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Two American fighter jets flew over Dublin today --- and it was very VERY LOUD

No, it wasn’t the start of World War III. But it sure startled a few people…

‘WHAT ON EARTH is that,” was a question muttered in TheJournal.ie offices, and, if Twitter is anything to go by — plenty of other places in Dublin this lunchtime.

Why?

Well, well, these two planes carried out a fly-past of Croke Park (and, by extension, the city) as part of this afternoon’s American Football event — and scared the bejaysus out of everyone.

[Darren Martin]

There were reports of car and house alarms being set off in the area.

While one reader contacted us to say it sounded “like an earthquake” from Meath Street and was a “very frightening experience”.

“The glass shook at a pub in Westmoreland Street as I was walking by,” another TheJournal.ie reader told us.

No doubt there were also quite a few startled seagulls in the city in the wake of the fly-past, which, at the risk of labouring a point, was really really INCREDIBLY LOUD…

First posted at 2pm.

Read UCF Knights should slay Nittany Lions in Croke Park Classic

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272 Comments
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    Mute Tom Red
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:16 PM

    And the GAA are flying a helium balloon sponsored by Sky over the Gaelic grounds later this evening …

    1306
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    Mute Ram-Sue Rijal
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:20 PM

    Thanks for this Tom, made me laugh out loud!

    263
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    Mute Phil West
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:58 PM

    Bloody American jingoism.

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    Mute ladybird
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:09 PM

    Good one Tom, thanks !

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    Mute Eoin O'Hagan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:48 PM

    The lead pilot of the two F-16s was a Captain G.Brooks from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who has the handle “Kizzmyazz” stenciled on the side of the aircraft. I kid you not.

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    Mute Donie Keyes
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    Aug 30th 2014, 5:18 PM

    And our lads are flying around taking photos !

    89
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    Mute Noel Gallagher
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    Aug 30th 2014, 5:19 PM

    you have great eyesight!!!!!!!!!!!

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    Mute Richard O'Rourke
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    Aug 30th 2014, 9:37 PM

    He’s from Yukon, Oklahoma

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    Mute Ray rogers
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    Aug 31st 2014, 12:14 AM

    He was born in Tulsa but moved to Yukon. Apparently he is thinking of moving back to Tulsa though.

    50
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    Mute Sean O'Rourke
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    Aug 31st 2014, 12:47 AM

    Ya. His mother, Janice, still lives in Yukon and has become quite dependent since she broke her hip. He’s a good man.

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    Mute Rubber Head
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    Aug 31st 2014, 2:44 AM

    ah FFS, who cares where he is from, my Jesus

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    Mute Raymond Connolly
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    Aug 31st 2014, 6:10 AM

    Thanks Tom.

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    Mute Sean O'Malley
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    Aug 31st 2014, 10:07 AM

    Haha!

    4
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    Mute Shane O'Connor
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:37 PM

    Croke Park Residence good luck protesting against that!

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    Mute selita
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    Aug 30th 2014, 10:04 PM

    Ah they did it as a warning to us residents if we complain again ;) well that’s what ourselves and the neighbours are joking after it happened today! Wasn’t as annoying as the fecking Big Ben dongs every 5 minutes during the game!!

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    Mute Proudly Italian
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:21 PM

    “Not on, and not one bit funny!” … o c’mon!!! Get a life !!!!

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    Mute Michelle Mitch
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    Aug 31st 2014, 1:23 PM

    I thought the same, until I realised she’s about 15…

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    Mute John Bransfield
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:12 PM

    Pity we don’t have any of our own.

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    Mute graham galvin
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:24 PM

    The cost of one f 16 would probably cripple our economy lol but there is no reason why Ireland couldn’t have a few old MIGs added to the air corp.

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:40 PM

    That’s not quite true Graham they are not as pricy as people imagine.

    We could get second hand squadron of fighters for around the 2-300m mark, we should have bought them during the boom years I can think of any number of scenarios that they could be needed, particularly a hijacked jet from the western approaches heading from a UK target like a nuclear plant on their coast. People say let the RAF do the job but the time delay would have the plane inside the reactor by the time the RAF got permission to come in, search for it, and engage it not to mention the delay in getting shoot down approval from the PM (and does Taoiseach have to approve etc it would be a nightmare).

    There is a way of us getting fighter cover without buying them and that’s joining NATO, Iceland has no air force but they have NATO patrols of their airspace.
    We should try to cut a deal on some second hand F-15s (that are getting old now) or Tornados when the state has a bit more money down the line.

    Of course before that we should probably have a proper debate on neutrality v NATO membership first, a debate and vote we’ve never had, ironically, and this drives PNAC mad, we’d need the jets no matter which option we choose, most neutrals have a large air force.

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    Mute Ablitive
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:44 PM
    48
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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:57 PM

    I’ve seen them in the museum.

    I’ve always considered it a really illogical contradiction that the people on this site are always gung ho about praising the army and navy but they refuse to consider the idea of a small air force, a few jets don’t cost much more than a navy to buy or maintain, it’s fairly strange to be gung ho about 2 parts of an armed forces and totally opposed to the other.

    There has always been that element in Irish politics though, the Greens didn’t even want the army to have new APCs ffsake,

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    Mute Joseph Siddall
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:12 PM

    The UK got rid of a few Harriers a while ago. Missed opportunity. Mind you, the maintenance costs would be crippling and they are, apparently, a bit of a handful to fly. I read a comment from an ex-Harrier pilot a while ago. It paraphrases to “This is an aircraft that will repay a moment’s inattention with death”. The piece was longer than that but you get the idea.
    Until you’ve had an F-16 go vertical about 50 ft above your head you don’t know what real noise is. Ditto Tornado and Eurofighter Typhoon.

    98
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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:23 PM

    I used to think they would be a good buy as well, people posted here on other similar topics though throwing cold water on the idea. American friends in the military know guys in the Marine Corps who have flown them they say they are a ba___d in maintenance costs and that it has poor ordinance capacity and range. It’s also got something in common with the F-35 (the bloated monster the US air force no longer even wants but the MI complex through congress is forcing on them) in that it tends to kill pilots. At least 45 dead due to mechanical failures by them.

    The big draw with harriers during the cold war was the VTOL capability. So if a conventional WWIII happened (or a limited nuclear exchange) the bases would go totally or have cratered runways with cluster bombs so the idea of a VTOL craft looked very attractive. There was also another reason NATO liked them, in the event the big one happened and the nukes flew if the air bases were taken out totally you might still have your harriers because they could be dispersed to hard packed roads in isolated areas. The plan was that they’d hide them up mountains in Scotland, Germany, France etc in country roads out of the way and they could have de facto air bases out there.
    Much of the complaint was so much space was used for the VTOL capability that there wasn’t much room for anything else.
    A better choice I’m told would be Saab Viggens they have much of the same capability without many of the downsides, they also can take off and land vertically, the Scandinavians make good stuff.

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    Mute Joseph Siddall
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:28 PM

    Ablitive, yes, the Vampire was a jet fighter. Apart from that it is like comparing a Morris Minor and an Aston Martin DB9.

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    Mute Ablitive
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:34 PM

    The vampires were more of a trainer aircraft, timber used it its construction, still a lot faster than what they have now. I can remember them in three abrest at the Easter Parade as a kid.

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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:36 PM

    Ok the operating cost per hour of even a cheap fighter jet is somewhere between €10,000 & 35,000 per hour! Now add into that the purchase of jet trainers, runway & support infrastructure upgrades etc

    We would have to double or triple our current military budget just to operate 3/4 fighters.

    The UK cut the harrier because of cost only the US could afford to take them and purchased them for parts for their aircraft.

    As for Any plane being in a reactor before the RAF get permission nonsense, there is normally 2 Typhoons in Anglesey for exactly that purpose and all sensitive UK nuke sites are defended by anti aircraft measures.

    The is not a single justification that the Irish defence forces could make for fighters, considering the cost and the cuts that would have to be made elswhere

    69
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    Mute David Burke
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:37 PM

    The idea Ireland would buy a squadron of F-16s is ridiculous.

