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Falkland Islanders hold a pro-British rally on Sunday, ahead of yesterday's referendum - in which 99.8pc of voters opted to retain the connection with the UK. Paul Byrne/AP

Falkland Islands residents vote to remain affiliated to Britain

1,513 people voted to keep the islands as a UK overseas territory – while only three said they wanted to break away.

RESIDENTS OF the Falkland Islands have voted by an overwhelming margin to remain affiliated to the United Kingdom.

A referendum of island residents saw 99.8 per cent of voters backing a proposition asking them to affirm whether they wanted the archipelago to remain a United Kingdom overseas territory.

1,513 people voted in favour of retaining the status quo, while only three voters said otherwise. Independent international observers supervising the ballot said they were satisfied with the vote.

A rejection of the referendum would not necessarily have brought the islands under the control of Argentina, as the proposition before voters only asked if they wanted to remain affiliated to the UK.

However, many of the islanders expressed desires that the Argentinian government would respect the wishes of the islanders who had no desire to come under the authority of Buenos Aires, which launched a military invasion in 1982 and prompted a war with Britain.

“It’s a brilliant, brilliant result,” islander Alice Clarke told The Independent. “We hoped it would be convincing but the turn out and the percentage in favour is a very powerful statement.”

One of the islands’ MPs, however, said the point of the referendum was not to measure domestic opinion – as most already believed the islanders wanted to remain British – but rather as a symbol to outside countries.

Argentina has yet to offer a formal response to the vote, though Argentina’s ambassador to London immediately played down the impact of the ballot.

“We respect their way of life, their identity,” Alicia Castro told an Argentine radio station.

“We respect that they want to continue being British, but the territory they inhabit is not British.”

Additional reporting by AFP

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119 Comments
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    Mute ADEBAYO FLYNN
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    Mar 12th 2013, 8:39 AM

    Make them vote again. Sorry, thought it was a EU treaty vote. It’s cool.

    Carry on
    Adebayo

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    Mute Rodger O Waters
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    Mar 12th 2013, 8:48 AM

    What the EU? a bastion of democracy where referenda are accepted first time, where the laws aren’t ignored to have re-runs to allow the unelected to manipulate the results. The heart of Europe eh, Id hate to be at the extremity.

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    Mute Michael Burke
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:22 AM

    @Rodger

    The EU is fully democratic……You can have any colour as long as it’s black! :-)

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    Mute Jason Naughton
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    Mar 12th 2013, 8:47 AM

    I’d vote for British rule in this tin pot country given half a chance. The Brits tend to put their own interests ahead of foreign bondholders and central banks.

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    Mute Tomas Mac Maghnuis
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:07 AM

    Well we all no that Jason

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    Mute Chuck Farrelly
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    Mar 12th 2013, 12:12 PM

    Yeah everything was peachy last time they were here

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    Mute Jim Flavin
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    Mar 12th 2013, 3:59 PM

    The Brits are dependent on the Fraudelent banksters of the City of London to keep the UK economy going – but that way of running an economy does seem to be a better idea than manufacturing etc . they also sold half their gold reserve at knockdown prices .
    The British Govt is same as Irish Govt – robbing th eless well off / poor to give to the Rich – thats the way many economies are run nowdays .

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Mar 12th 2013, 4:12 PM

    What has that got to do with this discussion?

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    Mute censored
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    Mar 15th 2013, 3:24 AM

    Last time I checked nothing is stopping you from moving over there and pledging your allegiance to the crown.

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    Mute Stephen Mc Elligott
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    Mar 12th 2013, 8:39 AM

    The people recognise they are better off under British rule. I know if I had a choice between Argentina and British rule who I would choose to remain under.

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    Mute Talbot Conor
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:36 AM

    more people viewed this article than voted in the referendum

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    Mute Chris Kelly
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    Mar 12th 2013, 8:40 AM

    “Territory they inhabit is not British ” hmm could it be the Brits occupying lands that were not originally theirs again! Never!

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    Mute Ruairi O' Sullivan
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    Mar 12th 2013, 8:43 AM

    I agree, but they’re not argentinian either.

