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In pictures: What are Bertie and Brian doing in the Áras?

The boys/former taoisigh are back in town for a ‘thank you’ reception by President McAleese for her Council of State.

FORMER TAOISIGH BERTIE Ahern and Brian Cowen made a surprise visit to Áras an Uachtaráin today for a ‘thank you’ reception President Mary McAleese held for former members of her Council of State.

Well, it was a surprise for us because we briefly forgot that Ahern and Cowen are both automatically members of the Council of State because they are former taoisigh. All former taoisigh, presidents and chief justices get to sit on the council if they are “able and willing to act”. There is no salary or stipend for sitting on the Council of State, which is an advisory body to the President of Ireland.

Former president Mary Robinson was also at the Áras today for that reason:

Áras reception
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  • Áras reception

    Bertie Ahern with former SDLP leader John Hume stand beside a bust of former President and Taoiseach Eamon De Valera at Aras an Uachtarain.
  • Áras reception

    Bertie Ahern and John Hume
  • Áras reception

    Bertie Ahern and John Hume
  • Áras reception

    Former taoiseach Brian Cowen with President Mary McAleese and her husband Martin today.
  • Áras reception

    Senator Martin McAleese, Brian Cowen and President McAleese
  • Áras reception

    Former taoiseach Albert Reynolds with former minster Liz O'Donnell.
  • Áras reception

    Former president Mary Robinson with President Mary McAleese.
  • Áras reception

    Former minister Mary O'Rourke at Áras an Uachtaráin.

All images by Photocall Ireland

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    Mute Paul O'Sullivan
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    Mar 1st 2020, 12:15 PM

    Turkey has been threatening this for a while… These people want to get to EU countries mostly France and Germany and former EU country the UK, but Europe is not assisting the Turks, it’s only a matter of time again…. and many of these could be ISIS fighters wanting to return home…. They need to be accessed with proper documentation and all finger printed, just like the EU does with African refugess/asylum seekers.

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    Mute Pat Joffre
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    Mar 1st 2020, 1:37 PM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: the EU needs to hold firm against this Turkish blackmail

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    Mute SFAnkleTapper
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    Mar 1st 2020, 4:30 PM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: and where is the database with all the fingerprints of the ISIS fighters?

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    Mute Paul O'Sullivan
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    Mar 1st 2020, 4:41 PM

    @SFAnkleTapper: there is none…. Asylum seekers only have to give their fingerprints at the point of application for Asylum. Many of the ISiS fighters will be returning to their home countries UK /Belgium /France men of Arab origin who destroyed their documentation who will be moonlighting as Syrian refugees. Hence my point a record needs to be kept of these individuals.
    If they are genuine they have nothing to hide. The fingerprinting is to keep a record of any future incidents.

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    Mute SFAnkleTapper
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    Mar 1st 2020, 6:40 PM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: so no prevention.

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    Mute Paul O'Sullivan
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    Mar 1st 2020, 8:33 PM

    @SFAnkleTapper: I agree a disaster isn’t it.

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    Mute Raven
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    Mar 1st 2020, 12:21 PM

    Turkey is chomping at the bit for a land grab & war with Syria, The SAA are battle hardened and have the support of Russia, Erdogan will get his ass handed to him along with his aspirations for Turkish conquest.
    Greece should take no more refugees with militants in the mix. The Greeks of Lesbos and Chios have made it clear they will take no more.

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    Mute Paul O'Sullivan
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    Mar 1st 2020, 12:37 PM

    @Raven: That’s all well and good, but if the Turks are brought into a War it could lead to them at war with Iran, that will result in an attack on the toxic state of Israel. That will bring in the US and Nato…

    Turkey has been asking for assistance with this a long time. The refugess dont want to be in Turkey they want to be in the EU. That’s the problem..

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    Mute Bobby wilson
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    Mar 1st 2020, 1:23 PM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: has its stands. Very large amounts of refugees /migrants from the middle east who are mostly Muslims have landed on Europe’s shores and have gain entry into Europe mainland . There is many issues with integration with the local populations,these people would be arriving from strict Islamic society’s.they would have sever problems with western cultures and liberal values. could these people not be relocated to mostly Moslem countries where their culture and religious values would be respected and inforced

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    Mute Raven
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    Mar 1st 2020, 1:51 PM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: Sure, They have been asking for help, but what is the reply from Saudi, The Emirates etc? This is causing social issues within Europe, but you won’t hear about parallel societies, non integration, crime stats via MSM.

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    Mute Paul O'Sullivan
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    Mar 1st 2020, 1:57 PM

    @Raven: oh I agree with you Arab nations have never really looked after struggling Arabs..Saudi Arabia is one of the most despicable countries on the planet, if they had no oil they would have nothing…

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    Mute Paul O'Sullivan
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    Mar 1st 2020, 1:58 PM

    @Bobby wilson: Agree with you totally, but Europe may need to provide something to keep them out….

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    Mute Dermot Foley
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    Mar 1st 2020, 2:08 PM

    @Bobby wilson: think it’s mainly you that doesn’t respect *muslim values. Why does a religion need to be *enforced on anyone? If you’re not Muslim then what does it matter to you?
    Standard rhetoric from you eh lad.

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    Mute Mad Worldman
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    Mar 1st 2020, 2:18 PM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: You say the refugees want to be in the EU, but where they really want to be is at home in the communities they grew up in and live in. Tens of thousands of ordinary people are being murdered and used as pawns by the Turkish regime and others to further their objectives in the region.

