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Detective Garda Colm Horkan. Garda Press Office

Parish priest: Colleagues of Detective Colm Horkan prayed around him after he died

Detective Garda Colm Horkan was shot dead in the early hours of this morning.

THE COLLEAGUES OF Detective Garda Colm Horkan prayed around his body as the local priest attended the scene, it has emerged. 

Parish priest John McManus described how he was called shortly after midnight and asked to come down to the scene where Detective Horkan was shot a number times just a few hundred metres from the church in Castlerea, Roscommon. 

The Garda had called for assistance just moments before he was shot dead by his own garda-issued firearm. 

Another squad car which was responding to a different call came upon the scene almost immediately after the shooting.

The officers in the car arrested a man in his 40s and paramedics were then on the scene within several minutes. Unfortunately, they could not save the garda’s life. 

Fr McManus described a “poignant moment” at the scene.

He told TheJournal.ie: “I was called around midnight and it was my job to anoint Colm who had sadly died. There was a poignant moment towards the end. There was this eerie and stunned silence. His colleagues then joined in his final prayers and we remained with him then. 

“Castlerea is a small community: it wouldn’t be used to incidents like these. Yet it is 40 years this year that two gardaí from the station died in the line of duty – Henry Byrne and John Morley.

“We had organised a memorial for them in July so it’s coming back to a lot more senior citizens who would have been around at that time. It’s an incident, a tragedy that has deeply affected the community. We are thinking of his family, friends and garda colleagues and we want to let them know they’re not forgotten.”

Detective Horkan was 49 years old and had been living with his father in Charlestown in Mayo.

He was heavily involved in Charlestown GAA and was a very popular man, whose good nature and love for football was infectious, according to locals who spoke to this website in the town today. 

One man has been arrested in connection with the investigation and is currently being detained in Castlerea Garda Station. 

Speaking in the town this afternoon Garda Commissioner Drew Harris condemned the shooting and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.   

The 40th anniversary of the shootings of Detective Garda John Morley and Garda Henry Byrne, who were murdered after a bank robbery in Ballaghadreen, will be marked on 7 July this year.           

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7 Comments
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    Mute Tony Ruth
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:03 PM

    R IP he was a good man

    463
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    Mute Arnold Lane
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:40 PM

    @Tony Ruth: They said the same about Garth when he died too…..Neither of them were good men.

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    Mute Ciarán Masterson
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:50 PM

    @Arnold Lane:

    And why do you say that? Neither of them was involved in corruption. Garrett had financial problems but they didn’t involve dishonesty.

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    Mute David
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:59 PM

    @Ciarán Masterson: how do you know they weren’t? Because they were not caught?

    37
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    Mute Jon Snow
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:02 PM

    @Arnold Lane: Garth Brooks is dead?

    79
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    Mute Arnold Lane
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:27 PM

    @Brinster: I wouldn’t hold your breath Brinster. It warms the cockles of my heart though, to know I get to you so much. Also you slept “f***” wrong.

    34
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    Mute Arnold Lane
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:36 PM

    @the druid: I actually did that on purpose to give little Brinster something to rant about but you ruined it, thanks for that :-)

    21
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    Mute Paul Shepherd
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:41 PM

    @Arnold Lane: Garth who…..Brooks?!

    12
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    Mute Adrian White
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:58 PM

    @Arnold Lane: who’s Garth?

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    Mute Arnold Lane
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:19 PM

    @Paul Shepherd: Amazing Paul. Your ability to repeat something someone else posted 30 minutes before you is extraordinary. Awe inspiring.

    16
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    Mute Brendan Keegan
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:52 PM

    @Arnold Lane: Garret was no saint. If you remember he wad caught getting money from the banks too.

    23
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    Mute yelkcub
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    Oct 5th 2017, 12:00 AM

    @Arnold Lane: slags someone off for spelling something wrong and in doing so spells spelt wrong. I’m scarleh for yeh. Go home Arnold, you’re drunk.

