Get ready to wave them flegs - Lily Windsor's coming

[Minder]

I hear the UDA brigadiers will be in attendance, is this more evidence of our "maturing" as a country?

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

'Free State' for some of us northern brethren is a description of reality as we see it, and must not be confused with the rather derogatory term 'Free Stater', i.e, the 26 county state is free from British rule, unlike the 6 county statelet, which has nothing to do with the pro-British Free Stater disposition of the Irish Civil War.

The term 'Ireland' cannot be invoked other than in a 32 county context, and the Irish Constitution will corroborate that, as it's currently constituted.

So, (some) 26 county lads, lose the preciousness about the 'free state' moniker, and (some) 6 county lads, lose the preciousness about their preciousness 

The Pro-Treaty side were not pro-British, they were pragmatist Irish nationalist republicans. Be they right or wrong, they were not pro-British.

[4father]

UDA Brigadiers

Eamonn Mallie | May 14, 2011    | View Comments

The question on everybody's lips in coming days will be "are the top brass of the UDA going to get a chance to shake hands with the Queen on her trip to the Republic of Ireland?" The UDA's five brigadiers and 4/5 representatives of their respective districts have been extended invitations to a wreath laying ceremony by Queen Elizabeth at Islandbridge in honour of the war dead. President Mary McAleese's husband Martin has been involved with UDA leaders in community work for several years. South Belfast brigadier Jackie McDonald regularly visits Aras an Uachtarain. Confirming the invitations on Wednesday to the Islandbridge leg of the Queen's visit Mr McDonald said "this represents progress and is a reward for work being done. Others could learn from this.". The brigadiers have not been told they will actually meet the Queen given the heightened security situation surrounding the royal visitor. It would be surprising however if Jackie McDonald and his colleagues are not embraced by President McAleese who always appears comfortable in their presence.

[Tony Baloney]

UDA Brigadiers

Eamonn Mallie | May 14, 2011    | View Comments

The question on everybody's lips in coming days will be "are the top brass of the UDA going to get a chance to shake hands with the Queen on her trip to the Republic of Ireland?" The UDA's five brigadiers and 4/5 representatives of their respective districts have been extended invitations to a wreath laying ceremony by Queen Elizabeth at Islandbridge in honour of the war dead. President Mary McAleese's husband Martin has been involved with UDA leaders in community work for several years. South Belfast brigadier Jackie McDonald regularly visits Aras an Uachtarain. Confirming the invitations on Wednesday to the Islandbridge leg of the Queen's visit Mr McDonald said "this represents progress and is a reward for work being done. Others could learn from this.". The brigadiers have not been told they will actually meet the Queen given the heightened security situation surrounding the royal visitor. It would be surprising however if Jackie McDonald and his colleagues are not embraced by President McAleese who always appears comfortable in their presence.

Why?

[Minder]

There is maybe an application for some "conflict resolution" money that needs submitted in the near future, this would look well on it.

[Tony Baloney]

Jackie McDonald must have something on Martin McAleese.

[Nally Stand]

€30m on security for this one visit. It's a good job the country is rolling on money. Also so nice to see that armed british security forces will be returning to the streets.

[SHEEDY]

seen enda kenny on the andrew marr show on bbc1 this morning, never heard anything more cringworthy in my life. he talked about "start of new era, queen receiving a warm welcome" blah blah. he also talked about 'ordinary' irish people being able to meet the queen. who are these people? handpicked by who?

[Tony Baloney]

seen enda kenny on the andrew marr show on bbc1 this morning, never heard anything more cringworthy in my life. he talked about "start of new era, queen receiving a warm welcome" blah blah. he also talked about 'ordinary' irish people being able to meet the queen. who are these people? handpicked by who?

Cork people.

[deiseach]

The term 'Ireland' cannot be invoked other than in a 32 county context, and the Irish Constitution will corroborate that, as it's currently constituted.

So what would you call the country whom Jedward were representing on the Eurovision last night?

[deiseach]

I see Kevin Myers is outraged that he has not been invited to kiss Lizzie's ring:

Anti-IRA figures not on royal list
Peace activists overlooked for Queen's visit in favour of TV personalities and celebrities
   
By LIAM COLLINS

Sunday May 15 2011

The British and Irish governments have snubbed prominent anti-terrorist figures who fearlessly campaigned against the Provisional IRA.

