To be sick hearing about Biden's Visit to Ireland

[Viviennemary]

What business is it of his even if he does have Irish ancestors. He should keep his nose out. it's really beginning to annoy me now. And he's not even there yet.

Sorry but Donald Trump. Morto for ye. Biden all the way.

I don't want to step on your toes. But yes., this. I grew up in ROI but remember all the killngs, the bomb alerts. I watched UTV news. I honestly cannot imagine actually growing up in that environment. Solidarity x

I agree, be proud of your ancestry

He stumbled through it. I'll give you that.

Biden himself is partisan in a way Clinton was never perceived to be. And his visit to Northern Ireland is well overhyped in these pages. 16 hours here and half of that was spent asleep.

Biden is simply not memorable and he's not a great orator. Yes, he does meander.

Clinton, on the other hand, I well remember both sides of the divide turning out. In huge crowds. Now, there's a charismatic politician who was also a great orator. Huge visit. I can't think of another politician of our time who's as charismatic, tbh.

There's nothing at all wrong with the phrase "island of Ireland" in any way. You seem to be offended by that which is incredibly sad...🙄

I think presidents should be below retirement age. He looks unwell and seems to be very confused in some of his speeches eg thinking a dead congress woman was still alive and laughing at a woman who lost two children to fentanyl. Interesting that he can make a trip to Ireland, but can’t make it to the coronation. Maybe he can rest more with the Irish trip but can’t disappear to go and rest during the coronation? He’s a couple of years younger than one of my grandmothers, but he seems about 10 years older.

On another point, Americans love to say they’re Irish/Italian American when they have an incredibly tenuous link to that country.

Think you'll find that the King at the time was Scottish and that far more Scots went to Ulster than English. It's why there's a lot of Scottish influence in the place names, for example.

Makes sense considering how close Scotland is to Northern Ireland - 13 miles at the closest point. Even today, those who own their own boats can sail between the two for an afternoon and back.

You forgot about the PIRA blowing up the school bus she was on aged 12, IIRC. Survived that one too.

No toes to step on here, I'm from Dublin. I've lived in NI for nearly fifteen years now though. The London thing really pisses me off - the only county in NI that experienced fewer deaths than GB is Fermanagh, and even that's a close run thing. The scales are just so different that I automatically discount any poster who doesn't realise that. There's a lack of awareness of loyalist paramilitaries as well, I truly think some believe it was all the IRA.

Think you'll find that the King at the time was Scottish

There was no King at the time. Charles 1 was executed in January 1643 and Cromwell invaded Ireland on behalf of Parliament later that year. Though James 1&VI was King of Scotland as well as of England, his ancestry was as mixed as you would think of an heir to the English throne. He was a great great grandson of Henry VII. We don’t generally describe his descendants as Scottish.

Whoops 1649 not 1643.

I truly think some believe it was all the IRA.

Yes, just doing incomprehensible things for no reason other than inexplicable hatred. It must be very hard to understand the world where you're so hard of knowing.

I was once on a thread on here (not all that long ago, either — it was a Brexit and NI backstop thread) where it emerged that some posters had no idea that there were loyalist paramilitaries, and thought the IRA were conducting bombings solo (I quote) ‘for publicity’.

It's depressing to think there are adults who've had their big birthdays and don't pause at some point and think, "well that might have seemed plausible when I was a child but I wonder if that's what happened. Must check before posting..."

I truly think some believe it was all the IRA.
Coincidentally I watched an old episode of Endeavour last night (set in 1971 I think) and one of the characters makes exactly this point!

I truly think some believe it was all the IRA.
I can understand selective hindsight on this for many people in the UK. I don't recall a Unionist paramilitary attack on the mainland, whereas there were several prominent Republican attacks. And mainland attacks for the most part made much more impact, with the exceptions of Omagh, etc. The Orange Order and marching season are familiar to only a very small part of the UK, and if you've never lived in Central Scotland you may be unfamiliar with the extent to which religious politics infiltrates football. The Hollywood effect has also tended to bias towards depictions of Republicans. Looking back on a childhood where the Troubles were in the news daily, it mostly seemed to be happening 'over there'.

All this and of course the popular fashion for a very high level of general ignorance of politics and history.

British exceptionalism is not an admirable thing. It is gone now anyway with isolationist Brexit. A just reward for hubris.

Incorrect. The Plantation of Ulster began during the reign of King James VI of Scotland and I of England. This was 1603 onwards.

His mother was Mary, Queen of Scots who was, IIRC, a cousin of Elizabeth I of England. James was Scottish with mixed ancestry like anyone alive today.

There was just the one Loyalist terrorist attack in GB which was in Glasgow by, IIRC, the UVF.

You're quite correct in suggesting the Provos were much better known, especially as they carried out terrorist attacks in Northern Ireland, Great Britain, West Germany and attempted to do so in Gibraltar.

They were also the world's most dangerous terrorist organisation for pretty much all of it, so it's hardly surprising they get the vast majority of the attention.

Another reason is this:

"There is not a single injustice in Northern Ireland today that justifies the taking of a single human life.

What is more, the vast majority of the major injustices suffered not only by the Nationalist community but by the whole community are direct consequences of the IRA campaign.

If I were to lead a civil rights campaign in Northern Ireland today, the main target would be the IRA.

It is they who carry out the greatest infringements of human and civil rights, with their murders and bombings, their executions without trial, their kneecappings and punishment shootings.

The most fundamental human right is the right to life. Who in Northern Ireland takes the most human lives?"

Those are the words of the leader of the biggest Nationalist party throughout the Troubles and who jointly won a Nobel Peace Prize with David Trimble.

John Hume. He was right too. BTW, there's video footage of him saying this as well.

It cannot be a mystery to any reasonable minded person exactly why the Provisionals (Provisional Sinn Féin and Provisional IRA) are the single most focused on group....

I find it intensely irritating and I’m half Irish. He has as much English ancestry as he does Irish ancestry. I doubt he gives a shit about either country but he needs to get those votes.

He has as much English ancestry as he does Irish ancestry.
What's that got to do with anything?

At the end of the day, it probably is about votes. But i reckon his affection for Ireland is genuine. And i think we're allowed to enjoy the visit, there's been fuck all else to get excited about in the last few years. Any excuse for a party!

The visit to Knock is making me LOL, we were taken on 'school tour' there in 4th year, a load of girls on the back of the bus were caught drinking 🤣

at least his links are in living memory, unlike most presidents.

His maternal grandmother, who he and his parents lived with for part of his childhood, had Irish parents who emigrated to the states.

Gr-grandparents are not a long distance ancestor.