    The are incredibly complex and maintenance intensive especially if we were buying older original block ones. Our pilots are trained on fast jets and the F-16 costs like 20 grand an hour to fly. We would need jet trainers and even then we would need more than a squadron of F-16 to take account of training and maintenance.

    It’s totally out of sync with the capabilities of the Irish air core. We could buy some super tucanos which would be far more appropriate. Gen4 avionics and network centric and can carry out air patrols without capabilities we cannot afford.

    64
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    Mute Taxi Bill
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:40 PM

    @ Graham…… well if Uganda can afford (with help from our taxpayers money) to of the range Russian strike aircraft. Why can’t we have some nice “shiny toys”!

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    Mute John Henry
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:43 PM

    Ryan, I don’t think you are too far off the mark with your comment. The Irish are out on peacekeeping duties at the minute in Syria and were in a gun battle last night against Al Qaida rebels. Add that to the fact that last week it became known that Ireland has become a hiding ground for some of these rebel fighters, these lads don’t differentiate between peacekeeping and combat. I honestly think we could be at risk and let’s be fair we would be sitting ducks if something were to happen.

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    Mute David Burke
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:54 PM

    ISIS is going to invade Ireland now?

    Look we could have done with some reconnaissance/ground attack planes in Chad. But F-16s, really?

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    Mute graham galvin
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:54 PM

    @taxi bill Exactly. They even have a dozen MIGs purchased from Libya which is what we should have at the very least. Our air corp is an embarrassment to any developed nation.

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    Mute Wild Rover
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:57 PM

    The government flying club or air corps don’t need anything like this they are doing fine with the little Cessna’s.

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    Mute Aidan Lonergan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:57 PM

    Saab good? I doubt you ever drove any recent Saab cars. Bangers.

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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:08 PM

    @Graham @Taxibill, having the aircraft and maintaining the hardware and crews to effective status are two very different things!

    Look at the Iraqi or Syrian airforces for an example of how to do it badly

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:31 PM

    People are grossly overflowing the cost of operating jets
    They don’t LITERALLY cost x per hour, that’s per hour flying, every jets by nature has a high cost per hour of operation the govt jet costs 9000 an hour to run didn’t stop us having two of them did it.
    RAF jets sitting in the UK are absolutely useless to a hyjacked jet coming from the Atlantic approaches their radar can’t see that far out, they would be on top of those reactors by the time those jets even got the alerts to go into the air.
    Even with jets it’s hard to combat a threat like that, there was a full military exercise going the morning of 911 how many jets got to their targets? None. We have missiles but they don’t have enough range.
    Once Hijackers turn off a transponder it’s just one dot among many the only way to actually figure out where it is is interceptors. Then they have to flank the aircraft, communicate with it through hand signs, get permission to shoot it down, this is all after a long LONG search to intercept the thing in the first place, and think how quickly a jet gets from the west irish coast to the UK coast.
    The US aIR FORCE on 911 was searching for over an hour for some of the jets that were missing.,

    Eventually there will be a common EU military and the entire point will be moot because the EU will be pooling all these costs, the foundations for this are already in place.

    In the mean time though there are plenty of other options we could take that would spare us the high sticker price of interceptors:
    1. We could allow the RAF to extend their area of operation to cover all of Irish airspace and land in Shannon and Baldonnel in exchange for a small contribution towards the RAF operating budget
    2. We could join NATO and get Iceland-like deal
    3. We could cut a deal with the USAF like no1
    4. We could get a smaller number of jets say 4-6 just enough to do a bare bones job, negotiate a stable deal on maintenance contracts. The US defense industry cuts cost deals with smaller countries all the time who can’t afford the same operating costs the USAF itself pays.

    46
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    Mute Tommy Whelan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:32 PM

    The Harrier prove itself in the Falklands . Not one aircraft was lost against the Argentinian airforce . It excell not only in the air war but also attacking targets on the ground . 24 Harriers won the war for the Brits .

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    Mute alan coffey
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:37 PM

    Viggen is STOL not VTOL. We could get Grippen’s which are same class as Typhoon and F22 but have great range. Sweden uses them for maritime patrol and can take off and land on a road !

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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Aug 30th 2014, 5:32 PM

    There are some serious issues with the Grippen, in terms of electronics.

    Yes Ryan the cost per hour is for flight time, but how many hours do you need to keep you pilots on peak condition. How many hours of training will it take to get them ready and all the sundry expenses, maintenance costs, buildings, runway’s and their upkeep etc! Also remember our defence budget is the lowest in thee EU! Even Luxembourg spend more

    As for the intercept times the RAF have moved 2 Typhoons on almost permanent station rumour has it they are kept on QRA status while there

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    Mute Steve Tracey
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    Aug 30th 2014, 6:01 PM

    Ryan
    Not disagreeing with you but the chances are any NATO. aircraft would come from UK bases and would f course need tasking from NATO. The treaty with UK means that any RAF fighter would probably be quicker and may well be in the air already and closer. Think that any strange ac spotted heading towards a power station would result in a plane or two going up and shooting threat down as soon as it entered UK airspace.

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    Mute Steve Tracey
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    Aug 30th 2014, 6:07 PM

    Ryan
    Agree another point re Harriers they are a ground support ac and not interceptor too slow. The Saab probably is a good alternative, and doubt if more than 3-4would be read.
    However I disagree with part of your comment. Everyone knows that Army is the best by far of any armed forces, who needs anyone else. Very much tongue in cheek remark.

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    Mute Sean O'Nilbud
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    Aug 30th 2014, 6:12 PM

    You should get that head injury looked at.

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    Mute E=MC2
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    Aug 30th 2014, 6:34 PM

    Buying F16s is only the start; then they have to be operated and maintained the cost of which relates to the new price, and not what you paid second-hand. Just like buying a 20-year old Rolls Royce, one might pay only a couple of grand for the car, but the first major service could cost five grand, or even ten, and as for the fuel…….

    8
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    Mute Joseph Siddall
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    Aug 30th 2014, 6:53 PM

    Aidan, the later Saab cars were Homogenised General Motors products and very variable. The pre-GM cars were excellent. Of course, the brand is now dead. The aircraft division of Saab were not part of GM, unless I’ve missed something, and yes, they’re good aircraft.

    17
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    Mute Joseph Siddall
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    Aug 30th 2014, 7:00 PM

    Alan, yes, they are STOL but that alone does not enable them to use roads. Sweden designed numerous roads with this function in mind. Any country could do the same…….but you need to keep potholes filled, obviously. Street lights are a bit of an inconvenience also.

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    Mute Charles Williams
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    Aug 30th 2014, 9:26 PM

    Very silly idea , firstly we are supposed to be a neutral country and secondly who would we bomb with F 16s , the Isle of Man or Skellig Michael ? The USA cuts deals with small countries on defence and F16s in a effort to control and manipulate them, no other reason.

    18
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    Mute Stephen Small
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    Aug 30th 2014, 10:11 PM

    Slight aberration in your comment. The Marines never flew F-16′s. They moved on to the F/A-18.

    11
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    Mute Rain-Shower
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    Aug 30th 2014, 11:18 PM

    Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    8
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    Mute Rain-Shower
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    Aug 30th 2014, 11:19 PM

    Zzzzzzzzzzzz

    7
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    Mute Rain-Shower
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    Aug 30th 2014, 11:20 PM

    Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

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    Mute Siouxzen Dympna
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    Aug 31st 2014, 2:38 AM

    I used to be cabin crew and once while waiting on the tarmac, sitting on the aircraft steps, one those bad boys appeared and did that vertical thing straight up above our heads… Absolutely amazing sight and sound… AMAZING!!!

    24
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    Mute M Bowe
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    Aug 31st 2014, 3:04 AM

    Aint that why knock airport was built. So that there is an effective radar and early warning system on our west coast. FR Horan didnt do an anglo and pull all that money out of his ass.

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    Mute David Burke
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    Aug 31st 2014, 9:35 AM

    18 F-16 with spares and maintenance is 4.2 billion.

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    Mute Jopmarsy
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    Sep 1st 2014, 6:46 AM

    Ryan, Saab Viggens cannot take off or land vertically, they can only take off conventionally on runways although they can get airborne very quickly on a short runway.

