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Disorder during last year's Twelfth of July commemorations. PA Archive/Press Association Images

Unionist parties all walk out of Stormont talks in protest over parade block

They called the talks “fruitless” after a contentious parade in north Belfast was blocked.

Updated at 8.15pm

FIVE UNIONIST PARTIES involved in Northern Ireland talks have all walked out in the wake of a decision to block a contentious parade route in Belfast.

The parties say that continuing to participate in the talks would be “fruitless”, adding that the Parades Commission has treated their views with “contempt”.

The cross-party negotiations began yesterday and were the first that sought to directly address the outstanding issues from the Haass-O’Sullivan talks which failed to reach agreement last December.

There was consensus achieved on a number of issues during those talks but flags and parades proved to be a major sticking point with both the DUP and UUP rejecting the final proposals.

Today’s setback comes after the Northern Ireland Parades Commission decided to barr the Orange Order from marching back down the Crumlin Road in north Belfast on 12 July. The commission decided that the parade could march along the road on the outward leg of the parade but not return down it later that evening.

The commission made a similar determination last year and its blocking by police led to several nights of rioting in Belfast.

As his party staged a walkout alongside the UPP, TUV, PUP and UPRG, the DUP’s Jonathan Bell called for a reasoned response from the community:

The leaders of unionism who have now looked at a failed Parades Commission can no longer see any point of having any discussion with this failed body who have not taken on board any of the reasonable, logical or peaceful suggestions that were made to them.

Speaking to BBC News at Stormont, Bell said that the parties will now “produce a graduated response to this as a combined unionist group”. 

We emphasise that any response should be peaceful and should be lawful…As a result of all of the issues, the leaders of unionism have decided that there is no longer any prospect of success, the political talks as they stand are now fruitless and we will take no further part in them.

The decision by the main unionist parties to end negotiations has been criticised by both nationalist politicians and the moderate Alliance Party.

Alliance leader David Forde said that the decision of the Parades Commission should be respected.

“The only response to a Parades Commission ruling is to accept it as the lawful determination,” he said. “These talks were never about one parade this summer, they were about agreeing to change the legislation for future years.”

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said that unionist politicians are not showing leadership, but rather “playing to the lowest common denominator:

I am disappointed but not surprised that the unionist parties have decided to withdraw from an important talks process. Prior to the talks I asked all party leaders to issue a statement calling for calm on our streets. That did not happen. Unionists need to show leadership, respect the determination of the parades Commission and support the rule of law.

SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell expressed his disappointment at the unionist decision saying that there is now a desperate need for people to keep calm.

“If we have learned anything in 40 years it is that you can make all the threats you like, you can destabilise what you like but at the end of the day you have to come back to the institutions,” he said.

In a statement released this afternoon the PSNI’s new chief constable George Hamilton said that the police will uphold the Parades Commission’s decision while working with communities to find solutions.

“Violence and disorder in relation to the twelfth is not inevitable – individuals have choices to make about how they conduct themselves,” he said.

In a statement this evening, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore described the development as ‘disappointing’, and noted that an effect of the walk is that tomorrow’s North South Ministerial Council plenary meeting in Dublin Castle has been postponed.

“Successive Irish Governments have fully supported the Parades Commission in its difficult work and have consistently called for its legally binding determinations to be respected and upheld,” he said.

Originally published 3.44pm

Read: Adams: This British government has not been positively engaged in peace process >

Column: Behind the headlines and political bickering is a profound grief that is hard to define >

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170 Comments
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    Mute Ferg Breen
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 3:54 PM

    Stay classy unionists

    942
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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:31 PM

    When your entire political belief system is built on hating all things Irish and Catholic what else can you have but this.

    The day Unionism treats people fairly and actually rejects street violence is the day that it no longer has a relevancy or a reason to exist.

    They’ll just be another bunch of lads on the Island of Ireland, with Mc surnames, playing Irish airs in a marching band.

    720
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    Mute Liberté et Egalité
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 8:24 PM

    Hating things Irish and Catholic is not just Unionist! Plenty on here spout pure sh!t against Irish successes; re Catholic Church, well fair dos on that one I suppose!

    48
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    Mute David Burke
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:14 PM

    God forbid unionists should have freedom of speech and be able to walk on public roads.

    See I can make totally unfair and skewed statements too.

    The anti-unionist venom here is unreal. No wonder they feel a united Ireland might not treat them fairly.

    37
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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:58 PM

    David.

    What it would do is treat them equally, that is what the fear more than anything else.

    240
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    Mute Sergeant Yates
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:04 PM

    Unionist politicians continually let down their electorate… And give justification to violence.. They know it they want it.. Its how to keep the sectarian divide and keep them elected.

    135
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    Mute Gabbi Johnson
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:08 PM

    #rhetoric!

    6
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    Mute Gerry McCormack
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:13 PM

    Ah the ole marching season for the Jurassic Orangemen. They like to put their boots on the heads of their nationalist neighbours. Same guys probably put up the KKK flegs. Dumb knobs

    149
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    Mute Gerry McCormack
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:14 PM

    Bollix David

    47
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    Mute Gerry McCormack
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:16 PM

    Irish successes and the Catholic Church in the one sentence makes no sense eh. Is this when they were successful at abusing children?

