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

[Eamonnca1]

Speech in full:

"A hUachtarain agus a chairde [president and friends].

"Prince Philip and I are delighted to be here, and to experience at first hand Ireland's world famous hospitality.

"Together we have much to celebrate: the ties between our people, the shared values, and the economic, business and cultural links that make us so much more than neighbours, that make us firm friends and equal partners.

"Madame President, speaking here in Dublin Castle it is impossible to ignore the weight of history, as it was yesterday when you and I laid wreaths at the Garden of Remembrance.

"Indeed so much of this visit reminds us of the complexity of our history, its many layers and traditions, but also the importance of forbearance and conciliation, of being able to bow to the past but not be bound by it.

"Of course the relationship has not always been straightforward; nor has the record over the centuries been entirely benign.

"It is a sad and regrettable reality that through history our islands have experienced more than their fair share of heartache, turbulence and loss.

"These events have touched us all, many of us personally, and are a painful legacy. We can never forget those who have died or been injured or their families.

"To all those who have suffered as a consequence of our troubled past I extend my sincere thoughts and deep sympathy.

"With the benefit of historical hindsight we can all see things which we would wish had been done differently or not at all.

"But it is also true that no one who looked to the future over the past centuries could have imagined the strength of the bonds that are now in place between the governments and the people of our two nations, the spirit of partnership that we now enjoy, and the lasting rapport between us.

"No one here this evening could doubt that heartfelt desire of our two nations.

"Madame President, you have done a great deal to promote this understanding and reconciliation. You set out to build bridges. And I have seen it first hand, your success in bringing together different communities and traditions on this island.

"You have also shed new light on the sacrifice of those who served in the First World War. Even as we jointly opened the Messines Peace Park in 1998 it was difficult to look ahead to the time when you and I would be standing together at Islandbridge as we were today.

"That transformation is also evident in the establishment of a successful power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland. A knot of history that was painstakingly loosened by the British and Irish Governments together with the strength, vision and determination of the political parties in Northern Ireland.

"What were once only hopes for the future have now come to pass; it is almost exactly 13 years since the overwhelming majority of people in Ireland and Northern Ireland voted in favour of the agreement signed on Good Friday 1998, paving the way for Northern Ireland to become the exciting and inspirational place that it is today.

"I applaud the work of all those involved in the peace process and of all those who support and nurture peace, including members of the police, the Garda and the other emergency services, and those who work in the communities, the Churches and charitable bodies like Co-operation Ireland.

"Taken together, their work not only serves as the basis for reconciliation between our peoples and communities, but it gives hope to other peacemakers across the world that through sustained effort, peace can and will prevail.

"For the world moves on quickly. The challenges of the past have been replaced by new economic challenges which will demand the same imagination and courage.

"The lessons from the peace process are clear - whatever life throws at us, our individual responses will be all the stronger for working together and sharing the load.

"There are other stories written daily across these islands which do not find their voice in solemn pages of history books, or newspaper headlines but which are at the heart of shared narrative.

"Many British families have members who live in this country, as many Irish families have close relatives in the United Kingdom. These families share the two islands; they have visited each other and have come home to each other over the years.

"They are the ordinary people who yearned for the peace and understanding we now have between our two nations and between the communities within those two nations; a living testament to how much in common we have.

"These ties of family, friendship and affection are our most precious resource. They are the lifeblood of the partnership across these islands, a golden thread that runs through all our joint successes so far, and all we will go on to achieve.

"They are a reminder that we have much to do together to build a future for all our grandchildren; the kind of future our grandparents could only dream of.

"So we celebrate together the widespread spread of goodwill and deep mutual understanding that has served to make the relationship more harmonious, close as good neighbours should always be."

[Eamonnca1]

Incidentally, EG, Her Majesty started her speech today by speaking in Irish. Now when a northern politician does that it usually gets greeted by hisses and jeers from your crowd. What do youse think of the Irish language now that HM thinks it's okay to speak it?  And what do you think of HM honouring the fallen who fought for Irish independence?  Hmm?  And if it's okay for Her Majesty to associate with the GAA then surely it must now be okay for your crowd to do the same?

This trip must really be f***ing with your heads, musn't it?

[gallsman]

It's typified by a couple of recent posts here which suggest that the only apparent reason anyone could disagree with this visit is because such people.are just incapable of moving on. It's an arrogant and condescending argument.

For once I'm in complete agreement with you.