    15
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    Mute Alex Carroll
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    Oct 5th 2017, 9:19 AM

    @Ciarán Masterson: Garret had a mortgage written off by the bank. I had a mortgage at the same time. They didn’t offer to write off mine. I wonder why?

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    Mute Danny G
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:05 PM

    Condolences to his family and now it frees up many Garda members that have been sitting outside his house and protecting him 24/7 since the 70s!

    410
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    Mute Paul P O'Sullivan
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:13 PM

    @Danny G: 1 Garda per 8 hour shift. They sit in a little hut at the front of his house in Knocklyon.

    206
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    Mute Karen Wellington
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:14 PM

    @Liam Doyle: all the ex-taoisgh have Garda protection at their homes (some need it more than others), he’s just had it the longest.

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    Mute Karen Wellington
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:15 PM

    @Karen Wellington: ex-taoisigh*

    19
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    Mute Conor Cronin
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:16 PM

    @Danny G: he got rid of them years ago

    43
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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:17 PM

    Comments section here is the pits as to be expected

    176
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    Mute Danny G
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:18 PM

    @Paul P O’Sullivan: Irked me every time I passed the house.

    57
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    Mute Ger Murphy
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:18 PM

    @Danny G: stupidity of some people. Just because you think it doesn’t mean it is an intelligent comment – or funny. So suggest maybe you use your brain occasionally.

    23
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    Mute Danny G
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:19 PM

    @Conor Cronin: I beg to differ there Conor!

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    Mute Karen Wellington
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:19 PM

    @Conor Cronin: no he didn’t, he moved in with his family and the Garda went with him, which is better than sitting outside an empty house I suppose

    39
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    Mute Danny G
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:23 PM

    @Ger Murphy: I cannot understand your vocabulary here Ger – I think YOU should start to use your brain occasionally before you type a commet!

    9
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    Mute Denis Silver
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:27 PM

    @Conor Cronin: I’ve just walked past and they’re still there.

    39
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    Mute oh i dunno
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:41 PM

    @Danny G: ha…i rarely comment on this board and have seen for years the usual commenters come out with the same nonsense..but

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    Mute Danny G
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:43 PM

    @oh i dunno: elaborate please!

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    Mute Carmel Diana O'Hara
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:03 PM

    @Conor Cronin: He did not.

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    Mute Jimmy Myers
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:07 PM

    He was lucky to live till 97, the way this Fine Gael Party are going on most of us will be 97 years of age before we can even retire

    340
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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:24 PM

    @Snowball: In fairness to Cosgrave I do believe he turned down a lot of his pension. Possibly one of the very few politicians who served Ireland rather then themselves. RIP

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    Mute Snowball
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:27 PM

    @Kerry Blake: That is really good to hear, I was unaware of that. Thanks for sharing.

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    Mute Vic's Burd
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:37 PM

    @Snowball: to be fair he would got a percentage of his earnings, which in 1970’s were much much less than today’s Taoiseach salary, so his “massive” pension wouldn’t be anywhere as near as big as you make it out to be…

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    Mute Maurice Dodd
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:01 PM

    @Jimmy Myers: or dead 97 years before eligible for pension

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    Mute Carmel Diana O'Hara
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:07 PM

    @Patrick j Brady: His wife died last year.

    16
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    Mute Martin Doherty
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:05 PM

    Ahh the man who condemned murder by the IRA in the 70′s but who as recently as 2014 rejoiced at the extrajudicial murders carried out by the Free State government during the civil war.

    191
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    Mute Martin Doherty
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:15 PM

    @Liam Doyle: well the man stuck the boot into our constitution with the ridiculous section 31 and caused our president to resign,he’s a disgrace

    154
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    Mute Honeybadger197
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:26 PM

    @Martin Doherty: He was right. Why would you give a subversive organisation that didn’t recognise your government, or state, any airtime?

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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:35 PM

    @Martin Doherty: what about DeValera, hardly a symbol of free speech.

