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THE DEATH HAS occurred of former US ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney.
He was 84.
Serving as US President Barack Obama’s ambassador to Ireland between 2009 and 2012, Rooney was also well-known in American football circles as owner and chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers NFL team.
Rooney was the son of Art Rooney, himself the owner of the Steelers, and was heavily involved in all aspects of the franchise since childhood.
His spearheading of an initiative to require all NFL teams to interview minority candidates for senior coaching jobs led to its adoption in 2003. It became known as the Rooney Rule.
In March 2009 Obama nominated Rooney as ambassador to Ireland, a role he was confirmed for in July of that year.
Rooney’s Irish connections could be traced back to the town of Newry in Co Down.
Speaking this evening, President Michael D Higgins said he had “heard with sadness of the passing of Dan Rooney”.
“Sabina and I remember Ambassador Rooney and his family’s visit to us in Áras an Uachtaráin with fondness,” he said.
Deeply committed to Ireland and the Irish people, he was always conscious of his Irish roots.
He was a major contributor to the Ireland Funds. Thanks to his contributions and those of others many projects promoting peace and reconciliation in Ireland were initiated, leaving a real and tangible legacy.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny meanwhile commented that he was “deeply saddened” to learn of Rooney’s passing, adding that “Dan was a personal friend of mine”.
During his time as American ambassador to Ireland Dan visited every county in Ireland and his work brought both the United States and Ireland closer together.
Dan was a founding President of the Ireland Fund. He leaves a massive legacy which will benefit many people for the years to come.
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Let’s see how many profile photos are changed to the Afghan flag or if #prayforafghanistan trends. Not a chance. There’s only uproar when it happens in Europe or the US, or let’s say it as it is. A non Muslim country.
@Ciara Baines: Was just thinking the same Ciara
@Ciara Baines: see anyone change it to the union jack for manchester?
@Ciara Baines: bloody Christians their all so two faced worse than the bombers eh ciara
@Ciara Baines: I honestly think that’s because most of us have been to the places in Europe and have friends or family living there, and feel a much closer connection to the cities in Europe.
I’m not saying that I don’t feel absolutely terrible when atrocities happen in further away countries, but it just feels much more real somehow when it’s a city you’ve spent a lot of time in and have friends/family in.
@Marie Gunbay: has the world not shed enough blood for Afghanistan . You make it sound like the world doesn’t care . Thousands of soldiers from nations across the world where kill and wounded trying to make Afghanistan a better place .
@Shawn O’Ceallaghan: Yes actually I did. Plenty of friends with a specially made frame for their profile photos.
@johnp: Yeah johnp, because that’s what I said?
@Ciara Baines:
This must be the trendy, lefty point of the day. Trying to guilt people into having tears for a Muslim dominated hole of a country that has barely progressed beyond the 12th century and throws gays off tall buildings in front of cheering crowds. Good luck with that!
@Sean O Brien: Are you taking the piss? Trying to make Afghanistan a better place? Sure that’s why the they’re there. Nothing to do with its strategic position, nothing at all.
@Ciara Baines: They get the real deal. We get false flag ops with crisis actors.
@Ciara Baines: I hear what you’re saying Claire. My heart goes out to those people too!! But I guess we identify readily with something when it happens closer to home or within Europe. But I still feel compassion for those victims in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world.
@Veronica: Exactly!! I just posted a msg to Claire saying the same thing!!
@Ciara Baines: save your faux outrage at our western indifference ciara or do you imagine that there were pray for Manchester marches and people walking around with Union Jack i love MC t shirts all over Afghanistan.
@Yenreit: you are a DOPE a absolute waste of oxygen
@Yenreit: We?
@Ciara Baines: well in fairness Ciara a “westerner” didn’t go over there and ask for their help in some way and then decide to go out one day and blow up their kids
muslims have been doing this to each other for years and people are happy to help people that want to get away from the madness … but dont bring this madness with you…
@Ciara Baines: Happy Ramadan.
@Ciara Baines: It’s known as cognitive distancing Ciara. Our brains are built to care about tragedy that feels closer to us more than tragedy that seems further away. It’s like how you feel more upset when a neighbour dies than you would be if you hear about a stranger dying
@Richard Sweeney: over 40 countries served in Afghanistan under ISAF along side the the Afghan national army . Maybe you should do some research into why soldiers went into Afghan on OP herrick one . It had nothing to do with fighting the Taliban . ISAF soldiers where encourage by the Afghan government along side the ANA to take the war to the Taliban on their behalf . Afghan is a far better place today then it was before the deployment of ISAF .
@Rachel Flood: Well the “westerner” didn’t go over there and ask for their help but they did blow up their kids.
@Ciara Baines: silly silly silly argument, you absolute spanner.
