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ORGANISERS OF THE traditional Fifth Avenue St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York are expected to reaffirm their invitation to the PSNI to take part in Monday’s event later today, following uncertainty as to whether the offer had been rescinded.
According to veteran Irish American journalist and Irish Central editor Niall O’Dowd:
“…the parade committee came under sustained attack on Thursday and Friday from dissident groups in Ireland and America who mounted a major social media campaign as well as phone calls seeking to prevent the PSNI from marching.
A senior source told Irish Central that the parade committee did “suffer a case of jitters” regarding the invitation and the concerted drive to have the invite withdrawn but have now made it clear that the invite stands.
The US-based website reports that a statement is expected from the parade committee later today, reaffirming the invitation.
It was confirmed earlier this week that Northern Ireland’s police service would march in the parade for the first time. Six officers are expected to take part, marching alongside Gardaí.
However, speculation spread on social media overnight that the committee had had a change of mind. A link to this message (apparently from the parade organisers) was posted by a number of Twitter and Facebook users — however, as of this morning, the link was inactive.
[Screengrab]
Calls and emails from TheJournal.ie to the parade committee’s offices in the Bronx this morning haven’t been answered as yet (in fairness, we’re four hours ahead) — however, the PSNI got back to us with this statement:
We are aware of concerns regarding PSNI participation in the New York St Patrick’s Day parade but we have received no formal communication from the parade’s organisers at this time.
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Ah il guarantee you they’ll be on the lash with the lads over from the gardai after so who cares more power to them. It’s 2014 theses Neanderthals need to move on. The gardai and psni will be over at their own expense representing their forces and the island of ireland unlike our politicians over on junkets in five star hotels flying first class. Hope they have A ball.
Exactly. Build a bridge.
Let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room.
The RUC were a terrorist apartheid-enforcing group, that is for sure.
But the PSNI contain many nationalist members, who no doubt would have been the ones to come to New York to celebrate their national holiday, with their country and their tricolour. (unionists/loyalist bigots don’t!)
Amateur mistake rescinding invite.
Why shouldn’t they be there. St. Patrick’s day is for the island of Ireland and they are a police force on this island
It is good to hear that the PSNI got an invitation to take part. Why shouldn’t they march in the parade? Parades are intended for marching bands, and anyone who is in a band and can play an instrument should be in the parade if they want to take part.
Pardon my French but fcuk the dissidents ! We have moved on. Lest we forget the sacrifice that real heroes like Ronan Kerr made.
Good. The sooner we put our stupid differences aside, the better.
The PSNI will march with the Gardai Siochana. Nothing queer about it.
I’m sure the PSNI and Gardaí who are over will have one hell of a weekend together, swapping stories and having the craic. A perfect opportunity to build bridges and forge friendships.
Good to see they didn’t give in to the ‘dissident’ groups, whoever they are. A shower of muppets if you ask me.
Should an Orange Lodge band not be invited as well. They are after all a marching band on the island of Ireland. I may or may not be serious here…
You aren’t serious, because the Orange Lodge would not accept an invitation. They hate us.
When you say “They hate us”, to whom are you referring? They are Irish too? Surely they don’t hate themselves!?
You have a point Darragh Kinsella. Can’t they get Irish passports if they choose so? How much more Irish can you be?
A disgrace they let it happen in the first place!! Bloody interfering republicans!
The organising committee should be shipped out to Russia where they belong.
It surely proves what a bigoted sectarian organisation the AOH really is if they had the “jitters” from members and dissidents.
I would suggest people look at the “oath” potential members if the AOH have to sign
It beggars belief why any Irish politician let alone our Taoiseach would have anything to do with them
Well done to Heineken for pulling their sponsorship of the New York Parade and Sam Adams who have pulled their sponsorship of the Boston parade as they don’t want their products associated with bigots. A shame the Taoiseach wouldn’t follow their example and that of the New York Mayor and New York City Council. Slowly but surely the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Catholic League will be dragged into the 21st Century,
Well I won’t be drinking Hienikan again if they are taking sides in non business issues. They have more hertosexuals than homosexuals as customers. Discrimination should be equal.
St. Patrick’s day is a day for all. Your political or religious allegiance has, and should not, have anything to do with it. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by: the Anglican Communion; the Lutheran Church; the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. St. Patrick was never canonised a saint as such a practice did not exist at that time. St Patrick was a Christian he was not a Roman Catholic. His grandfather was a priest in the Christian Church. The original colour associated with St. Patrick was blue and not green. Blue was the colour of many ancient flags and it is the colour of the modern presidential standard.
What if an Irish gay Garda/Police group wished to march under a gay banner?
Dammit! Now I’m even more jealous I didn’t go!
have your say