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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:43 PM

    @Liam Doyle: Where was Cosgrave’s respect for the 34 dead of the Dublin/Monaghan bombings when his government actively covered up the truth of what happened and, in the words of the Barren inquiry “showed little interest in pursuing those responsible for the attacks”. His only interest in the bombings was in their immediate aftermath when he attempted to subtly pin responsibility on the IRA for political purposes. Where was his respect for those 34 dead when in 1981, he refused to appear before an Oireachtas Sub Committee examining his government’s disgraceful response to the bombing, claiming that he didn’t need to go as he was “retired from public life”.

    107
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    Mute Austin Rock
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:48 PM

    @Liam Doyle: why would you want to wait that long, he was like a picture from the grim decrepit 20′s.

    9
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    Mute Martin Doherty
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:06 PM

    @Liam Doyle: so if we hold off for a couple of days it’s ok to call him a C U next Tuesday by your moral compass Liam?

    33
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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:07 PM

    @Liam Doyle: Could he and his government have waited 3 or 4 days after the murders of 34 people – until they were buried – before lying to the country about who killed them and working to cover up the identity the real killers?

    68
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    Mute Nick Caffrey
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    Oct 5th 2017, 8:57 AM

    @Liam Doyle: Aah! Civilisation is NOT dead. Maith an fear thú, a Liam.

    1
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    Mute Dearbhla Russell
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:23 PM

    The man who voted against allowing married couples have access to contraception in 1974.

    136
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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:17 PM

    @Dearbhla Russell: yes he did but at least his government tackled the issue, which Fianna Fail never did. That was 1974. In the 1980s Fianna Fail still opposed legalising contraception.

    42
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    Mute Stan
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    Oct 5th 2017, 2:19 AM

    @Dermot Lane: Labour made FG partially legalise condoms and divorce. The last good things those champagne socialists Labour done.

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 5th 2017, 7:16 AM

    @Stan: proudly tried that it was Labour but still his government that initially tried. He famously voted against his own government

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:15 PM

    A man who did what he believed was right, good and proper for his country. A man who in 1973 had a hand in almost bringing peace to the North. A man who believed in cooperation between nations.

    149
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    Mute Keelan O'neill
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:21 PM

    @sean o’dhubhghaill: though if he still had his way johnny would never have us covered.

    64
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    Mute Tony Hartigan
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:09 PM

    What had he drawn in pensions since 1970 + Garda protection.

    115
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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:48 PM

    @Tony Hartigan: he was a man who served the state first and himself second. No matter that he may have made some mistakes – who hasn’t – but there was never a sniff of scandal around him, he didn’t use his position to line his own pockets unlike some who came after him. As for his pension, can you tell us how much he was on per year And how much of his pension he gave back during the recession?

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    Mute James Keogh
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    Oct 5th 2017, 1:08 AM

    @Tony Hartigan: that will be seen as chicken feed when Bertie sees out his timeeeeeeeeeeee, Years n’ Years

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    Mute shits ville
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    Oct 5th 2017, 11:42 AM

    @Tony Hartigan: he was the only former Taoiseach who gifted part of his pension back to the State following the financial crash. What have you ever given back to your country?

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    Mute Michael O'connell
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:20 PM

    No mention of the heavy gang and the reason they lost1977 election.good reasons why he disappeared without trace except in Fine Gael minds.one of the worst periods in our history regarding civil rights.

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:24 PM

    @Michael O’connell: he lost the 1977 election because he was left to clean up a mess created by Fianna Fail, leading to unpopular measures; because FF sold the country down the river with a giveaway budget which the electorate went for and which is still having negative effects on the country. His measures against the terrorism of McGuinness and Adams had widespread support at the time and he was involved in creating the Sunningdale agreement, a progressive solution not s million miles away from the Good Friday agreement, finally agreed a couple of decades later.

    48
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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:30 PM

    @Dermot Lane: Dermot I assume his government’s cover up of the truth behind the murder of 34 people in Dublin/Monaghan, his initial attempts to lay the blame at the feet of the IRA, and his later refusal to co-operate with an oireachtas investigation into his government’s response to the bombs, were all A-OK with you too?

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:29 PM

    @Tír Eoghain Gael: you assume wrong.