    25
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    Mute ciaran clarke
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:32 PM

    @seanie Ryan
    It’s not just Catholics and the irish they hate.
    They seem to hate everything that isn’t unionist.
    Unfortunately the orange order and unionist are a hateful group of people

    104
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    Mute JF
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 11:03 PM

    Ah now lads, ye are all getting riled up by a bunch of non sensical bunch of so called intelligent men that wave a unionist flags on the behalf of some octogenarian in the UK. Now let’s be sensible … First of all, she , said octogenarian would never appreciate any of their comments/ actions/ flag waving antics.. Because quite frankly they are embarrassing to anyone.. Anyone can see that…even anyone on the other side!!!
    Now it’s about time we all grew up.. And if the babies in their prams want to throw their orange flags out let them… Let the adults deal with the negotiations… And those that walked put should be excluded. Period!!

    43
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    Mute Mad Hatter
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    Jul 4th 2014, 12:30 AM

    Grow up you supremacist, bigot. The days of croppie lie down are well and truly over.

    27
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    Mute Nigel O'Neill
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    Jul 4th 2014, 9:57 AM

    Really Seàn? How many Unionists from the north do you know and have told you this? I know quite a few who hold no hatred of all things Irish or Catholic for that matter…so your pub-republican blanket assumptions are very much wrong and misplaced let me tell you

    6
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    Mute James Reardon
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    Jul 4th 2014, 1:15 PM

    What if PIRA rememberence marchs were held through orange areas do the unionist think thered be calm?? One way street for them orange c****. Their allowed their parade but arent satisfied unless their causing trouble by walking past nationalists areas and they cant see nothing wrong???dumb f***s truely and deeply

    9
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    Mute O Swetenham
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:09 PM

    The crowd in that picture look like a classy bunch. I especially like the little scrote front and center wielding a bottle of buckfast, a valuable member of society no doubt.

    358
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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:27 PM

    There is no shortage of Doctors, Lawyers, Unionist politicians etc in the Orange Order.

    They might be throwing the bottles but they are foursquare behind the scrotes that are and the Loyalist Paramilitaries that organize it.

    252
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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:32 PM

    forgot the “not.”

    70
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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:47 PM

    Orange response:

    You can have your “not” Ryan but you’ll never have Ulster….

    100
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    Mute Tom Kenny
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:14 PM

    Seanie is there anything you think you haven’t got a full understanding of.
    You could fly one of the hot air balloons around the world with all the hot air you spout.

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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:06 PM

    Tom.

    It seems I have Answer Syndrome. :)

    45
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    Mute Gabbi Johnson
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:09 PM

    Seanie he means you’re a wit. He’s only half right.

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    Mute Glen
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 3:55 PM

    There’s always something with that lot. Seriously these people live in perpetual grumpiness.

    351
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    Mute Ann-Marie Wallis
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:36 PM

    Exactly Glen, that lot are never happy. They thrive off conflict and tension, with their absurd sense of superiority over everyone else.

    256
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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:57 PM

    For 300 years to be a Loyalist in Ireland meant you were favoured in every way.

    Jobs were reserved for those who were in the reformed faith and loyal, anything Irish was to be beat down, people language and culture.

    Of course, if you were a lickspittle Irish person, like the Bruton family in Meath etc reward would be handed out as long as you conformed and were happy to know you’d never reach the top. Stand up but not taller than your betters.

    They have lost that now and when all that you base your life on collapses you have a mental breakdown. Unionism has been building to this for a long time.

    The acerbic reference to John Bruton’s family is in reference to his disturbing comments in London about 1916.

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    Mute Brian Ward
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 5:23 PM

    Seanie, what do you expect from a man who headed a party that helped cover up the Dublin/Monaghan bombings and it’s current leader couldn’t bow low enough to the queen of England? Now they want the “Royals” to attend 1916 ( no doubt to reminisce about the good old days and discuss future joining with the Commonwealth) as part of “our shared heritage”. Shared heritage? There hasn’t been a shared heritage for nearly 100 years! If Mrs Windsor wants to come over it should be with the files on Dublin/Monaghan, an apology and a big fat check for war reparations. Enda will have to settle for the privilege of just kissing her feet seeing as Bruton would probably be kissing her arse!

    166
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    Mute Doc
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 7:46 PM

    Seanie and Brian ye are as ignorant as those loyalist s*um, political point scoring, how pathetic, idiots.

    41
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    Mute Brian Ward
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 8:10 PM

    Thank you for that well thought out, logical and intelligently put comment Doc. We obviously touched a nerve. Truth hurts, doesn’t it?

    98
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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 8:14 PM

    I have massive respect for Micheal Collins. He was as great a man as we have ever produced as a nation.

    The contempt and disdain that John Bruton showed to him and all the others from the revolutionary period sickened me.

    The man is a wretch.

    127
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    Mute Doc
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 8:19 PM

    Brian, sometimes brevity is more effective in putting ones point across, you’re as smug as those loyalist fools and by the way you have never come across as logical or intelligent, you and your ilk are anathema to the moral compass of our country, a pack of menacing sleveens.

    16
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    Mute Doc
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 8:21 PM

    Seanie, excuse my ignorance but what exactly did he state in London.