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    Mute Jonathan Morgan
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    Sep 2nd 2014, 2:39 PM

    David…I’m with you on that. However 12-15 F-16s/ Gripens’s could very well be the best option.
    F-16 as it is the Toyota o the sky or Gripen as it was designed as a cost effective alternative to the F-1/ F-18/ Typhoon. So many European AF’ already operated the F-16 makes it a 2nd buyers market.

    Super Tucano’s would not significantly increase the capability of the Air Corps over the current PC-9′s

    You could look at the Hawk as an option

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    Mute Very fond of
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:26 PM

    If they’re refuelling at Shannon might as well do a fly past the Gaelic Grounds

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    Mute Aaron B
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:48 PM

    Didn’t go near SNN, they came from Germany, stopped off in Lakenheath in the UK and then flew to DUB and back to Lakenheath

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    Mute Very fond of
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:53 PM

    Aww that’s a shame. Cheers for the heads up Aaron.

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    Mute Aaron B
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:56 PM

    No probs, my first time to see them and hear them, absolutely brilliant machine

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    Mute Niall H
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:06 PM

    ‘Just the two planes is it? Be graaaannd ‘ said the Iraqi.

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    Mute Irish Grave Markers
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    Aug 31st 2014, 12:46 AM

    Where did you hear that? Just curious. Thanks.

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    Mute Caillte
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:31 PM

    Listens to Kenny Loggins – danger zone

    Gooooooose!

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    Mute Glen Hoddle
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:11 PM

    Shouldn’t be aloud….

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    Mute royston T justice
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:38 PM

    Jesus the about of wimpy moaners on this section, too load, scared, kids crying, earthquake, drama & negativity..

    Would love to know what nation they were from, might not be US even, F-16 is used by dozens of countries..

    What a wonderful site this must have been, particularly for anyone with an interest.. They look like they are armed with fuel tanks & training rounds.. I wonder was there an exercise. Sounds like the fighters were thought they were giving the Dubs a little treat.. Would love to learn more!

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    Mute royston T justice
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:39 PM

    Missed the American football bit in there (oops sorry) :D

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    Mute Glen
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:54 PM

    Some people are easily amused !

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    Mute Meow
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:05 PM

    Allowed

    39
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    Mute Sean Lee
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:11 PM

    Glen hoddle you are a nerd

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    Mute alan coffey
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:25 PM

    Lol !

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    Mute Cian O Donoghue
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:28 PM

    I see what you did there Glen. Kudos sir!

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    Mute Marie Broomfield
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    Aug 30th 2014, 6:08 PM

    Thought he meant shouldn’t be loud :/

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    Mute PAUL DOYLE
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    Aug 31st 2014, 12:06 AM

    I live about 5 minutes north of Croker and them jets were legend today more please

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    Mute Ray Caffrey
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    Aug 31st 2014, 12:51 PM

    Get your placard out….. “down with this sort of thing”… Might make you feel better

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    Mute Tom the Bomb
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:42 PM

    Christ our country has turned into some bunch of moaners…

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    Mute tomeenoldstock
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:11 PM

    Their coming for Wallace and Daly.

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    Mute Dave Butler
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:17 PM

    A magnificent sight!

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    Mute JG373737
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    Aug 30th 2014, 7:35 PM

    They were awesome! Jaysus. People will go to crappy loud concerts but moan about 2 cool planes being a bit loud

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Aug 31st 2014, 10:05 AM

    Yeah, war machines that cause death and misery are “cool”.

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    Mute Rossa Crowe
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    Aug 31st 2014, 11:42 AM

    I’m fairly sure they prevent wars as well. Stupid comment.

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    Mute Steven Hillert
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:28 PM

    Amazing these planes are just amazing. The noise was like thunder. Bring it on. This is what a war machine sounds like.

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:38 PM

    Amazingly good at killing poor brown people in some faraway place without putting the pilot’s life at risk.

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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:43 PM

    Maybe they got lost over the border….

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:58 PM

    Theres no RAF bases up north anymore, hasn’t been a US base there since WWII.

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:05 PM

    Petr, what poor brown babies? These planes are not in action over Africa!
    Typical leftist response from you.
    I see your friends have Migs.

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    Mute Steven Hillert
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:19 PM

    That’s right killing brown people have you F…… Seen what Isis is doing you idiot. Only for America we would all be speaking Arabic and our women whipped for going out on the streets. You tick C…

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    Mute Mercurial Manchester
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:21 PM

    At least the captured Yankee air pirates got what was coming to them in the Hanoi Hilton in the 1960s.
    Pity any of them were returned after that war.

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    Mute Brian Gormley
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:21 PM

    There’s always one, an assh.le who has to bring skin colour into a perfectly innocent conversation, get a life ye bell end

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:56 PM

    Declan you plonker. I didn’t mention brown babies. And I think you’ll find most people are black rather than brown in Africa!

    The country you come here to defend has slaughtered literally hundreds of thousands of innocent in Iraq, to take just one example.

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:16 PM

    I’m kinda between you both on this. They do kill a lot of brown people in faraway places without putting pilots lives at risk, that’s simple fact.

    There are three types of drone strikes. One, what I call the ”west wing Abdul Sharif” option is when they have a terrorist leader targeted and a Predator or Reaper drone follows his car out of the city and drops a hellfire missile on him, blowing up the car (sometimes taking out innocents around the car). I agree with that because that disrupts plots in progress, creates a natural pause, brings up more inexperienced leadership that will be easier to catch etc
    The other two are another story. Theres the signature strike, where they don’t know who they are killing, frankly I don’t know how this is even done and I don’t know how Obama sleeps at night after ordering one of these…this is basically ”is that an RPG or a camera….I …er…think it’s an RPG…FIRE”.

    Now say the guys gotten into a van between the time you said fire, hit the button and the missile was away, and he’s driven a few steps down the street, the back of the van gets blown up and he’s in the front, not moving, could be dead. This is when they’ might do a ”double tap” strike (nicknamed after the two tap of bullets to the head to take down a suicide bomber) they will wait for an ambulance to come and then they will fire another missile and murder the paramedics and any survivors….that is morally reprehensible IMO, murder at best and a major war crime at most. This is why the US didn’t sign up to the ICC and why the congress passed the SPA law.

    So why is this not so black and white? The US like all imperial powers (and they HATE to be called that, but that’s basically what they are, a modern version of it, you don’t need to occupy a country to do colonialism on it these days) does good and bad.
    You have the bad example, heres a good example of them dealing with brown people.

    In the early 1990s, remember the Somali famine? The US marine corps used it’s amphibious assault ships and it’s airlift capacity to end that famine, they ended the famine, 100%. They were repaid for that with their friends in Rangers and Delta being murdered and dragged through the streets dead in the Black Hawk Down incident.
    They do good, they do bad. It’s both.

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    Mute Tommy Whelan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:46 PM

    Ryan RAF Aldergrove is base in Antrim . It’s soon to be the home of 503 squadron which is a squadron of tornados .

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    Mute Brian Gormley
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    Aug 30th 2014, 5:03 PM

    I’ve changed my mind there’s 2 of them, the second loves to give us a history lesson on anything because he’s an authority on everything regardless of the articles topic

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    Mute Tommy Whelan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 5:31 PM

    The problem is Ryan you only hear about the bad . The humanitarian operations don’t count for a thing in this world . Out of 7 ops iv been involve in only two of them involve military force Afgan and Iraq . The other five where about preventing genocide , ethic cleansing and poverty where not a single shot had been fire . It seems to be that giving life doesn’t seem to be as important as taking life in the eyes of many people .

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    Mute Donna Callan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 9:23 PM

    Serbians weren’t brown, neither are ethnic Russians in Ukraine, but being an anti-white hater you wouldn’t care about them.

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    Mute dublinlad
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    Aug 30th 2014, 9:33 PM

    Petr, I made a simple mistake.
    Btw, I thought in your world there would be no differences between people. We would all be the same. It would be hard to tell anyway as we would all be wearing khaki uniforms and carrying little red books.

