Paisley

[Applesisapples]

Mayo, I'm not a great fan of Gerry but I can't let this uninformed crap go. Gerry in fairness to him from as far back as 1972 along with McGuinness was trying to reach accommodation with the Brits. Paisley on the other hand stoked the flames that burnt Catholics out of their homes.

Just rewind there a minute. If someone didn't know better, they'd read that thinking Gerry was some sort of angel. It matters little that Gerry / the IRA were in negotiations with the British government in 1972 - why would you give them credit for using another avenue to further their objectives? - the IRA was wrecking the country at the same time, and killing scores of people, many of them innocent civilians.

There's no doubt Paisley has a hell of a lot to answer for - there's just as much blood on his hands as on those of any paramilitary leader - but it's not a case of Paisley was a demon and Adams wasn't too bad.

I would not suggest that Gerry was an angel. However the IRA did not appear out of know where. There was bigotry, bias and discrimination against Catholics on the grounds of religion from the inception of the statelet. there would have been significant support for the IRA initially, it peaked with the hunger strikes and then dissipated in response to some of their needless atrocities and a growing affluence in the Catholic middle class resulting from the relaxation of discriminatory policies bizarrely as a result of IRA activities. You can see it still today in the PUL community and in the two unionist parties the hark back to the good old days when the taigs new there place. It now suits political parties on both sides of the border to paint this picture of the troubles only being the fault of the IRA and SF. Paisley, whatever he now says was at the forefront of resisting any move towards equality as is still the policy of the DUP. McGuinness and Adams at least tried to end the conflict and move things on, Paisley on the other hand perpetuated the troubles. It is total hypocrisy for the descendants of Collins and Dev to Laud the men of 1916 yet denigrate Northern Republicans or maybe it is to wish away their abandonment of fellow Irishmen to the sectarian statlet created by partition.

This is generally correct but I would have a couple of issues.

I don't think people in the South are painting the troubles as exclusively 'being the fault of the IRA & SF'. Even the most biased or stupid down here would see the IRA's re-emergence as reactionary and could empathise to a certain extent with why it happened. Everyone has their limit.

As for those 'who laud Dev & Collins' & yet denigrate Northern Republicans: Dev & Collins were neither lauded nor thanked for their activities at the time. They were probably less popular with the wider Irish public in 1916 than the IRA is now. Comparing, on one hand hand, how history judges one set of revolutionaries with, on the other hand, how peers judge another set of revolutionaries is misleading. For example, if Collins was responsible for a Warrington equivalent, we wouldn't hear much about it nowadays but it would have been big news then.

History may judge them all similarly down the tracks, but then at least that would be a fair comparison.

To be clear I'm speaking about current politicians, north and south when I refer to those who laud Dev and Collins.

[Maguire01]

Looks set to be an entertaining watch tonight!
Who do you believe, Paisley or the DUP?

[glens abu]

Looks set to be an entertaining watch tonight!
Who do you believe, Paisley or the DUP?

Paisley

[orangeman]

Looks set to be an entertaining watch tonight!
Who do you believe, Paisley or the DUP?

I'd take whatever Iris has to say.

She's one woman I'd love to have a long chat with. She could tell some stories I reckon.

[ziggysego]

Looks set to be an entertaining watch tonight!
Who do you believe, Paisley or the DUP?

I'd take whatever Iris has to say.

She's one woman I'd love to have a long chat with. She could tell some stories I reckon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUF4e-YRXno

[Gaffer]

Looks set to be an entertaining watch tonight!
Who do you believe, Paisley or the DUP?

We ve waiting all week for this then it's plastered all over the papers and  radio today.

Why did they not just keep us waiting? Sure we know already what's going to be said.

We ve heard  all the juicy stuff!

[Maguire01]

Looks set to be an entertaining watch tonight!
Who do you believe, Paisley or the DUP?

We ve waiting all week for this then it's plastered all over the papers and  radio today.

Why did they not just keep us waiting? Sure we know already what's going to be said.

We ve heard  all the juicy stuff!

I agree - they've had too much of a preview for both shows.

[pullhard]

All this talk about him, thought he had passed on.

[Gaffer]

All this talk about him, thought he had passed on.

That's Hayley from Corrie you re thinking about!

[Jeepers Creepers]

I wonder what the repercussions will be over with regards to Ian Junior within the party. What stance will he take?

[Gaffer]

Would love to see Willie McCrea getting a touch. Lol

[glens abu]

I wonder what the repercussions will be over with regards to Ian Junior within the party. What stance will he take?

Would think he will not get selected in 2015 might stand as an independent and with the TUV standing as well,split the vote and let the Shinners take North Antrim 

[armaghniac]

They were very hard on poor Paisley. Having lead a band of bigots for years, when he decided to do his bit for history they kept on being bigots rather than seeing his genius. 

[Maguire01]

I wonder what the repercussions will be over with regards to Ian Junior within the party. What stance will he take?

Would think he will not get selected in 2015 might stand as an independent and with the TUV standing as well,split the vote and let the Shinners take North Antrim 

That would be amusing. But I think he may jump before being pushed. Independent? UKIP?

[Hereiam]

Hasn,t changed my views on the man. May he rot in hell.