Go Figure Sinn Fein!

Ed Moloney on those who once called themselves "The Voice Of Principled Leadership". Ed Moloney blogs at The Broken Elbow.

As Gerry Adams was shaking hands with Prince Charles in Galway, in Belfast members of the Ballymurphy Massacre Families, who are campaigning for the truth about the killing by Paratroopers in 1972 of their loved ones, protested Charles’ trip to Ireland at a demo in downtown Belfast.


Prince Charles is the Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute regiment.

In the centre of the group, as can be seen in the photograph below, is Paul Maskey, MP for West Belfast, the seat once held by Gerry Adams, and a prominent member of the Sinn Fein leadership cadre.

So, while one Sinn Fein luminary shook the hand of the Prince of Wales and welcomed him to Ireland, another Sinn Fein luminary protested his presence in Ireland.

I think it would be difficult to find a clearer demonstration of Sinn Fein’s approach to politics.

Ballymurphy Protest Millfield
Paul Maskey, wearing glasses, is fourth from right
 

8 comments:

  1. Same thing happened in Dublin when the Queen of England met her most loyal and obedient IRA servant, Mary Lo was outside in the protest camp in an attempt to save face, same thing's happening again.

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  2. I can remember when that slogan "the voice of principled leadership"was used. it was 84\5 I think,I know this because I used it while we drove around Lagan Valley in that first ever successful election,I used to finish with "vote early ,Vote Often ...

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  3. marty, principled leadership? As you'd say yourself 'ffs'!

    They're neither principled nor leaders. They've been led by the nose on all of this for many's a year now; brought to the trough and they gleefully stuck their snouts right in.

    In the end of the day though and as you're already aware, I'm very much in favour of moving on. If the Sinners are made look like prats and quislings then neither of us are likely to argue with that. I don't think this any bad thing in the grand scheme of things.

    I must add though I found Charles's visit all very symbolic and moving. Particularly thought it was relevant for the prince to quote Yeats' line about peace dropping slowly. He was generous in his words:

    “We all have regrets, as my mother said in Dublin Castle, ‘with the benefit of historical hindsight we can all see things which we wish had been done differently or not at all’...I'm only too deeply aware of the long history of suffering which Ireland has endured, not just in recent decades but over the years of its history...It’s a history that I know has caused much pain and resentment in a world of imperfect human beings where it is always too easy to over-generalise and attribute blame.”

    I thinks his words reflect and capture where the hearts of most Irish are; no longer attached to a narrow nationalist narrative but open to prosperous possibilities of peaceful co-operation with our neighbours.

    Regardless of past differences I wholeheartedly agree with his sentiments about a peaceful future,

    “As a grandfather myself I pray that his (Yeats) words can apply to all those who have been so hurt and scarred by the troubles of the past so that all of us, all of us who inhabit these Atlantic islands, may leave our grandchildren a lasting legacy of peace, forgiveness and friendship.”

    Now who, in fairness, but hateful ignoramuses would want to disagree with that?

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  4. Henry Joy

    'you called'?

    Kidding. The swathe of benefits cheats, DLA fraudsters and those doing the double treble and quadruple whilst getting mortgages and rent paid are going to get a mega reality check come the Tory welfare cuts. The Dumb and Dumber act of SF/DUP is simply another manifestation of the old Stormont regime under Craig which required the border issue and the Orange Order connection to negate any socialist development taking hold in NI. The loyalist community are very working class oriented and have a great pride in the working class community. Labour did exceptionally well during WW2.

    SF/DUP and their little racket need the border issue in the same way as Craig and the Unionist Party to distract the ordinary folk only they need it more. People are looking for results after tolerating 'nothing' for 15 years in return for peace. Just when people are looking for tangible proof of an economic dividend from the GFA rather than a continuation of nothingness the welfare cuts are coming and coming like the 2004 Asian Tsunami. Stormont has no financial muscle. Totally dependent on London charity. So, what will the SF/DUP scammers do? Peter is already running for the hills threatening direct rule. Maybe no bad thing, they have milked the place enough.

    As for the border distraction tactic/ploy. Might it be too much for the 1916 societies to recognise that they are actually propping up the gangsters in Stormont with their agitation. It is music to their ears.

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  5. Yep. Sure Larry the tribal undertones keep the most of them trapped in their seemingly endless fearful story. And it suits certain political parties to hold them there. And sure the 'Societies' feed into it all too. Sad pricks only mimicking the Orange Order!

    Keep moving southwards buddy.

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  6. Henry Joy

    I pulled an 'Irish' flit....moved north to be in the south.

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  7. Lol ... the inadequacies of language.

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  8. Henry joy agus Larry,
    Yous remind me of two oul boys sitting in a pokey old bar imparting your 'wisdom' to each other. Alas the bar is inevitably empty as nobody wants to listen to people who think they know it all.

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