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    Mute dublinlad
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    Aug 30th 2014, 9:36 PM

    Petr, I think that you will find that the differences between people in Africa is far greater then in Europe. Only you see everything in black and white.

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Aug 31st 2014, 12:36 AM

    Jaysus petr, you’ve gotten yourself a fierce amount of red thumbs there now.

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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    Aug 31st 2014, 1:00 AM

    A relative of mine served at Aldergrove during WWII as a mechanic!

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    Mute Steven Hillert
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    Aug 31st 2014, 1:52 AM

    Go and say your prayers you piece of S,,, America has done a lot of good in the world. But to be honest with you I hope they forget about the good for a few mins and wipe you out.

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Aug 31st 2014, 2:04 AM

    Petr, no. The Iraqis have slaughtered themselves.

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Aug 31st 2014, 2:10 AM

    Ah Deco. I see you’re on Twitter now. Moving into the 21st century, are we? lol

    I told you a million times I don’t give a fiddlers about red thumbs. Only simpletons like yourself care about such things. This is not a popularity contest, you do realise that?

    As for black and white… here’s an introduction to critical race theory:

    http://spacrs.wordpress.com/what-is-critical-race-theory/

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Aug 31st 2014, 2:13 AM

    “Go and say your prayers you piece of S,,, America has done a lot of good in the world.”

    Steven you absolute plank.. I don’t pray!!! The revolutionist is a secular atheist. The US has NOT done a lot of good, it was killed hundreds of thousands of innocents. Hang your head in shame for defending such a regime.

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    Mute dublinlad
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    Aug 31st 2014, 5:19 AM

    Petr, yes I’m on twitter and only because this iPad won’t post from Facebook. So your a secular atheist. How about being a human petr?

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    Mute dublinlad
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    Aug 31st 2014, 5:23 AM

    Steven, don’t mind petr. He’s just full of it. He’s an extreme left wing socialist and now he’s a secular atheist. I wonder what he will be next week?

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Aug 31st 2014, 10:34 AM

    Every socialist is a secular atheist, Deco, you gobshyte.

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    Mute Jopmarsy
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    Sep 1st 2014, 6:57 AM

    Ryan, an RPG is a rocket propelled grenade and is fired off the shoulder, nothing to do with aircraft! They are a Russian weapon and are used worldwide by terrorists.

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    Mute RI Twing
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:12 PM

    They were really loud never heard anything like that before

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    Mute Dawn Keeballs
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:08 PM

    Just goes to show you how behind we really are, the noise of two fighter jets is making the news.

    Happens every weekend at matches in the US.

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    Mute Jillian Milam
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:58 PM

    This happens a couple times a week over my house!! My town is close to several military bases here in Virginia. It’s quite a fright if you’re not expecting it!! :)

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    Mute Brian Gormley
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:50 PM

    Jillian, is that Virginia in co Cavan

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    Mute Jillian Milam
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    Aug 30th 2014, 5:20 PM

    Nah… I’m one of those damn yanks ;) haha

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    Mute Joe Hunter
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:25 PM

    You dubs are never happy!!

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    Mute Glen
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:23 PM

    We will be over the moon leaving croker tomorrow !

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:56 PM

    Nice one Glen. And you’re right, we will be!! :)

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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    Aug 30th 2014, 10:12 PM

    Lol, Glen!

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    Mute Joe Hunter
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    Aug 31st 2014, 5:07 PM

    Ha glen you were saying you cocky dublin plonker

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    Mute Jonathan Morgan
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    Sep 2nd 2014, 2:48 PM

    Sorry Petr. Must have been a fascist conspiracy

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    Mute Malachy
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:13 PM

    That’s okay. But if they refuel in Shannon they’ll be trouble.

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:41 PM

    Fighters don’t usually land in Shannon, the ”war support” the anti war crowd usually claim are civilian planes carrying off duty troops 90% of the time. Usually a Boeing 737 or a CIA lear jet or something, rarely an actual air force plane per say

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    Mute Kenneth Marsden
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:08 PM

    They’re carrying drop tanks, so no need to refuel if they’re returning to the UK or Germany.

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    Mute Jack Daniels
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:04 PM

    Imagine them flying over your house/city and you know their gona drop a few one tonne bombs on your head.. Scary thought

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    Mute Jonathan Morgan
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    Sep 2nd 2014, 2:42 PM

    In reality they operate (release ordnance from) at higher levels.

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    Mute BattleoftheAxe
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:29 PM

    Who gave these people permission to flyover Dublin so low? Was it the same planning section as #garthbrookes concerts

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    Mute winding_down
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:56 PM

    The Minister for Defence must authorise all foreign military aircraft and personnel to enter Irish airspace. So Simon Coveney TD.

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    Mute Andy
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    Aug 30th 2014, 7:32 PM

    Firstly… Can no one spell the word “loud”? Secondly, get the f*ck over it. I don’t recall any of you idiots protesting at the air show in Bray this summer? I actually thought it was a really good bit of entertainment & That’s all it was, entertainment. Not intimidation. Have you ever heard such bloody nonsense over two bloody planes… This goes way beyond first world problems…. Nonsense..

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    Mute Larry Heffernan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:23 PM

    The Russian Ambassador has all his staff red thumbing.

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    Mute winding_down
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:24 PM

    This would have woken the dead across North Dublin. They’re playing sport, why should they be permitted to being their war machines with them?

    The Dept of Defence should be slapped on the wrist for green-lighting such pointless and noisey stupidity.

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    Mute Killian Donohoe
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    Aug 31st 2014, 3:32 PM

    Wow what a boring knob you are.

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    Mute Ger
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:17 PM

    Scared the bejayus out of me. I genuinely thought there was going to be a crash. I just heard the noise, I live next to Croke Park. Is that pic real by the way? Because if it is then the planes were armed with missiles. Why would they be armed for a fly by???

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    Mute Ger
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:46 PM

    Why the red thumbs but no explanation? I dont understand why they would have missiles attached for a flyby….is it a normal thing?

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    Mute Jonathan Morgan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:47 PM

    Those are fuel tanks and empty weapon pylons under the wings. The aircraft had all munitions removed before being allowed to do the flypast.

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    Mute Romauld O'Falluin
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:50 PM

    A low fly over is designed to intimidate the populace with awe and terror. Making it acceptable we describe it as an “amazing spectacle”. The objective of power is to retain, impose and expand power.

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    Mute Ger
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:51 PM

    Ah ok, thanks Jonathan.

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:55 PM

    @Rom what possible motive does the US have to intimidate us?

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    Mute Romauld O'Falluin
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:01 PM

    @Ryan it’s a military power that wants us to know how strong it is. What other reason could there be for such an act? Unconsciously, in the moment of terror as they fly over, we hope they are on our side. Was it an act of compassion or a demonstration of love? I think not.

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:39 PM

    Fly bys are a common means of salute and respect. For example when an airman or solider gets killed it’s often done to have an overfly of the funeral where one jet in the formation peels off at the last second and falls away to represent the fallen man.
    Israeli F-15I’s did an overfly of Auschwitz concentration camp as a salute to their murdered ancestors, they were not trying to intimidate the tourists who were there.
    The Air Corps might not be an air force but they do flyovers as a salute too…it’s really quite common I think you’re reading more into it than is there.

    People tend to grow up, from the movies and video games, with this good guys view of the US military and government, a real cartoon image of things, and then they read about some of the bad stuff they’ve done in books like Why Do People Hate America (great book) in college and they feel kinda cheated, these were meant to be the good guys and they were doing THAT, and they have a kinda knee-jerk reaction then where they start seeing them purely through a negative light in every circumstance, but it’s like anything else, there are good and bad sides to everything, good and bad cops, teachers for some reason with the US though people, once they read about the bad stuff, can’t help but see only the bad and everything seems bad then. When I mentioned I’d two friends attached to JSOC when discussing something with one poster on here the guy, who had never met them and knew nothing else about them, referred to them as ”murderers” and ”killers for hire”.
    All imperial powers have good and bad sides, don’t see it all as black and white the worlds grey.

