Sinn Fein? They have gone away, you know.

[Shamrock Shore]

not line their own pockets

Ah c'mon. Are you serious?

Border smuggling, diesel laundering, protection rackets, running of nightclubs and pubs .....all these funds did not find their way into P.O'Neill's bank account to fight the 'Brits'.

[glens abu]

Why on earth would Gerry or anyone else for that matter say they were in the RA, risk jail and then the ongoing crap ...

I'll take your point on this until the next time you criticise a politician from another party.

I mean, why on earth should Michael Lowry or anyone else for that matter admit to corruption, risk jail and then the ongoing crap ...

Well for me it would be a completely different thing,as people in the North joined the Ra in the late 60's and 70's to defend their people and fight against an occupying army not line their own pockets like Michael Lowry,Bertie Aherne etc.I know you will have a different view on this Hardy but that is the way I see it.

A lot of people would take that with a pinch of salt.
Fighting an occupying army would be grand if that was all they did ... but .... I don't need to list the various "operations" which killed so many Irish or English civilians with not a British soldier in sight .

I wasn't trying to convince anyone Ross,its up to you and Hardy and anyone else to believe what you want I was just stating what I believe having lived among them and known many of them over the years.Yes I agree that many non-combatants were killed during the war and would not try and excuse that unfortunately it has happened in every conflit since  time began but that doesn't make it right.

[glens abu]

not line their own pockets

Ah c'mon. Are you serious?

Border smuggling, diesel laundering, protection rackets, running of nightclubs and pubs .....all these funds did not find their way into P.O'Neill's bank account to fight the 'Brits'.

Oh I never said that money wasn't raised to fight the war,but would not agree with all of your list.

[mylestheslasher]

not line their own pockets

Ah c'mon. Are you serious?

Border smuggling, diesel laundering, protection rackets, running of nightclubs and pubs .....all these funds did not find their way into P.O'Neill's bank account to fight the 'Brits'.

Who got it then? I always wanted to know that. When the Sunday world told me about all the money that individuals in the IRA were getting I always wondered who are these individuals as I don't know them.

[Puckoon]

Serious question: I saw this photo on a friend's facebook a few days ago in remembrance of IRA volunteers killed.

I noticed at the bottom there seems to be a "nod" to the civilians who have died in the troubles. Is this common among these memorials and does it extend to the civilians who may or may not have been killed at the hands of the names listed above the statement?

I found it a very interesting and I wonder if absolutely any of the families of civilian victims would find much appreciation in it? Anyone with any insight?

[muppet]

Why on earth would Gerry or anyone else for that matter say they were in the RA, risk jail and then the ongoing crap ...

I'll take your point on this until the next time you criticise a politician from another party.

I mean, why on earth should Michael Lowry or anyone else for that matter admit to corruption, risk jail and then the ongoing crap ...

Well for me it would be a completely different thing,as people in the North joined the Ra in the late 60's and 70's to defend their people and fight against an occupying army not line their own pockets like Michael Lowry,Bertie Aherne etc.I know you will have a different view on this Hardy but that is the way I see it.

Serious question: Why couldn't any senior public figures, who may have been members of the PIRA in the past, come clean after the Good Friday Agreement was passed? Further to that did the GFA give them an any form of amnesty if they did come clean?

[Shamrock Shore]

Further to that did the GFA give them an any form of amnesty if they did come clean?

AFAIK it did not. It provided that someone found guilty of an offence after the GFA but committed before the GFA and which qualified as an offence under the GFA had to serve something like 2 years before they could be released under the terms of the GFA.

But I may be wrong.

[Maguire01]

Serious question: I saw this photo on a friend's facebook a few days ago in remembrance of IRA volunteers killed.

I noticed at the bottom there seems to be a "nod" to the civilians who have died in the troubles. Is this common among these memorials and does it extend to the civilians who may or may not have been killed at the hands of the names listed above the statement?

I found it a very interesting and I wonder if absolutely any of the families of civilian victims would find much appreciation in it? Anyone with any insight?

I know how I'd feel.

[Maguire01]

not line their own pockets

Ah c'mon. Are you serious?

Border smuggling, diesel laundering, protection rackets, running of nightclubs and pubs .....all these funds did not find their way into P.O'Neill's bank account to fight the 'Brits'.

Who got it then? I always wanted to know that. When the Sunday world told me about all the money that individuals in the IRA were getting I always wondered who are these individuals as I don't know them.

Would you expect to know them?

[glens abu]

Why on earth would Gerry or anyone else for that matter say they were in the RA, risk jail and then the ongoing crap ...

I'll take your point on this until the next time you criticise a politician from another party.

I mean, why on earth should Michael Lowry or anyone else for that matter admit to corruption, risk jail and then the ongoing crap ...