@Sean O Brien: Do you include Russian soldiers in that eulogy .After all they were invited in by the Afghanistan government of the day,
@Just Me: Russia invaded Afghanistan . ISAF was invited by the Afghan government into the country .ISAF soldiers fought along side government soldiers against a illegal organisation the TALIBAN . The primary role of ISAF soldiers was to train the ANA to take control and defend their country against the TALIBAN . ISAF came to an end in 2014 when full control and defence of the country was handed back to the Afghan government .
@Sean O Brien: learn a bit of history instead of propaganda. The Russian army did not invade Afghanistan , they were invited in by the Afghanistan Communist government of the time. The west most notably the US armed the rebels which included Osama Bin Laden acting with the full support of the US and Saudi Arabia. The terrorists tactics employed against the Russians would be later used by AL Quadai and the Taiban against US and Allied forces who supplied them with the weapons in the first place. The US and its allies were the terrorists supporters, who would later claim the war on terror that they originated.
@Sean O Brien: The main reason the Russians, Americans and British are interested in Afghanistan is to do with Iranian resources. Ever since Darcy got the first oil concession in 1908 the west has been interfering politically. In fact it goes much further back than that. Toppling regimes unsympathetic to their needs. It continues to this day. The fact you think their motives are virtuous is laughable.
@Just Me: I don’t read propaganda As someone who served in Afghan in 2008 , 2011 Iraq 2003 2006 Sierra Leon 2009 , Bosnia 1994 , Kosovo 1999 and many more I speak from experience . You forget Irelands role in terror . The Irish battle group which is made up of 90 percent Irish men serve in all the conflicts I mention above .
@Sean O Brien: You are still evading the Russian question , which was , Do you include Russian troops that served in Afghanistan in estimate of soldier deaths. The Russian army were called in by the Afghan government of the day to help put down the terrorist campaign waged against them by the soon to become the Taliban and Al Quaida.
Snowflake alert!!!
@johnp: Why?
@Blue Moon rising: Westerners
@Ciara Baines: wheres the media and public outrage? Oh wait its not a European country. My mistake..Carry on
@Ciara Baines: To the west the Afghans are as expendable as the paper bag.
@Sean O Brien: trying to make Afghanistan a better place!!you must be joking !!we all know why the americans got involved in something that didn’t concern them in the first place,to control the production&traffic of opium!!as usual the us only intervene&meddle in countries which have enormous natural resources like irak,kuwait….i remember when i served in bosnia with the french army being part of the UN it took the us a long time before intervening despite the massacre genocide of thousands& thousands of innocents and why??because there was nothing for them to gain financially!!
Who’s playing the benefit concert?
@Brian O’Loughlin: mattalicala akbar.
@Brian O’Loughlin: Brian McFadden
@Brian O’Loughlin: Sharia Twain
@Brian O’Loughlin: I don’t know why it’s ok to have a laugh about this one. Is it because they’re all the way over in Afghanistan, or because they are ‘really, really foreign’ and therefore less human or less relatable? These are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters…people lost to loved ones. I’m sorry, I hate lecturey posts, but I notice how differently we react to tragedy when it’s far away.
@Jackie Caruana: I don’t think he was having a laugh he was comparing the western worlds reaction to it to Manchester
@Jackie Caruana: it’s called satire ye thick
@Charlie Kavanagh: ah now! Don’t be calling me names! I’m not thick! I think I feel very afraid of the darkness moving across the world. It’s relentless. Syria, Africa, Philippines, Afghanistan, Egypt…I guess a was being a bit preachy. And I often enjoy a bit of satire.
@Jackie Caruana: It’s ok I’m sure the darkness can be defeated with a thing called love.
@Revolting Peasant: I don’t think #jesuiskabul worked the last 500 times , but i’m willing to give it another go
@Revolting Peasant: No, leave it to the religion of peace, they’ll sort it out.
@dublin spotter: Brian MacFatwah
@Aidan Rainsford: bombs and roses
It might be time for the infidels to leave the Islamic world , can we have vice versa as well I wonder ?
@Mike Cantwell:
The jihadis blame western interventions and killings of Muslims in Muslim lands.
The facts are though by far the most muslim deaths in Muslim lands are caused by……..,.,
Muslims.
@Buster VL: there’s far more deaths in Ireland caused by Catholics than Muslims . Yet somehow a lot of Irish people want to stop Muslim’s form coming to Ireland. Funny that
@Buster VL:
Kind of like how the Judean People’s Front hate and want to kill the Peoples Front of Judea.
@Maurice Bourke: yeah but what have the romans ever done for us?
@Roy Dowling: You are of course aware that there is no jihad in catholic dogma.
@Philip King:
@George Roche: “You are of course aware that there is no jihad in catholic dogma.” I think you need to read the bible and the doctrine of just war.
@Francis Devenney: Point out where Catholic dogma instructs its followers to aggressively wage war on unbelievers.
@Buster VL: actually that should read terrorists. Terrorists cause the most murder of Muslims.
Afghanistan is ungovernable.
I have no idea why us troops are there
@Buster VL: Because it’s the US
@Buster VL:
US wants to keep a very high military presence in an area close to China and Russia.