    17
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    Mute Doc
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 8:58 PM

    Seanie at least contextualise his speech to your allegation, Was it the London school of economics speech, you might have the decency to respond as you made a profound statement and am interested in your interpretation.

    11
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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:07 PM

    Doc I won’t put words in Seanie’s mouth he can speak for himself. But I agree with him 100% he has hit the nail on the head. Here is a report on that scurrilous John “Brutal Unionist” Bruton and his disgraceful and traitorous denigration of our proud revolutionary history. For shame.
    http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/john-bruton-easter-rising-damaged-irish-psyche-30399613.html

    57
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    Mute damien kierans
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:11 PM

    Little man syndrome

    27
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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:22 PM

    Seanie, how can you respect a man who started a civil war. Michael Collins threw away an opportunity for Irish people to stand together in the free state and instead signed over a submission document to Westminster. Ireland would have got its independence peacefully if he played his cards right, foolish man in an army uniform when he didn’t even have the guts to take part in WW1 along with his countrymen.

    16
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    Mute Donncha Foley
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:25 PM

    If we could desist from the ‘oh so clever’ name calling for just a minute, Bruton’s comment is worth debating. Did the ‘blood sacrifice’ of Pearse and compatriots, while successful in the short term, prove damaging in the long term e.g the Good Friday agreement being ‘sunningdale for slow learners’ after over 20 years of violence. I’m not sure I’d agree with Bruton (I think the Great War had a larger impact), but it’s a valid question.

    8
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    Mute Rob O'Brien
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:31 PM

    Bruton has advertised himself quite well in the past, his comments re the visit of Charles Windsor some years ago summed up his attitude imo, the man is beneath contempt

    44
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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:35 PM

    Chris, Collins didn’t fight in WW2 it’s true. He turned out in 1916 to answer the call. They knew there was no chance of success and didn’t expect to live unlike the poor unfortunates who marched off for king and country expecting to be home by Christmas. Your allegation that Collins, a man whose military prowess was credited as an influence by Lenin and Mao, was “gutless” is laughable and utterly without credibility. Your other and future assertions on this matter can be disregarded accordingly.

    52
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    Mute Doc
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:35 PM

    John did he quote pearse as saying he was glad the ulster volunteers took up arms, explain, the rest of his speech I don’t have a problem with.

    1
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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:36 PM

    Donnacha on the contrary in these times of leadership by traitors Pearse writings have more relevance than ever. Check out his view of the home rule leadership brigade circa 1913. Could have been written yesterday.

    26
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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:37 PM

    Chris #WW1#

    20
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    Mute Doc
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:44 PM

    Chris for god sake ML. Collins did not start the civil war and regarding he throwing away an opportunity for irish people to stand together you are seriously deluded because if he did there is a good chance you would not be around to post your comment as your ancestors could have been killed in a bloodthirsty civil war which would have made our civil war look like a kindergarten dispute, a peaceful solution ? other than what he agreed to, please tell me how.

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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:57 PM

    Doc he said the 1916 rising damaged the Irish psyche.

    23
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    Mute Doc
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:11 PM

    John with out being patronising I have a lot of respect for you as a poster, you are sincere but I can’t agree with you regarding your interpretation of Brutons speech but that’s probably an innate bias on my part.

    4
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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:18 PM

    John, I don’t know where Lenin and Mao fit into the story, but if you stop and think for a minute you will see that Collins made a huge mistake. He had no mandate from the people of this country to sign away Ireland’s future, he could have told the British that Ireland needed a referendum on independence to decide whether to leave the union or not. The British could not simply refuse seeing the huge commitment that Irishmen made to the war. The king had already agreed to home rule.
    When you look at what is happening in Scotland at the moment over a referendum to stay or leave the union, it makes absolute sense that Ireland should have done the same thing and spared the bloodshed that followed a botched peace settlement.
    If you think I am wrong that’s fine but at least give it the thought that it deserves.

    11
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    Mute Gerry McCormack
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:21 PM

    Only a pathetic blue shirt would say that

    33
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    Mute Gerry McCormack
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:23 PM

    Spot on Sean

    13
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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:32 PM

    Doc thanks I try to be and I appreciate you saying that. I did get a bit carried away and shouldn’t have name called a former Taoiseach. Suffice to say I would disagree strongly with John Bruton that the 1916 rising damaged our psyche and lead to civil war. Call me old fashioned but the British occupation damaged our psyche and lead to the revolution and the civil war, not to mention the divide and conquer which the excelled at that partitioned the country. And at a dark time such as we are in now we can all look back with pride imo

    33
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    Mute Doc
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:38 PM

    Only a skanger shinnerbot would say that, a parasitic contemptuous form of species.

    6
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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:38 PM

    Chris the thing you had wrong was the assertion that Collins was gutless because he didn’t fight in WW1. It’s just not a credible assertion. Mao and Lenin fit in as Collins wrote the book on early 20th guerrilla warfare and they credited him on that point as an influence. The rest is a matter of opinion I think he was placed in a very difficult situation and would have been better kept at home organising for a possible return to war.

    24
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    Mute Doc
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:40 PM

    That was at McCormack.

    3
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    Mute Gerry McCormack
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:47 PM

    Thanks Doc. Muah to you too. Coming from a former fascist blue shirt party I will take that as a complement. Go blow your own knob

    33
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    Mute Doc
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:49 PM

    John, there is so much with your sentiment that I agree with, there is other I can’t but the thing is we are both proud Irishmen and the substantive observation of this thread is the disgusting and bigoted bullying of those loyalist thu*s of our fellow countryman and woman.

