‘Homosexuality Was Never A Crime In Ireland’

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bruce

Journalist Bruce Arnold

Sorcha Pollak in the Irish Times writes:

“Former president Mary McAleese was wrong to call for families across Ireland to vote Yes in the same-sex marriage referendum, according to journalist Bruce Arnold. Speaking on RTÉ radio [Morning Ireland], Mr Arnold said as an “officer of the State” the former president had broken convention by taking part in the same-sex marriage debate and had abandoned her duties.”

“According to Mr Arnold, when he moved to Ireland [sixty years ago] homosexuality was not penalised or illegal and “homosexuals lived a reasonably open and happy life”.

“’Homosexuality was never a crime in Ireland. Homosexual acts were and through David Norris’ work with Mary Robinson in Europe the edict was created that made the government here reluctantly, and with disagreement, decriminalise homosexual acts.’”

Listen to radio interview here

McAleese wrong to call for Yes vote in referendum, says journalist (Irish Times)

Previously: ‘Remembering Your Father And What He Stood For, I Need Answers’

A Canon Lawyer Speaks

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54 thoughts on “‘Homosexuality Was Never A Crime In Ireland’

    1. Well that's that

      Another perfectly reasonable hetrosexual telling us how we feel in society. #FeckOutOfMyLife

  1. Cean

    “Are we now to see exhibitions in public by homosexuals? Holding hands, kissing, cuddling etc. Is homosexual behavior to be put on a par with heterosexual behaviour? And I think we should reflect that the majority of the people in this country would not be in favour of such a move.”

    1993 or 2015

    1. PhilJo

      The “my upbringing won’t allow me feel comfortable with your existence, therefore you shouldn’t exist” argument. I’ve heard a few variations on this from probable no voters, it is difficult to advise people to get their moral compass recalibrated in such a way as not to alienate them

    2. David

      There are many who are not 100% comfortable seeing people kissing or cuddling in public.

      However, that’s nothing to do with the gender of the kissers or cuddlers.

  2. ESV

    He’s a troll and his reasons for needing so much oxygen and for spewing so much hate on this issue are all to do with his own sad existence. Don’t give him the attention he’s demanding.

  3. Eh

    How do we explain Paddy Manning being arrested then? Maybe it was for something else? Something rude maybe? Who knows?

    1. rotide

      So you’ll be ignoring Stephen Fry and all those ex-pats making their videos to vote yes then?

  4. Rob_G

    Mary McAleese is a private citizen these days, she can give her views on whatever topic she feels like.

    1. ollie

      Rob, it is established protocol that past presidents don’t comment on matters of public interest.
      Also, she’s a member of the council of state, therefore she’s still a public servant.
      I’m afraid that Arnold is correct in this point, if not the rest of his article.

      1. rotide

        Is the rest of his article incorrect? I have no idea , does anyone else?

        Was it just homosexual acts that were illegal?

        (yes I realise that for all intents and purposes its the same thing)

        1. Clampers Outside!

          He got this much wrong…. “homosexuals lived a reasonably open and happy life”

          And that was the easy bit. So, it doesn’t hold much weight in him getting anything else right.
          He’s an aging bigot…. in other words, he’ll never see himself as an ill thinking man, glossing over the past. But that’s what he’s doing.

          Fupp him!

          1. Kilcock Swayze

            How can one have a reasonably open and happy life if one is forbidden by law to give expression to one’s love?

      2. Der

        “it is established protocol”
        It is not. Protocol implies it was been agreed and written down.
        It has not occurred previously, so you might say its tradition. But it’s certainly not protocol.
        Mary did not break any rules.

      3. Daisy Chainsaw

        Ms McAleese is doing what the likes of Iona and Mothers&Fathers Matter suggest and thinking of the children. She has her priorities right because her son’s rights and welfare take precedence over “protocol” and brava to her for not adhering to it.

        1. ollie

          Rubbish. McAleese should keep her mouth shut. If she wants to speak on matters of public interest she should surrender her pension and become an ordinary person.but that’s not going to happen. Mouth firmly in trough.

          1. timbot

            Her pension is recompense for the sterling work she did as president, not hush money for views you don’t agree with

      4. nellyb

        ” it is established protocol that past presidents don’t comment on matters of public interest”
        In this case we should appoint dolls as presidents. They are suitably quiet, the old ones anyway.

      5. matthew

        John Bruton is still a member of the Council of State, along with being Chair of the IFSC, and finds time to talk about a great many number of subjects. They’re private citizens.

  5. Ms Piggy

    I can’t get over the lack of decency and the casual, smug cruelty of those who make arguments like this – the distinction between homosexuality its actual sexual expression, like the argument that right now gay people can get married – just not to each other! – as if these statements have any real meaning beyond the kind of debating society rhetoric I imagine they teach in jesuit seminaries. It’s an attempt to score points at the expense of people’s very real experience of oppresssion and exclusion. Anyone who does this is a mean-spirited, small-minded bigot.

    1. ollie

      jesuit seminaries… oppresssion and exclusion………….. mean-spirited, small-minded bigot.

      Your use of these terms give me 3 reasons to vote no.

      1. Don Pidgeoni

        Talk about emotional blackmail Ollie

        “Stop being mean or I’ll vote no”

      2. Ms Piggy

        Ollie to be honest, if the rational and clear arguments why all citizens should be afforded equal protection under the law haven’t convinced you to vote ‘yes’, then you’re probably beyond hope on appeals to decency or kindness. I’m not a politician and it’s not my job to persuade you. The point is that you shouldn’t need persuading.

      3. scottser

        ollie – vote no if you want, just admit you’re an @sshole and stop blaming your begrudgery on others.

      1. Clampers Outside!

        It’s contrary to the old Bruce the bigots claims above of “homosexuals lived a reasonably open and happy life”.

        Why don’t we put him in a place where he can live “REASONABLY” open and see how he feels about it. He’s an intentionally blind to his own bigotry and appears to have justified that bigotry through his life and expects* others to follow his bigoted ways.

        *expects – otherwise he wouldn’t be getting his oar in.

        Fupp the old fart.

  6. Holden MaGroin

    Michael Martin won that one, not that it was hard. Even the moderator sounded like he was saying “ah here, seriously?” he cut him off a few times.

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