The guest list includes such celebrity personalities as Amanda Brunker and Lorraine Keane, as well as television presenter Terry Wogan, chef Rachel Allen, Nama developer Harry Crosbie and model Erin O'Connor.

In marked contrast, leading peace campaigners such as Chris Hudson MBE and Barbara Fitzgerald CBE, and media figures such as Kevin Myers, Eoghan Harris and Ruth Dudley Edwards, have not been invited to any official events relative to the visit this week of Queen Elizabeth.

The British Embassy in Dublin, which is hosting the centrepiece event at the National Conference Centre on Dublin Quays, has defended the guest list. This will be a concert featuring the Chieftains and Mary Byrne, amongst others, and hosted by Gay Byrne.

"We wanted to reflect the range of sporting, cultural and business links between Britain and Ireland," said Richard Cushnie of the British Embassy.

Guest lists for most other events are organised by the individual hosts, which include Trinity College and the GAA.

The State dinner for the Queen will be held in Dublin Castle and hosted by the President. The Department of the Taoiseach is involved in arrangements for this and some of the other events.

The arrangements are such that every government minister will get to attend at least one function at which the Queen will be present.

But many high-profile figures have been overlooked for the historic event, the first official visit of a British monarch since King George V in 1912.

Leading peace campaigner Chris Hudson last night expressed "amazement" that many of those directly involved in the peace process had not been invited to any of the official functions surrounding the Queen's visit, which begins on Tuesday.

"I remember [the late Progressive Unionist Party leader] David Ervine saying to me 'remember, when this is over other people will be collecting Nobel prizes and we'll just have to go for a pint'," said the Peace Train founder yesterday.

"What seems to have happened is that the politicians take charge of things -- they delivered the political process . . . but they didn't deliver the peace process," said the former Communications Works Union official, who is now Rev Chris Hudson of the All Souls Unitarian Church near Queen's University in Belfast.

"Official Ireland has never given us any recognition for anything we've done -- and it doesn't look as if it wants to start now."

Rev Hudson, who comes from Blackrock, Co Dublin, put himself in danger by his work with hard-line Loyalists in the North. He succeeded in bringing David Ervine on board the peace process, an event which transformed Loyalist attitudes to Dublin.

But despite being awarded an MBE by Prince Charles and on behalf of the Queen, he and many other who were directly involved in bringing warring communities together have not been invited to any of the high-profile events at the conference centre, Dublin Castle and Memorial Gardens.

"I didn't want it for myself, but an invitation to some of these historic events might have been some modest recognition for the people who created the space for the peace process to happen," Rev Hudson said.

Author and journalist Ruth Dudley Edwards said she was disappointed that Kevin Myers and Eoghan Harris had not been invited to the event.

"Both have shown immense courage over the years -- especially in relation to fearless denunciation of paramilitarism," she said.

Mr Myers was a particularly surprising omission given his almost-singlehanded role in making it acceptable to honour the thousands of young Irishmen who died in the World War One.

A source close to Mr Myers said yesterday: "He is not so much disappointed as angry. It stinks to high heaven that those who took the heat when it was far hotter than it is now in relation to the paramilitaries have been snubbed. As a country we cannot even get these small things right."

Members of the public will also be kept away from the Queen during the royal visit. Security arrangements yesterday included a plan to keep all members of the public away from any area in which the Queen will be present, which will be heavily cordoned off.

[gallsman]

Maybe we can make it up to Myers by shipping him over to London where he'll have the chance to see her more regularly?

[Rossfan]

Great to see those that licked Brit arses for years being ignored  by their Supreme being 

[pintsofguinness]

The British Embassy in Dublin, which is hosting the centrepiece event at the National Conference Centre on Dublin Quays, has defended the guest list. This will be a concert featuring the Chieftains and Mary Byrne, amongst others, and hosted by Gay Byrne.

Jesus, they should be grateful they're not invited.

[AQMP]

The term 'Ireland' cannot be invoked other than in a 32 county context, and the Irish Constitution will corroborate that, as it's currently constituted.

So what would you call the country whom Jedward were representing on the Eurovision last night?

I don't have the time or inclination to check the rules but I suspect they were representing RTE.