Sinn Fein? They have gone away, you know.

[Il Bomber Destro]

What's the next statement in this logical sequence?

Sean Russell looked for help from the Germans during WW2 when they were at war with a common enemy.
De Valera also sympathised with the Germans on the death of Hitler.

I went to Germany on holidays one time?

I thought it was obvious.

Openly forming a movement to embrace fascism is a bit different to seeking assistance from  the enemy of a common enemy who happen to be fascist.

[general_lee]

I see aul Slab's getting home tonight for another while at least!
Has anybody on the board ever had any dealings with this guy?

Does he go to any GAA matches ? Is he good craic??? Etc etc

All I know is Crossmaglen started wining championships after the ceasefire 

[Rossfan]

What's the next statement in this logical sequence?

Sean Russell looked for help from the Germans during WW2 when they were at war with a common enemy.
De Valera also sympathised with the Germans on the death of Hitler.

I went to Germany on holidays one time?

I thought it was obvious.

Openly forming a movement to embrace fascism is a bit different to seeking assistance from  the enemy of a common enemy who happen to be fascist.

Fascism was quite an in thing in Europe mid 30s.
By 1940 seeking a Nazi invasion wasn't quite so in.

[muppet]

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/election-2016/rightcol/campaign-weary-mary-lou-throws-a-wobble-over-her-dear-friend-slab-34451351.html

Mary Lou McDonald
Spare a thought for poor old Mary Lou McDonald who is beginning to feel the strain of the seven-day-a-week campaign trail.

Yesterday, while launching Sinn Fein's 'charter for young people', the clearly overworked politician threw an unprecedented wobble over a simple question about her dear friend and tax cheat, Thomas 'Slab' Murphy.

Ms McDonald, who many believe could be the next leader of SF, was asked by the Sunday Independent if she hoped Slab, the good republican that she believes him to be, would make time to vote for Gerry Adams in Louth before his sentencing trial on February 26.

But Ms McDonald - who, remember, believes the former IRA commander described as a "mass murderer" in a recent BBC documentary is a "very nice man" - dodged the question and resorted to personal insults.

"I think in the long litany of really, really stupid questions that is now the prize winner," she said.

Now, now Mary Lou, I know you may be tired of having to take responsibility for the choices your party made in the past, but if you're in for a penny, you're in for a pound.

Nonetheless, curiosity got the better of me and I asked why is it a stupid question?

"Who [someone] votes for is entirely a matter for themselves," she said.

OK, but surely you would hope a 'good republican' like Slab would vote Sinn Fein?

"Philip, it's 11 o'clock, or is it 11 o'clock yet, on a Saturday morning," the election-weary Shinner whinged.

Bless. We're not even halfway through the campaign and 11am is hardly the crack of dawn, but Ms McDonald seems to be feeling the pace catch up with her.

Even before the press conference, the worn-out politician seemed to forget what constituency Sinn Fein's Cork South Central candidate Donnchadh O Laoghaire represents.

Anyway, she went on to say: "Whoever anyone votes for is their own business".

And then added this: "Obviously, I want the maximum number of people to vote for Sinn Fein and the courts, not the Sunday Independent and not you Philip, and not I, will deal with all the matters pertaining to Tom Murphy."

I pointed out to her they've already convicted Slab.

"Well, they haven't concluded their business and I think you should have a bit of respect for the judiciary," McDonald responded

A Sinn Fein media chief then interjected and shut down any questioning on whether the party can count on a number one first preference vote from Slab after all the support they've shown him during his recent troubles.

But returning to Ms McDonald and her plea to show a "bit of respect for the judiciary" - the judiciary in this case being the three judges presiding in the Special Criminal Court on the case of Slab and his €190,000 unpaid tax bill.

The three judges - Justice Paul Butler, Judge John O'Hagan and Judge Ann Ryan - are currently mulling over the intricacies of the complicated tax evasion case before agreeing on a sentence.

They have already decided he is guilty.

It is this same court, which McDonald insisted we should respect, that Sinn Fein wants to do away with.

Gerry Adams, her boss, plans to abolish the entire Special Criminal Court, along with a central piece of legislation which protects us from criminals and terrorists.

Sinn Fein will rip up the Offences Against the State Act and throw it out if in Government.

It has yet to tell us what it will replace it with but Adams is understood to have searched 'what do I replace the special criminal court with' in Google.

Now, I'm not suggesting Ms McDonald does not agree with her party leader. Heaven forbid.

But demanding that everyone else respects the court you intend on abolishing is a bit rich even by her own high, privately schooled, standard.