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    Mute Jimmy
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    Mar 12th 2013, 8:47 AM

    The lands never belonged to anyone…penguins maybe! The fact is, the Islands have been a British Overseas Territory for the past 180 years odd, long before Argentina existed as a country. I wonder if this was a spat between let’s say…. Chile and Argentina would you be as vocal….probably not. The people of the Falklands have made their decision in a democratic manner….game over!

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    Mute John Burke
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    Mar 12th 2013, 8:51 AM

    Jimmy can we blame Gerry and SF for this? They are involved in everything. Your a but if a troll. I’d say your one of them nuts from politics.ie.

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    Mute mattoid
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:01 AM

    The lands weren’t originally anyones, but the Brits were the first humans known to have ever set foot on them.

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    Mute Tomas Mac Maghnuis
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:19 AM

    Do u ever get that Feeling Jimmy is a Brit ……

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    Mute Chris Kelly
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:22 AM

    Deffo Tomás

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    Mute veloc123
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:25 AM

    He is a brit yep….

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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:32 AM

    Possession is nine-tenths of the law. The people of the Falklands have spoken…hope the Argentinians are listening.

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    Mute Tomas Mac Maghnuis
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:39 AM

    Jason did you get your rent a mob in ….. I’m not a Bigot I just can’t stand the way the Brits can go into any country and think its their own and what’s even more annoying is the way a few Irish people back them up

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    Mute Richard Fennelly
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:46 AM

    Yes tomas irish still have a very serious inferority complex it will take generations to shake off british. Red thumbs away west brits.

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    Mute Alan Kelleher
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:47 AM

    The Falklands were uninhabited when they arrived there. Believe the French may have been there previous to the brits arriving. It’s all a bit of a non argument

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    Mute Marist '59
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:02 AM

    And Ireland was part of the British Kingdom for 800 years long before the ROI existed as a country??

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    Mute Alan Kelleher
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:07 AM

    And your point? Ireland was originally invaded by the brits (Normans etc). The Falklands were an uninhabited island settled on by the brits.

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    Mute Fergal Barry
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:12 AM

    What’s wrong with being British?

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    Mute Damocles
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:27 AM

    How were the Normans British? If anything they were French.

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    Mute Jimmy
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:27 AM

    No John, Gerry and his “comrades” have nothing to do with the Falkland Islands….weak response.
    Tomas, I am not a “Brit” as you put it, unlike your goodself, a proud son of Ulster..are you still being “held against your will” as you so eloquently put it on a previous thread…

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    Mute Emily Elephant
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:37 AM

    Tomas – Do you accept British rule in Britain? If so, can you explain the difference between the Falkland Islands and the Isle of Wight?

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    Mute Tomas Mac Maghnuis
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:47 AM

    Emily I doubt agree with British rule in Ireland Scotland Wales or the Isle of Wight

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    Mute Peter Daly
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:48 AM

    Jimmy
    Unfortunately you’re wrong! The people are not Sovereign and under International Law this plebiscite is merely an opinion poll and nothing more!

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    Mute Damocles
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:53 AM

    You only accept British rule in England? Not in the rest of Britain?

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    Mute mattoid
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    Mar 12th 2013, 12:24 PM

    @Tomas
    Ireland was also invaded by the celts – if you consider yourself celtic it could also be said that you’re descended from planters!
    What’s your point?

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    Mute Jimmy
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    Mar 12th 2013, 12:30 PM

    Tomas, Why do you think the “Isle of Wight” should leave Britain?
    Peter. The Falklanders have shown their desire to remain an Overseas Territory by way of a referendum. Does the voice of the majority not mean something, by majority I mean 99.5%?

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Mar 12th 2013, 12:36 PM

    The Brits established rule there in 1833 and Argentina came into existence in 1862. I know – Wikipedia told me!

    Its all a bit Craggy Islandish.

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Mar 12th 2013, 1:20 PM

    Damocles, while you are right the British used the connection between the Normans and the British Crown to justify an expansion into Ireland. The Pope at the time even gave his blessing based on this argument.