@Buster VL: Might be because Al Quaeda claimed responsibility for attacking the US and killed almost 3000 people on 9/11
@Blue Moon rising: wouldn’t have anything to do with the Saudis mate no?
@methodical2020: spot on, US men and women in Afgan serving the interests of big Pharma in the land of the free whilst being fed the “protecting freedom” bollocks.
@Buster VL: opium
This probably won’t even make the 6 o clock news. If this happened in the western world it would be spread all over the newspaper.
@..:
50 quid says it will…
Like its on the 6 o’clock news and front page of newspapers in far reaching Muslim countries when bombings happen in Europe. Btw it’s in the front page of most western major news sites online. Like this one..
@..: comments like that are silly obviously something that happens in a major western city is going to be heavily covered by western media, and vice versa
@..: it’s almost like media report more on events closer to them. Shocking revelation there
It was all over the BBC at 830 am.
Good job American Xionists you did good….destruction
@Johnnathan Biskalero: Unlike Iraq, Afghanistan was already a mess before the Americans invaded. It was the Soviet invasion in 1979 that really destabilised Afghanistan and allowed the Taliban to come to power (not helped by the US arming them!).
Soviets didn’t “invade” the Afghanistan.. They were asked to intervene by the government of Afghanistan which was pro-Soviet.. There was a civil war over there, and Mujaheddin was supported and aided by USA long before Soviet intervention.. Brzezinski too credit for it himself ))
@Colonel Buckshot: ah jesus, are you actually serious ? NO wonder the world is the way it is when you have morons live yourself walking the earth….literally a zombie invasion
@Vladimir Kalugin: The Xionist extremists in Tel-Aviv and Washington know the games is up it is just a matter of time before they all are………………………………………..
Not so long ago a delegation from the taliban were sipping tea in the White House, how quickly friends fall out.
Apparently the death count is 80 now :( so, so awful
Libya,Syria,Iraq all free and democratic….the US does gods work they put a foot wrong….amazing country…lol
@Johnnathan Biskalero: Free? Democracies? Libya et al? I’m guessing this is a pathetic attempt at trolling. Which I just fell for…
Having been to Kabul and surrounding areas in 02/03 the situation is only going from bad to worse. A “western cure” for the taliban disease is alas, too little too late. A decade ago, Coalition forces should have been allowed to operate more freely on the Pakistani side of the border.Now, due to Pakistans political instability, don’t be surprised to see a massive rise of extremists much like Al Shabab, or Book Haram especially in the Southern region of Pakistan.
“Taliban stepping up their spring offensive”… By blowing up streets full of innocent people going about their morning. How utterly courageous of them, in this holy month of Ramadan. The sooner these dregs of humanity have their support and arms cut and hunted down like the savages they are the better.
Jesus!! Those poor people!! When will the slaughter ever end!!! Those innocent people are paying the price because of stupid political decisions!! R.I.P.
@methodical2020: It wasn’t a political decision to invade Afghanistan after the US was attacked by fundamental Islamic extremists
@Blue Moon rising: what about there mates in Saudi, the yanks seem to have no problem with them
@June Rose-Sommer: In fairness the taliban were asked to hand over the man who took credit for destroying the WTC . What option did America have , send a fine in the post .
@Blue Moon rising: Osama bin Laden was a rich Saudi Arabian. (From a country allied to America.) America just made a massive arms deal with them. They have the same religion as Isis .
Shocking depravity again..#RIP all victims
A savage way of life is followed so the result is savage…
5 BBC Correspondents apparently among the victims
@IrishInfidel: I wonder how the BBC will avoid mentioning Islam on this one .
Again. BBC had extensive coverage of this on breakfast.
@Ronan Sexton: In response to SYM above.
Broadly speaking we don’t care about dead Afghans or people from Muslim countries in general. We only care about white people in the western world. Compare the coverage of this to Manchester and you see the difference
@SYM-Metal: It’s the way the media works , we don’t hear anything about all the drug murders in mexico
@SYM-Metal: and broadly speaking a large percentage of afghans believe suicide bombings are justified
Don’t think the taliban
What a result barbaric part of the world if there is a alla I’m sure all those killed go straight to heaven and the murderer terrorists goes to hell.
The SAUDIS, ISRAEL, UK, US are training and funding these MFS !! So they are responsible for the blast !! People need to do some research because they are a danger to humanity….it is no joke !! XIONIST EXTREMISM is a threat to the whole planet !!
@Johnnathan Biskalero: ah yes, of course! *Slaps forehead with hand.* It was the Joos. Those dirty Joos! They were behind it and they even had the temerity to cover their tracks so that only those who read the right crackpot websites would be able to put all the pieces together. The people who actually planted the bomb – they were just foolish dupes.
@Johnnathan Biskalero: “People need to do some research” Lol! The fooken irony of that statement. Maybe you will frighten us someday by making a lucid sensible comment. I hope the chemtrails aren’t getting to you too much, I hear apple cider vinegar helps.
Thanks to multiply attacks?
have your say