[ross matt]

Yer man on vincent brown who reviews the tweets made the point that there seems to have been a general acceptance of how the people are expected to view this visit and that and anyone who deviates from that is put down and told they are backward and that this is an oppressive idea of political maturity. How true. It's typified by a couple of recent posts here which suggest that the only apparent reason anyone could disagree with this visit is because such people.are just incapable of moving on. It's an arrogant and condescending argument.

Can't get TV3 myself, but O'Snodaigh has Sinn Fein trending on Twitter. And not for the right reasons.

O'Snodaigh was embarrassing last night. Bumbling his words... couldnt look anyone in the eye.... and managed to stray past the point so much that Brown tied him up in knots.

[Nally Stand]

Yer man on vincent brown who reviews the tweets made the point that there seems to have been a general acceptance of how the people are expected to view this visit and that and anyone who deviates from that is put down and told they are backward and that this is an oppressive idea of political maturity. How true. It's typified by a couple of recent posts here which suggest that the only apparent reason anyone could disagree with this visit is because such people.are just incapable of moving on. It's an arrogant and condescending argument.

Can't get TV3 myself, but O'Snodaigh has Sinn Fein trending on Twitter. And not for the right reasons.

O'Snodaigh was embarrassing last night. Bumbling his words... couldnt look anyone in the eye.... and managed to stray past the point so much that Brown tied him up in knots.

He was also noticable that he was the only panel member who was challenged on his opinion, which backs up the point in my last post that in the 26 counties, there is no room/tolerance for anyone who voices an opinion which strays from a certain viewpoint on this visit.

[Nally Stand]

It's typified by a couple of recent posts here which suggest that the only apparent reason anyone could disagree with this visit is because such people.are just incapable of moving on. It's an arrogant and condescending argument.

For once I'm in complete agreement with you.

In that case I completely retract my statement haha Only joking ya!

[gallsman]

EG, quick question - you mentioned that that you were uneasy about the visit to the Garden of Remembrance. Would you be equally as uneasy if she was to visiti the quivalent memorials in other former parts of the Empire, both in and out of the Commonwealth?! I have no idea, but I imagine she's probably visited the Washington monument before.

You can criticise the attitude of people or the GAA for "sham" attempts to reach out to Unionists, but that kind of opinion speaks volumes about how some Unionists still feel about the loss of the 26 counties. Shameful.

[Applesisapples]

Exactly. The motives of the British haven't changed, they still want to keep as much of Ireland as possible. They just have to be more circumspect in their methods in this day and age.

Oh please! The Brits are hanging onto the north because they're greedy? Give me a break! Some people have an over-inflated sense of Ireland's importance. The Brits have plenty on their plates without having to worry about their troublesome little "province" in the north.

Sorry to rain on people's parades, but having worked for ten years in Ireland, I'm pretty sure that outside the border counties a referendum on a United Ireland would be defeated- and I'm not hanging that on the current economic situation either by the way.

Irish Unity will happen, perhaps not for another generation, when it does it will be because there are sensible economic and political reasons for doing so. The GFA allows for this. It protects Nationalists within the current jurisdiction but conversely will protect Unionists within any unified state.

[ross matt]

Yer man on vincent brown who reviews the tweets made the point that there seems to have been a general acceptance of how the people are expected to view this visit and that and anyone who deviates from that is put down and told they are backward and that this is an oppressive idea of political maturity. How true. It's typified by a couple of recent posts here which suggest that the only apparent reason anyone could disagree with this visit is because such people.are just incapable of moving on. It's an arrogant and condescending argument.

Can't get TV3 myself, but O'Snodaigh has Sinn Fein trending on Twitter. And not for the right reasons.

O'Snodaigh was embarrassing last night. Bumbling his words... couldnt look anyone in the eye.... and managed to stray past the point so much that Brown tied him up in knots.

He was also noticable that he was the only panel member who was challenged on his opinion, which backs up the point in my last post that in the 26 counties, there is no room/tolerance for anyone who voices an opinion which strays from a certain viewpoint on this visit.

Being the only one challenged should have given him a chance to make his point clearly instead of wandering in to GFA where Browne nailed him. I actually agree with him that she didnt go far enough in her statement but he was a pathetic representative of that side of the argument.

[Nally Stand]

Yer man on vincent brown who reviews the tweets made the point that there seems to have been a general acceptance of how the people are expected to view this visit and that and anyone who deviates from that is put down and told they are backward and that this is an oppressive idea of political maturity. How true. It's typified by a couple of recent posts here which suggest that the only apparent reason anyone could disagree with this visit is because such people.are just incapable of moving on. It's an arrogant and condescending argument.

