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WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on The Journal that looks at how people in Ireland really handle their finances.
We’re asking readers to keep a record of how much they earn, what they save if anything, and what they’re spending their money on over the course of one week.
Are you a spender, a saver or a splurger? We’re looking for readers who will keep a money diary for a week. If you’re interested send a mail to money@thejournal.ie. We would love to hear from you.
Each money diary is submitted by readers just like you. When reading and commenting, bear in mind that their situation will not be relatable for everyone, it is simply an account of a week in their shoes, so let’s be kind.
Last time around, we heard from a business specialist living in Dublin. This week, a marketing and advertising executive on €60K living in Leinster.
I guess you could call myself and my husband the ‘squeezed middle’ that we hear a lot about. We work long hours, pay high bills and never feel like we’re doing much more than treading water. We have a lot to be grateful for, though, I know that for sure. In a housing crisis, just being able to say we have our own home at all is a blessing. That modest home comes with a not-so-modest mortgage though, so that drains our monthly income considerably.
I have been working in my career for a good 20 years and in that time, the sector has changed a lot. Given those changes, and having moved roles many times, working for some great companies, I have still never managed to jump too high in salary, I’d be on the lower end of this sector. I’ve never been great at ‘the hustle’ when it comes to salary negotiations, I don’t think that’s me, but it’s also an industry-wide issue in that salaries have ebbed and flowed in recent years. I’ve always tended to stay in a company because I like the people, too. Sometimes, I wish I had that killer instinct, but hey ho, that’s life. Like most people, I would be happier if I’d jumped salary in any significant way but I’m with a great time now, we have a lot of fun and that counts for something.
Having said that, I’ve had two children in the last few years and no matter how much we hear about equality, as a woman I do feel my career suffered because of it. Maybe women fare better in other sectors but there are men I was working with before I became a mother and they’ve moved on, cashed in and seem to now be in a different league to me. I am absolutely not complaining, everyone’s lives are different, and I am happy with my work-life balance. I’m also lucky my husband has a good job and that is a big help. It’s nice to still be able to work in an industry where it’s traditionally tough to keep momentum. As we always say in our office, “It’s a young man’s game”. Well, this old one is still hanging in there. For better or worse.
I get to work remotely a lot and that helps with the face time with my kids, without having to be mammy though, we have a childminder for that. I tried mixing work and parenting in the early days, it was a nightmare, so I learned back then that that’s not workable.
The juggle is not easy for anyone and the pace of life is fast, no question about that. Not to mention the cost of childcare, it’s just eye watering. If we didn’t have the childminder we’d be in big trouble though as we both work such long hours. I wonder if we need a ‘Time Diary’ rather than a money diary at this stage because we’re always just chasing our tails? Hopefully, our kids will be in secondary in another few years and that should take pressure off the childcare side of things.
We have been saying for years that we need a joint account and it’s pure laziness that we have never sat down to get one. We’ve said this year, we’re going to sort that joint account and switch all the bills into it. For now, most of the bills come out of my salary and my husband pays money towards me then as we go. It can get messy but he’s quite good with money so he stops me from burning a hole in the bank card.
Occupation: Marketing and advertising executive
Age: 42
Location: Leinster
Salary: Approx. €60,000 (€55 basic with 5k bonus over each quarter)
Monthly pay (net): €3,700
Diesel: €200 a month
Car insurance: €96 a month
Motor tax: €280 every quarter (oldish car)
Phone bill: €71 a month
Health insurance: €290 a month (this is crippling us)
Life Assurance: €167
Mortgage: €2,400
Childcare: €850 per month
Household bills: Gas, electricity, bins etc – €400
Groceries: Has seriously gone up, now about €100-150 per week for the family
Subscriptions: We are paying too many, we know this. I deleted my Prime last year but kept getting notifications that it would save on deliveries for Amazon so I caved and went back on it €10.55, I pay Netflix and my siblings and our family use it, about €19 overall.
TV Licence: €13.33 a month
TV Sky service: €130 (I blame the sports channels)
Child benefit: €280 a month, always hoped I would be one of those smug people to save it but nope, it gets swallowed up.
***
6.30 am: Am in the office today so am up and downstairs sorting breakfast for the family and taking out the lunches. I keep saying I’ll get up and do a half hour of yoga or pilates but it is just SO dark at the moment. Next month, when spring comes. We’re trying to eat less bread so I make the porridge that we’re all going to eat through gritted teeth. Also trying to cut caffeine down so having hot water with lemon.
7.10 am: Time to wake the kids and hubby. One child is up and dressed in five minutes, the other you have to coax and cajole out of bed, then she moves at a glacial pace. They’re so different.
7.50 am: Everyone fed, watered and it’s off to school. I drop them to the gates on my way to work. They’re in by 8.30 am and so I’ll be at my desk just before 9 am.
9.30 am: Some emails answered and it’s time for our team meeting. We’re busy at the moment, lots of projects on but that’s the way we want it. Just a lot of juggling to be done.
11.30 am: Have a call with clients, project coming along nicely, phew.
12.45 pm: Seems like I have an endless list of tasks that I never get to, is that just what corporate life is like now? Time for a break and some sustenance. I made a promise to myself over the last few years that I would stop spending money in my workday, on lunches or clothes or whatever. I had years of (single, pre-children) years where I went out for lunch, went shopping at lunch, and basically spent money at lunch. Those days are over now as we’ve had so many years of trying to make ends meet. I now bring lunches in (sandwiches, noodle dishes, that kind of thing) and then just eat the free fruit or biscuits on offer in the office. It makes for a boring life but I don’t feel like I’m throwing money down the drain. I tuck into my boring sandwich and have a cup of herbal tea, chat to colleagues.
1.30 pm: Back at desk and close off to all but my neverending list of tasks, time to get serious.
5.30 pm: Time to hit the road and head home. I sometimes head home after lunch and finish my day from there but I got a good bit done so all good there. The childminder will have the kids home and if we’re lucky, she’ll have cooked some dinner for all of us. We don’t expect it but it’s always a bonus when it happens. My husband works from home a lot so he will have let the childminder go at 6pm.
5.50 pm: Having phoned home and done a mental check of what’s in the kitchen, I realise we have sod all food in so I divert to Aldi. It’s usually me and two kids and I come out with a trolley load of nonsense that I didn’t need, so I thoroughly enjoy walking around on my own and in a position to think straight. Still get stung for what feels like a very below-average weekly shop (€185). How is food so darn expensive lately, it is so obvious how high the bills are in the last year or two.
Today’s total: €185.00
6.30 am: Up again, same routine, water with lemon and porridge for the family. Adding some chia seeds to wreck all heads today and keep us going. Lunches are done and in the fridge, that was a game changer for us, last year we used to be rushing out the door after chopping apples and slicing sambos, no more. While I have a couple of minutes, I order a new round of coffee capsules for Nespresso machine (€51.60). I know they are not the most prudent use of money and perhaps even worse for the environment. They do collect them but I never seem to get organised enough to sort it, so they head off to landfill and I feel so wretched. We bought the machine thinking it could work with a reusable capsule but no joy, it’s one of the new ones where a barcode is needed. So for now, we’re forking out for capsules and feeling really guilty. I’d rather that though than shelling out €4.50 or so every time we go around the corner to the nearby cafe. We’ll try to do better soon.