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    Mute Eamon
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:05 PM

    RIP

    118
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    Mute Trevor Hayden
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:09 PM

    Played a huge part in us becoming part of the EU, another blue shirt with no respect for the country.
    In saying that, condolences to the family.

    84
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    Mute Liam Mullane
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:22 PM

    @Trevor Hayden: I was under the impression that Ireland joining the EEC in 1973 was an overwhelmingly positive move, No? It brought us out of the dark ages when it came to social conservatism

    124
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    Mute Trevor Hayden
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:28 PM

    @Liam Mullane: And where has it got us?
    We celebrated the rising last year (under German Rule)
    All our spending and budgets have to be approved by Europe.
    We are in the dark ages Liam.
    Cosgraves party and FF have made this country a joke.

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    Mute Diarmuid
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:36 PM

    @Trevor Hayden: Be nostalgic about being a second world glorified British backwater somewhere else. Have some respect.

    30
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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:41 PM

    @Trevor Hayden: if you want you can pay all the money that we took to build shools, roads and pay farmers.

    29
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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:13 PM

    @Trevor Hayden: the EEC was the best thing to happen to this country, ever. We were a backwater, backward country, off the coast of a another country, our biggest trading partner, labelled ‘the sick man of Europe’ The EEC saved us. Have a look at the poverty levels, the immigration statistics and the unemployment levels in Ireland during the 50s 60s and 70s..

    35
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    Mute Trevor Hayden
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    Oct 5th 2017, 5:11 AM

    @Dermot Lane: Exactly dermot, on a level with today, mass immigration, unemployment and poverty.

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    Mute Liam Mullane
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    Oct 5th 2017, 7:00 AM

    @Trevor Hayden: unemployment is currently at approx 6%. Ireland is now firmly established as a first world country. Yes, we have problems but when compared with the 50s and 60s we have come a long long way. Joining the EEC in 1973 was a huge positive step for this country.

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 5th 2017, 7:21 AM

    @Trevor Hayden: on a level with todays? Are you mad? There is no poverty in this country today compared to those times

    4
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    Mute Trevor Hayden
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    Oct 5th 2017, 8:16 AM

    @Dermot Lane: keep the blinkers on Dermot, there is no children sleeping in cars and tents on the side of the road, no people dying on hospital trolleys, no food poverty even though food banks have popped up in various counties. Yes we are living the dream.

    6
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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 5th 2017, 9:09 AM

    @Trevor Hayden: I’m not saying there is no poverty or that some people don’t have it harder than others. But check out the levels of poverty here during the 50s 60s 70s and the levels of emigration and the lack of social supports. Check out the number of kids who were living in institutions (and probably being abused there), kids living in Dublin and Cork tenements to whom living in a b n b or hotel room would have represented total luxury. You’re right, things are far from perfect but they are a hell of a lot better than they were.

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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:48 PM

    I’ll always rember him as the leader of the government which actively covered up the truth the Dublin/Monaghan bombs, and which, in the words of the Barren inquiry “showed little interest in pursuing those responsible for the attacks”. His only interest in the bombings was in their immediate aftermath when he attempted to subtly pin the responsibility on the IRA, purely for political purposes. Then who in 1981 refused to appear before an Oireachtas Sub Committee examining his government’s disgraceful response to the bombing, claiming that he didn’t need to go as he was “retired from public life”. I do not know what the man was like at a personal level, but as a politician he was about as disgusting as they came.

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:54 PM

    @Tír Eoghain Gael:
    He was trying to hold on to the Sunningdale agreement. He knew, rightly, that if he pursued the bombers then whatever chance remained of Sunningdale succeeding was dead in the water.

    36
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    Mute Diarmuid
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:07 PM

    @Tír Eoghain Gael: You support the bombing of innocent civilians by the Provisional IRA.

    Your opinion is worthless.

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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:14 PM

    @sean o’dhubhghaill: Sunningdale was doomed to failure long before the bombings. Besides, there is no excuse for a state covering up the truth about the largest mass killing in its history to suit political purposes. And his refusal to answer questions at the 1981 sub committee inquiry was cowardly and vindictive.