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    Mute Romauld O'Falluin
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:49 PM

    @ryan you are obviously very well read and informed, much more so than
    the general commentator on here. My posts are meant to provide an alternative to the ill informed assumption of benevolence on the part of Superpowers. The Israeli salute was on the one hand a recognition of the suffering in Auschwitz, however you should also acknowledge that it is a statement that Israel will, rightly, never let such a thing happen again. This position is now, wrongly IMO, being expressed in an extreme form in Gaza. Every apparently benign act also has a contradictory or shadow motive. That’s is a grey position, not one that assumes only good. These are machines of destruction, whether they are peaceful or not depends on where you are sitting when the rockets land.

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:06 PM

    I get that you have a perspective of not always seeing them as the good guys, and trying to get people to not always assume they are always the good guys , but don’t let that become the opposite of thinking they are always the bad guys either.

    I agree on Israel, the talk of ”never again” just irritates me, they’ll say in discussion ”we said never again” and all I can say is ”right…but the Palestinians are not gassing you and shoving you into ovens…so stop bringing that up”

    I think it’s bad for anyone to let their mindset go black and white and it’s easy to lapse into demonizing your opponents but as soon as you give into that impulse you start to fail to understand them and that is your first step on the road to loosing to them.

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    Mute Romauld O'Falluin
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:18 PM

    @ryan you need not tell people how to think, I am not a child, just present an argument, you have plenty of information in your quiver.

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:34 PM

    Everyone who comments on here is telling the other person how to think that’s the whole point of having an opinion is you think your outlook is the right one and you’re trying to convince others to think the same, I was bending overbackwards to be friendly to you so if you can’t see that, I don’t care, f___k yourself.

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    Mute Romauld O'Falluin
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    Aug 30th 2014, 5:29 PM

    Your infantile obsession with war machines and ad hominem attack says it all really. God help us, another right wing cretin is in the making!

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    Mute Brían
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    Aug 30th 2014, 5:45 PM

    I see the tin foil hat brigade are out again today !

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    Mute Romauld O'Falluin
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    Aug 30th 2014, 6:03 PM

    Good man Brian a pointless and irrelevant contribution, don’t like conflict eh?

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    Mute Jed I. Knight
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    Aug 30th 2014, 7:04 PM

    @Ryan Romauld basically said he didn’t agree with your analysis of some issues, your opinion of others. He respectfully acknowledged you, but pointed out his right to put forward his opinion as an alternative viewpoint. In doing this both your conversation points ranged from the use of flyovers as an intimidation tool to the Israeli flyover of Auschwitz, what you read at night, your friends in JSOC and Israel and Gaza.
    But at this point you said the Israeli viewpoint irritated you with regard to the Palestinians, and you went off on a little rant. When Romauld asked you, again respectfully, not to tell him how to think, just present a logical arguement, your answer was, and I’m paraphrasing here, “… I don’t care, f___k yourself”.

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    Mute Cathy Conley
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    Aug 30th 2014, 11:13 PM

    Rom that has to be the funniest thing I read all day! Thanks for the giggle!! :)

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    Mute David Vaughan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:18 PM

    I remember being in Shannon for an air show when I was a kid. Two flypasts. The F-16 was loud, but the old F-4 was an order of magnitude louder.
    Don’t make them like they used to…

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    Mute Alanearls
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:00 PM

    We should send up our 3 little propeller aircraft and see if they could catch them..

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    Mute Mary Clarke Connell
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:28 PM

    Thought it was an aeroplane about to crash. The kids ran off terrified too.

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    Mute Michael Barrett
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:28 PM

    The sound of freedom. Saw this outside the gate of a us base recently.

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    Mute Marilyn Maroney
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:50 PM

    Wow, what up with all the American bashers?? Thought we were you’re closest friends! A lot of you Irish aren’t happy unless you’re b&tching and moaning about something,depressing! No wonder there’s a drinking problem with you…..( just generalizing like you lot do )… Makes me wonder why there are so many illegals here if it’s such a horrible place..hummmmm

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Aug 31st 2014, 12:39 AM

    Marilyn, it’s the journal! Have you read any of the comments when it’s come to Syria, Ukraine or Isis? Tune in for some mind bending comments.

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    Mute Silver Planet
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    Aug 31st 2014, 3:23 AM

    To put it in American terms, Marilyn, think of this site as a combination of Jezebel and HuffPo. God knows it wants to be!

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    Mute Chris Devitt
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    Aug 31st 2014, 9:41 PM

    @ Declan Noonan .. should have got back to you sooner, I won’t go into details we have a cyber stalking troll on these pages, it has been known to use false names , usually it goes by the name Mick Jordan. Look at the link below.. These stalkers can cause confusion, hope you understand.
    http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/khodorkovsky-calls-on-russians-to-protest-kremlin-war-against-ukraine-362617.html?fb_comment_id=fbc_581692415273188_582243008551462_582243008551462#f1d2078e83d4314

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    Mute roryboyle
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:40 PM

    Jayyysus I thought Putin was serious with the nuclear stuff and we will see the bright light in a few seconds!

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    Mute Joseph Siddall
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    Aug 30th 2014, 7:11 PM

    If someone is going to nuke Dublin the first you would know about it would be that very bright light. And then……nothing. But I really wouldn’t worry about it. It’s not going to happen. Lots of posturing going on – mainly as diversions from troubles within the EU and USA – but no-one is going to war over Ukraine. Putin is securing his borders and trying to rebuild his buffer zone. Imaging If Finland and Norway were being wooed by Russia. EU would get pretty upset about it. EU is expansionist and that is not healthy, right now.

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    Mute Derek Durkin
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:39 PM

    As a fan of US sports it’s pretty hard to watch sometimes with all the military propaganda they have at all the games and then the ads on US channels are full of recruitment drives for the Navy, Marines, Airforce and Army. Pretty blatant really.

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    Mute Paul Circle
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:13 PM

    I hope they weren’t on their way to israel to bolster the israeli terrorists stock of baby slaughter capability from the air …. again.

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:53 PM

    There are no US air force bases in Israel.
    The US has six war reserve stocks inside Israel but they’re US property and the Israelis have no access to them they are just emergency arms dumps in case something unexpected happens, the idea is if Israel was overrun in a Yom Kippur War type situation they could allow them access to them if they were desperate, the view in the US is that if Israel is ever in danger of collapse it’s better for the US to give them conventional military aid rather than risk them being backed into a corner and using nuclear weapons.
    The Samson Option (Israels nuclear policy) calls for using them if the old pre sixdaywar borders are breached or the Isreali Air Force is destroyed. They’ve done it before, Golda Myer armed jets with nukes on purpose so the US would notice and give them more aid during one of the wars.

    Israelis have a separate contract with the makers of F15s and F16s to make special F-15I and F161 jets
    Contrary to popular belief there is no formal US-Israel security treaty, while the US gives Israel financial aid, it has to be spent on US military equipment. If you read about the Suez crises you’d see they don’t ask US approval for things that they do, and frequently act in direct contravention to what the US asks them to do. The idea that they are on an American leash is wrong, the leash goes the other way through AIPAC because any lobby with money has power in US politics.

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    Mute Jurgen Remak
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:08 PM

    Very good and informative analysis there Ryan. I was not aware that there are 6 armaments depots inside Israel, thought it was less. Are these ordinance only or also hardware? What about Israeli planes – I assume missiles and other aircraft ordinance lform a very large part of this? I’m thinking of the recent authorization by the US to re-stock the Israelis recently after the Gaza offensive.