7. 20 am: Gave the kids a few minutes lie in as they’re so wrecked. Is anyone else struggling to get them to bed on time since Christmas? Even now, well into January they’re a nightmare to settle at night. They don’t do screentime, etc, no phones for them yet, we’re holding off big time on that, but they just get new energy around 8.30 and then it’s a battle to have them asleep before 10 pm. How did we lose control of that one? As a consequence, I’m peeling them out of bed the next day.
8.45 am: Kids gone with husband to school, he’s driving them today. I’m going to enjoy my 15 minutes of bliss… oh… wait… my 15 minutes of putting a wash on, emptying and filling the dishwasher and defrosting the mince for dinner. Oh well, it’s good to get stuff done too.
9.00 am: I’m working remotely today and glad of it, the weather is so grim. I sign into Teams and sort some admin before our team meeting. I absolutely love remote working, it suits me and I’ve done it for years, well before Covid. I’m passionate about it as a concept and feel it has the potential to be a huge game changer for how we work, live and the choices we make.
9.30 am: Team meeting commences and we mostly just chit-chat. We have a great team and a genuine rapport but there are definitely days where I wish we didn’t have to waste too much time on these catch-ups. Really, every meeting should be done in 15 mins, there should be an alarm to stop the waffling.
9.50 am: They must have read my thoughts, we’re out of meeting and I’m back on the computer sorting through work. I get a quick call from my former bin providers, giving out that I’d switched to another company and not informed them. Thing is, the other company were supposed to do it! I’m really trying this year to follow the advice and switch energy/household providers. The bin company says I’ll have to pay €45 to be excused as a customer. God give me strength! Honestly, are people having a laugh. I pay the money in a rage, politely telling the woman that I’m not in favour of their ‘policy’. That’s it, I won’t be using them again, was with them for years and it just seemed we were paying huge amounts every month. Here’s hoping the new crowd are better.
11.50 am: Grab a quick decaf coffee, gather thoughts.
12.00 pm: Back to work and jump on a quick call with a couple of teammates to work through a proposal we’re building. Luckily, we know each other well enough not to waste too much time and we’re out of the chat fairly fast.
1.30 pm: Lunchtime, which consists of me cooking spaghetti bolognese with the mince. I give my mum a call for a chat while pottering and scoffing some crackers and cheese. She reminds me that it’s my dad’s birthday next week so we set to planning a family meal. He’s so old school and we know for sure he won’t let us make a fuss of him, so we agree instead to just cook a nice dinner at home and make a fuss. Honestly, he’ll be thrilled with a homemade cake and his grandchildren visiting. Like I said, old school. I jump off the call and decide to order him some aftershave at least, the one he likes and wouldn’t buy for himself (€107).
2.30 pm: Head down now until 5.30 pm finish. I’ll hear the kids come in, slamming the doors and arguing, childminder with them. It’s a great thing when you have a great minder and we’re so lucky with our girl. She knows and understands the kids, they’re so used to her and she can cook. She does four days with us and we wing it on the Friday as they have a class after school anyway, so my husband usually manages to collect them. The cost is just so much though, but that is life.
4.45 pm: Youngest stomps up into the attic complaining about maths homework and presenting me with said homework. Drat! I’m starting to feel like everything I remember from primary is different to what they’re learning now. I start talking about ‘carrying the one’ and she looks at me like I’m from another planet. We get there though and she heads off again, happy enough.
5.30 pm: Managed to wind up on time today, not always the case. I’m determined to get out for a walk so I throw on the runners and just shout from the door that I’ll be back in 10. One of the things about remote working that’s crucial is ensuring you get fresh air and exercise, otherwise a whole day can go and you’re stuck inside. I do a proper mama power walk ‘around the block’ in my local area and clear the head. I usually use this time to ring a friend but today, I’m too tired to talk and I just take in the dark, wet evening that is a Tuesday in January.
6.00 pm: Back at base, minder going out the door and husband and kids in the kitchen, kids have had the bolognese so we tuck in then for a round.
7.10 pm: I have a pilates class Tuesday evening so my friend picks me up and we head off. Always dread it on a cold night as it’s in a freezing local hall but you never regret the class, great teacher too.
9.00 pm: Usual bedtime dramas, battles and kids finally asleep by 9.30 which isn’t great, but I’ve seen worse. Husband and I start the new True Detective Night Country series that released yesterday. I am usually too chicken for these types of programmes. It’s watchable but exceedingly grim. I love Jodie Foster so that’s a bonus and it’s great to see two women in the lead roles. I look forward to the nightmares later though, not sure I can do the whole series, glad it’s coming out weekly so you can’t binge it.
10.30 pm: Bed. Scan the bank account and see the life assurance has come out (€167), ouch, this one always catches me! I prefer when they all come out on the first of the month. Watching my money dwindle now and we’re only halfway into the month. This is what happens, I just don’t know how other people manage to budget for holidays and cars. Anyway, tomorrow is another day. Sleep.
Today’s total: €370.60
06.45 am: I’m remote again today so give myself a 15-minute lie-in. Lucky me. Same deal, porridge is on (really need to vary things now, I’ll do toast tomorrow) and sort some washing while I have a minute.
7.15 am: Kids up and eating breakfast, while we frantically search for my eldest’s football shoes and shin pads with me shouting as usual, ‘why can’t you put the gear away in the same place every week’. You could write the script. Who are these families who are on top of their schedule and in control? The organised ones. I need their secrets.
8.30 am: Kids and hubby are gone so I nab a quick walk around the block. Clear the head and prepare for the day.
9.00 am: Setting up here for client meeting so we won’t have our usual meeting.
10.00 am: Client chats go well, they’re happy with progress so that’s a relief. We have a great relationship with clients and it’s always nice when everyone is in agreement on the direction we’re going in. It’s such a challenging market at the moment so we’re always under a kind of pressure. That’s the gig, I guess.
11.45 am: Grab a quick cuppa, do some scrolling of Instagram (I’m really trying not to use it these days, I’m so over the endless crap that’s showing up in my feed) and that leads me to a clothes site where I scroll mindlessly to shop for something until I snap out of it and realise that Instagram is to blame! I am not falling into the scroll-shop-repeat anymore. I really noticed that creeping up last year. At the end of the day, you end up with a wardrobe full of stuff you do not need that you’re not likely to wear again any time soon.
12.00 pm: Back at it, I’ll work through lunch today, just have way too much to do and will be caught up with daughter’s football training this evening. No one tells you that once you get them out of buggies and nappies, they jump right into football boots, ballet shoes or whatever they’re into and it’s all go, go, go from then on. It is relentless.
5.30 pm: My good intentions for getting downstairs to maybe do a chore or two while I work went utterly out the window and I emerge bleary-eyed from the attic. At least the minder is here, homework is done and the dinner is cooked. Result.