    39
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    Mute Diarmuid
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:20 PM

    @Tír Eoghain Gael: No.

    I’ll continue to challenge morally bankrupt shinner trolls who support the bombing of innocent men, women and children.

    Men like Cosgrave defeated your vile little terrorist organisation.

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    Mute Larry Doherty
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:08 PM

    @sean o’dhubhghaill: Ah ballo$$$. Get your dates right. The Dublin bombs happened the same week as the collapse of Sunningdale. If anything, that should have allowed him to place the blame where it lay but he still sided with the British and loyalist perpetrators.

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    Mute Larry Doherty
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:11 PM

    @Diarmuid: the difference is that hundreds of IRA people were convicted and did long sentences for bombing. Not so British bombers and terrorists. Scot free they are – aided by traitors like auld Cosgrave.

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    Mute Niall Conneely
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:22 PM

    While appreciating the chaos at the time, he decided not to pursue the loyalists and British agents who killed many Irish citizens in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in 1974. Dissappointing, as the killers are beginning to die off.

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    Mute A. Notherbeer
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:22 PM

    97 years old, that government pension makes old age easy doesn’t it?

    I wonder if we have a bad winter, how many ex-government TD’s and ministers are going to die because they can’t afford electricity, oil or gas bills to heat themselves?

    Paddy Power will give you 6,000,000/1 on that bet

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    Mute Ne
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:41 PM

    @A. Notherbeer: You’re mad at a dead old man for living too long and not being poor.

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    Mute Ossi Fritsche
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:13 PM

    A great man who brought this country t the modern age

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    Mute Austin Rock
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:49 PM

    @Ossi Fritsche: your a gas man.

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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:25 PM

    @Ossi Fritsche: Was his government’s cover up of the murder of 34 people in the Dublin/Monaghan bombings the work of “a great man”?

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    Mute Skinnerbot
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    Oct 5th 2017, 12:47 AM

    @Tír Eoghain Gael: or his treatment of Frank Staggs corpse for that matter

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    Mute Larry Doherty
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:28 PM

    He glorified violence to a meeting of young Fine Gaelers a few years ago who wet themselves with glee when he announced that in his day they took some untried prisoners and shot them stating with pride that there was no more Republican activity after that. An apologist for murder and by todays standards a war criminal – not a statesman or patriot.

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    Mute Deirdre D'Arcy Murphy
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:08 PM

    R.I.P.

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    Mute Tom Joe Ryan
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:23 PM

    Like or loathe, but why such cruelty to his family tonight?

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    Mute Larry Doherty
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:19 PM

    No loss to Ireland. He was a traitor and sided with the British when they were murdering his fellow countrymen in the North. Even tried to cover up that the British bombed Dublin and Monaghan in case it caused people to support the IRA. 40 years on a pension since he was booted out of government. Some waste of public money.

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    Mute Alan Ruane
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:26 PM

    Sad news, may he rest in peace.

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    Mute gary power
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:11 PM

    Rip..

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    Mute Braonain Proinseas
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:06 PM

    He got a good long pension,wonder how much we gave him over all them years.

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    Mute Emer Caffrey
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:53 PM

    He lived out his days quietly in a very meagre house/chalet which was never updated in the Knocklyon community. Whatever his past politics, I wish him peace

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    Mute Larry Doherty
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:17 PM

    @Emer Caffrey: Miserable auld git. Well, it was n’t for a shortage of money. He was on a high pension as an ex-Taoiseach this past 40 years. You would think he could have afforded a tin of paint. They ‘ll not be long spending that for him.

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    Mute Michael Fehily
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:15 PM

    I’m old enough to remember him as Taoiseach. He tried to help the bring NI to a ceasefire and peace agreement. He stood up to the usual loud Unionist opposition. A brave good man .
    His only fault was that he got nowhere with a primitive underdeveloped economy . That makes him a member of a pretty big club of Taoisigh ..

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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:23 PM

    @Michael Fehily: Sounds like you learned of his actions on the north exclusively through a Section 31 media. It probably didn’t report his government covering up the British States murder of 34 innocent people in the Dublin/Monaghan bombings. Or his subsequent refusal to co-operate into the inquiry into the response of his government to the bombings.

