Forgetting the cost at Arás an Uachtaráin

[wjeilis]

It should never be forgotten that the activities of Orange marchers and their supporters directly led to the deaths of
Darren Murray (1996)
Michael McGoldrick (1996)
Dermot McShane (1996)
Robert Hamill (1997)
Bernadatte Martin (1997)
Greg Taylor (1997)
Adrian Lamph (1998)
Ciaran Heffron (1998)
the three young Quinn boys, Richard (11), Mark (nine) and Jason (eight) (1998)
James Morgan (1998)
Frankie Reilly (1998)
Rosemary Nelson (1999)
Elizabeth O’Neill (1999)

An t-Uachtaráin, Mary McAleese, should at least remember Rosemary Nelson as she attended Rosemary’s funeral in Lurgan, where she also tried to avoid, in the Parochial House adjoining St Peter’s church, those Portadown Nationalists who wished to speak with her.

The following links are worth reading:

http://www.garvaghyroad.org/mccafferty.html

http://www.garvaghyroad.org/mcgurk.html

[Armchair Activist]

Mary McAleese is disgrace to her country... one minute she's comparing the loyalists to Nazi’s and the next she's commemorating their war of hatred against Catholics.

[baldur0300]

She was attacked in her home growing up in Belfast. If she can forgive and attempt to heal the wounds of the past I don't know why the rest of you can't.

[Insider2007]

She was attacked in her home growing up in Belfast. If she can forgive and attempt to heal the wounds of the past I don't know why the rest of you can't.

OMG Baldur. We agree twice in the one day. This is getting to be a dangerous habit!

[wjeilis]

In case its escaped Baldur's notice, Mary McAleese hasn't lived in her childhood home in Belfast for many years(she was able to move to Rostrevor) - unlike many others in the sick North. She reminds me of a sister of mine who left the North in the very early 70's and who never actually witnessed the worst, or the human cost, which the conflict/Troubles imposed upon our family, neighbours and friends. I hope our grandchildren ( for that's the age we now are) never have to go through the same.

But the past should not be whitewashed over.

[Kieran-walsh]

No one could 'white wash' the last 40 years, trying to re-decorate the tarnished canvas, using orange white and green, blue and red is needed.I dont want to fight old battles, Mc Aleese is right to invite people to her gaff, to acknowledge our differences. She was elected to build bridges....remember?

i have no first hand experiences of any of the violences, so its easier for me to be objective. But at what stage should, we, as an island(A tiny one in context) start to move on?

People get lost in their own mindset. There is no easy answer. There will never be a 'winner', Nor should there be.

I was disappointed to see our flag burning today. At least it was only cloth and not skin on fire, and i say that , with respect to our flag.

[stewiegriffin]

shes a clown! if we were going to have some unelected snob as head of state ,why did we get rid of the windsors?

[Kieran-walsh]

She was elected. and re-instated unopposed. If she had a fight for the Aras, she would have won, hands down, without question. I would not have voted for her, but she would have won. Political Pragmatism won the day.

Stewie......I wonder if there was a direct choice between Mary Mc and a Windsor, who would you support?

[stewiegriffin]

She was elected. and re-instated unopposed. If she had a fight for the Aras, she would have won, hands down, without question. I would not have voted for her, but she would have won. Political Pragmatism won the day.

Stewie......I wonder if there was a direct choice between Mary Mc and a Windsor, who would you support?

mrs windsor! just to be a contrary 8astard!i dont buy mcaleeses phoney "woman of the people "crapola.

[wjeilis]

Kieran-walsh wrote

"i have no first hand experiences of any of the violences, so its easier for me to be objective."

All I said in my previous post was that those deaths caused by Orange marchers and their supporters should not be forgotten.

Perhaps Mary McAleese should consider inviting the families and friends of all those included in my earlier post which, I accept that you probably did not know, Kevin, also happened to include two members of the police force (Greg Taylor and Frankie Reilly), along with a 12 year old child of mixed race (Darren Murray) and a Protestant pensioner married to a Catholic (Elizabeth 0'Neill) to Arás an Uachtaráin someday. Richard Quinn, 11, Mark, nine, and eight-year-old Jason were brought up as Protestants and attended a Protestant school. Their mother was a Catholic.

I'm ashamed to say, as a Northerner, an Irishman and as a human being, that in some of those 15 deaths it was, indeed, their very skin and not cloth which was set on fire

Acknowledging that these victims did not come from one community or one religious or political background would be a good place to start "building bridges", unless of course one wants to whitewash over the very harsh reality of those graves caused by "a cultural festival".

None of these victims, like all others, were never given the chance of "a shared future".

I'm not saying the Orange Order should not be accepted at the Arás, only that it not be done in a way that seeks to hide the truth.