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:55 PM

    Some people say they have planes there as well, nobody thinks they have a base, you never know with the US though, generally the more loudly they deny something the more it tends to be true.
    It’s being referred to as ”site 51” only adds to the mystery, I mean of all the things to call it you might as well put a sign up ”HELLO SUPERSECRET THING OVER HERE DON’T LOOK DON’T LOOK”

    It’s apparently bombs missiles equipment and not operationally ready planes. The only odd thing is theres a ready made hospital there with around 500 beds and nobody can explain what that’s for. It’s meant to be for US special forces missions but JSOC has plenty of other places to fly guys to around the CENTCOM region they don’t really need that. This all adds to peoples assumption that it’s a doomsday stockpile and plan, Israel gets overrun and needs big US help and support, including special forces support , and then it’s all there ready to go.
    The US military are big on prepping for highly unlikely doomsday events it’s why they build Mount Weather Raven Rock Cyenne and this new one in Texas that’s meant to be able to take multiple direct hits.
    Personally I think the days of the Arabs invading Israel are gone that’s a past tense problem, even the fear of an Iranian nuke is mostly nonsense, even if they did get one they want it for defense not offense, they want it as insurance so the US can never invade them, they’d not be crazy enough to actually use it. Even if they wiped Israel out:
    1. They’d be wiping out the Palestinians as well, it’s all a very dense area and ”you can’t do brain surgery with a nuke”.
    2. The Israelis have second strike capability now with those Dolphin submarines and their Popeye cruise missiles, very innovative of them, they can’t get Tomahawks or anything like it so they turn a torpedo design into a missile design, pure genius. I don’t like what they are doing at the moment but you have to give them points for tenacity.

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    Mute David Burke
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:19 PM

    Israel armed their jets with nukes in yom kippur knowing that the Soviets would detect it and try and restrain their allies. It wasn’t aimed at the US.

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:35 PM

    It was aimed at getting conventional military aide out of the US as well.
    Right after it was done a massive surge in US aid followed the US was terrified a regional nuclear strike would escalate into a strategic fight.

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    Mute David Burke
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    Aug 30th 2014, 8:33 PM

    It really wasn’t, that’s basically a historical myth. Any US aid would have been too late to play a decisive role if they had broken though. It takes days for the US to organise a load and get it across to Israel. They can increase the pace which they were but it’s a long way from the US to Israel.

    It was to send a nuclear warning to the people they were fighting, that they were willing to use nukes.

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    Mute Tristan Ua Ceithearnaigh
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:32 PM

    Just like the Americans, loud and arrogant.

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    Mute Ablitive
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:47 PM

    American war planes that are used for wars based on lies and deception should not be permitted in our air space.

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    Mute Glen
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:05 PM

    SAM will sort it !

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    Mute Ablitive
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:40 PM

    Adolph Hitler would have put on similar air spectaculars in the run up to war.

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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:45 PM

    You were very quiet when the Russians had a sophisticated surveillance and spy plane in Dublin a few years back Frank! But those Russian paratroopers are just tourists in Ukraine!

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 8:15 PM

    Glen, do you go everywhere frank goes?

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    Mute Mick
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    Aug 31st 2014, 8:51 PM

    So would the airforces that defeated him.
    Congrats on Godwin, though.

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    Mute Terry O'Dowd
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:59 PM

    Can anyone tell me what the actual point of this was?

    What does an American football game have to do with the USAF?
    Were they send to put the players at peace in case of a terrorist threat?
    Are American penises so small that they have to compensate by sending fighter jets to a peaceful country?

    Send your answers on a postcard to: Barry O’Bama,
    Whitehouse
    Moneygall,
    Co. Offaly.

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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:43 PM

    It’s like the Artane boys band! Tradition but feck all to do with the actual event

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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:25 PM

    That was noisy! I heard it in Ranelagh!

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    Mute Barry Cooper
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:15 PM

    They should ban all f16s fly overs.

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    Mute Jonathan Morgan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:54 PM

    Why?

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    Mute Michael Gazda
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:13 PM

    Totally agree… the F-16 quite an old jet. Now an F-22 or F-35… that would be something.

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:37 PM

    Outrageous. These people have killed literally hundreds of thosands of people over the last 10-15 years. They should not be in our skies.

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    Mute Jonathan Morgan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:52 PM

    What? You know the pilots do you?

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 8:16 PM

    Petr only likes to see Migs flying.

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    Mute BattleoftheAxe
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:34 PM

    Two F16 jets flying over Dublin today. Does this not invade our neutrality. I find it very offensive. Who authorised permission? Enda, Michael D, Dublin Planning … #notfunny

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    Mute Jonathan Morgan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:51 PM

    A flyover is seen as a PR event. They never landed here and were not armed. So no breach of our ‘neutrality’.

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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:42 PM

    BattleoftheAxe, one we are not legally neutral, it’s a gov policy, and it is not a breach if any protocol, much like the regular visits to Dublin port and cork of NATO and Russian navy vessels.

    It’s a Pr Exercise to jets fuelled in the UK fly over Irish airspace and land back in the UK

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    Mute Lorem Ipsum
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:58 PM

    “Does this not invade our neutrality”

    I don’t know where to start correcting that

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    Mute Mark
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    Aug 30th 2014, 5:28 PM

    Look armed to me ?

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    Mute cosmological
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:25 PM

    Too cloudy to see it but certainly loud enough.

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    Mute Steven Hillert
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:30 PM

    That’s loud. But it hasn’t a patch on a B52 bomber or a british tornado jump jet. But still nice to see them over dublin

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    Mute Jed I. Knight
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:39 PM

    Oh I hate to be pedantic, but the Tornado isn’t a jump jet. That was the Harrier, saw one of them at an air show once, jaysus it’d rattle your fillings from a half mile away. Amazing engineering.

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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:39 PM

    Try an F15 or F14 for noise!!

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    Mute Steven Hillert
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    Aug 31st 2014, 1:45 AM

    Your right I was wrong I
    Was thinking about the harrier jump jet I seen a squadron of jump jets at RAF Lossiemouth a few years ago at an air show Jesus Christ the Fs haven’t a patch on the noise of the harriers. It was so loud when if took off it went out to sea turned around I had my back to it as it came back I dived for cover I thought the world was going to explode needless to say I looked like a right plonker diving on the ground but the noise was so powerful. I can just imagine 4 of 5 of these fast jets going in for a bombing run the sound must scare the enemy to bits. They must be praying to what ever god they believe in. It’s an awful pity there’s no real air show in Dublin with fast jets and the red arrows now that would draw a huge crowd.

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    Mute Meow
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:24 PM

    Very scary … we should have been warned. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. :p

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    Mute matthew mc manus
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:21 PM

    Some people will moan over anything… two f-16 fighter jets flew low and where load ok get over it… maybe it will give you a small taste of how life in gaza is!

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    Mute EC P Ford
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    Aug 30th 2014, 5:56 PM

    Tell Wallace and Gromitt (Clare Daly) and they can go and search the planes

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    Mute Anna
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:49 PM

    I nearly peed my pants had no idea it was happening for the game. Thought it was a plane coming down. Im still not right an hour later ! #scaredeypants

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    Mute Katherine Sheehan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:25 PM

    Yeah i was still shaking an hour later too!

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    Mute paul burch
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:18 PM

    I thought it was thunder !!

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    Mute Paul Radburn
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:55 PM

    Does anyone know how to remove skid marks?

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    Mute Brendan McLoughlin
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:29 PM

    Almost woke me up out in the Sitesoide. American football is a load of nonsense, in fairness!

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    Mute Joseph Siddall
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:21 PM

    Brendan, almost woke you up. So, in fact, it didn’t. Hmmmm.

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    Mute Jim Leonard Snr
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:18 PM

    Do they have to militarise everything?

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    Mute Fognostical
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:10 PM

    Noise? That’s not real noise which is only made by a low flying Vulcan :-)

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    Mute Carlin Ite
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:10 PM

    Bad enough we have to put up with their boring advert ridden sport but their military have to fly around too. Was it too much to as them to leave their military at home!

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    Mute jemimasmiler
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:28 PM

    Obviously thought they’d give us a treat. Similar to their condescending commentary at each break in the game. Amazement at the fact “Dublin has some great architecture” and “wonderfully designed bridges”, not forgetting “downtown Trinity College” *rolls eyes*

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    Mute Lorem Ipsum
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:58 PM

    You two probably shouldn’t watch it so

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    Mute Rebecca Lai
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    Aug 31st 2014, 2:37 PM

    jemimasmiler: I spent most of my 2 week trip to Ireland with my eyes popping out of my skull. :D I WAS amazed- not because I’m arrogant or because I think that the U.S. is superior, but because we just don’t have the history that you guys have. This country is so young that a 200 year old building seems ancient to us…seeing something *genuinely* ancient like Newgrange was astonishing-and quite humbling, truth be told. I simply can’t wait to visit again… I loved everything about Ireland.

