The Race for the ARAS.....

[Main Street]

A solid core of 24% was not enough on its own and not enough to beat an obviously transparent spoofer like Gallagher. Thats why it is said Michael D won by default after front runner Gallagher imploded at the last fence.
In the end he deserved it.

[Rossfan]

It's finally over. Hopefully the media coverage of it will end by the weekend.

. Mitchell paid a price for taking on McGuinness before the others did .

Dana as I said at the beginning was a joke and in fairness to her she didnt prove me wrong. Mary Davis seemed to sell herself very poorly as if she regretted running. I never bought in to the media love in with Norris. He was lucky to get back in and he can sell his result any way he wants but he was totally rejected by the electorate.

Still flying the Mitchell kite Matt  trying to make him out to be a martyr or victim of SF .
Davis and Mitchell showed themselves in a very bad light today by not turning up at the final count announcement.
THey could at least have had the dacency and courtesy to turn up.
Great speech by Micilín D. and be nice to think we'd be moving to an Ireland that might value people before €€€€€€€€€€ but I'll believe it when I see it.

Dont fly any kite for Mitchell. Didnt vote for him either. Voted FG for the 1st time ever in the last general election. If you read my post you'll see I listed other reasons besides the shinners why he did so badly.

If you're having a go at me re the shinners or Mitchell based on something a provo apologist like Nally posted then all I can say is I'm a Rossie just like you. Except my heros are the likes of Gardai like Fergie O'Donnell, John Newton etc and real patriots like Dermot Early who was Chief of our army. I've also some close family members in the force. But unlike you I dont admire an dividual who was responsible for the deaths of their colleagues and in reality despises them and everything our republic stands for. Think about that before you tell someone alot older than you to "move on" again.

Jasus Matt steady on a biteen.
I don't even know what you are talking about Nally's post. You raised Mitchell's  attacks on  McGuinness and made him out to be a martyr 
Most of my post was about the 2 bad losers who didnt turn up for the announcement.
As for moving on .. again I mention the hypocrisy that demanded Nationalists victims plus the relatives of the Dublin and Monaghan victims  e.g.must move on yet anyone who suffered at the hands of the IRA don't have to.

I don't have heroes ... well except for Ros footballers ,but for their football activities not their day jobs.
I don't wish to question Dermot's patriotism but why is he a better patriot than say another public servant who fixes the pot holes.
By the way who's older than me that I told to move on... I've been around a whileen too you know.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

It's finally over. Hopefully the media coverage of it will end by the weekend.

. Mitchell paid a price for taking on McGuinness before the others did .

Dana as I said at the beginning was a joke and in fairness to her she didnt prove me wrong. Mary Davis seemed to sell herself very poorly as if she regretted running. I never bought in to the media love in with Norris. He was lucky to get back in and he can sell his result any way he wants but he was totally rejected by the electorate.

Still flying the Mitchell kite Matt  trying to make him out to be a martyr or victim of SF .
Davis and Mitchell showed themselves in a very bad light today by not turning up at the final count announcement.
THey could at least have had the dacency and courtesy to turn up.
Great speech by Micilín D. and be nice to think we'd be moving to an Ireland that might value people before €€€€€€€€€€ but I'll believe it when I see it.

Dont fly any kite for Mitchell. Didnt vote for him either. Voted FG for the 1st time ever in the last general election. If you read my post you'll see I listed other reasons besides the shinners why he did so badly.

If you're having a go at me re the shinners or Mitchell based on something a provo apologist like Nally posted then all I can say is I'm a Rossie just like you. Except my heros are the likes of Gardai like Fergie O'Donnell, John Newton etc and real patriots like Dermot Early who was Chief of our army. I've also some close family members in the force. But unlike you I dont admire an dividual who was responsible for the deaths of their colleagues and in reality despises them and everything our republic stands for. Think about that before you tell someone alot older than you to "move on" again.

Jasus Matt steady on a biteen.
I don't even know what you are talking about Nally's post. You raised Mitchell's  attacks on  McGuinness and made him out to be a martyr 
Most of my post was about the 2 bad losers who didnt turn up for the announcement.
As for moving on .. again I mention the hypocrisy that demanded Nationalists victims plus the relatives of the Dublin and Monaghan victims  e.g.must move on yet anyone who suffered at the hands of the IRA don't have to.

I don't have heroes ... well except for Ros footballers ,but for their football activities not their day jobs.
I don't wish to question Dermot's patriotism but why is he a better patriot than say another public servant who fixes the pot holes.
By the way who's older than me that I told to move on... I've been around a whileen too you know.

Civil War on the Rossie Front.

[ONeill]

That's true. On the other hand, if John Hume had run, there would have been no contest, possibly literally. The same probably applies to Seamus Heaney. And that belies the perception expressed by some of our Northern contributors that there was an anti-Northern bias here during the campaign among the electorate and the media.