6.30 pm: Soccer training in the freezing cold. Drop off daughter and her friend and I decide to run into Super Valu for a quick round of food shopping, because for some reason I cannot understand, we seem to need more food. We are hammering through food shops. Oh well. I fill up a basket and end up carrying a few more bits in my arms. Comes to €64. Same feeling again, ‘How have I spent so much on the basics’. This is the cost of living crisis we’re hearing about, for sure.
8.00 pm: Home and throwing kids into the bath which you’d think would relax them but no, they’re wired after. In bed with books by 9 pm and it’s anyone’s guess after that but at least they’re reading.
9.00 pm: Husband has filled the dishwasher and cleaned the kitchen. Result. He’ll do for another while, I guess. He reminds me that his sister is looking to book a week camping with the kids in Spain in June and that we need to fix a date and give her the deposit. I want to be more like her, she’s just so organised and on top of things. I can’t think about what I’m having for dinner tomorrow, let alone plan that far. But I am glad to have organised friends and family who can shepherd us in the right direction!
10.30 pm: Bed, after starting some rubbish series on the TV that we’ll never watch again.
Today’s total: €64.00
06.30 am: I’m office-bound today so it’s up and at em and washing hair, wearing anything that isn’t a tracksuit. One of the nice things about office work at least is that you get to feel somewhat like a glamorous adult for about five minutes. Maybe glamorous is overstating it, the bar is low these days. I’m not one of the pyjama-wearing remote workers, but the leggings are just too comfortable not to wear at home.
7.20 am: It’s cereal and out the door for the gang today. No football gear needed. I drive them to the gates and we chat about the holiday this year and how excited they will be to go with friends. I have zero interest in a campsite holiday but the kids absolutely adored it last year when we went.
9.00 am: In the door and it’s all go for the morning. Meetings, more meetings and a few meetings in between. I need a day off to get some work done!
11.30 am: Head down, boxing off some jobs, trying to get ahead of the neverending ‘to-do’ list.
1.45 pm: Quick lunch today as my head is in the game workwise. Grab a coffee in the kitchen after running out for a quick wrap from the nearby shop (€4.50). Have both at my desk and keep going.
5.30 pm: Out the door and homeward bound. Stop for €40 diesel, honestly I think I don’t drive much or spend much on diesel, but I’m kidding myself. It’s a heartbreaker, the price of it.
6.30 pm: Defrosted lasagne for dinner this eve so a handy option. Easy. Tidy up kitchen and make sure kids have at least opened their school bags to look at their homework. They seem happy enough.
9.00 pm: Usual bath and bedtime shenanigans and kids calm and reading in bed. Hurray! We are really trying to get the reading thing going again, we dropped the ball there for a while and I noticed how much more manic bedtime was without it. Now, after grabbing some fresh fun books from friends and the library, via one or two arrivals from Santa, they’re back on the reading buzz again.
9.30 pm: Given it’s Thursday, we give ourselves a pat on the back and pour a glass of wine. We’ve started watching One Day on Netflix on recommendations from friends. Apart from the fact that it’s a great antidote to True Detective, it’s lovely, a bit like Normal People with a great soundtrack. Making us nostalgic for our misspent youth.
11.30 pm: Couple glasses of wine, couple episodes watched, time to conk out. I have a book hovering beside the bed for weeks now and every night I try to pick it up but make it through about three sentences and I’m done. Intentions are good, I guess.
Today’s total: €44.50
06.30 am: Thank the lord it’s Friday. Even though, sometimes it feels like the weekend is ahead and there’s no break then either. But here we are anyway. Porridge for the win and lunches in the bags.
07.20 am: Youngest is a bit tired-looking and complaining of a sore throat. I offer her a day in bed but she says she wants to go in as they’re ‘doing fun stuff today’ so I decide she can’t be too sick at that rate. Calpol saves the day and we’re back in business. It’s a constant rollercoaster with viruses and wondering if you’re doing the right thing.
9.00 am: Kids and hubby gone and I’m at my desk, working remotely for today. I look at the mountain of washing gathering as I walk past and make a mental note that I’m ‘definitely getting that done during my work day today’. I’m kidding myself, it never happens.
11.30 am: Meetings done and I get a call from my mum who wants to tell me all about a funeral she went to with a friend this week. It sounds like she had… dare I say…’fun’ at it? Maybe that’s it, you get to a certain age and that’s one of the few social outlets available. Fair play to them, at least they caught up with old friends. Time for a quick coffee.
11.45 am: Back at desk, coffee and toast had, no washing done. I have a quick look for a towel rack on Amazon, I am sick of towels on the floor in the bathroom and the towel rail we have is rubbish. I snag a wooden one for €23, see if it’s any good.
12.15 pm: Quick call with colleagues to wrap up a few bits from the week. We’re in relatively good shape, result.
2.00 pm: Busy day, run downstairs and throw some chorizo and veg onto the pan, some rice into a pot and combine them for a handy dinner. For some reason, the kids love this dinner and it’s very easy to make. Not exactly gourmet or nutritionally dense, but we are doing our best. One of the lifesavers of working from home is throwing the dinner on at lunch, takes the pressure off later.
3-5.30 pm: Chase tail, pull hair out, fret over the ‘to-do’ list and then give up… Monday is another day, time to chill.
6.00 pm: Run to the local shop to nab a few bits which is always a bit of a disaster, end up spending €36 on lord knows what.
8.00 pm: Dinner had, time for a quick walk so we drag the kids down around the block, under duress. It’s cold but good to stretch the legs.
9.00 pm: Husband tackles bedtime while I finally get a start on some housework. Oh for the days when Friday nights meant fun and adventures!
10.00-midnight: We stare at the Late Late Show and then Graham Norton with a glass of wine, too tired to even speak after such a busy week. I must say, I do find Patrick Kielty a lot more natural in the seat, he’s a good listener. Couldn’t tell you who the guests were.
Today’s total: €59.00
7.00 am: What are lie-ins, anyway? And why do kids jump out of bed early on Saturdays? Least they can stay in the PJs. I guide them towards the cereals, make myself and hubby a cuppa and head back to bed. He’s no intention of waking up yet so I watch some rubbish TV on my phone. Saturdays are great.
10.30 am: Eldest has a match at 11.30 so the usual panicked searching for the gear gets underway and we’re out the door. The next two hours involves standing around speaking to other parents with some intermittent cheerleading like ‘well done, that’s a great tackle’. They’re nice mornings once you’re not too wrecked and the weather isn’t too bad.
12.00 pm: On way home, she torments me for all sorts… jellies at X, danish at Y, why do kids always have the next hit on their minds? I stay firm for once, I’m trying to embrace the word ‘No’, it’s quite liberating once you use it. My sister is a teacher and a strict one at that and she says, ‘Just remember, No is a sentence’. Not sure what she means but I’m going for it.
1.00 pm: Husband, the legend has lunch ready for everyone so we sit down for some much-needed family chats. The weekends can whizz by in a blur so we’re trying to be a bit better on the quality time front.
