Arlene Foster going to be the new First Minister?

[Tony Baloney]

What exactly is mean't be referring to someone as "black?" Bitter against who? Catholics and Catholicism? Plenty of black b's on this board then.

Arlene turned up at Cardinal Daly's funeral to pay her respects. The IRA tried to kill her father out in the fields in Fermanagh,she herself was in a school bus as a teenager which came under gunfire in an attempt to murder the driver.In short if anyone has a reason to be bitter it is she,but I don't believe that she is.She will play to the gallery for votes of course but who doesn't in this quagmire

Met Arlene on holidays and the family were all on diet cokes, hardly surprising. Very well behaved children.      The way you see some other people from this island and their children behave away from home tells you a lot.  Forget the Orange or Green segregation - those with decent Protestant or Catholic family values do stand out miles from those with absolutely no family values who nevertheless think they uphold the values of the community to which they belong.   They are the ones who shame all of us!

Look at the Holylands (the Belfast version).

[ONeill]

Met Arlene on holidays and the family were all on diet cokes, hardly surprising. Very well behaved children.      The way you see some other people from this island and their children behave away from home tells you a lot.  Forget the Orange or Green segregation - those with decent Protestant or Catholic family values do stand out miles from those with absolutely no family values who nevertheless think they uphold the values of the community to which they belong.   They are the ones who shame all of us!

What are protestant and catholic values? Not drinking and well behaved on holidays...but as blinkered and sectarian as they come?

Just good manners and tolerance. That's the key, not religious values.

[T Fearon]

It is generally connected to religious belief, in these parts at any rate,to refrain from drinking,smoking and rowdyism in general.

[armaghniac]

It is generally connected to religious belief, in these parts at any rate,to refrain from drinking,smoking and rowdyism in general.

Indeed it is. Unfortunately though, protestantism of the NI variety regards occupying and colonising other countries as a good thing, as long as you don't drink while doing it.

[ONeill]

It is generally connected to religious belief, in these parts at any rate,to refrain from drinking,smoking and rowdyism in general.

No, just good health education.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

Never met the woman so can only go on how she comes across on TV but she has to be the rudest politician ever. She can play to the galleries all she likes fine but do it with a bit of respect and dignity instead she just constantly interupts and pulls faces like a child. Watch her next time a feckin eejit like Gerry Kelly looks like a proper statesman sat next to her.

[FermGael]

What exactly is mean't be referring to someone as "black?" Bitter against who? Catholics and Catholicism? Plenty of black b's on this board then.

Arlene turned up at Cardinal Daly's funeral to pay her respects. The IRA tried to kill her father out in the fields in Fermanagh,she herself was in a school bus as a teenager which came under gunfire in an attempt to murder the driver.In short if anyone has a reason to be bitter it is she,but I don't believe that she is.She will play to the gallery for votes of course but who doesn't in this quagmire

ah now Tony I could tell you a million stories about Arlene.
She's actually not liked by a lot of UUP supporters in Fermanagh for obvious reasons.
One of the main reasons there has been such difficulties getting a joint unionist candidate at times.

And then there's the whole fracking thing.  Her support for it has nothing to do with the fact that most of the proposed fracking zone belongs to the family.

And then there is the rest.....

[Applesisapples]

What exactly is mean't be referring to someone as "black?" Bitter against who? Catholics and Catholicism? Plenty of black b's on this board then.

Arlene turned up at Cardinal Daly's funeral to pay her respects. The IRA tried to kill her father out in the fields in Fermanagh,she herself was in a school bus as a teenager which came under gunfire in an attempt to murder the driver.In short if anyone has a reason to be bitter it is she,but I don't believe that she is.She will play to the gallery for votes of course but who doesn't in this quagmire

Tony you of all people working in Portadown should know better. Many of us had friends killed in the troubles, I was threatened at gun point by the UVF and had more exposure to death and violence than is healthy for a youngster, I wouldn't refer to unionists in the way that she has to Nationalists. There is a bitterness within actively political unionism that no amount of exposure to the other side can mitigate. Don't forget that Arlene left the party that houses the well known "moderate" Tom Elliott to join the DUP, I'd say that gives a fare indication of the mind-set. As for this board just because some posters take issue with the antics of the church they grew up in with regard to abuse, or don't hold steadfastly to your orthodoxy does not equate to the same type of sentiment expressed by Ms Forster.

[Applesisapples]

Arlene Foster has brought a lot of investment to the North,she's highly thought of.Among the most able politicians at Stormont.

Jim Allister is a very able barrister.

[Applesisapples]

It is generally connected to religious belief, in these parts at any rate,to refrain from drinking,smoking and rowdyism in general.

Tony put down that spoon.

[johnneycool]

Alasdair saying what we all know;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-34355951

I just hope he's the balls to stand over his remarks in the face of unionist indignation!

[JPGJOHNNYG]

Fair play to him its about time he said something to remid us that the SDLP still exist. The DUP ARE sectarian and they abhor anything to do with nationalism. They would rip up the GFA agreement if they could and are completely oblivious to the fact that the good old days of Protestant Ulster are long gone. Noted also that Dolores Kelly was critical of his words again showing the deep divisions within the party.

[Orior]

Alasdair saying what we all know;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-34355951

I just hope he's the balls to stand over his remarks in the face of unionist indignation!

McDonnell could have been a little bit more diplomatic. His clumsiness has in some respects let the DUP off the hook.

To be honest, I actually expected the Dissidents to do something stupid that lets Unionists say "well I told you so".

[red hander]

The death of irony ... Robbie Coltrane telling Dr Ignorant to apologise to Catholics for insulting them by calling them Taigs. 

[Wildweasel74]

This Taigs must be a Belfast or city thing, have never heard it anywhere else, Kinda lowers yourself calling uself a term which offends