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    Mute Doc
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:52 PM

    Gerry, whatever floats your boat, remember always stay true to yourself and really no need for for vulgarities.

    8
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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:52 PM

    Doc 100% agreed. United front against orange order.

    23
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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:55 PM

    Then he wrote a book on something that he knew nothing about, Collins may not have been gutless but he was a fool nevetheless. Many politicians face difficult situations in their career but negotiation is always the best result. It would be more honorable to fight with your neighbour for what you believe to be right than to stick a bayonet into your brother. The civil war should never have happened.

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    Mute Doc
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 11:09 PM

    Absolutely John, absolutely.

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    Mute Doc
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 11:32 PM

    you are right Chris but I think Dev might have something to do with that.

    5
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    Mute Ciarraioch
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 11:35 PM

    Doc – you and your Unionist / FG Friends, just continuously let yourselves and Ireland down – Don’t you ?

    What extraordinary ignorant comments to make on an Irish online Journal ?

    24
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    Mute Ciarraioch
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 11:38 PM

    Doc – you sound like straight out of a Nazi movie with that extraordinary ignorant gross comment !

    24
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    Mute Doc
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    Jul 4th 2014, 12:04 AM

    Ciarraioch ,I said before you are a embarrassment to Kerry people, I as a Kerry person know what it was like for you to be a shinnerbot, both contemptuous and reviled, you and yours are an embarrassment to Kerry people.

    4
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    Mute Joe Mahon
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    Jul 4th 2014, 5:03 AM

    You can’t have a reasonable debate here they are too many hardliners on this site. Seanie hates john Bruton but reveres Bertie ahern and Charlie haughey, 2 men who inflicted more pain on modern day Irish families than anyone!

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    Mute HomoHabilis1980
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    Jul 4th 2014, 9:59 AM

    He was a solider not a politician unfortunately elements within the movement forced him to become what he wasn’t.

    4
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    Mute HomoHabilis1980
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    Jul 4th 2014, 10:02 AM

    Fu#k the lot of them let’s build a new Ireland and toss these fool’s into the ocean.

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    Mute Caolán McKenna
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:33 PM

    Let’s remember, folks: the DUP is the biggest party here in the North. Esentially they, along with the UUP, represent Unionists. But, do they really? There are according to senior Orange Order figures, only 30,000 members left in that institution. The North’s population according to the last census taken in 2011 is 1.8m. So the OO has a membership of about 2%. When you look at the DUP, however, over half of them are members of the Orange Order. Is it any wonder, then, that they act the way they do? They are esentially holding us all to ransom over what to most is not important to their culture or identity. Many of my Protestant/British and/or Unionist friends abhor what the Orange Order stands for and the way in which their followers act. Does no one remember the RTÉ broadcast from Ardoyne last year- the followers were actually chanting at residents that they were second class citizens. Is it any wonder that the Parades Commission then bans these types of parades?

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    Mute Rob O'Brien
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:19 PM

    Well then why don’t these people overthrow the OO and represent themselves? Take control of their own destinies and give the unionist/loyalist community some legitimacy and representation that doesn’t advertise them to the world as utter $cum?

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    Mute why?
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:30 PM

    marching with sashes and drums, it’s like a school play (which at least had merit).

    grow up lads, walking out because you can’t have your little dress-up in July.

    Pathetic all-round.

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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:44 PM

    It is not a school play sadly.

    There are thousands of ex RUC men in the Orange Order, in Belfast they are basically the same as the UFF at this stage. Basically a lot of these people are trained and violent men,old now but still a threat to society.

    This is an organization whose members burnt 3 kids to death in the 90′s and its response was to march 3000 men past their ruined house a few days later, hundreds of them held 3 fingers in the air to celebrate. It is an Order for mindless savages.

    They are the most effective, most extreme hate group in Europe.

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    Mute Stiofán Na Mara
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 5:01 PM

    Seanie, All your comments have been spot on!

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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 6:04 PM

    Seanie you are a legend. Thank you.

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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 7:04 PM

    It is personal for me.

    My mother came from a Protestant family and to the Orange men in that family and area we were “half breed bas5ards”. That is not that long ago.

    When you see what the Orange Order is about you tend not to buy their lines about being a Christian fellowship.

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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 7:18 PM

    Thanks for sharing that. As a southerner, without family ties to the north, some of this, as you can imagine, went over my head growing up. Then I did have an “interaction” with an orange family as a very young man dating an Australian girl whose family were orange northerners. Let me just tell you I learned what that “tradition” was all about. They despise us and everything we stand for and would love it if we all disappeared in the morning. There can be no accommodating a culture like this. It is pure fascism and must be opposed for the odious stink it is.

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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 7:26 PM

    I’m from Monaghan originally but have lived in Dublin for a long time.

    The abuse was from the Armagh side but there were Orange relatives in Monaghan that were none too pleased but at least they kept it to themselves.