This is my opinion Hardy but the lasting impression from this election is that so many our southern brethren have absolutely no understanding of, or empathy with, the political and social timeline in NI over the last 30 years and its impact on us (nationalists/republicans/gaels/deviants/druggies), nor do they want to. This in turn means they have little knowledge (nor do they want to have) of their own history and are happy with the present. That's their prerogative but I can't help but feel ultimately dismayed at reaction in the media and on here as a sample.

We're both Irishmen and women on the one island yet, now evidently, poles apart at the same time.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

That's true. On the other hand, if John Hume had run, there would have been no contest, possibly literally. The same probably applies to Seamus Heaney. And that belies the perception expressed by some of our Northern contributors that there was an anti-Northern bias here during the campaign among the electorate and the media.

This is my opinion Hardy but the lasting impression from this election is that so many our southern brethren have absolutely no understanding of, or empathy with, the political and social timeline in NI over the last 30 years and its impact on us (nationalists/republicans/gaels/deviants/druggies), nor do they want to. This in turn means they have little knowledge (nor do they want to have) of their own history and are happy with the present. That's their prerogative but I can't help but feel ultimately dismayed at reaction in the media and on here as a sample.

We're both Irishmen and women on the one island yet, now evidently, poles apart at the same time.

We really love John Hume, explain that!

Also the ideals (yes I know it often fails and has failed) of the Republic is to cherish all the children of the nation equally. Therefore the Unionists are as much our kinsmen as the Nationalists. Its very difficult to pick sides in a family dispute.

[ONeill]

Because John was a man of peace.

Yea, that's why I included the druggies!

[deiseach]

ONeill, I'd love to know how a lack of understanding and empathy would manifest itself. From what I can see, it seems to be not wanting to vote for SF

[SLIGONIAN]

That's true. On the other hand, if John Hume had run, there would have been no contest, possibly literally. The same probably applies to Seamus Heaney. And that belies the perception expressed by some of our Northern contributors that there was an anti-Northern bias here during the campaign among the electorate and the media.

This is my opinion Hardy but the lasting impression from this election is that so many our southern brethren have absolutely no understanding of, or empathy with, the political and social timeline in NI over the last 30 years and its impact on us (nationalists/republicans/gaels/deviants/druggies), nor do they want to. This in turn means they have little knowledge (nor do they want to have) of their own history and are happy with the present. That's their prerogative but I can't help but feel ultimately dismayed at reaction in the media and on here as a sample.

We're both Irishmen and women on the one island yet, now evidently, poles apart at the same time.

I agree with what your saying 100%, it really angers me, the thing is in the South of Ireland people dont seem to give a shit at all of anyone outside of themselves, this is a generalization but i believe its accurate, either that or we are the most passive people on the planet. Anytime im in conversation about the plight of catholics up North in the late 60s people switch off, they dont want to care or hear it, they just want to look down on them. Sadly down south im in the minority but i care. I dont consider myself a catholic anymore but on a human level my compassion for nationalists/republicans is huge. I dont see a border and i see me as one and the same as anyone from that part of ireland. So id say your impression is accurate from life experience but me and a few others are the small exception sadly.

[ONeill]

It manifests itself through words. Forget the actual presidential election. When SF element melted away, you could see the difference in ideals rather clearly.

Put it like this - how important is a united Ireland to you?

[deiseach]

It manifests itself through words. Forget the actual presidential election. When SF element melted away, you could see the difference in ideals rather clearly.

Put it like this - how important is a united Ireland to you?

Very important. I'm not so sappy as to say there is no Border, but not for one second do I think any of my co-nationalists (if you catch my drift) in the North is any less Irish than I am

[Nally Stand]

... a provo apologist like Nally...

What can I say, Matt. If they were good enough to fight for your freedom, then they were good enough to fight for mine too.

Seán Mac Eoin (who is reported to have killed up to 20 of his fellow Irishmen who were in the police force) was nominated for the Presidency TWICE by FG. They even went into government with former IRA Chief of Staff Seán MacBride in 1948. But you're not a hypocrite of course. All IRA men of all generations appall you, I'm sure.

[Hardy]

That's true. On the other hand, if John Hume had run, there would have been no contest, possibly literally. The same probably applies to Seamus Heaney. And that belies the perception expressed by some of our Northern contributors that there was an anti-Northern bias here during the campaign among the electorate and the media.

This is my opinion Hardy but the lasting impression from this election is that so many our southern brethren have absolutely no understanding of, or empathy with, the political and social timeline in NI over the last 30 years and its impact on us (nationalists/republicans/gaels/deviants/druggies), nor do they want to.

I agree. I'm just surprised that so many of you are surprised. If you mean it as a criticism of people in the twenty-six, I think that's unfair. How could we possibly fully understand something that happened to somebody else or fully empathise with it? We've lived as separate countries, de facto, regardless of aspirations or desires for the best part of a century.

This in turn means they have little knowledge (nor do they want to have) of their own history and are happy with the present. That's their prerogative but I can't help but feel ultimately dismayed at reaction in the media and on here as a sample.