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    Mute Kevin.N
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    Mar 12th 2013, 1:32 PM

    The Falkland Islands are British and it’s first inhabitants were people from Britain. Get over it….Your own biases Tomas in relation to Northern Ireland and hatred of anything British are speaking. The Spanish in Argentina were the worse kind of imperialists. All the natives of Argentina are dead, they were wiped out long ago by the Argentineans ancestors.

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    Mute Damocles
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    Mar 12th 2013, 1:42 PM

    Jason, the pope at the time gave more than his blessing he asked that the Irish Church be brought under Rome.

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    Mute Damocles
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    Mar 12th 2013, 2:13 PM

    Also at the time there was no concept of a unified British nation. There wasn’t really until maybe the 17th century.

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    Mute Tomas Mac Maghnuis
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    Mar 12th 2013, 3:10 PM

    The North of Ireland and secondly I didn’t say I hate anything British !!!!!! My point is anything the Brits can claim they will wether it be land or sport

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    Mute Kevin.N
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    Mar 12th 2013, 3:33 PM

    Tomas I in no way sympathize/support Britain in reference to what they have done in Ireland or around the world. Why would I? The British have a lot to make up for how they achieved their former empire at the expense of millions of innocent people. But the Argentinians have the cheek to be calling them “colonists”. The Falklanders ancestors go back as far as the 1700s. They are the natives as they inhabited these islands first and it wasn’t at the expense of any natives (since there is none to begin with). The Spaniards were even worse than the British when it came to what and how they treated the natives of their colonies. If a bunch of Irish were to go settle on an island (uninhabited) between Britain and Ireland and the majority want to stay part of Ireland but Britain keeps claiming its their island and have even tried to take it from us. That is completely outrageous and we should NEVER hand it over to them and force the people of that island under the authority of a country they wish not to join. The partition of Ireland was wrong in my opinion (as it was the UK of GB and IRL not UK of GB and IRL and NI) but it shouldn’t be compared to the Falklands, Israel, etc. as so many do unfortunately. Those comparisons are absolutely insane and have a total disregard for history and facts.

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    Mute mattoid
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    Mar 12th 2013, 4:10 PM

    So Tomas, you’re “not a bigot” but you just generalise about the “Brits” and how they “all go round taking what’s not theirs”…

    17
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    Mute Jimmy
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    Mar 12th 2013, 4:41 PM

    It’s Northern Ireland. There is no such place as the north of Ireland, geographically yes, politically no. Therefore you are from Northern Ireland. Yes, you do appear to despise the British. In fact you appear to despise anything that isn’t in the SF shade of green. Spout your bile elsewhere, most us “Free Staters” aren’t fans of sectarian bigots, be they green or blue!

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Mar 12th 2013, 4:41 PM

    This is a hard concept to grasp and is a bit of a wacky way of looking at things, but we are and are who we are – because of all that happened before us. Our history has literally made us.

    Thanks to Dermot MacMurrough inviting in Henry II over 800 years ago, Cromwell slaughtering the Irish, The Famine, 1,000s of Irish dying fighting for the British army in both wars – Tomas Mac Maghnuis, you and I and the others would not be having this debate.

    Could you actually owe the English/British a silent thanks for ever been born? If it wasn’t for the above and so much more, it is highly likely that at least 2 of your (or any of our) ancestors would never have met!

    Of course you don’t owe anyone else any thanks for being born nor celebrate a lot of what has happened – but the English and Irish are next door neighbours with a horrid history at times. But most have moved on.

    Only the few can never look forward – only backwards.

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    Mute Simon Power
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:22 PM

    I more often than not find people who qualify a statement with “I’m not a bigot but…” invariably are exactly what they purport to deny. Jason made a perfectly reasonable statement and you called him a “Brit” because you don’t agree with it. Why don’t you try a rebuttal instead of name calling or is that too much of an ask.

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    Mute joe stodge
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:16 AM

    Argentinian government only bring up their weak claim to the islands to divert attention from their own dirt box country.

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    Mute Notmy Realname
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:50 AM

    This man knows whats happening.

    Rampant inflation, government corruption….lets distract the plebs with something!

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    Mute Scott Hazel
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:41 AM

    The day Argentina invaded, was the day they lost any chance of getting the islands back

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    Mute Martin Brody
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:00 AM

    can anyone not british live the falklands ?

