80 thoughts on “Saturday’s Papers

  1. Shayna

    “The War is over, I run the Party”. No-one disputes that Sinn Féin were the political voice of the IRA pre and including 1998. 22 years later, Sinn Féin has a different voice – a popular one throughout Ireland as a bona fide political party, but despite their recent successes at the polls, both North and South there is still an echo of their past association. The IRA has ceased to exist. Pretenders clearly do – I don’t know what their agenda might be – it’s not Irish Unity for sure. The Army Council, if it exists currently – I don’t know – but their mention of late, is clearly another cynical spoiler for SF to attain Government in Dublin.

    1. some old queen

      I very much doubt if when Harris took that job he was expecting to be in a situation where he could be answerable to a SF led government. From his perspective, even if there was another election, the situation is likely to get worse- so best strategy is to throw as much muck as possible. Problem with that approach is, if SF do actually get into power then he is toast.

      I do think the criticism of FFG’s double standards are valid mind- they actively encouraged unionists to go into government with SF in the north yet refuse to do the same here. It’s hard to know how much of it is genuine security concerns and how much is just the old guard protecting its patch- I expect it is more the latter.

      1. newsjustin

        It’s very disturbing, SOQ, that you a) think the intelligence of both police services on this island is nothing but “throwing muck” and b) think that once SF get into power that the Garde Commissioner’s career is over, presumably because he’s an “enemy” of SF.

        1. GiggidyGoo

          Has the commissioner produced any evidence to back up his views?. If not, they are only views, and by presenting those views as fact then it is a case of throwing much.
          Throwingthe evidence forward would be a far better tactic, wouldn’t it, instead of buying headlines that are fake.

          1. realPolithicks

            They won’t even name these “sinister” figures let alone arrest them, perhaps its because they don’t exist?

      1. realPolithicks

        It must be difficult to live your life in fear all the time as you and so many others on this thread seem to. Monsters under every bed and the boogeyman lurking around every corner.

        1. Tringo

          Wow
          As we all know given the animal and the disappeared in all honesty would you actually come out and give evidence ?
          These guys have a fearsome reputation

          As for intelligence
          Can you imagine being identified?

          We are not talking legal suits but fear of being shot in the head

        1. newsjustin

          Has there been a further announcement GiggidyGoo, since Gerry Adams said that, to the effect that the IRA have disbanded? Did we miss that?

          1. GiggidyGoo

            Seemingly that was said in 1988. Does the blueshirt cheerleader wish to go back in history, because his FGer party are steeped in some juicy stuff.

          2. GiggidyGoo

            But pardon me – i meant to answer your question. In 2015, Gerry Adams made the following statement
            “The war is over. The IRA is gone and not coming back. This has been acknowledged and evidenced over the past 10 years. There is now a peaceful and democratic path to achieve republican objectives. This has the support of the vast majority of republicans and nationalists.”

            At the same time, the PSNI Chief Constable stated “It is our assessment that the Provisional IRA is committed to following a political path and is no longer engaged in terrorism.”
            Additionally he stated “We assess that in the organisational sense the Provisional IRA does not exist for paramilitary purposes.”

            Which begs the question – why are FG and their PSNI man (now over the security of the state – Commissioner Harris) releasing statements that have the potential to stir conflict in Northern Ireland, and are based on ‘views’ not backed up by facts?

            So before you buckos latch onto the soundbites of people that have a lot to lose by the rise of SF, do some proper research.

          3. GiggidyGoo

            You asked a question a as to whether a Gerry Adams has made a statement….you got your answer. And the only comeback you can muster is to use some wayward fellows post?

        1. GiggidyGoo

          But doesn’t Michael Martin and his FFers stand in front of a slogan ‘The Republican Party’? And wasn’t it a leader of that republican party who was involved in gun-running?.
          Pot kettle black and lol that.

          1. Reputable Port Star

            Typical Irish lameass politics dredging up stuff that happened lifetimes ago.
            newsjustin is speaking about contemporary terrorists operating in the present day.

          2. GiggidyGoo

            Yes, there are loyalist terrorists operating. Drew Harris brings them down to the south to perform evictions.

          3. Tringo

            Achieve its objective by peaceful means?
            As in unification
            And if it cannot they have done it before and can do it again
            Once you blow up citizens the process of killing gets easier as the numbers go up it’s easier to Keep going and that’s the path of violence

            The IRA crossed that line already

          1. Tringo

            if Sinn Feinn cannot identify the whereabouts of disappeared and are cagy of their past and identified advisers no wonder people question
            We are talking about a party associated will violence in control of our country
            If we cannot trust police intelligence maybe let’s all live in a lawless mad max world as brute force rules

    2. Tringo

      Imagine with shadowy connections they are privy to state Gardai and army secrets?
      They won so many votes because of promises and we all know the results in the past

      I just do not trust them
      My opinion

        1. Tringo

          I would not trust them either
          Saying that SF showed that not too long ago their private army would murder bomb to their way to power
          I am neither catholic or republican
          I believe in peace and I am Irish first European second
          Born in this land

  2. some old queen

    The figures in this British grooming gang scandal are mind boggling- 19000 suspected cases identified by local authorities in one year alone but, campaigners say the true figure is much higher.

