as the hidden hand operation.

Either way its good that the shootings and the bombings are history. Well not quite over because the remnants of PIRA will continue to make lots of money and get away with it because they will always rule by fear of the bullet in the back of the head or the back of the knees..

Oh he wasn't dead.

They weren't that kind to him.

Wouldn't it be great if we could re-write history,but in the words of Ian Paisley that was yesterday and today's today and tomorrow is tomorrow.

Let's see what happens but give peace a chance.

As one little nana said who's son was one of the first killed in the bar bombings "let this be the end and see everyone live in peace they deserve".Not easy to forgive those who killed a son but if she can,then there is hope.

Not so long ago today's meeting would never have happened.

Wise words Mr Mad and respect due. I can live with what's happening but I can't condone it.

Particularly as it was Bill Clinton who sorted it out but grinning Tony is determined to take the credit and the man who comes out with dignity and clean hands who ALWAYS condemned the violence is Ian Paisley.

what annoys me about this is that blair is calling it his song - history shows that major dealt with adam and paddy mcguiness long before blair.

Nobody should ever condone what happened and doubt anyone ever would.

Many people have tried and failed to get things moving towards peace but Ian Paisley deserves a lot of the credit as he never seemed to stop wanting and hoping for changes.

That word again HISTORY will be the judge as to who now makes the difference.

dunno about that Kev, he always firmly alligned himself with the orange order and would appear on marches where the UVF's presence was very apparant...also a rabble rouser of the highest order, I remember his "never,never,never" Ulster is British speech well - seeing as how it led to me getting regular kickings - I also remember him being involved in a strike where all Prods stopped work during a funeral for a UVF guy who got killed by the RUC....that led to fighting + killing left right and centre


I think he's a vile man

Always very very highly political yes, also well aligned with the Apprentice Boys (none of whom were under 60!!), yes, but the Orange Order were never paramilitary and the only link between Paisley and the UVF/UFF/UDA/RHU is that they are all prods. Paisley never held rank in the paramilitary's like Adams and McGuinness nor was he an activist or an instigator of any of the violence. He publicly regretted ANY death or injury due to sectarian conflict whichever side it happened on.

Why did you get a kicking 'cos of Ian Paisley??

I didn't mean he was paramilitary like, but he was always seen at those things

like I say his rabble rousing led to the kickings.........but hey! I don't bear any grudges or owt!

Did you used to live over there like??

yeah, Ma + P* went on a mad missionary excapade so me and me sister had our teenage years there, well she's still there the daft cow!!

lived in Co.Down

So did I!!

It's Belfast City Airport now, it was RAF Sydenham then. Just outside Belfast on the way to Hollywood. Bangor was a nice place to go and get quietly pissed.

cant really remember Bangor, and the only getting pissed i did was on the beach with my mates [fenians ] on nicked cider and vodka!!

this was where the mountains of mourne swept down to the sea...

I used to go to Ireland a lot when I was younger. My nanas family originate from Co. Antrim, and an aunt of mine ran a hotel on the banks of the river Bann nr. Portglenone.

Well said Mr.Katcha!!!!

FFS!!!

Indeed they did, but it didnt just stop there and then did it, its been on and off ever since, what do you expect Blair to do, call in Major to finish the job?

My rear brake light on my car is out and the bloody thing worked under Major!

But Mr.Major started the ball rolling!!!!

it was a conflict that went on far too long and should have and could have been sorted long before it was

we will probably never know the truth of what has been offered to bring them all to the same table
lets just hope they stay there and leave all the recriminations out side the debate

The PIRA was largely funded by an American organisiation called Noraid, based in Boston, Massachusets which has an enormous Irish population. A lot of very high ranking public servants, Police Chiefs etc had fund raising dinners and stuff for 'the freedom fighters.' They thought it was funny. They raised millions.

Bill Clinton cut them off at a stroke.

It was a joint effort with John Major yes, though, he did all the ground work with the Irish parliament.

the title of the thread sums this one up doesn't it? I don't suppose the families of all those people who died give a flying fuck who takes the credit as long as its all finished. personally I'd have given the 6 counties back to the free state long ago but there you go, as long as nobodies getting blown up then its progress isn't it?
by the way someone needs to tell the celtic and rangers fans the troubles are done and dusted cos I don't think they've quite grasped it yet

the crux of the matter is that the majority of people in Ulster want to be British - it is their choice and their birthright, so as long as the Republicans accept this, and as long as the Loyalists accept that the Republicans reserve their right to be Irish, without trying to force the other down a road they do not wish to go, then democracy will prevail.
The other aspect in all of this is that Ulster has for so long been a very deprived area, so these things have always given the warring factions a breeding ground for their agenda.
If Ulster became a more prosperous place to live in the long term, then in future things like the troubles will fade over the generations. The shipbuilding industry was a huge source of income to Ulster, and employment will be a key factor to getting people focussed on other things in life than maiming each other.

daft silly boy - totally different ball game

What Major or my light??

Get a Dynamo!!!!