Omagh peace march (109)

Tell me about it !!
They flew over my house nearly every night and woke me up !
There were lots of protests and arrests at Shannon Airport.
The protesters even managed to damage a few of the planes.

I never said upping anything. In fact on sevral post's I said it's a stupid idea. May Blood said unless you start to tackle the causes of the problem..It will start again.

Not by violence...I never said that anywhere.

And one of the main causes for the continuing violence is POVERTY ON BOTH SIDES...Most youths today have heard about the GFA but see no benefits...Look at the unemployment figures, the kids leaving school with out an education...And all they see is former terrorist's in Armani suits telling them not to do what they done. And they (MLA's etc) are the only ones getting anything...




There's a direct link between poverty and the violence in the 6 counties...

Then why were American planes allowed to land and re-fuel on their way to fight an illegal war in some far away place???

Operation Green Part 2

Plan Kathleen was sent to Germany in April 1940, and arrived around two weeks before Görtz was to parachute into Ireland as part of Operation Mainau on 5 May. Before his departure Görtz was instructed to begin contact with the IRA, assess the strength of the IRA and the feasibility of the plan. He did discuss the plan and strength of the IRA with Hayes upon his arrival in Ireland. By the time of these discussions, Russell was still alive, he had arrived in Berlin the day Görtz left although they did not speak together.

The discussions Görtz had with Hayes were entirely unproductive. Hayes and Görtz's had begun their negotiations on 17 May, meeting in the home of Stephen Held. Prior to this Görtz had probably already met with Seamus O'Donovan who had briefed him on the state of the IRA. At this meeting Hayes listed the strength of the IRA which Görtz reported as:

"5000 sworn in members, of whom 1500 [are in] Northern Ireland. Hayes counts on a further 10,000 Northern Irish and 15,000 Southern Irish in the case of an armed revolt in Northern Ireland.

However, Görtz expressed disappointment with Hayes:

"I do not think it is necessary for me to describe the disappointment which I felt when I met Stephen Hayes, although I had already been warned. I expected someone like Léon Degrelle [leader of the Belgian Rexists] or like the leaders of the Breton independence movement, or the Ukrainian leaders with whom I had become acquitained in Berlin. Hayes was an ex-footballer. At first he showed himself as a man of good personal qualities but that is not enough for the leader of nationalist extremists. Later his character deteriorated. I think from alcohol and fear."

At this meeting Görtz claims that he directed Hayes to cease operations in Éire and instead concentrate operations on Northern Ireland. Görtz reports that Hayes said he would issue orders to that effect. Hayes is also reported to have said that the Irish Government had made contact with him via a priest, "Father O'Hara", with a view to incorporating the IRA within the Irish Defence Forces.

Görtz reports that Kathleen was discussed:

"We discussed the plan of a German invasion of Ulster on the basis of 'Plan Kathleen' which Held had brought to Germany. I did not tell Hayes what I really thought about the plan but used the discussion about it only as a pretext to learn something about the real strength and state of readiness of the IRA. I said that the plan was the subject of a lively discussion in Germany but that one needed more military intelligence about Ulster before the plan could be executed. Thereupon Hayes asked what sort of information was needed.... Hayes then told me that the IRA had no weapons for any sort of major action. When I learnt of all that was needed in the way of weapons, I wondered exactly what was the military value of the IRA. I told Hayes flatly that the landing of a consignment of arms was just as impossible on the Ulster coast as on that of Éire. The one possibility was delivery on the high seas and that would only be feasible for small quantities. Hayes jumped at this idea. I immediately regretted having spoken about this at all because my remark led to wild and fantastic IRA discussions as to which island could be used for U-boat replenishment and which impossible bogs and mountains could be used as airfields."

Görtz was to say later:

"We always discussed the same things. In Ulster nothing was achieved on IRA initiative, in Éire the order to discontinue activities was not strictly obeyed."

Görtz claims that after this meeting he sat down and worked out the details of shipping and landing arms in Ireland.

On the OP's point re todays march........theres a lot of truth in that aul saying....evil thrives when the good stay silent....

I'd march .. as Ive done on many occasions ..to support issues that I feel strongly about....we are all entitled to our opinions, views etc....and I think people want to stand up and be counted...to say , as they did today.."not in our name ".


As for your direct link between poverty and violence....hmmm....here in Dublin, its happening day in and out....ah but wait..its the same toxic mix of criminal gangs and dissindent something-or-others....

eh coz our gov wouldnt and couldnt say no..and they wouldnt accept no anyway?

And I'll still say the same thing....Tackle the cause. And thats poverty.

That's about the size of it...

Well said sharmini !!

Where's your economic reasons it wont work tallman...?