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    Mute Larry Doherty
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:24 PM

    @Michael Fehily: Is that why he opposed the IRA ceasefire of 1974-75 and ordered his Special Branch to raid the hotel in Feakle where the Northern Ireland churchmen were meeting Republicans about calling a ceasefire. He told the Brits at the time that he was opposed to any talks. Some peacemaker. May he rot with his father.

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    Mute Michael Fehily
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:30 PM

    @Tír Eoghain Gael: Every govt since has covered up the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.. Also the sackville place bombings ( X2) which killed 3 people in two separate attacks. Also the fire bomb attacks. He stated at one FG ardheis before Sunningdale that “we are too shy to fight them” . He was referring to the unionists.
    RTE and the Irish times and other trendy socialist commentators have decided the 74 bombings didn’t happen. Your friends in Sinn Fein never mention it.

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    Mute John Smith
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:04 PM

    Wow, some hate on here tonight.

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    Mute Thomas Harrington
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:44 PM

    I’m sure he will be missed by family and friends – but based on that YouTube clip alone I’d rather not know any more about him.

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    Mute Dermot Keogh
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:29 PM

    One big fat government pension ends

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:27 PM

    @Dermot Keogh: how much was he getting?

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    Mute William T Smith
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    Oct 5th 2017, 3:04 AM

    @Dermot Lane: too much

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 5th 2017, 7:16 AM

    @William T Smith: so you don’t know either

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    Mute Martina Flynn Fitzgerald
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:33 PM

    97….6 years between himself and heff!
    Wonder what the conversation in the sky will be like?….rip

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    Mute Rory J Leonard
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:46 PM

    @Martina Flynn Fitzgerald:

    The conversation is likely to be brief and to the point, typical of many from the party of law and order.

    “I’m going up, and you’re going down”

    RIP to a great Irishman.

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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    Oct 5th 2017, 12:19 AM

    @Rory J Leonard: What great Irishman would that be? Given that Cosgrave and his government tried to cover up the truth of the murder of 34 people in Dublin/Monaghan, then I assume it’s not him you’re speaking about?

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    Mute Ian James Burgess
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:32 PM

    Who really genuinel cares.?

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    Mute Gus Dennis
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:52 PM

    Nasty little man bereft of talent, in the best blue shirt , fascist tradition of failed boring ,best forgotten Irish “politicians”
    RIP.

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:55 PM

    @Gus Dennis: Go away. Bitter vindictive remarks like that add nothing to debate.

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    Mute Damien Geoghegan
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:36 PM

    Gentleman. May he Rest In Peace. Proudest Irishman in Spain at the moment.

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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    Oct 5th 2017, 12:36 AM

    @Damien Geoghegan: What’s gentlemanly aboit covering up the truth of the murders of 34 civilians in the Dublin/Monaghan bombings? And what’s gentlemanly about refusing to co-operate with an Oireachtas investigation into the handling of the bombing aftermath by his government? What was gentlemanly about his attempt to mislead the population aboit who was responsible for the 34 deaths in the immediate aftermath of the bomb? What was gentlemanly about his decision to order the hijacking of Frank Stagg’s remains during his repatriation to Ireland. and the burial of the remains under 6ft of concrete so as to prevent Stagg being buried where he had requested to be buried?

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    Mute Catherine Mc
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:24 PM

    RIP, a very long life, but every time I heard him speak I was terrified of him, especially when I was younger.

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:27 PM

    @Catherine Mc: I’d say you watched Halls Pictorial Weekly!

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    Mute Catherine Mc
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:32 PM

    @Dermot Lane:
    No I didn’t, he was in the army maybe that explains it !

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    Mute Pat.Frost
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:30 PM

    Always sounded very bitter.In saying that he was also a giant in Irish politics.

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    Mute Larry Doherty
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:31 PM

    @Pat.Frost: He has nt been heard tell of since he was booted out of power by the Irish people in 1977 – 40 years ago. Some giant. Shows the standards you adopt to measure greatness.