2-5.00 pm: Kids and husband watch some sport (they’re all into it) while I potter around and try to get a handle on this house. Our friends ring to say they’re going to the local pub later for food with the kids so we decide to join them, why not?
6.00 pm: Meet the gang in the pub and we all have some nice food, the adults have a pint and a proper chat while the kids hang out. It’s a nice, informal thing we do with our friends in the area and it keeps us sane. We used to have such hectic social lives but everyone is way too tired these days! Husband pays so I didn’t take the hit this time. Comes to about €92, no wonder we don’t go out much. ‘Twas nice, though.
9.00 pm: Home and happy to put the feet up, watch some TV. Kids stay up a bit late this eve, they’ll be gone up before 9.45. I check my bank balance and see two more standing orders have come out, so I’m down another €48 plus €63. Feels like an endless flow out of the account. I try to switch providers as much as possible but never feel like I’m getting ahead on these.
11.30 pm: Cannot keep eyes open, time for bed.
Today’s total: €111.00
08.00 am: Maybe lie-ins do exist after all! Hubby gets up and makes coffee for the two of us, kids relax with us in the bed for a bit and then they head downstairs for some TV.
10.30 am: Hubby gets up and makes breakfast for us all… sourdough and scrambled egg with spinach and some hot sauce, a family favourite.
11.30 am: I’m headed out with a friend for a walk, she picks me up and do a proper ‘mama strut’ for an hour down by a local river. Food for the soul – good chats and a rant or two never hurt anyone!
1.00 pm: She pulls in to the butchers so I run in with her and secure a nice chicken for today’s dinner (€12). Pricey for a chicken but this place does really lovely stuff so feels like it’s worth it.
2.00 pm: Dinner in the oven, bit of tidying and washing done and hubby and kids gone for a walk. I absolutely love the moments like this in the house where I get five minutes to myself. Even if it is just to do some tidying, it’s five minutes where it’s not ‘mammy, I’m hungry’. No one tells you that 99% of parenting is just feeding them.
4.00 pm: Family back and I give a call to my sister for a chat. She reminds me that our good friend’s birthday coming up so that’s €50 into the vault to cover presents. Thankfully, she’s more organised than me and will sort something in good time. Revolut is dangerous though for the ‘monopoly’ effect, you just fire money out from that account and it doesn’t feel real. Until it does.
5.00 pm: Lovely roast dinner for the cosy Sunday that’s in it. Nothing better. Any minute now and the Sunday blues will start to kick in.
6.30 pm: We all sit down to watch Dancing with the Stars on RTÉ, hubby and myself wouldn’t be into it normally but the kids love it so it’s a nice bit of time together. So funny to see the kids acting out all the dance moves.
8.00 pm: Time for the Sunday night battle to make lunches, pack schoolbags and face another week.
Today’s total: €62.00
***
What I learned –
Nothing wrong with free speech but those promoting paramilitary activity in this country should be subject to the full force of the law. Could they not have been arrested under our terrorism laws?
@Tweety McTweeter: I don’t think wearing a green jumper is a terrorist activity
@White Rabbit: Its well documented what that organization stand for. They represent the political wing of the Real IRA, an illegal terrorist organization
@Tweety McTweeter: Terrorism laws shouldn’t prevent marches, sorry.
That’s a slippery slope. These lads are thugs, no doubt, but they have the same right to assembly, guaranteed by the Constitution, as the rest of us, no matter how vile their motives.
@White Rabbit: are you always a dummy?
@ihcalaM: yes, maybe the right of assembly, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t have consequences. Would you agree with Daesh members marching in our streets based on the same constitutional right?
@ihcalaM: Tweety here is creaming himself with a justified outrage opportunity and losing sight of the bigger picture.
At least when they’re marching, you know where they are. You can identify and capture them if they step out of line.
@Nial D: Are you 6?
@Tweety McTweeter: brilliant idea Tweety and let’s not stop there! Burn books, ban films, and there are other members of society that don’t agree with you lock them up.
@Jack: No, I don’t agree with terrorists and don’t believe they should be allowed promote and recruit young idiots. Do you?
@Tweety McTweeter: You don’t believe in not trying to twist people’s words and fit them into your little boxes either.
There’s a very big difference between agreeing with terrorists and saying anyone whose ideas you don’t agree with is a terrorist.
You’re more of a broad, sweeping strokes kind of person. That’s great for you. Useless in any meaningful conversations though.
@Joe Phillips: So, tell us “the bigger picture”, wise one.
@Tweety McTweeter: let them match. At least they are out in the open and can possibly be identified and kept under surveilance.
@Tweety McTweeter: I don’t either Tweety but marching down a street isn’t a terrorist act I am as outraged as anyone but we left witch hunts behind us 200 years ago.
@Dave Barrett: march.
Can we let them march one more year for the craic maybe organise tennis balls or sliotars?
@Tweety McTweeter: If you really need it spelled out for you… prohibition of anything does nothing to change the mindsets of people who were for whatever’s been banned.
This new group might think they have more support among the public than they do. Let them see that very few people share their vision enough to join their marches. Or are you afraid people will fall for their charms and soon you’ll be outnumbered and surrounded by green jumpers?
Stop thinking you’re the moral authority on what everyone should and shouldn’t do. I’m sure you have other things to do
@Joe Phillips: 100% correct, and well put.
Just like banning Holocaust denial in Central Europe didn’t get rid of Holocaust deniers (just drove them underground and made them believe the establishment was out to get them), banning these losers would do nothing to address the actual problem, in fact it would just embolden them. They’re itching to have a cause to fight.
We don’t need the law to protect us from bad politics. I trust the Irish people to see these frauds for what they are, apparently some people don’t…????
@ihcalaM: Exactly! Although, of course it suits Leo and Simon and all our other righteous guardians to spend the week condemning and re-condemning the same thing, then hoping someone will say something about doing that so they can jump on them for their ‘despicable’ ‘defence of a terrorist organisation’ that means they probably want to bomb schools and give back rubs to Nazis. Like Tweety here.
@White Rabbit:
@Tweety McTweeter: so marching is a crime?….
@ihcalaM: They have NOT the same right to assembly. Paramilitary displays are by their very nature by people who hold violent extremist views seeking to violently overthrow the democratically elected government. No place in a democratic country!
@Tweety McTweeter: Do you agree with the economic terrorism of the banks and vultures?
@John Mc Donagh: Have you ever seen the Westboro Baptist Church picketing a funeral?
@Tweety McTweeter: I do not find there march offensive, free speech has to be respect also its the media linking all this together makes me wonder…..
@Tweety McTweeter: An unsanctioned army marching down the Main Street of our capital city, 48 hours after they murdered an innocent during one of their operations? I wonder what our official Irish army would make of them.
@Tweety McTweeter: Membership of, or support of, the political wing of an illegal organisation is not enough by itself to prove membership of that organisation.
@Tweety McTweeter: The old IRA were fighting for Irish freedom
@White Rabbit: nobody suggested it was a terrorist activity.