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    Mute Colm McCarthy
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    Aug 31st 2014, 3:15 AM

    How often do we get to see F16′s fly over head , fantastic

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    Mute Pat Boylan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 10:11 PM

    WTF Heard them before I saw them, thought Russia were invading! I with the irish air corps had planes like this, cool to see. Even for the few seconds they were on view.

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    Mute mairtinlally
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:19 PM

    Seriously lads? This got an article?

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    Mute Glen Hoddle
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:27 PM

    Yeah ally. Seriously. Try to keep up m8.

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    Mute Alan Lawlor
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:24 PM

    I heard it in Terenure, but couldn’t see them as I think they were in the low clouds. Never heard fighter jets before but thats what I thought they sounded like.
    Thanks to thejournal for the story and solving the mystery for me

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    Mute Jonathan Morgan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:28 PM

    boards.ie knew about it last Monday!

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    Mute Fremen14
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    Aug 30th 2014, 6:41 PM

    Should have fired off a few missiles at the Dail while they were at it and done us a favor , mind they all on summer hols

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    Mute johngahan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:23 PM

    Just thought it was the usual lazy inconsiderate routing by Swords airport of low flying planes across the most densely populated Dublin suburbs, rather than over empty fields to the north.

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    Mute Jonathan Morgan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:50 PM

    Yes because flying over empty fields would really allow them to make their mark on the football match in Croke Park

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    Mute johngahan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:36 PM

    I was talking about the usual day-to-day (and night) Dublin Airport traffic routes over the city rather than over empty fields.

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    Mute Jonathan Morgan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 9:07 PM

    Listening to ATC at the time…it caused 1 flight to hold off the coast for approx 10 mins. At the same time they were allowing aircraft to take off. So it didn’t actually impact operations at Dublin Airport.

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    Mute Andy Byrne
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:25 PM

    Where did they come from? Is there a carrier in the Irish Sea?

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    Mute Jonathan Morgan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 2:49 PM

    They flew from an airbase in the UK…hence the fuel tanks under wings.
    There are usualy based in Germany but the USAF overnighted them in UK last night so they could make the flypast.

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    Mute Maria
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    Aug 31st 2014, 12:02 AM

    Makes you want the Aer Corps to hold their big air shows again…they were legend…and the noise off of some of the planes on show. I remember the last one I saw had a harrier jet and the red arrows(they had the french display team a few years before that) – they also had another jet that had to land and refuel in Dublin Airport because the runway in Baldonnell was too short for it…those were the days when people didn’t give a toss and weren’t so up their own backsides..

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    Mute Cathy Conley
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    Aug 30th 2014, 11:24 PM

    As soon as I saw the title for this article I figured the communists that read The Journal must be going bonkers

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    Mute Tim Kearney
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    Aug 30th 2014, 8:49 PM

    They landed in Clare Daily’s Back Garden :-)

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    Mute Charles Potter
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:03 PM

    Think that was loud? You ought to hear them when they come down for ground support! Could have been worse. Imagine knowing that terrorists had just knocked down your two largest buildings and killed thousands. Your government deployed them to shoot down airliners with your own people aboard. It is a sickening feeling and your heart breaks for the pilots that have to carry out that order. Noise isn’t so bad, is it.

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    Mute Ken McDermott
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:14 PM

    Why exactly have those 16′s been allowed to do a fly over fully tooled up? 2XAMRAMMs and 2xsidewinders a piece! . Surely it is against irish law to allow weapons in our airspace. When the carrier john f Kennedy came to visit in the 90s none of the jets on display in dublin airport weer tooled up. What’s changed?

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    Mute Jonathan Morgan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:27 PM

    These 2 jets were completely unarmed. Gun were empty, pylons were bare. They did have 2 fuel tanks under each wing.

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    Mute Henry Sellars
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:41 PM

    What’s changed is that most of the girls from Dun Laoghaire are now not pregnant with sailors kids………;-)

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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:47 PM

    Your eyesight they were not armed

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    Mute Gregg Kennedy
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:59 PM

    I don’t care either way but each yet had two drop tanks two wing tips missles and one wing mounted missle going by the pictures of the event. Standard self protection for even a ferry flight in the current world state and in case they are called away for an emergency. These are air to air missles so realistically would do minimal damage if any if accidentally dropped.

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    Mute vincent naughton
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    Aug 30th 2014, 11:28 PM

    Pah! You insular types without a decent Air Force….

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    Mute Sparks
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    Aug 30th 2014, 8:15 PM

    We should return the favour and fly the government jet low over Washington on its next visit. Like that would be aloud. Our country has stooped to a new low, we’re just another arm of a US PR campaign. I’d say Enda is fuming at the missed Photo op, they could have parachuted him into the stadium.

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    Mute Bill King
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    Aug 30th 2014, 10:19 PM

    Think 2 planes was bad, on Friday morning we have this to look forward to as part of the NATO conference just 2 miles from our house. Huge police presence and helicopters already before the navies turn up but then the fly past

    It will be led by an RAF Typhoon flanked by two Polish Mig-29s and finished by the Red Arrows, the RAF’s aerobatic team, which will follow after Voyager, the RAF’s largest and newest aircraft. Other jets will include a Eurofighter and F-16 Falcons.

    Hope Enda enjoys it as he’s here in Wales as a guest.

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    Mute Sparks
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    Aug 30th 2014, 8:31 PM

    I wonder if they done a fly over at Peter’s Place cafe in Waterville, maybe these are the load Americans he was on about.

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    Mute Ayesha Waraich
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    Aug 30th 2014, 5:29 PM

    Ohh so that what it was!!

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    Mute Pat Lennon
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    Aug 30th 2014, 10:18 PM

    My kids were walking outside the omni in santry today when these planes roared past they were terrified, does that make the pilots terrorists? And who do I see about it.

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    Mute Repeating history
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    Aug 30th 2014, 10:33 PM

    Check the mirror and see the reflection about it

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    Mute Liam Treacy
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    Aug 31st 2014, 10:42 AM

    Good to know they are out there and our buddies. World is a dangerous place.

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    Mute felicity harris
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:04 PM

    I heard the noise in wetherspoons in blackrock thought the dart had got very noisy!!

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    Mute Mick
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    Aug 31st 2014, 8:46 PM

    Look up ‘John Boyd F-16.’
    His writings are deep and brilliant. He was also the real architect of the Gulf War victory. The original plan called for a Normandy style invasion but Boyd’s left hook plan was chosen.

    “”The Iraqi army collapsed morally and intellectually under the onslaught of American and Coalition forces. John Boyd was an architect of that victory as surely as if he’d commanded a fighter wing or a maneuvre division in the desert.”
    -Gen. Krulak

    His best work and the underpinnings of all his other papers is “Destruction and creation”
    It is well worth your time.

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    Mute Mercurial Manchester
    Favourite Mercurial Manchester
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    Aug 30th 2014, 6:25 PM

    Damn Yankie Air Pirates!!

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    Mute beachcomber
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:56 PM

    Visibly loaded to the gills with weapons but we are still a neutral country. Off to bomb some babies now!!!

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    Mute Shane Donovan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:07 PM

    They are dummy missiles and fuel tanks obviously…

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    Mute Joan Featherstone
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:35 PM

    Jaysus very noisy here in ‘The Rock’ this afternoon….me eardrums is hurtin.

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    Mute Tom Dunne
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    Aug 30th 2014, 10:53 PM

    I was in the house in Rathfarnham. I thought the world was ending with the noise from these things.

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    Mute Donna Callan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 9:35 PM

    Naive little Ireland.

    This is part of a build up in the event Ukraine escalates. US has bases in Europe, they have squadrons too, but Russia has numerical advantage, US is building up as situation may require. You don’t spend 1000′s on fuel for a flyover, they were on their way over and decided to add that in as they were going to be in the area same time as game, but they are definitely building up numbers in the East.