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    Mute joe stodge
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:13 AM

    Yes, yes they can.

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    Mute mattoid
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    Mar 12th 2013, 12:35 PM

    They couldn’t get them back because they were never theirs in the first place.

    They also relinquished any dubious claim they might have thought they had when they signed the Arana Southern Treaty in 1850, effectively agreeing to British sovereignty over the islands.

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Mar 12th 2013, 1:11 PM

    Also by international law you must assert your claim at least once every 20 years. Failure to do so means you officially recognise the power that holds the territory does so rightfully. After the treaty in 1850 Buenos Aires didn’t make a claim until the mid 20th century. Just adds a little more weight to the already significant British argument.

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    Mute John Burke
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    Mar 12th 2013, 8:46 AM

    That’s a small gene pool, anyone seen deliverance?

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    Mute Jimmy
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:43 AM

    Maybe you should move there John, spice things up with your tricolour flute…

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    Mute The Brass Rat
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:23 AM

    BBC broadcasted a show last year They asked a Scottish audience if they would want full independence but told them they would be £20 worse with independence. 70% decided they would stay as part of UK.

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    Mute Thomas Fallon
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:04 AM

    Dont be fooled by polls held at an orange lodge of course they want tae stay british da fools

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    Mute Conor Buggy
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:08 AM

    Cant wait to hear the tripe that comes out of Kirschners mouth after this vote.

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    Mute Conor Talbot
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    Mar 12th 2013, 8:55 AM

    Why doesn’t Argentina should just get 2,000 Argentine’s to move there ?

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    Mute mattoid
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    Mar 12th 2013, 8:58 AM

    They tried that in 1982.

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    Mute Conor Talbot
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:02 AM

    i don’t mean the army

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    Mute Andrew Newman
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:05 AM

    @Conor I think you need to read this
    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falklands_War

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    Mute Conor Talbot
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:11 AM

    @andrew i’m not talking about a war

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    Mute Andrew Newman
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:19 AM

    @ Conor I literally saw that after I sent it!

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    Mute Martin Brody
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:53 AM

    True,but argentine’s don’t seem to have any interest in moving to falklands

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    Mute Martin Brody
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:54 AM

    argentine people don’t seem to have any interest in moving to falklands

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    Mute RP McMurphy
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:54 AM

    Not til the oil/gas deposits are proven anyway, then it’ll be fun fun fun!

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Mar 12th 2013, 11:54 AM

    To the people above who don’t live on these islands telling people who live on these islands that they should hand them back to people who never lived on these islands- maybe you should stop interfering in other people’s lives.

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    Mute Tomas Mac Maghnuis
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:13 AM

    No Country should have the right to invade another Country Britain territorial claims to other Countries should be brought before the Human Rights Courts as there human rights in their so called territory lands are a disgrace as I always shouted at the Brits when they patrolled our streets …… BRITS OUT

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    Mute Summoning Dark
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:19 AM

    Anachronism

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    Mute mattoid
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:26 AM

    Why do you think the Falklands are Argentinian territory?
    Genuine question.

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    Mute Alan Kelleher
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:33 AM

    Only one country ever invaded the Falklands mate. The Falklands issue only raises its head in Argentina when the government are up shit Creek.

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    Mute Tomas Mac Maghnuis
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:40 AM

    No I Don’t but they are not British Either

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    Mute Jason Naughton
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:43 AM

    British soldiers are still in the North. You agree to British rule in NI but oppose it in the Falklands. SF doublespeak.

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    Mute Alan Kelleher
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:44 AM

    But 99.8% of the population view themselves as British. Democracy and all that malarkey :-)

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    Mute veloc123
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:47 AM

    2500 green thumbs for ya Tomas…well said…

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:13 AM

    Thomas. When did they “Invade” the Falklands? To invade somewhere it has to belong to someone or be inhabited . And as Argentina nor Chile or any of the South American countries did not exist at the time it didn’t belong to anyone nor was it inhabited by any indigenous people. The British originally set up shop there as a whaling station and a port for ships to supply before going around Cape.
    And Argentina only became interested in the Islands in the 70′s when They believed Oil was to be found.