It seems to have escaped her memory that the party line is to rattle on about the injustice of non-jury courts without referring to the fear experienced by jurors forced to adjudicate in cases of ruthless criminals and terrorists.

Only yesterday, former defence minister Willie O'Dea told how constituents confided in him that they would prefer to take their own lives rather than serve as jurors on the trials of vicious and lawless criminal gangs in Limerick.

"Everybody in Limerick, from one end to the other, were absolutely terrified out of their wits, of serving on a jury, whether those people would be able to identify them," he said.

These gangs, who had absolutely no respect for the judiciary or any form of law and order for that matter, were eventually dealt with through the hard work of the gardai and the Special Criminal Court.

The judges in these cases and the ones involved in sentencing Slab abide by the same rule of law used in jury trials.

Perhaps after a good nights' sleep - something not enjoyed by jurors involved in gangland trials - a rested Mary Lou will be better equipped to deal with questions on her party's associations.

[The Stallion]

What an awful, snide article. The person who penned it comes across very badly.

[Gaffer]

Better if Sinn Fein stopped sticking up for him!
He was found guilty of tax evasion.

[ThroughTheLaces]

Regardless of your opinion of Sinn Fein, and I am not a supporter, this article is petty and journalism at its absolute lowest. I actually don't think I have read a worse article than this.

[Main Street]

Perhaps Muppet didn't spot the  utter stupidity  evident in the article,  the journalist  putting an inane  question to a candidate and after the candidate informs  the journalist of just how inane the question is, the journalist accuses the candidate of throwing a Muppet,  sorry  throwing a wobbly. And we have an article in the national paper complete with a picture of the candidate doing her best to look like Muppet.

[muppet]

Perhaps Muppet didn't spot the  utter stupidity  evident in the article,  the journalist  putting an inane  question to a candidate and after the candidate informs  the journalist of just how inane the question is, the journalist accuses the candidate of throwing a Muppet,  sorry  throwing a wobbly. And we have an article in the national paper complete with a picture of the candidate doing her best to look like Muppet.

I     see      , blame       the journalist      ,    the paper     and        even  the         person        who simply        posted up       the link  .

And      insert    extras    spaces      for     some     reason   .

[Never beat the deeler]

Better if Sinn Fein stopped sticking up for him!
He was found guilty of tax evasion.

I agree with this sentiment,  but it does not stop me from agreeing with the following:

What an awful, snide article. The person who penned it comes across very badly.

Ridiculous, petty, personal, unbalanced article from the Independent (what would you expect), and the fact it is receiving a response from me is saying a lot considering I'm living in Australia, home of gutter journalism.

[AQMP]

Perhaps Muppet didn't spot the  utter stupidity  evident in the article,  the journalist  putting an inane  question to a candidate and after the candidate informs  the journalist of just how inane the question is, the journalist accuses the candidate of throwing a Muppet,  sorry  throwing a wobbly. And we have an article in the national paper complete with a picture of the candidate doing her best to look like Muppet.

I     see      , blame       the journalist      ,    the paper     and        even  the         person        who simply        posted up       the link  .

And      insert    extras    spaces      for     some     reason   .

Well, the journalist did write the piece

[deiseach]

The revolution is here. You have the honour of putting Shinners and (S)Indo hacks against the wall. Who do you shoot first?

[Hardy]

Put the Shinners in front of the Shacks - two for one bullet.

[Longshanks]

I know this is a major IF and long shot all around but if Sinn Fein won the majority party down south and up here in the next ten years, what would that mean? surely a push at all Ireland or is that being silly?

[Jim_Murphy_74]

Article is a bit OTT alright.

Ammunition has been supplied by the Shinners through harping on about the Special Criminal Court.  They should not have put it on the agenda.  No one wants to have it and we all understand trial by jury of our peers as a principle.  That said, everyone also understands jury intimidation.  Unfortunately criminals and terrorists have enough of resources at their disposal to get at jurors (and indeed witness, remember the Gerry McCabe murder trial).  Gerry and his gang should have said nothing about Special Criminal Court and witness/jury protection programs.

Also Mary Lou knows the Indo has it in for Shinners so she shouldn't rise.  "Respect for the judiciary" is more ammunition for their opponents.  Her party has as good as said the judiciary involved here are incapable of fairness.

Slab, like other criminals was cute enough for long enough and didn't get caught.  Then the cops put CAB onto the money trail, that's what they do.  He got caught out, needs to face up and his comrades in Sinn Féin needed to say less about it but didn't.

/Jim