Michael D Higgins insists he is President of Ireland, refuses to commemorate partition

Flinty997 · 19-09-2021 11:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117913435#Comment_117913435

Most people have.

circadian · 20-09-2021 12:36am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117912962#Comment_117912962

I don't want to take away from this event. It was horrible and should never have happened. I'm not a republican nor a republican sympathiser.

However, the point you were making was the mass exodus of Protestants from the cityside to the waterside in Derry in the early 70's. We got into the discussion of what caused the fear that brought the exodus on. Something that happens over a decade later is not evidence of something driving fear at that time and if anything backs up my point that had Unionist leaders not sought to move Protestants away that we may have had a very different future from that point on.

Edit: I'd also like to make the point that David Wilson was a relative of my grandfather, either cousin or second cousin. I'm unsure. Many have lost people throughout the conflict but I'm just trying to make a point beyond the whatabouterry. If you make a statement about a mass movement of people then ask "who do you think that was?" without providing any insight into the WHY it happened then it feels like you're discussing in bad faith.

GM228 · 20-09-2021 8:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117913061#Comment_117913061

A British citizen still living in the UK can renounce their citizenship and receive a declaration of renunciation once they hold another citizenship,

Flinty997 · 20-09-2021 9:06am

It's all a bit father Ted though...

Is there anything to be said for another mass...

votecounts · 20-09-2021 9:20am

https://twitter.com/murchadhfinn/status/1439853215923777542

A very good article on this

Flinty997 · 20-09-2021 9:30am

It's ironic how some can't connect the dots between partition and the violence it caused on all sides.

If you want to have an campaign to promote the achievements in NI. Picking 100yrs and thus partition to base your marketing campaign on was a spectacular own goal and tone deaf as well. Assuming it was accidental. Which seems unlikely.

Fandymo · 20-09-2021 9:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117907124#Comment_117907124

The. Mass. Has. Nothing. To. Do. With. The. DUP.

Poor little Michael D had his feelings hurt by the bold DUP, third biggest Unionist party in NI. It's the equivilant of a child saying they aren't going into the playground because someone called them a name. You'd tell them to cop on. NI exists, it's been recognized by the state of Ireland in the GFA, and it is 100 years old. Massive own goal by Higgins. Snubbing the people of NI, because the dinosaurs of the semi-extinct DUP. Makes him look like bigger clown than usual.

sydthebeat · 20-09-2021 9:46am

Not an own goal at all..

He had been lauded by the vast majority for his decision

hawley · 20-09-2021 10:13am

“But we were unaware about this issue to do with the title,” he said.

On Friday, President Higgins outlined his reasons for declining the invitation to the event in Armagh, which Queen Elizabeth is due to attend. He said that what started out as an invitation to a religious event had turned into a political statement.

On Sunday, Dr Martin confirmed that the church leaders “only learned that this week”. The story emerged during the President’s visit to Rome to meet Pope Francis.

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/church-leaders-had-been-very-hopeful-that-president-michael-d-higgins-would-attend-controversial-service-marking-partition-of-ireland-40866567.html

So he lied about telling them that he had a problem with the title of the event. He lied about how he was addressed in the invitation. Partition didn't cause lots of violence. There would have been violence if we had a United Ireland too. We have to deal with reality. It seems like he just didn't want to go, no matter what. It is tantamount to treason, going against state policy of reconciliation.

20-09-2021 10:18am

Is it treason or is it not, hawley?

lawred2 · 20-09-2021 10:45am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914068#Comment_117914068

You'll have to show how not attending this event is

Going against any state policies - which state policies and specifically how?
Tantamount to treason - under which articles and how?

jm08 · 20-09-2021 11:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914068#Comment_117914068

The church leaders claim that they consulted widely about the event. Clearly they didn't consult President Higgins then if they didn't know he had a problem with the title. From what I heard yesterday in interview, they said that initially the event had been listed in a list of celebratory events (Fireworks, dinner presumably), so was politicised.

You are telling lies when you claim he lied about being incorrectly addressed in the official invite. He was talking about the DUP in that instance, taken up incorrectly by the media. This has been clarified since, so stop perpetuating that lie.

circadian · 20-09-2021 11:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914068#Comment_117914068

Given my personal experience with Eamonn Martin, he can take a running jump.

Topgear on Dave · 20-09-2021 11:09am

If the wording on the invite is correct, well who give a sh*t what the DUP thinks?

They'll be loving this.

Fandymo · 20-09-2021 11:11am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914329#Comment_117914329

Exactly, Higgins is just giving the dying DUP relevance by taking this stance.

GM228 · 20-09-2021 11:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914068#Comment_117914068

It was Jeffrey Donaldson who referred to him as President of the Republic of Ireland, not the church leaders.

Cilldara_2000 · 20-09-2021 11:25am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914068#Comment_117914068

Yeah because everything the church says can be taken at face value 🙄

I also previously addressed this nonsense about treason and you didn't respond. It's pure nonsense.