Can't get TV3 myself, but O'Snodaigh has Sinn Fein trending on Twitter. And not for the right reasons.

O'Snodaigh was embarrassing last night. Bumbling his words... couldnt look anyone in the eye.... and managed to stray past the point so much that Brown tied him up in knots.

He was also noticable that he was the only panel member who was challenged on his opinion, which backs up the point in my last post that in the 26 counties, there is no room/tolerance for anyone who voices an opinion which strays from a certain viewpoint on this visit.

Being the only one challenged should have given him a chance to make his point clearly instead of wandering in to GFA where Browne nailed him. I actually agree with him that she didnt go far enough in her statement but he was a pathetic representative of that side of the argument.

How well he performed is one aspect but I think he was clearly under most pressure as he was the only panel member who it seemed acceptable to challenge. It was reminiscent of Inda's plea for people not to protest and embarass the country, and of Christy Cooney's instruction for no discussion on his Croke Park invitation. No room or tolerance for anyone who might dare to feel uncomfortable about or opposed to the visit, and who are opposed to this seemingly agreed version of how this visit should be viewed.

[AZOffaly]

I'm far from Enda Kenny's biggest fan Nally, but I think you are misrepresenting what he said. He said people were entitled to protest, peacefully. What he said was the he hoped they didn't embarrass our country in doing so. The lads setting fire to bins and throwing things at the gardai didn't heed him unfortunately, but there was only a few of them at least.

[Croí na hÉireann]

For a man nearing 90 that Prince Philip is looking well.    Oh and I am aware that he hasn't worked a day in his life.

I'm pretty sure he won't die until he has insulted every race and country on this planet.

It's a wonder he hasn't said anything yet.

By all accounts he asked Joe Sheridan why he wasn't playing for Leinster at the weekend in Cardiff.

He said to a physio student in TCD on Tuesday that she is of the right build for that kind of work, she is of the stocky variety. Anyone got footage of Nicky putting his foot in it yesterday? We were always schooled to help aul wans around the place, he should have given the protocol observer a rap around the ankles and continued on.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

I'm far from Enda Kenny's biggest fan Nally, but I think you are misrepresenting what he said. He said people were entitled to protest, peacefully. What he said was the he hoped they didn't embarrass our country in doing so. The lads setting fire to bins and throwing things at the gardai didn't heed him unfortunately, but there was only a few of them at least.

Absolutely nothing wrong with peaceful protest, but attacking Gardaí, vandalism and general thuggary is all we saw from these inbreds (the other inbreds, our visitors, behaved themselves    )

[Applesisapples]

Noticed on the clip of the eejit burning the Union Jack that it was a freebie advertising the Sun.

[ross matt]

Yer man on vincent brown who reviews the tweets made the point that there seems to have been a general acceptance of how the people are expected to view this visit and that and anyone who deviates from that is put down and told they are backward and that this is an oppressive idea of political maturity. How true. It's typified by a couple of recent posts here which suggest that the only apparent reason anyone could disagree with this visit is because such people.are just incapable of moving on. It's an arrogant and condescending argument.

Can't get TV3 myself, but O'Snodaigh has Sinn Fein trending on Twitter. And not for the right reasons.

O'Snodaigh was embarrassing last night. Bumbling his words... couldnt look anyone in the eye.... and managed to stray past the point so much that Brown tied him up in knots.

He was also noticable that he was the only panel member who was challenged on his opinion, which backs up the point in my last post that in the 26 counties, there is no room/tolerance for anyone who voices an opinion which strays from a certain viewpoint on this visit.

Being the only one challenged should have given him a chance to make his point clearly instead of wandering in to GFA where Browne nailed him. I actually agree with him that she didnt go far enough in her statement but he was a pathetic representative of that side of the argument.

How well he performed is one aspect but I think he was clearly under most pressure as he was the only panel member who it seemed acceptable to challenge. It was reminiscent of Inda's plea for people not to protest and embarass the country, and of Christy Cooney's instruction for no discussion on his Croke Park invitation. No room or tolerance for anyone who might dare to feel uncomfortable about or opposed to the visit, and who are opposed to this seemingly agreed version of how this visit should be viewed.

Will ya stop wandering off the point and doing the same thing he did. Enda Kenny was referring to the scum with the wheelie bins wearing the english premiership jerseys. And it turned out he was right. Now I dont have much time for Enda or the Queen but the likes of those street trash and that bumbling twit on Vincent Browne last night dont make for great reference points for anyone that had genuine issues with the visit.