Well for me it would be a completely different thing,as people in the North joined the Ra in the late 60's and 70's to defend their people and fight against an occupying army not line their own pockets like Michael Lowry,Bertie Aherne etc.I know you will have a different view on this Hardy but that is the way I see it.

Serious question: Why couldn't any senior public figures, who may have been members of the PIRA in the past, come clean after the Good Friday Agreement was passed? Further to that did the GFA give them an any form of amnesty if they did come clean?

No they do not have an amnesty,Gerry Mc Geough is one example.

[muppet]

Why on earth would Gerry or anyone else for that matter say they were in the RA, risk jail and then the ongoing crap ...

I'll take your point on this until the next time you criticise a politician from another party.

I mean, why on earth should Michael Lowry or anyone else for that matter admit to corruption, risk jail and then the ongoing crap ...

Well for me it would be a completely different thing,as people in the North joined the Ra in the late 60's and 70's to defend their people and fight against an occupying army not line their own pockets like Michael Lowry,Bertie Aherne etc.I know you will have a different view on this Hardy but that is the way I see it.

Serious question: Why couldn't any senior public figures, who may have been members of the PIRA in the past, come clean after the Good Friday Agreement was passed? Further to that did the GFA give them an any form of amnesty if they did come clean?

No they do not have an amnesty,Gerry Mc Geough is one example.

Life might have been a lot simpler all round if they had negotiated such a process into the GFA.

[glens abu]

Why on earth would Gerry or anyone else for that matter say they were in the RA, risk jail and then the ongoing crap ...

I'll take your point on this until the next time you criticise a politician from another party.

I mean, why on earth should Michael Lowry or anyone else for that matter admit to corruption, risk jail and then the ongoing crap ...

Well for me it would be a completely different thing,as people in the North joined the Ra in the late 60's and 70's to defend their people and fight against an occupying army not line their own pockets like Michael Lowry,Bertie Aherne etc.I know you will have a different view on this Hardy but that is the way I see it.

Serious question: Why couldn't any senior public figures, who may have been members of the PIRA in the past, come clean after the Good Friday Agreement was passed? Further to that did the GFA give them an any form of amnesty if they did come clean?

No they do not have an amnesty,Gerry Mc Geough is one example.

Life might have been a lot simpler all round if they had negotiated such a process into the GFA.

without a doubt but negotiations are all about compromise and the unionists couldn't buy into a full amnesty[they said as they had to sell it to victims]  so had to settle for release of all prisoners and people could still be charged with offences but only serve 2 years.Best we could get.

[All of a Sludden]

Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly has called for the immediate release of Padraic Wilson, claiming his arrest is politically motivated.Mr Wilson, a senior republican, is in custody after being charged with offences in relation to the murder of Robert McCartney in 2005.

Mr Kelly, said the arrest was political policing by some PSNI members and was undermining confidence in the police.

"This has gone through republicanism like a bush fire," he said.

"I can tell you frankly that many, many people have been in touch, from other colleagues, very angry about the idea that someone who was crucial to bringing people along in the peace process and political process is now behind bars where he should not be."

Mr Kelly said that the media should also be concerned at the arrest because under this legislation reporters could be charged for talking to illegal organisations.

He said a protest was being planned, and rejected suggestions his call as a member of the policing board was political interference in policing.

The SDLP's west Belfast MLA Alex Attwood said the party was trying to influence the justice system.

"In previous years, Sinn Fein complained of 'political influence' over the courts and of 'political policing'," he said.

"Today, in a brazen public way, Sinn Fein are at the same. People campaigned, worked and struggled to change 'the old order of things', for now Sinn Fein to recreate it, a modern version of the failed past, a renewed attempt to pressure politically the due process of law."

The DUP's Lord Morrow said: "Sinn Fein's stance on this serious matter does nothing to take Northern Ireland forward into a normal society despite their protestations that this is their aim and objective.

"They cannot expect to endear themselves to the Unionist community or portray a society of equals if they continue to practice a separatist agenda which applies only to their own ideals."

The Traditional Unionist Voice assembly member Jim Allister said plans for a protest were "unacceptable".

"It is hard to imagine a situation anywhere else in the western world where a party of government would take to the streets to demand the release of someone accused of serious terrorist offences," he said.

"Not only that but Wilson continues to hold a senior post within the party."

Padraic Wilson, 53, was a key negotiator in the Maze Prison in the late 1990s. He is Sinn Fein's director of international affairs.

He has been charged with IRA membership and addressing a meeting to encourage support for the IRA, which he denies.

They'll have to organise a few more protests. The heckler has been charged tonight in relation to the same offences. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21621583

[Dougal Maguire]

Quare crack if they put him and Willie Frazer in the same cell

[All of a Sludden]

I was just thinking the same.

Willie has been naming him in public in relation to Kingsmill, I wonder will he be so vocal if they both end up on the same wing.