    Apart from the actual prosecutions to come and that the cover up was in itself a criminal act, what is interesting is that some of the victims are now the ones making the accusations of racism, and as they were targeted because they were white- it is a valid point.

    The British Government is under pressure to publish official research into the characteristics of the gangs but it’s not rocket science. Mainly Pakistani but also some Somali. Across Europe rape gangs also come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Egypt and Morocco. Different cultures and different ethnicities but the common denominator is that they are all from Muslim backgrounds.

    But the British media is still tiptoeing around the issue. They started by referring to them as Asian until it was pointing that they were slurring an entire continent and by default, being racist. Now they refer to them as Pakistani but that doesn’t cut it either, as not all are. The fear of being accused of Islamophobia, a label that even moderate Muslims say is a misnomer, is still strong.

        1. D

          Now that you mention it a lot of catholic priests are immigrants nowadays.
          But I have not heard a single case of them abusing kids.

    1. MaryLou's ArmaLite

      I remember relatives leaving Birmingham in the early 90’s as Pakistani men were targeting women going about their day, when they complained to authorities they were told they were being racist. 25 years, how many women and children were harmed by this stupidity.

      1. some old queen

        The report was ordered by Sajid Javid, himself a Pakistani Muslin and is being held up by the Home Office but, Priti Patel will be like a terrier at the post man’s leg until she gets it.

        The purpose I believe, is profiling in order to allow police disrupt abuse and prevent grooming gangs which is apparently available for other types of child abuse. Given the scale and especially the wide spread cover ups by police, I cannot see how they can prevent a public statutory national inquiry into it now-. Maajid Nawaz is calling for such. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RUbpEcOjXI

        There is a criminal case on media lock down going through the courts here right now- I would not be surprised if there is a correlation.

          1. Daisy Chainsaw

            The common denominator isn’t that the men grooming and raping girls are Muslim. The common denominator is that they’re men.

  3. Kate

    There is an awful lot of fixing to be done in the 26 counties from gangland to people vanishing into thin air, unsolved murders , crooked cops , assasins flying in , and awash with drugs . Fix that.

  4. GiggidyGoo

    the press repaying the favour for all of that advertising that FG placed for the bullsh.. Project 40.
    FF and FG see the writing on the wall. They are going to consummate their marriage, but don’t know how to break the news to their children, the grassroots .

  5. Charger Salmons

    Even though this Spectator writer has clearly been plagiarising my BS material he does capture the essence of my many warnings over the years that the EU would toss Varadkar – and Ireland – aside like a used condom once his usefulness was over.
    It’s almost like bailing out the bondholders was nothing more than a bad dream.
    Poor Leo. If only you’d listened to Charger.
    Heh x 64 billion.

    https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2020/02/leo-varadkar-has-been-hung-out-to-dry-by-the-eu

    1. D

      You are right I fear. But this is merely foreplay. After ‘tossing away the used condom’, the EU will go in raw for the main event of Corporation Tax. I have no delusions as to what the right strategy, past or present, could be other than to roll over and play dead.

      1. Charger Salmons

        The day Ireland was threatened into voting Yes in the 2nd Lisbon Treaty referendum was the day the EU knew it had this country in its pocket.
        They’ve been owning Ireland ever since.
        They’ll reward Varadkar with some sort of gewgaw sinecure but German taxpayers who are the ones who will inevitably have to pick up the slack to cover the UK’s departure will wonder why Ireland is getting away with the Corporation Tax ruse.
        Espcially when so much investment starts flooding into a post-Brexit Blighty.
        2/10/09 will eventually be seen as important as 1916 as a date in history when this country’s fortunes changed.

      2. Otis Blue

        No great surprises on the EU budget. We’ve been a net contributor for a few years. It’s quite easy to see what the bill for the new budget is likely to be given it will be calculated at 1 or 1.1% of Gross National Income. Less easy to predict is the return that this will yield. Lots of changes in EU priorities and an Irish Gov will fear a big cut to the CAP budget, which is an inevitability. So more in and less back. However, expect issues to be fudged in the budget allowing everyone gets to claim some semblance of victory.

  6. Charger Salmons

    Here’s a predicition that will upset the #metoo drones on here.
    Harvey Weinstein will walk.
    Forget the lurid headlines from newspapers which have already made their minds up on the verdict if you’ve been following the trial you’ll know there’s plenty more bubbling away under the surface.
    Defence lawyer Donna Rotunno has forensically taken apart and found huge numbers of inconsistencies in the accusers’ evidence.
    And the prosecution has failed to mount a proper case without creating a mountain of confusion which was evidenced this week in the questions that the jurors were asking the judge after they were sent out to consider their verdict.
    I’m not saying Harvey isn’t a wrong ‘un just that the case has not been legally proven against him.
    Expect uproar in the US media next week.

    1. Tringo

      i would say spot on
      Remember Jackson oj Simpson
      What wins a case is the legal team as guilt innocence goes out the window

    2. Ringsend Incinerator

      I doubt he will walk on all charges – he’ll go down on the most serious: predatory sexual assault. We’ll see.