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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 7:34 PM

    And the lady in question her family were in Cavan and Donegal. The Donegal crowd were salt of the earth never met nicer. The Cavan crowd were bitter, hateful disgusting creatures and I later found out they were orange order members. A persons religion makes no difference to me I don’t even believe in God. But I was raised Catholic and the bigots knew it. I’ll never forget. I despise the orange order and everyone who supports it in any way. No compromise, zero tolerance. You cannot talk to Nazis they must be destroyed.

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    Mute Doc
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 7:35 PM

    It’s a grandiose form of bullying by a crowd of skangers and others who profess to be gentlemen and act like skangers as well, infantile idiots the lot of them.

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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 7:42 PM

    Btw Seanie for what it’s worth. If I had a choice between United Ireland with an orange order or Ireland is never reunited but the orange order is dismantled I would choose dismantling of the orange order. It’s the elephant in the room of fascism on this island.

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    Mute Sean O'Keeffe
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 7:59 PM

    Asda’s are doing a discount on Klan outfits.
    Must have for the marching season this year.

    http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/asda-withdraw-england-flags-resemble-3630756

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    Mute johnny
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 8:38 PM

    Makes a nice change

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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:11 PM

    John, from my knowledge of the Cavan based orange order there are only a handful of supporters, hardly worth mentioning and there are no parades these days to my knowledge in the county. If there are then I have never heard of them, we have bigots alright in all religions but that’s life i suppose.

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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:23 PM

    Chris they used to travel up north for the marches. It’s nothing to do with Cavan or the Protestant religion. It’s the orange order.

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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:26 PM

    Btw Chris yes there are bigots everywhere. But organisations which exist solely to promote bigotry, with a bigoted ideology, bigoted and provocative “marching season” and all the fascist symbology etc it’s a lot more than the odd bigot we’re talking about. It should be banned. We cannot tolerate fascism on this island any longer.

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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:41 PM

    John, the orange order grew to prominence during the nineteenth century in the shipyards of Belfast and Glasgow by their owners to recruit protestant workers of good sober religious standing, hence the involvement of clergymen. Most of the shipyards are long gone and trade unions later protected workers rights so there really wasn’t any longer need for the orange order. However old traditions die hard in some Unionist quarters, protecting their own narrow interests and not much care about anyone else’s.

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    Mute HomoHabilis1980
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    Jul 4th 2014, 12:05 PM

    My father worked in the docks in Belfast as a 17 year old and was treated like dirt and had to leave because they threatened to hang him from a crane lovely bunch.

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    Mute Mark Kelly
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:03 PM

    Wish they’d f*ck off back to Scotland. Worst thing the British ever did was leave these miserable shower of b*stards behind.

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    Mute Caolán McKenna
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:35 PM

    Mark, I’m from Belfast, I’m an Irish Nationalist, but I find your comment appalling. I do understand the frustration at some of the loyalist community’s behaviour, but they are as irish as your or I, and many of their families have called Ireland home for years now.

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    Mute Máirtín
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:44 PM

    You know that’s exactly what they say about the nationalist community in the north. “The famine is over, why don’t you go home”

    You can’t fix intolerance with intolerance.

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    Mute Mark Kelly
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:47 PM

    They have no desire to be Irish. You can follow the Sinn Fein mantra and the proclamation all you want but that fact will never change. Anybody who votes for a Unionist party is a dimwit.

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    Mute Mark Kelly
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:58 PM

    They are already at home… Is that not sang in Glasgow?

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    Mute Shane Bradley
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 6:41 PM

    Such sweeping verbal abuse and lack of understanding gives Unionists a pretext to feel as they do and demand ‘rights’ that they do not in fact have..
    Such name calling and ill considered generalisations has nothing to offer anyone on this island.

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    Mute Mark Kelly
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 7:21 PM

    Yeah, because they’re such an understanding bunch themselves. The bigots they elect want to railroad everybody else into doing things their way, with no consideration for others. Their lack of identity is laughable.

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    Mute Tom Kenny
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:10 PM

    Mark, pot kettle

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    Mute Mark Kelly
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:26 PM

    Idiotic comment from you, Tom. Nothing new there.

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    Mute Seosamh Mac An Tsagairt
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    Jul 4th 2014, 7:58 AM

    They say it up here to mark unreal stupidity. There is a girl in my course a protestant and a nice person who didnt even know that the south was under british control for 800 years. They concider us the imigrants.

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    Mute Mark Kelly
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    Jul 4th 2014, 6:17 PM

    Haha, that should surprise me, but..

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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:24 PM

    Orange Parades have doubled in the last 10 years.

    It really is amazing that the Order is not proscribed. For 200 years they have been rioting and killing and making the North a hell hole for their neighbours.

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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 6:05 PM

    Spot on Seanie. Finally someone with knowledge is making a good suggestion. They are nothing more than sectarian fascists. The orange order should be banned. Where do I sign?

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    Mute Gabbi Johnson
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:07 PM

    Rhetoric!

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    Mute Gerry McCormack
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:20 PM

    Why don’t the OO just don the white sheets and call themselves the OO KKK.

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    Mute Ian
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:33 PM

    I read an article a few days ago about Orangemen abusing residents and pushing marches through on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown. Mind you, it was 1836 so nothing has changed.

    In Belfast they are walking down the Crumlin Road in the morning, but not home in the evening. Sounds like a compromise at 50% of what both sides want. Unfortunately the Orange Order does not engage in compromise, but wants its usual supremacy. Those days are gone, but they have not realised it. The British government must be getting even more frustrated with them.