McMurphy · 20-09-2021 11:29am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914333#Comment_117914333

Hang on here, what you seem to be suggesting is that he should be going just to spite the DUP?

Given the polls I seen over the weekend, the vast, vast majority of people are fully behind Higgins stance, I don't think Miggeldy should waste a careless thought on the likes of the gay hating, fenian bashing, creationist bigots within the DUP, or a few anon accs on boards.

Flinty997 · 20-09-2021 12:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914068#Comment_117914068

Partition didn't cause lots of violence.

LOL. Its bit like Monty Pythons, so what did the Romans do for us. What did 100yrs of partition do for NI.

If they want to commemorate it. Go ahead. Most people aren't that interested. its like someone wanting to be praised because they are still using a VHS. Everyone else has moved on.

Fandymo · 20-09-2021 12:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914409#Comment_117914409

The mass has nothing to do with the DUP. He should be going to show moderate unionists that he is willing to represent them as President of Ireland. Not all unionists are a caricature of 1980s Ian Paisley.

Fionn1952 · 20-09-2021 1:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914757#Comment_117914757

...but he isn't their President; as was pointed out by a self-professed moderate Unionist on this thread, the Queen is their Head of State. Higgins would receive just as much faux outrage for overstepping if he had followed your advice.

Fandymo · 20-09-2021 1:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914824#Comment_117914824

I didn't say he represented them. I said it would show that he was WILLING to represent them.

Fionn1952 · 20-09-2021 1:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914908#Comment_117914908

And if he indicated he was WILLING to represent them, the same perpetually outraged folk would be moaning that he had overstepped. That's my point.

Fandymo · 20-09-2021 1:43pm

Below is the content of the letter that Higgins got. Nothing about celebrating partition. The message is Hope for the future based on everyone getting on in the here and now, and acknowledging the pain and hurt that partition caused. Honest reflection. I'm disgusted that he has refused to attend.

Dear President Higgins,

We trust this letter finds you well in these challenging times. We are writing on behalf of the Church Leaders Group(Ireland) to extend an invitation to you as President of Ireland to attend a Service of Reflection and Hope, to mark the Centenary of the partition of Ireland and the formation of Northern Ireland. The proposed date is Thursday 21st October at an appropriate time in the late afternoon. The service will take place in St Patrick's (Church if Ireland) Cathedral in Armagh.

This will be a service of Christian worship, hosted, organised and led by the leaders of the Church of Ireland, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian and Methodist Churches and the Irish Council of Churches. All of these churches extend across both jurisdictions on the island of Ireland. The service will provide the opportunity for honest reflection on the past one hundred years, with an acknowledgement of failures and hurts, but also with a clear affirmation of our shared commitment to building a future marked by peace, reconciliation and a commitment to the common good. The overriding theme will be that of 'Hope'.

A similar invitation is being extended to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth. The congregation will include representatives from; the political leadership of Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom and Ireland, a cross section of the local population including some of our young people, and family members of those impacted during the difficult years of 'the troubles'.

We look forward to your reply.

Fandymo · 20-09-2021 1:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914933#Comment_117914933

Why? He already, I presume, represents Protestants in the Republic.

20-09-2021 1:48pm

Whatever one may think of Higgins, he's diligent.

There's no way he came to the decision to refuse the invite spontaneously. It'll have been a decision he gave serious thought and consideration to.

Fionn1952 · 20-09-2021 2:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914988#Comment_117914988

Because Protestants in the Republic are Irish. A great deal of Unionists (strongly crossing over with those expressing the greatest outrage over this) are not Irish. The President of Ireland represents Irish people, the highly outraged folk would be quick to remind Higgins that the Queen is their Head of State and they intend on keeping it that way so he should stay in his own lane. Christ, on this thread alone we've already had moaning about his title being President of Ireland and claiming that suggests he is the President of NI too.

Are you suggesting that the reason Higgins refused was because he had some issue with Protestants?! What relevance does religion have to any of this?

Flinty997 · 20-09-2021 2:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914757#Comment_117914757

Its time for the church to jog on and not be allowed to involve itself in everything.

The last thing you want to do is keep any association of 100yrs of partition and religion.

blanch152 · 20-09-2021 2:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914972#Comment_117914972

His proper title, nothing about celebration, all about reflection and acknowledgement of hurt and a shared commitment to build a future based on peace and reconciliation.

I really don't understand Michael D's position on this. He has lied about it too.

Fandymo · 20-09-2021 2:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117915133#Comment_117915133

You can be protestant in NI and be Irish and get an Irish passport etc. He could have attended to represent the Irish people. There was nothing political about the invite he received.

Yes, a religious ceremony, organised by the main religious entities on the island, is in no way religious. Sorry for my irrelevant post.

Michael D Higgins insists he is President of Ireland, refuses to commemorate partition

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