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    Mute Damocles
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:30 AM

    Tomas, do you care about the safety and well being of all people everywhere or just about opposing British/UK interests?

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    Mute Tomas Mac Maghnuis
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:31 AM

    Jason who is speaking for Sinn Fein no one and no I don’t accept British rule

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    Mute RP McMurphy
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:48 AM

    @Tomás. The people of the Falklands voted overwhelmly to stay as part of GB for fiscal and sovereign stability reasons. Unlike SF, who voted to lie down and be devoluted democrats in NI, where it was only a financial consideration for them as part of the ‘peace dividend’. (And for Adams and Martin Mag to be offered royal vest and title by the same HRH they claimed to despise.) Spread your SFbs elsewhere, a chara.

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    Mute Padriag O'Utraged
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    Mar 12th 2013, 11:54 AM

    @tomas. Bore off

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    Mute mattoid
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    Mar 12th 2013, 12:56 PM

    So what’s your solution Tomas? Throw off the people who have lived there for nearly 200 years and leave the islands empty again?
    Sounds a lot like fascism/ethnic cleansing to me.
    Personally I prefer democracy – if they wish to remain there who are you to say they can’t?

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    Mute Tomas Mac Maghnuis
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    Mar 12th 2013, 3:13 PM

    No silence just in work I didn’t say throw any one of any Island and I can have my day like all the west Brits are doing on here

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Mar 12th 2013, 4:04 PM

    Thomas. Does the word Democracy mean nothing to you? The people on the Islands held a free and fair referendum and voted 99.8% in favour of remaining British. Just like the Good Friday agreement here ( with a similar result) some (Argentina) will refuse to accept the result.

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    Mute mattoid
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    Mar 12th 2013, 4:24 PM

    @tomas
    Then what exactly is your solution, given that you don’t think the islands are Argentinian or British, you don’t think the population should be expelled, but the population have just clearly indicated that they wish to maintain links with Britain?

    Have you really thought this through or were you just using it as a convenient Brit-bashing opportunity?

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    Mute Leonard Washington
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    Mar 12th 2013, 8:40 AM

    Ah the good owl plantation. The perfect land grabbing tool. When combined with two different religions the effects are wondrous!!

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    Mute Eric Wrafter
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:39 AM

    Non issue. The islands are British and that’s the end of that. The situation is not similar to the north, the islands never belonged to Argentina, and it is only, as others have said, used at a tool to divert attention from poor government in Argentina.
    The one I feel sorry for is the Belgrano, first and only ship sunk by nuclear submarine (conquerer) but it was originally American, surviving Pearl Harbour, the only ship to do so.

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Mar 12th 2013, 1:15 PM

    Well it was a warship serving in a war, any military asset is fair game in a conflict. If they really wanted to preserve a ship with such history they shouldn’t have deployed her and resigned her to a museum ship.

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    Mute Emily Elephant
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    Mar 12th 2013, 3:11 PM

    Personally I feel more sorry for the 300 or so conscripts who had the double misfortune to be born in a country run by fascist dictators and then to be in the way of a British torpedo in the middle of a stupid war kicked off by those selfsame dictators. The boat, not so much.

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    Mute Dave Gaughran
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:16 AM

    A proper wee Ulster in the South Atlantic.

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    Mute Martin Brody
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:55 AM

    Doesn’t ulster have 9 counties ?

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    Mute Dave Gaughran
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:33 AM

    A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes a subject by asserting that it is, on some point of comparison, the same as another otherwise unrelated object. Metaphor is a type of analogy and is closely related to other rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via association, comparison or resemblance including allegory, hyperbole, and simile.

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    Mute John F
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    Mar 12th 2013, 12:07 PM

    Stick it in a Pan!

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    Mute Martin Brody
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:19 AM

    @marist59 ireland was part of the united kingdom from 1800-1922

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    Mute Dermot Fennelly
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    Mar 12th 2013, 8:35 AM

    No sh*t Sherlock

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    Mute AlanH -AFC
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:45 AM

    So they voted to continue claiming squatters rights .