    Oh by the way, comments re Scottish etc. are less than helpful!

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    Mute Simon Fox
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 3:59 PM

    There really is more to life

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    Mute Paul Francis
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:21 PM

    Unfortunately, for many of these people there isn’t a whole lot more to life. In fact there are twice as many marches today as there were in 2005 and a similar rise in the number of bands (which, to be fair is mostly social and no-one takes issue with that). However, the cost of nightly policing last year’s march (still not completed!) currently stands at over £9,000,000 (or around £30000 per night). Imagine if the Garth Brooks fans demanded their right to walk down Clonliffe Road and attend Croke Park? We may yet need a ‘Concerts Commission’.

    http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/loyalist-twaddell-protest-camp-policing-bill-tops-9-million-10month-operation-in-north-belfast-30286135.html

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    Mute Caoimhin O'huiginn
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:20 PM

    Year 2007. 2270 orange/loyalist marches. 40 rerouted / 70 conditions imposed.
    Spoilt,immature, aggressive brats. It’s hard to feel aggrieved for the orange tradition when the numbers are weighted so heavily in their favour.
    Which type of grouping wants to be so prominent and visible where they clearly create disharmony and strife?

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    Mute Paul Debussy
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:04 PM

    Awful people.

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    Mute McCrory จิมมี่
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 5:26 PM

    Hatred of Catholics, Muslims,Blacks, Poles, Chinese, Anything Irish, Support of the KKK and basically hatred of anything which isn’t related to the color of Orange, Red, White or Blue, ….. All in the name of culture which people refused to have shoved down their throats any longer ….. You live in a society now unionists were people actually say no to you…..it’s called democracy….. Live with it!!!

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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:24 PM

    The result of a weak Conservative led government in Britain that lets the orange order do what they like and while UKIP steal their clothes. Is it any wonder that the Scots want their independence.

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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:49 PM

    Chris the US have come off the fence on that one and said they don’t want Scottish independence. So I don’t think the UK will be breaking up. Also they warned the Brits that they’ll be out in the cold for the trans Atlantic trade deal so you won’t be seeing the UK leave the EU in spite of all the shapes thrown.

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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 11:06 PM

    John, The Americans don’t want Scottish independence because it will mean that Scotland will tell the UK and America to remove it’s nuclear submarines. Britain is due to spend over one hundred billion pounds on a new Trident submarine fleet and there are over one million people in Scotland on the poverty line. The UK has used most of Scotland’s oil revenues and they now want full independence from the UK and a chance to govern themselves outside of Westminster control.

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    Mute Máirtín
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:08 PM

    Delaying the inevitable! The usual Unionist ploy. Alasdair McDonnell is right, they will always have to come back.

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    Mute Amy Dalton
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:18 PM

    But it gives them more time to have fun throwing rocks at police.

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    Mute Marlon Brando
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 3:55 PM

    Who cares what these fiends think

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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:22 PM

    They number in their tens of thousands and they have a history of violent reaction to anything measure of fair treatment or equality for anything Irish or Catholic.

    Their friends in the Orange Order/UVF will be out in their thousands again all summer attacking police trying to get in to Nationalist areas.

    Every weekend for months to come will see towns and villages in the North having weekly parades, blocking traffic. Nationalist residents will be blocked in to their streets for their own safety and to facilitate a drunken mob that hates them and decide to leave their homes to show them.

    You have to care what they think.

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    Mute Paul Darby
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:15 PM

    I wonder if the Parade commision gave them permission to walk out of the talks

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    Mute Brian Ward
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:42 PM

    They wanted to march out but the Parades commission would only let them walk out!

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    Mute Chris O'Ceallaigh
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 5:05 PM

    Brain dead bigots

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:13 PM

    Charge the parader,s 10 pounds each to walk .Give the money to the disturbed residence

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    Mute Richie Aprile
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:32 PM

    Some interesting comments on them on the guardian today. They really are not liked anywhere.

    http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jul/03/northern-ireland-unionists-pull-out-all-party-talks-after-parade-ban#comments

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    Mute Ignoreland
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 5:32 PM
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    Mute Dave Murray
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:32 PM

    No matter what the issue is they just seem to be unhappy and moaning anything and everything, they are never happy unless they are having a good moan or rant about something. Must be a pretty sad life to live.

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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 6:08 PM

    Ban the orange order. Irish fascism must be faced down.

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    Mute Liberté et Egalité
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:35 PM

    This isn’t Russia. People have the right of expression in the UK.

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    Mute Mark Kelly
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:28 PM

    Dumbest comment so far.

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    Mute Liberté et Egalité
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 11:13 PM

    Why? Haven’t you seen how protesters are treated in Russia.

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    Mute John Deegan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 11:26 PM

    US funded “NGOs” and other agent provocateurs are not dealt with nearly harshly enough in Russia.

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    Mute Mark Kelly
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 11:45 PM

    Orange Order marches are not protests. They are sectarian, hate marches that have no place in this day and age. Many of them pass without incident but that doesn’t make them any less provocative and wrong. Both sides need to drop the blame game and move on.

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    Mute Richard Chawke
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 6:23 PM

    The unionists are living in cloud cuckoo land. Nobody can parade ultra right wing beliefs in an area where they are not wanted.