This bit I don't understand. How does it follow from what you said above that they/we have little knowledge of their/our OWN history? I'm not sure what it is exactly that dismays you, but if it's criticism of McGuinness's past, again I'm surprised it's a surprise.

The provos have always been anathema "down here" to an extent that it seems is not at all understood in the North. The extent was, I'd guess, about 95 percent of the population during the troubles. (What's a surprise is that it's so much less now and the speed of SF's electoral rehabilitation in the face of that antipathy). We have endless debates here about whether that's justified but leave that and the reasons for it to another day. It is simply a fact. In turn, what's not understood down here and is a surprise to many is the apparent level of support they have in the North and the readiness of so many who are effectively the same stock as ourselves to forgive their atrocities.

It is true, as was pointed out by someone here recently and by Martin McGuinness that we down here are behind the play in the reconciliation and moving on stakes. You've had ten years of it up there and the "what did you do in the war?"  question has long since been put aside. It was a mutually understood enabling step for the whole peace process.

We probably don't grasp that. Again, that shouldn't really be a surprise. We have had the luxury of not having had to.

This doesn't make us any worse as a people despite what Pangurban baldly stated and others imply. It is simply a fact and the product of our history, just as public attitudes up there are the product of yours.

People's priorities are always ordered for their own and their families' welfare. Political considerations come well down the list for most. To that extent, most people down here are not concerned about the political arrangements in the North. People are not dying any more. Nobody's material or human rights are being infringed. All that is denied is the aspiration to political unity and that only for as long as the majority lasts. So here comes the statement that may be a bigger shock to you. Most people down here are not that pushed about a United Ireland in the post peace-process world of EU partnership and in the absence of perceptible discrimination of any kind up there.

I have tried to debate this here numerous times by asking the what is the case now, in the environment I've described, for a UI? What rights and freedoms currently denied would it confer? Would everybody be better off, materially, socially, culturally? Would anybody?

I have an emotional attachment to the idea myself as do a large majority here, but I can't answer those questions. More to the point, despite many efforts, I've never had them answered in this forum either.

We're both Irishmen and women on the one island yet, now evidently, poles apart at the same time.

We're only poles apart in what we consider important issues in our lives. Political considerations feature more strongly in the Northern psyche for understandable reasons. Apart from that, there's little that divides us and most people down here can unite with Armagh, Down, Antrim, Fermanagh and Derry in hating Tyrone football and all its pomps.

[armaghniac]

Nobody's material or human rights are being infringed. All that is denied is the aspiration to political unity and that only for as long as the majority lasts. So here comes the statement that may be a bigger shock to you. Most people down here are not that pushed about a United Ireland in the post peace-process world of EU partnership and in the absence of perceptible discrimination of any kind up there.

Being colonised is not acceptable, although a less onerous regime is of course welcome. Just as being kidnapped is not acceptable, even if you are confined in a 5 star hotel.

[trileacman]

That's true. On the other hand, if John Hume had run, there would have been no contest, possibly literally. The same probably applies to Seamus Heaney. And that belies the perception expressed by some of our Northern contributors that there was an anti-Northern bias here during the campaign among the electorate and the media.

This is my opinion Hardy but the lasting impression from this election is that so many our southern brethren have absolutely no understanding of, or empathy with, the political and social timeline in NI over the last 30 years and its impact on us (nationalists/republicans/gaels/deviants/druggies), nor do they want to. This in turn means they have little knowledge (nor do they want to have) of their own history and are happy with the present. That's their prerogative but I can't help but feel ultimately dismayed at reaction in the media and on here as a sample.

We're both Irishmen and women on the one island yet, now evidently, poles apart at the same time.

That works both ways though. "nationalists/republicans/gaels/deviants/druggies" might think that the Irish people to a man should understand and know all of the variances of the north's history and particularly the "hardships". Do the same "nationalists/republicans/gaels/deviants/druggies" understand the politics and history that has shaped the southern people since partition? SF by and large don't connect with the reality of the south, shaped largely the economic struggle rather than a political one, and is expressed so in the polls. The presidential race is a prime example of this, a self-confessed FFer (bane of the nation) easily outscored the strongest candidate SF could muster.
The truth of the matter is SF will have to change significantly to muster a push on the politics of the South. The reality that their success will be dependant upon a economic solution not pushing the All-Ireland cradle to the southern electorate.

[lawnseed]

Nobody's material or human rights are being infringed. All that is denied is the aspiration to political unity and that only for as long as the majority lasts. So here comes the statement that may be a bigger shock to you. Most people down here are not that pushed about a United Ireland in the post peace-process world of EU partnership and in the absence of perceptible discrimination of any kind up there.

Being colonised is not acceptable, although a less onerous regime is of course welcome. Just as being kidnapped is not acceptable, even if you are confined in a 5 star hotel.

never heard it explained better armaghniac. possibly the best post on this thread