@White Rabbit: The letter C is a fairly ordinary letter by itself, apart from being an international symbol for temperature and, in physics, the speed of light. U is much the same but has gained some popularity as the text representation of ‘you’. N has more going for it as a major compass point and also a central role in mathematics. T is pretty boring and doesn’t mean much by itself. However, if you bring those letters together and start screaming them in people’s faces unnecessarily, they become extremely offensive and will stimulate great anger in most people.
Let’s be honest and stop pretending they were just wearing green jumpers.
@John Mc Donagh: This administration has no popular mandate. Clandestine confidence and supply ‘arrangements’ keep Leo in power while ongoing secret meetings deny the people elections. None of this is democratic and all of it is unconstitutional, which is probably why paramilitaries feel obliged to march in the streets.
Unless they are actually breaking any laws I don’t see why or how they should be banned.
@Luke Lee: It shouldn’t. Typical reactionary idiot people
*They
@Joe Phillips: I’ve long thought provocative marches like these and the orange marches a real starting point on tensions. Wounds won’t heal until they are dealt with
@The observer: i agree with you. I don’t think they should exist, these marches. But banning them isn’t going to make the ideologies go away. It’s a stupid, short-sighted measure that just says “shut up, we don’t want to hear you… go and be hateful in silence”
@Joe Phillips: certainly the right to protest issues shouldn’t be an issue ever. But public displays of a private Militia have no place in a Republic. Surprised they weren’t banged up for that alone.
@Luke Lee: Leftie free speech unless it disagrees with them. I don’t support them but they’ve as much if not more right to be there than Love Ulster
@Luke Lee: is impersonation of real soldiers a crime? I guess that’s what they are trying to do to give their crime gang an edge.
@Luke Lee: the only thing their guilty of is never doing an honest days work in their life!
@Martin Critten: __ People walking around wearing military surplus doesn’t constitute a militia. If they happened to be armed, that would be a different story. They’d only be prosecuted if they wore Irish military uniforms.
@Luke Lee: maybe fashion police should have been alerted lol
If ffg had their way all protesting and marching would be band along with free speech whats left of it
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: So, terrorism organizations should be allowed to march under the banner of free speech? Does that include the likes of ISIS and The Taliban?
@Tweety McTweeter: Saoradh is not a terrorist organisation.
@Luke Lee:
Hahaha hahaha hahaha
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: but the thing is they do have their way and they haven’t done that.
@Luke Lee: grand , I’ll set up a new group tomorrow, call myself the political wing of ISIS, throw out a few empty words saying I’m not a terrorist and by your logic I should be able to walk up and down o Connell street dressed in black with big back flags. A lion by any other name is still a lion. Get a grip.
@John fitzpatrick: You can do whatever you want. Unless Saoradh is a recognised terrorist organisation that has being found guilty of crimes then I’m sorry, but you cannot just ban them. It sets a dangerous precedent. It could be You may not understand that but that’s not my problem.
@Luke Lee: and I would not be setting up a terrorist group either. I’d come out and say I was not ISIS. That would be enough right? As long as I say I’m not it’s all good. Maybe whilst I’m at it I’d set up an ould UVF group and say I was not a terrorist also . All grand in the name of free speech. Toxic logic.
@Luke Lee: Your logical fallacy is; slippery slope, because A happens, I am certain B will happen with no evidence whatsoever.
@John fitzpatrick: Can you show me where it’s written down in law where Saoradh are a banned terrorist organisation? The UVF are Recognised as one. So are ISIS. I believe Saoradh are not and until they are, they are entitled to march. I don’t support them in any way but i do support the idea of freedom of expression. You may not like that but its actually an important part of living in a free society.Like I said, you can do whatever you like. Nobody is stopping you.
@Tweety McTweeter: yes no group should be banned from marching as long as no laws are broken. Only rule should be no covering of faces. Let the authority’s see who is marching and watch them in the future. Great intelligence gathering opportunity
@Luke Lee: can you not cop what I’m saying. I’ll be setting up groups and I will be saying I’m not involved in terrorism. As long as I say it , it’s ok right?. The real IRA are a terrorist organisation, along with ISIS and the UVF. This group are the political wing of the Real IRA. But as they say, if I’m explaining I’m losing . Sounds like your as sharp as those knuckle draggers that paraded.
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: Explain please. Only about 65% of registered electors vote at any election here. You can’t have it every way.
@Luke Lee: Saoradh’s link to the Real/New IRA are clear. I’ve no doubt that the PSNI have more than enough evidence to establish it. The issue is the Irish state not keeping on top of which newly formed groups need to be added to the list of proscribed organisations. They should have been added years ago.
@John fitzpatrick: You can do or say whatever you want John. As long as it’s within the law. I’ll even support you. This is a legal matter. Not a feelings one. Until Saoradh are a banned organisation they are and should be entitled to march.
@Tweety McTweeter: Unfortunately it’s the price of freedom of speech and expression. It’s not a very expensive price price. When you really consider the alternative.
The problem with curbing free speech. Is where dose it stop.
Ex: do we ban all protests
Do we ban any news article or protest thats critical of the government, the state, the church, the police. What about books/movie.
@John fitzpatrick: everyone has copped on to what your saying John but it’s your right to express that on this form,and I for one am delighted you can express that freely.
@Tweety McTweeter: Humphrey is a troll. Its posts cover a range of contradictory positions, so clearly it only wishes to provoke, not offer anything useful.
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: these marching protesters don’t allow for free speech with their intimidation. How was the STOLEN ATM MONEY spent???
@Thomas Maher: there’s no free speech at the point of a gun.
@John fitzpatrick: The DUP have already done that.
@Luke Lee: they are the mouth piece of a terrorist organisation
@Tweety McTweeter: yes, whoever wants to March, if we don’t allow free speech then force is the only other way to be heard. If all those kids had been marching all day they would have been too tired to riot.
@Tweety McTweeter: Recent statements by Loser Leo and Simple Simon on the automatic right of return of ISIS collaborators / sympathizers and the unsustainable influx of questionable immigrants would suggest that we might need a real deterrent at some stage.
@Dónal O’Flynn:
You forget that the former deputy head of the PSNI is now in charge of our security system.
I very much doubt that he has no contact with his former colleagues, as the recent incident in the Phoenix Park confirmed.
@Luke Lee: How deluded
Was not too long ago FG were marching around the place in their blue shirts . How quickly they forget
@Nigel Cronly: You really comparing FG to an organisation that just came out supporting the “volunteer” who shot and murdered an innocent journalist the other night. FFS man.
@Nigel Cronly: not too long ago using the same time frame , women could not work after marriage, could not vote, priests could molest little kids with the risk of punishment . But you know what things move on and this is not the norm today. Live in the world we live in where these terrorists are not accepted.
@Nigel Cronly: Only about 80 something years ago, was a real run on Blue coloured shirts in Pennys that day…
@Tweety McTweeter: FG have killed more people than any terror organisation in Ireland. They’ve killed all hope and aspirations of our young people ever having a home and discourage any working class person from bettering themselves by ancillary taxes and that god forbidden USC remember the temporary Tax? The rivers of Ireland see too many people ending up in their waters each week.