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    Mute Roland 303
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 7:41 PM

    Do not hate them. Pity them. They say it’s an attack on their identity when in reality, their identity is an attack on everyone else who inhabits the north, and to a lesser extent, the republic. As Seanie (I think) said above, the Orange Order has too big an influence on the decision making of the main unionist parties. The root problem here is the Orange Order and until that is addressed, we will never have a true, peaceful shared future.

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    Mute Steve M
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 6:43 PM

    Their view that should have the right to march through a Catholic area is akin to letting the KKK march through Harlem…disgusting people

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    Mute Ignoreland
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 5:28 PM

    If there’s one thing unionists are good at, it’s walking/marching.

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    Mute michaelhenry
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 8:08 PM

    The Orange Order is allowed to march past Ardoyne in the morning but are banned from marching past in the evening- they are sober and Quiet in the morning and drunk and loud mouthed in the evening-

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    Mute Robert Loughran
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 8:13 PM

    The orange order and their rabble support are drunk on sectarian hatred all day every day.

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    Mute themanwiththeplan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 8:36 PM

    The racist parade! Fair enough if they want to parade around in their own community or through neutral areas, but the fact is they march down this road to provoke the local community there, who are predominantly catholic. Their parades represent their dominance of catholics and then they wonder why they are not allowed?? Sorry but I think some of these people need to stay in school longer!

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    Mute Shane Bradley
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 6:33 PM

    Shows how committed they are to finding a solution and a way forward…

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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 8:38 PM

    it says it all about that twisted kip up there that they give these boys a bank holiday to celebrate naked sectarianism and bigotry

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    Mute TifFanny Bush
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 5:00 PM

    Del Monte is not the only orange man that say’s NO!

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    Mute Oisín Tarrant
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:18 PM

    The parties in the North need to have a good look at their mandates. What is the point of a single (not to mind several) Unionist parties, when their mission/vision, is unattainable. Same for Sinn Fein, these legacy parties are only hanging around for the sake of filling a void. A few more democratic parties and fewer nationalist ones would be nice.

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    Mute Caolán McKenna
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 4:37 PM

    Oisín, unfortunately that is not possible. The very core of one’s being is their identity, when two identities contrast so much it is impossible for normal politics. Sad but true.

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    Mute Ignoreland
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 5:29 PM

    Yeah, the way two white Christian, English-speaking communities contrast so much is shocking. I mean how one side supports Glasgow Rangers and the other Glasgow Celtic just boggles the mind. It makes Israel and Palestine look tame by comparison.

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    Mute Oisín Tarrant
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 6:09 PM

    Slowly devolving their nationalist objectives and incrementally building up their socio-democratic orientation should be something set out in a plan for Stormont. The slowest party to change could end up looking too right wing for moderate nationalists.

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    Mute Tommy Whelan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 7:22 PM

    It seems the orange orders popularity has increase in the south of Ireland since the peace process . There are plans to open more lodges across the south of Ireland with one planned in trinity college next yr . Apparently a number of students in trinity have been taken a keen interest in setting up a lodge after the successful open of one in queens university Belfast .

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    Mute Roland 303
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:13 PM

    Yes tommy, sure you can see how poplar the orange order are here in Ireland by reading all the comments on this story!!

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    Mute Tommy Whelan
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:26 PM

    Roland your knowledge of the people of Northern Ireland comes from a day trip across the border to pick up your Xmas booze . To say that all the people that are in the orange order should be pity shows the level of your mentality . I don’t support the orange order or agree with it but I do know many good people that are part of it and they shouldn’t be judge by small narrow minded people who judge everybody as the same because of a organisation they belong to .

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    Mute joe soap
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:31 PM

    surely the orange order is designed specifically for narrow minded people,

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    Mute Roland 303
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    Jul 4th 2014, 6:52 AM

    Having lived in Derry for 4 years Tommy I can speak through experience. If my memory is correct, you’re an ex squaddie from Dublin. Brainwashed much? Hate your own kind much? Blinkered much?

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    Mute Tommy Whelan
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    Jul 4th 2014, 9:18 AM

    Actually Roland I speak for both sides both nationalists and unionists as I grew up on the south but live in the north and have many friends both nationalists and unionists and see both sides of there argument . You see the military system is the only system in Ireland where nationalists and unionists and capable of living together, working together . They look out for one another and take care of one another without the prejudice that exist on both sides of the border in Ireland by the bigots that live there . They always have from the First World War upto the present day in Afganistan . That’s obviously something your incapable of understanding .

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    Mute Roland 303
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    Jul 4th 2014, 9:53 AM

    Lol. They really did a good job on you Tommy. I understand that having a bigoted, sectarian, hate-filled orange order march going down your street singing songs about murdering taigs is not how a normal society works. I am against all kinds of hatred Tommy.

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    Mute HomoHabilis1980
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    Jul 4th 2014, 11:48 AM

    Treated like equals I suppose! tommy you know nothing the working class loyalists were used as cannon fodder for the rich counterparts but are blind to this fact.
    They treated us like we were dogs and we have to bend over backwards to accommodate these bigots…Well Fu#k that! They started the war and while we are trying to build and move forward these feeling idiots are stuck in the past and will be left there if they don’t wise up.