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    Mute Martin Brody
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:05 AM

    the british government doesn’t stop argentine’s from living there

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    Mute Fra Stone
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:41 AM

    Why did the Tories have a poll on Las Malvinas? Call me a cynic, but is it because they knew what the result would be? Then, why not here, in Ireland for re-unification, all polls that the establishment and their lackies in the media release point to a defeat for republicans, so might these polls be wrong? I have never been asked for my opinion on re-unification in any poll, and i can say with absolute confidence that none of my friends have been asked either… better put my false smile back on so no-one can think I am a conspiracy theorist…

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    Mute Damocles
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:43 AM

    “Why did the Tories have a poll on Las Malvinas?”

    They didn’t. The government of the Falklands held their own poll.

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    Mute Con Ó Domhnaill
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:53 AM

    Wow what a surprise this result was. In other news turkeys have voted for Christmas and the conclave are electing the next pope who will be wee Sammy from Ballymena hey

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    Mute Fra Stone
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    Mar 12th 2013, 12:21 PM

    so Las Malvinas is an independent country?

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    Mute Damocles
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    Mar 12th 2013, 12:29 PM

    The Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory.

    Not sure about this other place to which you keep refering.

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    Mute mattoid
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    Mar 12th 2013, 12:38 PM

    So you do acknowledge that the population of the Falklands wish to maintain their links to Britain Con?

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Mar 12th 2013, 12:49 PM

    Why would it be called Las Malvinas if it was an independent country? That is a Spanish name and as far as I am aware the Spanish never claimed the islands or settled anyone there.

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    Mute Con Ó Domhnaill
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    Mar 12th 2013, 1:25 PM

    Britain is part of Europe so it has no legitimate reason to be claiming land on the other side of the world. Colonialism is a bit out of date in the 21st century but good old Britain seem intent on holding on to other peoples lands, including in Ireland and Gibralter. They were politely told to get out of Hong Kong and had to lower the butcher’s apron there. Transplanting people to a territory and then claiming it is their typical way of doing business, unfortunately this kind of imperialism always leads to conflict, e.g. the Ulster Plantation from 1609 is still causing problems in Ireland to this day.

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    Mute Damocles
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    Mar 12th 2013, 1:44 PM

    “They were politely told to get out of Hong Kong”

    The lease expired.

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    Mute mattoid
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    Mar 12th 2013, 1:55 PM

    @Con
    Same genuine question I asked Tomas – why exactly do you think that the islands are Argentinian territory?

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Mar 12th 2013, 2:31 PM

    Con. You are deliberately ignoring the fact the islands we not claimed by anyone nor inhabited when they were first settled by the British unlike Ireland. So using the analogy of the Irish plantations doesn’t hold water.

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    Mute Itiswhatitis
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:01 AM

    Cant wait to hear what Enda has to say.

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    Mute Con Ó Domhnaill
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:49 AM

    Hope Edna lets Eamon Gilmore handle the media statement on this one, it’s of such international importance

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    Mute David Giles
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:17 PM

    The people of the Falklands have voted overwhelmingly to be British. The Falklands have never belonged to Argentina. The time has come for Argentina to recognise this and to concentrate on dealing with its own very serious social and economic problems.

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    Mute stephen
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    Mar 12th 2013, 11:58 AM

    Pointless vote , it’s like asking the DUP to vote on a United Ireland ..

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    Mute joe stodge
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    Mar 12th 2013, 12:34 PM

    How is it a pointless vote? Everyone that lives on the islands got a vote, not members of one political party.

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    Mute mattoid
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    Mar 12th 2013, 12:44 PM

    Well its not possible to ask the native population to vote, because there isn’t one.
    Do you think the Argentine population should get to vote?
    In which case maybe we here in Ireland could vote to assume control over Germany – aww hell, why stop at Germany, lets vote to take control of any other country we like the look of….

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    Mute Mick Lally
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    Mar 12th 2013, 9:26 AM

    Hope fg/lab dont have a branch there!!!!

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    Mute Con Ó Domhnaill
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    Mar 12th 2013, 10:44 AM

    There’a a hell of a lot of sheep there

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    Mute censored
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    Mar 15th 2013, 3:30 AM

    Did the sheep get a vote too?

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