These individuals are simply criminal thugs. Yes they should be banned. I am a republican and proud of being one. My unionist friends and I have many respect my beliefs, as I do theirs. We should not dignify these thugs by attaching the term ‘republican’, dissident or otherwise in describing them. Refer to them as what they are, criminal gangs.
@Deaglan Macgiollaphadraig: This is what happens when dopes learn their Irish history from listening to Luke Kelly albums.
@Orla Smith: I assume you mean the Wolfe tones and not Luke Kelly.
@Orla Smith: Luke Kelly? Oops. Think you’ve been sleeping on the aul Irish history yourself…
@Fr.Todd Unctious: Wolfe Tones is correct, although Luke did write many a wonderful rebel song.
@Orla Smith: somebody is ill informed
@Deaglan Macgiollaphadraig: Think about this. Thanks to their March.and all that pesky video footage and those photos the PSNI and the garda can go. We now know who you are.
@Orla Smith: how embarrassing for you Liam
@Deaglan Macgiollaphadraig: to be criminals they have to have broken a law of some description, usually paramilitaries are born out of an unhappy and unjust society, if you live on certain estates in this country it would be very easy to feel youve been let down by various policies, that nobody cares and therefore be open to idea of different ways forward, everyone needs a purpose in life and young men especially, just look at the suicide rates in the different demographics you will see a trend, so its really no surprise to seeing this march happen. Ban it and the numbers will increase sharply.
@Orla Smith: haha you are some dope!
@Orla Smith: never seen you say one intelligent statement on this…..sad
Why ban them, such laws would be used to hinder other freedoms of expression. Also the intelligence services love these events as a way to update their records.
March to your hearts content.
@LUCY Thomas: I initially voted to ban them, however having thought about it, had the same thoughts you did. The problem with it is that it hinges upon the belief that we actually have an intelligence service, something along the lines of the UK’s MI5. And, unfortunately, that’s where this idea begins to falter.
It would have been a perfect opportunity for an intelligence agency to capture data on all these people, to pay some of them a “quiet visit”, to kick some doors in, to identify those involved, who they associate with and who the leads are. From there, plant electronic surveillance on them and, over time, gather enough information to destroy the entire organisation.
Without any significant intelligence service a terrorist organisation can march, in uniform, up our capital city’s main street in broad daylight with impunity safe in the knowledge that nothing will be done. They even had a band leading them. Can you imagine that in any other city in the world? The London branch of al-Qaeda having a similar march through Kensington or the the French branch through the Champs-Élysées in Paris, they wouldn’t even attempt it. But here, they’re safe.
@Arch Angel: other than marching what crime did they commit…?
@Arch Angel: How do you think anyone gets convicted of terrorist offences in this country, and who do you think does it?
@David: It is illegal in this country to be a member of certain proscribed paramilitary and terrorist organisations. However let me ask you what the world would think if similarly dressed men and women were to march up 5th Avenue, New York in what is, lets face it, a threatening display. If they flew the Confederate flag and declared the American Civil War to be “ongoing” and not a single police officer raised a hand to stop them. If they defended the murder of an innocent journalist just days earlier. Do you seriously believe that would be accepted, or even allowed to happen in the first place?
@Joe Bloggs: I know we have a Garda and Military intelligence unit, both have different roles. The Garda intelligence service are tasked with electronic surveillance and paying informants, however to put this into perspective, their budget was increased last year by 25% – to €1.25m. The budget for MI5 alone in 2015 – 2016 was about £2 billion, so I think it’s fair to say we do not have a significant intelligence service in this country. The bulk of our ‘intelligence’ is dependent upon paying informants.
@Arch Angel: bubblegum
@Arch Angel: you should be feel privileged you inhabit a country where you are free to express your views whether or not the majority agree with you and persecution for doing so, paramilitaries are born out of social unrest, an unjust society or disregard for human rights, there are obviously other issues too. Young men in particular need to fulfill a purpose and if they feel society has marginalised them then its not surprise this march has happened, the bigger picture here is not terrorism its equality, if people are leading happy fulfillling purposeful lives they have no need to be part of paramilitary organizations.
@Arch Angel: That would absolutely be allowed in the US actually, their 1st amendment is there to protect exactly that…
@David: Point taken, I can see your point regarding living in a society, free to express our views and, to be honest I’m against censorship except in extreme circumstances. That said, I think it’s something of a stretch to claim paramilitaries are born from social unrest and, if young men in particular are not living happy, fulfilled lives they’re somehow prone to become terrorists. Sorry, that’s a little too much for me, there’s absolutely no indication of that here. Where exactly did all those men, and women, let’s be gender equal, get the money to buy those nice uniforms, the black berets, the sunglasses, the green military jumpers, belts and boots complete with black leather gloves and boots? They don’t sell that lot 50% off for would be terrorists in Pennys and I’m damn sure the entire package doesn’t come cheap. It doesn’t fit with the image of the poor, marginalised, socially disenfranchised would be terrorist.
@ihcalaM: You could be right, among other things the 1st amendment gives “right of the people peaceably to assemble”. I have no doubt however that, should a group try it, every agency would watch them like hawks – and they’d know it, which is why they wouldn’t do it. And that’s why it could be done here, because there’s nobody watching, and they knew it.
@Arch Angel:
How can you possibly compare the budget of a small nation such as Ireland, which has no military or strategic interests outside its own borders, with one of the leading warmongers in the world, Britain, which of necessity requires a huge military and intelligence service to protect and further its interests in territories which are of strategic interest to it.
Truly an infantile post!
@Arch Angel: you cant compare a bunch of Aldi rag heads with the republican movement.
I fully disapprove and disagree with the marches held in both Dublin and Cork. But I am equally opposed to any laws infringing upon free speech or freedom of expression.
@Kian: The European Convention on Human Rights protects our rights regarding freedom of expression, however, it contains very well-placed legal restrictions when it comes to; “The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals….”
This is not the United States, we do not have a 1st Amendment which is a free for all, I can’t believe how so many people are completely ignorant of Irish & European law. Sheep bleating; “FREE SPEECH, FREE SPEECH, BAHH!”
@Orla Smith: Just because there are restrictions on our speech in this country doesn’t mean all those restrictions are valid – are you making the claim that because EU/Irish law allows it, it’s inherently a just thing to impose these restrictions?
The debate is about what the law SHOULD say, not what it does say. Title of the poll.
@ihcalaM: And we take everything on a case by case basis before enacting amendments to the law, not some fatalistic ‘right or wrong’ approach.
@Orla Smith: Orla, if you can’t see the blatant ambiguity in what you’ve just copied and pasted and the problems that that presents, than you’re far stupider than I originally though
@Orla Smith: If you put political speech in the hands of the Oireachtas and, by proxy, populist whims (see: this article) then there’s no point in protecting it in the Constitution in the first place.
We don’t need free speech guarantees to allow us to say “I love football” or “steaks are deadly”. It’s only when vile people challenge our sense of morality that these freedoms are actually tested…
@ihcalaM: That’s why European Law supercedes the Oireachtas, checks and balances my friend.