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    Mute Stephen Kearon
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:59 PM

    More like Orange Disorder

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    Mute John B
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 8:51 PM

    The picture of that gouger from last year’s parade poised for a fight with a bottle of alcohol in his hand is enough of a reason for me to cancel the parade.

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    Mute Éanna™
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:04 PM

    They love resorting to type don’t they, in their minds I don’t think they would see the difference between 2014 and 1914

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    Mute howzatme
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 8:58 PM

    It was probably because their KKK flag got taken down

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    Mute eastsmer
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    Jul 4th 2014, 12:55 AM

    The Dublin Government have paid this rabid anti-Catholic, Protestant-supremacist, fascist group €250,000
    http://www.sceala.com/phpBB2/irish-forums-24228.html

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    Mute eastsmer
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    Jul 4th 2014, 1:14 AM

    “And on the twelfth I always wear the bigotry my father wore”.
    If the Orange Order were truly the defenders of “protestantism” they claim to be, why don’t they march where the Protestant church is actually threatened? China, perhaps? Fact is, they see the very existence of the Catholic church in “their” community as a threat. Supremacism, bigotry and hegemony is their goal. They are supported in the hegemony part by the archaic Act of Settlement of 1701 something Westminster refuses to get rid of, a shameful, discriminatory pillar of the UK unwritten “Constitution”.

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    Mute John Murray
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 8:49 PM

    .Mutual respect toleration and accommodation is what is required. Where there is dialogue between the parties progress can be made. The number of parades that pass peacefully is far in excess of those where there is contention. There are good people on both sides and they should be given a chance

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    Mute Cian O Donoghue
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:28 PM

    I know it would would never happen but, imagine if the nationalists actually invited the orange order to march down their streets and clapped and cheered them as they did, waving union jacks and generally have a good time.

    Imagine the faces on the loyalists!!!

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    Mute Roland 303
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:30 PM

    No fun in that for the fascists.

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    Mute Cian O Donoghue
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 9:48 PM

    My point exactly friend… my point exactly.

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    Mute Glen
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:26 PM

    I always find it crazy that people in the rest of Ireland don’t know that you don’t have to go to a unionist area in Northern Ireland to see a parade, the Orange Order march up and down the road outside the Battle of the Boyne site in Drogheda every year! When I first started bringing friends from Dublin and Waterford to the area that I went to college with they’d be amazed and not to say a little bit shocked that it all happened in the republic do freely and that the Order was welcome to march here if they like, people just don’t put any pass on it. I’ve met loads of them before and they’re so appreciative that they’re able to comes to the area in peace! They seriously love the Boyneside more then they do the north!

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    Mute Jangles
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    Jul 4th 2014, 2:00 AM

    Nobody cares much in the republic, I don’t anyway. I can see why they would want to march at the Boyne, its like their Mecca I suppose, a site of historic importance. March away there but its out of order to march uninvited and unwanted through areas where the locals object. Its not as if they always limit the scope of their marches as prescribed when they are granted permissions in the North. They really dont want to have to ask permission or share a society at all.

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    Mute Roland 303
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    Jul 4th 2014, 6:54 AM

    That’s funny Glen.

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    Mute John Murray
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 8:34 PM

    Live and let live

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    Mute Ray Coleman
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    Jul 4th 2014, 2:26 AM

    I am so bored of these loons, can we just ignore this uneducated group of hate filled idiots?

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    Mute Patrick Donohoe
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 11:30 PM

    Get a life you di#@heads so embarrassing this is still a headline. Ahhh

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Jul 4th 2014, 6:33 AM

    Sub divide the six counties and give one county to the orange lad,s and build a wall ,there is something in the air up there . They really are ungovernable ,they were planted that,s their background ,if you were going to take over a country they are exactly the type of people you would need at you back ,the new way to take over a country is to load money into it and hope it has a leader like Enda ,the German,s learned it from their history they too had a group of people in their country similar to orange men and utilised them for war

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    Mute Ron Swanson
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    Jul 4th 2014, 10:41 AM

    For every Unionist political party to be so linked to the Orange institutions and church is disturbing to say the least, how can the DUP and UUP expect to attract catholic voters as they say they want to do?

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    Mute beachcomber
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:42 PM

    Unionists parties have more backbone for their hatred since the conservatives decided to cosy up for coalition.

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    Mute Mindfulirish
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 10:18 PM

    Ban all flags and banners etc from both sides, ban all marches for both sides. If 1 child gets hurt none of this tribalism is worth it. Grow up all of you — nationalism and triumphalism is hurting your own people.we should dig a trench on the border wider than the Suez Canal. It would be cheaper to relocate all the idiots on both sides to Northern Russia.

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    Mute art cassidy
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    Jul 3rd 2014, 7:55 PM

    Close storming, stop all salaries and bring back direct rule. Let Scotland show us if the are any good at self determination because we are hopeless.

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    Mute Caroline Marie
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    Jul 5th 2014, 5:23 PM

    Deport all Loyalists to England.

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    Mute Caroline Marie
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    Jul 4th 2014, 3:34 PM

    The sole purpose of the Orange Order is to thread on Irish Nationalists.They march through Nationalist areas to remind the Irish that they are second class citizens. The Loyalists are nothing but bullies and hooligans.

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