Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging thinktanker, aspiring novelist, "tribal elder", 2019 parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, "Speedboat", "The Cockroach", eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me.
Saturday, 10 November 2012
The Poppy and The Shamrock
Good to see Louis Walsh, and Niall Horan of One Direction, wearing
poppies.
During the Second World War, there were more volunteers from
the technically neutral Irish Free State than from Northern Ireland,
where there was no conscription.
The role of Norn Iron unionists in WW2 is one of cowardice. .....there was no conscription because unionists claimed that there was an enemy within and they were all fire-watching on top of Mackies, Harland & Wolff, Sirocco etc. Of course after just one week of air-raids.....fires extinguished by fire brigades sent from Dublin and Dundalk. The real reason of course was that unionists had no wish to be machine gun fodder as they had been at the Somme. Of course the Germans never returned after those air raids. De Valera had stated an attack on Belfast was an attack on Ireland.....and while I dont think the Germans were afraid of the Irish army, they were certainly anxious to keep Ireland out of the war....which thankfully happened. Earlier this week John Bruton wore a poppy on Sky News......as of course is his right. The right to decline is not extended to BBC & UTV staff in Belfast. SDLP have just completed their two day conference. No poppies on view except of course journalists and some stall holders in the exhibition area. Glad that Mr Walsh exercised his right to wear a poppy. It is a courtesy to his hosts. But of course everyone should have the right NOT to wear one.
Yeah, but, when we live if a time when Martin McGuinness can condemn, publicly, the assassination of an innocent prison warder working in the north of Ireland, these 'gestures' are politically meaningless, bordering on the trite.
Although, you can't be that stupid not to know that. Which begs the question as to why you deem it worthy of comment in the first place.
More Dubliners have been awarded the VC than those from any other city in the world!
ReplyDeleteThe role of Norn Iron unionists in WW2 is one of cowardice. .....there was no conscription because unionists claimed that there was an enemy within and they were all fire-watching on top of Mackies, Harland & Wolff, Sirocco etc. Of course after just one week of air-raids.....fires extinguished by fire brigades sent from Dublin and Dundalk.
ReplyDeleteThe real reason of course was that unionists had no wish to be machine gun fodder as they had been at the Somme.
Of course the Germans never returned after those air raids. De Valera had stated an attack on Belfast was an attack on Ireland.....and while I dont think the Germans were afraid of the Irish army, they were certainly anxious to keep Ireland out of the war....which thankfully happened.
Earlier this week John Bruton wore a poppy on Sky News......as of course is his right.
The right to decline is not extended to BBC & UTV staff in Belfast.
SDLP have just completed their two day conference. No poppies on view except of course journalists and some stall holders in the exhibition area.
Glad that Mr Walsh exercised his right to wear a poppy. It is a courtesy to his hosts.
But of course everyone should have the right NOT to wear one.
FJH
Herr Hitler never
Yeah, but, when we live if a time when Martin McGuinness can condemn, publicly, the assassination of an innocent prison warder working in the north of Ireland, these 'gestures' are politically meaningless, bordering on the trite.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, you can't be that stupid not to know that. Which begs the question as to why you deem it worthy of comment in the first place.