      This is a New York trial; not Californian.

      1. Salmon Eile

        A miracle! Can’t wait to see who will play Weinstein in the movie, especially as the great James Gandolfini passed away some time ago. Jon Kenny mebbe?

  7. GiggidyGoo

    So what was it that the Indo were trying to tell us about truth in the news etc?

    Headline – portrayed as fact. “ – money trail leads Gardai to paymaster’. Maybe their headline writer didn’t read the article itself? The article which stated ‘..the money trail ‘may’ finally uncover of evidence of direct links…’

    So (and the Mail is similar, but that’s no surprise given the editors political connections) the headline is fake news. A lie as it stands. No proof offered up in the case of the Indo, no proof offered up in the case of the Mail.

    And there’s the Corona virus hitting Italy, UK. Not headline or even front page material. The political press here are trying to promote the FFG case. Well, we all know how much success they’ve had.

  8. 01101101 01100011

    hm. as we’re all busy theorising…something smells in all of this to me (apart from the obvious)

    what’s clear enough is that FFG are fighting for their lives here

    despite Mr Varadker’s spin and protestation around letting the “Left” get organised, get on with it into government so they can fulfill their “bonkers venezuelan promises” the reality is that would be party over for the establishment and bring major repercussions for FFG

    I wonder if SF actually did make some Left style coalition progress over the last week hence the knee-jerk and obvious defcon 1 propaganda?

    see I don’t think FFG care a fiddlers about what voters think or want….they already know where they stand there…this strikes me an attempt to scare the likes of RBB and SD’s off actually crystallising Varadker’s spin by joining in a SF led coalition

    is Varadker is at risk of executing a self-fulfilling prophesy?

  9. GiggidyGoo

    Of course you have to consider that FFG (Coveney, Varadkar, Martin et al) were complaining and insisting during Brexit that SF take up their seats in Westminister. Odd that isn’t it? They were trying to get SF who they say are controlled by dark forces, to take up seats in Westminister, yet when the shoe is on the other foot here, they are trying their utmost to keep SF out of government.
    FFG are like the proverbial Bump-and-go car. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2s4luk

    1. Cian

      Hmm… So when SF were taking their seats in Dublin, FG + FF were encouraging them to do the same in Westminister. I’m missing the hypocrisy.

      FF + FG have 72 seats. SF have 37. hmmm… how dare the parties with 72 seats “stop” the party with 37 (who need a majority of 81) getting into government.

      LOL

      1. GiggidyGoo

        Of course FGers miss the irony? They insist that SF take up their seats and vote in a particular way which FFG say is best for Ireland, while at the same time FFG won’t go into coalition with SF, which would also be best for Ireland. Nope, they prefer to coagulate themselves into one large scab as usual, which (as you and I know) hasn’t been for the good of Ireland, or the Irish people.
        The scab is gradually being picked away though. No amount of the Green Aloe Vera will cure the rot that is FFG.
        Mr. Diesel Minibus Eamon Ryan is leading his party back to the doldrums.

        1. Cian

          while at the same time FFG won’t go into coalition with SF, which would also be best for Ireland
          A coalition between FF FG and SF?

          EIther you believe that FF, FG and SF are all the same – so could work together to a common goal (but then SF is a third arse-cheek) OR that SF is different from FF and FG – so they couldn’t work together.

          Which is it? You can’t have it both ways.

          1. GiggidyGoo

            Nope. You FGers may try to re-write history (RIC), but don’t try to re-write what i’ve written. The point is that a coalition of FF SF or FG SF may be the best thing for Ireland currently, rather than the FFG farce we have witnessed over the past century.
            FF and FG need to be controlled. And no better party to do that than SF.

      2. GiggidyGoo

        By the way, Cian – glad you’ve admitted that FFG are one and the same finally. You could just as easily have said ‘how dare’ SFF stop the blueshirt party….
        Odd isn’t it that FF (so-called Republican Party) having relations with FG, the Irish political wing of the UVF). Strange bedfellows on the face of it.

        1. Cian

          I didn’t actually say that. But do carry on.

          FF and FG are both right of centre and closer to each other than to SF.

          Yes. FF have the slogan “the republican party” and guess what? We live in a republic! Wowzers!

          And what are you talking about UVF? Grasping at straws?

          1. GiggidyGoo

            Well your FG mateys had a DUP/UVF invitee speaking at their Ard Fheis. A=B, B=C, therefore A=C.
            How come FG aren’t a republican party? We live in a republic? They’re a loyalist party then?
            By consolidating the FF FG seats in your argument against SF, you have indeed pigeonholed them as being the one and the same. And that’s the reality. Unless you can tell us the real difference?

          2. Cian

            What? You honestly can’t tell the difference between “FG mateys had a DUP/UVF invitee speaking at their Ard Fheis” and Sinn Fein being the political wing of the IRA, with convicted IRA bomb making criminals elected as TDs and TDs collecting convicted IRA garda-murders from prison and TDs and supporters singing songs glorifying the IRA and shouting “up the RA’. Never mind the army council allegations.

            You’re either delusional or an idiot.

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