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    Mute Father Hody Commody
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    Oct 5th 2017, 6:11 AM

    @Larry Doherty: Same as Kenny, who hasn’t been heard of since being booted out of his position as Taoiseach.

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    Mute Veroníca Maguire
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:16 PM

    R.I.P i remember learning about him in History for my Jc & LC…

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    Mute Keelan O'neill
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    Oct 4th 2017, 9:21 PM

    @Veroníca Maguire: remember anything? No googling.

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    Mute Diarmuid
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    Oct 4th 2017, 10:12 PM

    The cowardly trolls here have a lot to thank this man for.

    A founding father of modern Ireland.

    Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

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    Mute Casper
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:51 PM

    No matter what your politics are he loved ireland and he served his country and now may he rest in peace

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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    Oct 5th 2017, 12:31 AM

    @Casper: Served his country? Wasn’t it his government that covered up the truth of the largest mass killing in the history of the state?

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    Mute Casper
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    Oct 5th 2017, 12:48 AM

    @Tír Eoghain Gael: lots of parties cover up many things that’s the way the world works every one has a monster in the closet that we are not proud of, but the man has gone to his maker now so let him rest in peace, and I stand over what I said although I wouldn’t agree with his politics he served his country and he loved it and that’s what matters

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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    Oct 5th 2017, 9:24 AM

    @Casper: Lol did you read back over your own reply? Seriously? Even agmfter it being spelled out to you that the man covered up the truth of the largest mass murder in the states history, you Firstly attempt to justify it and secondly still see him as having served his country dmthe right way? It’s people like you that keep electing gombeens, bending over to take whatever treatment they dish out to you, then re-electing more gombeens.

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    Mute Casper
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    Oct 5th 2017, 10:07 AM

    @Tír Eoghain Gael: blah blah bla blah blah bla bla lololololololololol

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    Mute Universal Soldier
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    Oct 4th 2017, 11:46 PM

    One of my earliest childhood memories. Used to cycle by his house on Scholarstown Rd as a child and was in awe that he had a Garda minding him. Drove by few months ago and the same old shitty shed was still at the gate with the Garda in it. 42 years later. RIP.

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    Mute Paul Matthews
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    Oct 5th 2017, 12:00 AM

    Met him several times. A true gentleman. May he rest in peace.

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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    Oct 5th 2017, 12:24 AM

    @Paul Matthews: Was he a true gentleman when his government tried to cover up the truth of the Dublin/Monaghan bombings and denied the families of the 34 victims any proper investigation into their murders? Was his refusal to co-operate with an Oireachtas investigation into his government’s handling of the bombing the actions of a “true gentleman?

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    Mute Eamonn O'Riain
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    Oct 5th 2017, 1:15 AM

    Never heard the term ‘mongrel fox’ ’till i heard my Da quoting Cosgrave recently.

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    Mute Brian O Reilly
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    Oct 5th 2017, 2:49 AM

    Ashes to ashes ,dust to dust, lets bury the Finner and get on the bus.

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    Mute Seán Marlow
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    Oct 5th 2017, 9:47 AM

    So nauseating to see all the crap being spewed by the Fascist Gobdaws and their media shills about backward, conservative Cosgrave.

    ‘A courageous voice against terrorism’ says Varadkar. Really? He cowardly caved in to the demands of the Dublin/Monaghan and Miami mass murderers for increased collaboration with British terrorism in Ireland.

    Even told blatant lies about the murder of FG member Seamus Ludlow to attack republicans and cover up Brit terror.

    https://perceptionsofpregnancy.com/2015/03/08/leader-opposed-contraception-legislation/

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    Mute kevin o'reilly
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    Oct 5th 2017, 7:42 PM

    The bloke had 24 hrs garda protection on his property in Knocklyon since retirement. Costing the tax payers an absolute fortune. Don’t want to hear about his political career as a reason for it. Milked the system, like all the other cowboy mates he had

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    Mute Elizabeth Nunan
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    Oct 5th 2017, 8:24 AM

    RIP

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