@Orla Smith: European law is just as susceptible to populism and bad politics as any other legislation, plenty of bad law there as it is. Or do you reckon EU law will always have our constitutional rights at heart?
I doubt it. The point of a constitution is to give us inalienable rights. Vague ‘restrictions’ for ‘public order’ or ‘morality’ are prone to abuse.
I wonder how many of them have a real job. Very few I’d say. Criminals.
Maybe stop reporting on them so much. Ironically just ignoring them will get of them quicker than doing anything else.
I don’t like them but no they shouldn’t be banned, they should have the right to march it’s a free society
Arrogance. How is the ATM STOLEN money being spent?
It’s just a bunch of losers who had no friends growing up, parents didn’t love them enough, can’t find a girlfriend etc. who now think they’re ‘patriots’ and join a little boys club to fill the vacuum in their lives. Similar to Trump supporters who medicate loneliness by spending their days in dark rooms on 4Chan, Reddit, and QAnon boards.
@Orla Smith: profiling Orla??
@Jack: There’s a large body of research going back decades dedicated to profiling of people with psychopathic tendencies who carry out atrocities. Use today to educate yourself on them (sorry for using big words).
@Orla Smith: This group is an extreme leftist group, they’re distasteful and rightly have very little support, however, they should be allowed to march, Ireland seems to be sailing very close to the wind when it comes to cracking down of civil liberties.
People should be universally calling for them to have their right to march. If you don’t like them organise a counter protest next time they march
@Orla Smith: don’t worry Orla I’ve a packet of crayons here! And while were profiling the journal seem to be your life go out and make some friends.
@Orla Smith: Nice imagination
@Orla Smith: You mean like the genocide perpetrated world wide by a murderous British empire. Personally I would not agree with the views of Saoradh,, but the danger of legislation being introduced by the blueshirts could be a catch all for all other protests. Blueshirts had no problem in wearing para military uniforms under O’Duffy. Of course they don’t like it when this is mentioned.
@Orla Smith: You need help
Sorry, but you can’t have ‘free speech’ and call for democracy and then outlaw stuff you don’t like. People are entitled to their opinions, whether you agree with them or not. There isn’t a single person that voted Yes to this poll who has some opinion on something they believe is right but others will disagree with. It’s all part and parcel of being in a free society.
Would this legislation affect the right to protest depending on how a the govt decided to label your group. Eg an ultra right govt could just label a kids climate protest as paramilitary and shut it down?
@Eileen O’Sullivan: No, it’s protected by the ECHR.
@Orla Smith: Says who? The ECHR provides for restrictions on free speech, in the public good, remember (you just cited it above). What if a panel of EU judges ruled a climate protest was disruptive to the public good? There’s absolutely nothing enshrined in law to prevent them from doing that, as you say – no US 1st Amendment, which would always protect such a protest.
This is why messing with fundamental freedoms and leaving them in the hands of the judiciary is not always a good thing.
@ihcalaM: What if my aunty had balls…
@Orla Smith: It wouldn’t surprise me
They couldn’t bring in laws to jail white collar criminals during the crash, but want to bring in laws handy to stop these dress up marches, and no doubt sneak in wording about other types of protests or leaders don’t like either……sorry but it’s hard to think that this sudden urge to stop clowns playing ra dress up won’t be tweaked to help out with political protesting which our leaders don’t like as well
If they are claiming to be the legitimate army of the Republic then they should be banned.
Are paramilitary organisations not illegal?
@Evert Bopp: They are, but attending a march in support of such organisations is not sufficient to prove membership of them.
Long may this type of March/Protest continue. This March was a wonderful opportunity to gather intelligence on members of this organization. This has always been the case, throughout the troubles since the early seventies. As of yesterday morning, all of those wearing the fake Raybans and army surplus ( plus size ) jumpers will have been identified by the Special Branch and Army intelligence.
A lot of them will eventually be targeted with a view to recruiting them as sources for use in the future.
Although it does have a paramilitary element to it on regard to inciting hatred and violence its no different really to orange marches in NI . People have a right to free speech and freedom of expression ive seen marches from orgs such as Hari Krishna marches and climate change and LBGT. The real purpose of ministerial outcry yesterday is to minimise potential SF votes in GE
@Mark Mooney: Their stated official goal is the forcible implementation of a 32-county Ireland.
Right to protest, yes.
Right to disrupt other people’s lives, no.
Right to protest wearing anything that could be construed ad similar to the uniforms odd the official military or authorities of thr state, absolutely not
No. Keep them out in the open and let the full force of social media ridicule them and tear them a new one. The last thing we need is to be handing FG an excuse to curtail the right to march and protest. However, protecting women from harassment trumps the right to march and protest.
Lets not forget our past. A lot of blood was shed for our freedom.
The real mistake was that the media photographed and filmed these stomping their way down O Connell Street and then gave them disproportionate publicity. The marchers should be identified by the Gardaí. Marching in military regalia claiming to be the military wing of an illegal army should not be lawful.
Its a very close call between the march on saturday and the bunch of idiots in gov who’s gov policy is to sell houses to companies for profit resulting in thousands going homeless.
Resulting in more people dying of homelessness than from paramilitiary activity in the country.
@Adrian: bell end. You want free handouts to all. Don’t bother with school, tough on those who work hard to educate themselves and get up for work week in week out to pay for their modest house way outside the city. And pay through the nose too. Let’s all do what your crowd want. Stay in bed, claim all round us on the social and blame everybody else for it.
@Rubber Head: i don’t want free anything. I want fair prices for everything, which is not gonna happen when the idiotic gov is allowing foreign companies buy up all the housing. And this idiotic gov are dead happy with your argument pitting the haves against the have nots, shifting blame away from the gov, while they inflate the price of houses.
Just ignore them. Done
They want to provoke a reaction to get themselves arrested. The ones that walk around in their gear from army bargains are the bar stool warriors. The ring leaders of these organisations are lurking in the background being well watched by Garda SDU or PSNI Special Branch up north
Paramilitaries have always been expert’s at propaganda and will try goad authorities into having to make an arres t say how they’re being persecuted by the “Free State” or “Crown Forces”
So let them have a walk around but just turn your back and go about your business if you see them.
Anything banned or outlawed does not go away. It goes underground then expresses itself in dramatic and often harmful ways. The handling seems to be for media to ignore them, but media only reports and what they believe it’s people want to read and view and that satisfies their advertisers.
In the end its about what we choose to take notice of rather than pass the buck and ask for a law to take it away from our sight. Use our will to ignore it, then it goes away … because these marches are for one thing … to get our attention, both love and hate.
They should have all been arrested
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
@Peter Buchanan: sure being left alone when everybody else was gone wouldnt be much fun
Just in relation to free speech ‘The Journal’ keeps banning my comments even though the ive not used any offensive language, perceived as toxic 2.8 green yet it gets censored, this a funny auld democracy not expecting this to get posted!
@David: That’s Goliath for you
It is brainwashed idiots. Violence is not the answer ever. Have we not learned from our past.