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    Mute Marc Blasko
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    Aug 31st 2014, 4:20 PM

    Wow this started out as a conversation about 2 jets flying over a stadium and went in a million directions. As time goes by people tend to forget their history lessons. If it was not for us Americans…..all of you would be speaking german……well at least the ones the Nazis didn t kill. Weost thousands of men to save your asses..show some respect!!!!

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    Mute Alan landers
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    Aug 31st 2014, 4:28 PM

    True enough, but don’t forget the Russians did have a hand in defeating the nazis it wasn’t only the US

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    Mute Gregg Kennedy
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    Aug 31st 2014, 6:00 PM

    An especially big hand as well. In fact history shows several German units decided to head west and surrender rather than be killed by the Russians!. US seem to also forget then let the war go on for a couple of vital years and didn’t enter the war until Pearl Harbour so less with the world saviour talk Marc, wars are entered into for a reason by other countries and usually for self serving ones not to save others.

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    Mute Gregg Kennedy
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    Aug 31st 2014, 6:12 PM

    Meant to also include that one thing that seems to be lost on our American cousins is the ability to accept criticism, not that I agree with it in this case, or in other words freedom of speech that you don’t like. If you keep harping on about great deeds from 65 years ago no one takes you seriously, time has changed and the world has moved on. You seem to foget you still had effective slavery in the last century and you don’t hear us going on about it?

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    Mute Alan landers
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    Aug 31st 2014, 3:01 PM

    Should be over bombing isis

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    Mute Nick Caffrey
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    Aug 31st 2014, 9:33 AM

    Why are we permitting American weapons of mass destruction in our airspace? What a nasty, sycophantic little nation we are.

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    Mute Ronald Griffiths
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    Aug 31st 2014, 3:17 PM

    #American muscle, my #Irish friends!

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    Mute Yvonne Mullen
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    Aug 30th 2014, 8:19 PM

    Scared the bejesus out of me!

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    Mute Nigel Heffernan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 6:53 PM

    Looking at the photo those jets are carrying missiles on the wings good old ireland letting armed jets fly over its capital city

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    Mute Reg
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    Aug 30th 2014, 7:12 PM

    They’re fuel tanks numb nuts.

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    Mute Donna Callan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 9:27 PM

    Of course none of you guessed that it is war games exercise and prep for attacks on Russia. They are doing practical assessments in turn around time, patrolling and interdiction missions from Ireland to Germany and onwards, always useful to sell it as entertainment for the crowds at a stadium.

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    Mute David Ronan
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    Aug 30th 2014, 9:42 PM

    Where did you buy your tin foil hat?

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    Mute Gregg Kennedy
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    Aug 30th 2014, 10:11 PM

    Wow. Got to be conspiracy comment of the month!.

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    Mute Gregg Kennedy
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    Aug 30th 2014, 11:06 PM

    Fair enough and don’t dispute that fact but still no link between two f16s that are actually rom a squadron based in Germany going by their squadron numbers on their tails doing a match flyby (happens at nearly every game in the states)and saying they are only using it as a cover for a training mission. Yes, they may get some basic point to point navigational training but I doubt they need it that bad. Anyway, if you think you think that flying in a low and slow steady formation over a city is combat training be glad you not a combat pilot flying what is generally an air-air combat jet like the F16.

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    Mute Gregg Kennedy
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    Aug 30th 2014, 11:22 PM

    These particular F16s (Block C/J) are tasked with air to air and enemy radar suppresion so again low level flying over a city pretty pointless when you job is to destroy radar installations from a standoff position to allow the others to attack specific targets with less risk. Also as a side point, Ukraine is not in NATO so can’t and won’t get involved directly, building up of force is to prevent the Russians from thinking of stealing some more land from a NATO country.

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    Mute sean de paore
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    Aug 31st 2014, 7:56 AM

    The US football trophy was made in Waterford & we would have welcomed a visit yesterday for the annual All Ireland Tony Forrestal hurling tournament!
    Jasus ye Dubs don’t half moan. Garth Brooks should have booked five “fly by’s” or five concerts. Maybe then the Croke Park residents would have relented!

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    Mute Foxtrot Hotel
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    Aug 31st 2014, 3:46 AM

    They are armed….

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    Mute M Bowe
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    Aug 31st 2014, 2:52 AM

    And garath brooks was gonna ne too noisy

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    Mute Gregg Kennedy
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    Aug 30th 2014, 3:34 PM

    Mayo suppoters not happy about replay, need them for self defence!

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    Mute Gregg Kennedy
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    Aug 30th 2014, 4:04 PM

    Point proven by the red thumbs

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    Mute M Bowe
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    Aug 31st 2014, 2:54 AM

    How many ” rendition prisoners” were on board????

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Aug 31st 2014, 10:03 AM

    Loud American tourists strike again.

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    Mute Malgosia Trojanska
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    Aug 31st 2014, 9:38 PM

    It would have been great if we’d been made aware of that before it happened.

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    Mute Rudi Teichmann
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    Aug 31st 2014, 8:27 PM

    Not enough that Shannin airport is used by the US military. Now they use a sporting event to display their air power and frighten the sh** out of people. Here is a press statement from AFRI. It expresses what I feel.

    Aug 31, 2014 — Please share this press release using below link on Facebook, Twitter etc. Thank you! http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1s77vqv
    ———————————
    The justice and peace group Afri have expressed outrage at the “fly past” by 2 U.S. jet fighters as part of the U.S. football match in Croke Park yesterday.

    “Many people in the surrounding areas were shocked and frightened when the silence of a quiet Saturday afternoon was shattered by the thunder of 2 F16 fighter jets which, without warning or explanation, flew overhead in a “lap of honour” for the participating teams.What would it be like if, as in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, they were firing the missiles which are their stock in trade? ”

    Who gave consent for this invasion of Irish air space by elements of the U.S. war machine”? Is it appropriate that the Headquarters of Ireland’s National Games, built over many years by the pence and shillings, cents and euros, of loyal supporters should be used as a backdrop for U.S. war propaganda?

    If official permission was given, Afri condemns the authorities in Croke Park and the Irish Government for their collusion with this disgraceful display. As with Shannon Airport, this shows a typically supine attitude by the Irish Government to U.S. power. Is their no limit to our willingness to prostrate ourselves before the alter of U.S. militarism. Sport should be a means of bringing people together and promoting peace, not a vehicle for promoting war and militarism” said Dr. Iain Atack of Afri.

    Should there be a recurrence of this event in future years, Afri stated that it will mobilise people to protest against such obscene conflation of war and sport.

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    Mute Mick
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    Aug 31st 2014, 8:49 PM

    Thank Jebus, we have you to protect us from Tyranny.
    Nothing scares the Bejesus out sub human animals like ISIS, than pacifists.
    You sir, are a hero.

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    Mute Gregg Kennedy
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    Aug 31st 2014, 10:39 PM

    Grow a pair AFRI whoever you are and by the way, the new Croker was built using tax payers money courtesy of Bertie and not by clubs scraping together pennies and shillings. Numbnut scared (shocked and surpirsed by noise fine but scared?) by two low flying jets, make sure to avoid Dublin airport in the future in that case.

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    Mute Charles Coughlan
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    Aug 31st 2014, 8:02 PM

    Citizens of Gaza are well used to them at this stage after the recent savage attacks by the Israeli air force

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    Mute greg
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    Aug 30th 2014, 5:50 PM

    Fully loaded with arms war crimes Enda

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    Mute cholly appleseed
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    Aug 31st 2014, 8:42 AM

    Incorrect

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    Mute David Dunne
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    Aug 30th 2014, 11:30 PM

    Thought Putin was coming .

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    Mute Gordan Walters
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    Aug 31st 2014, 9:32 AM

    Those fly pasts are very expensive, A waste of aviation fuel. By the way, those war crimes in Gaza and in Ukraine (by the NATO backed Ukrainian National Guard) are not being done in my name. As they used to say in last Cold War “Yankee go home.”

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