@padar: this is why history I’m schools is very important.
If you create a generation who don’t understand their past properly they are doomed to repeat the same mistakes. This group glorified the horrors of the troubles… While almost everyone else saw that talking was the way forward to peace.
@Barry Somers: It’s wishful thinking to believe 14 year olds would take those sort of life lessons out of being forced to learn about conflicts from half a century ago.
@Barry Somers: History in our schools is censored so as not to offend our neighbors, show where it tells us about the half hanging and quartering of the Irish or the ethnic cleansing of up to 1/3 of our population by Cromwell, used to be there in my time but the school history books have been rewritten.
A moment of caution here. The natural reaction here is to say yes ban it but then we have to depend on that dope Varadkar to put in a law for the people and not his ilk. They could very easily put a law together giving them permission to stop any march they choose.
Up the ra
@chris c: The belly on you, you should cut down on the wine
I often wondered how the British allowed the IRA to parade para military-style around Dublin prior to the rising..
People became so used to it then that they were caught off guard when on the actual day of the rising volunteers began shooting policemen and motorists, citizens that would’nt give up their cars for a barricade at College green…..people must have a first thought this was all just another para military-style parade or re-enactment.
@Pádraig Ó Braonáin: it wasn’t the ira. They were the irish volunteers and the irish citizen army. Check the bureau of military records, download witness statements and have a good read. Neil Sharkey has a wonderful tale of his friend who worked at the post office.
No matter how disgusting these marxist paramilitaries are, the great thing about living in Ireland is that none of have to give a sh*t.
And until they openly call/incite violence, the right to free speech and protest must be respected.
If these people marched down O’Connell St wearing Garda uniforms, then it would be regarded as impersonating the police so why is wearing military uniforms not impersonating the military?
Republicans can march under peaceful symbols such as green ribbons etc.
The GFA is at risk because of Brexit and these para-military shenanigans just exacerbates that.
@Moorooka Mick: your point exactly, if they wore Irish army uniforms they would be stopped, they are wearing their own strange scary get up that no one could confuse with Irish army. They look like a mid life crisis not an army.
@Moorooka Mick:
Sure the guards would also have to arrest all the men wearing the camouflauge jackets and pants that are all the rage now!
Stupid poll.
They were out in front of the GPO today playing dressy up green soldiers ….. waving their colourful flags and and banging their little drums
I feel a party re branding incoming…. Fianna Fáil wink wink nudge nudge!!!
Move on with the times , let bygones be bygones and leave the past in the past. All it causes is hooliganism .
Paramilitaries?? They are a bunch of jokers. They march like they just pissed themselves. The “sergeant” calling the marching order was most likely ex Irish army private,thrown out,who now thinks he is a big shot with these numptys
Maybe the lad photographed just has a penchant for marching, doesn’t he take part in all the LBGT marches wearing hotpants & a dog collar?
ps anyone know the number for witness protection??
They looked like something from a Benny Hill movie over weight Muppets who probably spend far to much time down the pub spouting shite then training to fight . Social media shows them up to be what they are
We dont these para-military people/parades – period!
Did anyone tell them that its British Army pattern camouflage that they’re wearing? Idiots.
Stop them wearing sun glasses when it’s pissing rain
The 29% who didn’t vote yes need their heads checked out.
Deleting my reply to a comment journal.ie? Not cool guys.
No, these people who marched are misguided idiots, fools, fossils call them what you want. It is not up to the state to put our objections to such minority organisations for us. Asking the state to do so is just pawing off responsibility and as a result removing freedoms. If you object to these or any protest, go there, shout your objections, block their route, hold up banners stating that they do not represent you or us. Take responsibility and stop expecting the state to wipe your ass. Enough people show up to object these and their like will soon crawl back under their rock.
Jezez and prove to the world we really are snowflakes. Let people see the idiots they are.
They should be free to parade as an organisation but not while wearing paramilitary garb. They wouldn’t get away with it in the North, so why so in the Republic.
I fear Ireland is heading to a dark dark place again. You can feel I’m in the streets in the pubs and people are talking about it too. Personally they should be dealt with very quickly.
@Honey Badger: I totally agree and fear for the future. Why do they suddenly feel the need to raise all that cash by doing the atm jobs? With the uncertainty of how brexit will affect the situation in North of Ireland they have to get prepared I think
Anyone consider what Lyra’s position would have been on their right to assembly? Could it also be possible that if the Police in Derry left them off to have their parade at Easter, there might not have been a shooting on Thurs night and no one would be talking about them now?
Belonging to a proscribed organisation is illegal in NI, I don’t know about the South. That covers people marching in such a fashion and makes it an illegal act. There may be a lot to improve with our Parades Commission but there are elements of best practice worth looking at
@Sheila Fitzgerald: So it’s ok for the jaffa to March on July 12th. While chatloics like my self are held at gun point to leave them March down s nationalist road very slippery road indeed.
@john:
Civil rights for chocoholics!
Absolutely not. The right to assemble is a fundamental right, no matter who does it. If any of these groups do anything criminal whist on the marches, laws are already in place to deal with them.
Whether you like the idiots or not.what their commemoration is the same thing Michael D & Leo were doing yesterday only they have bigger toys like airplanes.
The same people trying to stop these idiots would be falling over themselves to have the orange order march down O Connell st.
@matthew o reilly: Why not let the orange order down O’Connell street Lead by example, show them we are not the biggots most of them are!!! And then which is the only way a United Ireland can come about they might vote for it unlikely for a generation but still the only way
@Ben:
Something like that was tried before ……. didn’t go too well!
@Michael Kavanagh: he’s only 11 sure on here. Most are
Never stopped IRA before GFA. Anyway who notices these twits.
It should be a crime for them to wear British army surplus uniforms!
Yes ban them immediately, idiot thugs with their narrow views and even narrower views. The hatred will never leave the shores of this country as long as these idiots keep passing on the hated to the next generation
I’m not much of a fan of these types of groups, but if we ban them, that’s just a first step towards increasing the oppression of freedom of speech.
Mandatory suspended sentences
I agree that marching in semi-military costumes is not acceptable in Irish towns. If these people had marched in plain clothes there would have been no problem.
After all Orange Lodges are allowed to march in many Irish towns, and while they don’t dress up in military costumes they do represent the foreign ideology of Unionism, which is the hatred of everything Irish and loyalty to everything British.
Perhaps that should be banned too.
@Shedonny: Lots of bands march in semi- military uniforms every st patricks day.
and the Orange order do wear military uniforms – not camoflage , but military uniforms all the same, especially the marching bands.
Well seeing as our govt is welcoming former ISIS employees back to Ireland I don’t think they have any rights to stop home grown marches…
We a
I am not a supporter of this group but I do support their right to fancy dress and parade the streets of Dublin. Freedom to have a peaceful assembly and free speech must always be protected even if we don’t agree with those expressing their rights.
No .
Same rule should apply to the delirious orange men dinosaurs on the 12th of July! I recently find the media I’m the last 18 months to a year has been very pro British!
Same rule should apply to the orangemen on the 12th of July!
have your say