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    Mute David Jordan
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    Mar 1st 2020, 2:28 PM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: “if the Turks are brought into a War”

    Turkey is at war with Syria.

    In the past 2 weeks the Turks have destroyed 5% of Syria’s armour, kiled 100s of Syrian government troops, and today they shot down two Syrian jets and destryed several air defence systems.

    Here’s is video footage of Turkish troops firing an anti-aircraft missile from a rooftop, shooting down a Syrian government helicopter 2 weeks ago (could so easily have been Russian), with Al Qeada aillied fighters cheering in the foreground (loud warning):

    https://twitter.com/Adnan_Alhusen/status/1227857701604069376

    Turkey released 10 minutes of footage of them blowing up Syrian army tanks and troops with drones, recorded over the last 2 weeks in Idlib:

    https://www.pscp.tv/w/1djGXQmQzwzJZ

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    Mute Bobby wilson
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    Mar 1st 2020, 2:34 PM

    @Dermot Foley: so how do you preposed for myself and the Irish people on the island of IRELAND and main land Europe respect our new Muslims populations as refugees /migrants into their towns and cities. like in some parts of Britain where sharia laws are recognized by courts of lands like in their own home lands ..etc …as someone who live and work in a Islamic society over a period time it is completely different way of life if your not a Muslim and saying it very mildly

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    Mute Bobby wilson
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    Mar 1st 2020, 2:59 PM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: why does the Irish people and Europe have to offer them anything ! Why not the world how many refugees arrived in Japan which is one of the richest countries in the world….what’s happening in the middle east is very complex is centre around religion its bother fighting brother…

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    Mute Raven
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    Mar 1st 2020, 4:17 PM

    @David Jordan:
    So Turkey being a member of NATO would mean NATO are at war with Syria.

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    Mute Raven
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    Mar 1st 2020, 4:23 PM

    @Dermot Foley:
    Some rhetoric there at the Greek border, wouldn’t you agree.
    https ://twitter.com/BasedPoland/status/1234038726952673281?s=20

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    Mute David Jordan
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    Mar 1st 2020, 5:35 PM

    @Raven: * So Turkey being a member of NATO would mean NATO are fighting with al Qaeda.

    Here’s Turkish fighter jets sky writing over a Turkish base in Syria…

    https://i.redd.it/7hvk349vg3k41.jpg

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    Mute Simon McGunner
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    Mar 1st 2020, 5:59 PM

    @Bobby wilson: you want sharia law recognised like parts of the UK!?!?

    YOU go and live there and take anyone else who wants to be in that toxic cult with you please

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    Mute Bobby wilson
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    Mar 1st 2020, 6:30 PM

    @Simon McGunner: definitely not! But their are people out their from liberal west who are proposing that we must look into ways to accommodate Muslim refugees /migrants into the host cummunites. in ways that make their religious practices are valued and respected in equal to western values.

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    Mute Raven
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    Mar 1st 2020, 9:26 PM

    @David Jordan:
    I have a link here to a video from yesterday where Turkish military personnel are beating and torturing captured Syrian military personnel, cannot is as it will be deleted by the mods. Not s love heart in sight. Turkey have no business having bases in Syria.
    They need to get out, maybe the Russian Navy vessels en route will help them along.

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    Mute Simon McGunner
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    Mar 2nd 2020, 1:44 AM

    @Bobby wilson: We saw your comments on the balgaddy lucan mosque. your obviously some Islamic crusader. That cult is responsible for FGM and a lot of other sick activities. Look at Rotherham in the UK all those children molested and not protected by the law. We just got he Catholic church under control we don’t need this cult in the West.

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    Mute Bobby wilson
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    Mar 2nd 2020, 7:08 AM

    @Simon McGunner: I am trying to point out what happens when you have large scale Islamic immigration on to island of Ireland and main land Europe too and the world for that matter, to the local non Islamic populations and how relationships break down between the cultures .because of the strict religious Islamic believes come up against thec non Islamic believes ..that I believe Islamic populations should be relocate themselves to majority countries where their believes and culture is respected and enforced by the state.

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    Mute SFAnkleTapper
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    Mar 1st 2020, 4:31 PM

    If people have made it to Turkey they were refugees and are now in a safe country. If they are now looking to come to an EU country then they are migrants.

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    Mute Raven
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    Mar 1st 2020, 4:34 PM

    @SFAnkleTapper:
    *Economic migrants, and if they are storming the Greek border, which thousands have, then they’re called illegal immigrants.

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    Mute SFAnkleTapper
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    Mar 1st 2020, 6:40 PM

    @Raven: correct.

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    Mute Raven
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    Mar 1st 2020, 9:43 PM

    @SFAnkleTapper: Looks like the Greeks have had enough, Greek military personnel and hardware are en route to the borders/. transit points with Turkey, Lesbos locals have burned down the UN migrant centers so no more can be received and today with Erdogans announced threat that he’d release refugees to Greece, Soros NGOs of German origin showed up on Lesbos only to be ran off and told to leave by the local Greeks. More blood and misery that originated with Merkel.

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    Mute Colm Molloy
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    Mar 2nd 2020, 6:22 AM

    The problem is the war.
    The solution is not to just put these people into Europe.They are not entitled automatic entry to Europe, like anyone else.The Greeks need help from EU to keep their borders and people and way of life as they see fit.
    What is the response of oil rich middle Eastern countries to this crisis? There are camps suitable for housing millions in Saudi Arabia for example.
    Can EU not help build camps in Turkey and when the war is over most people would go home no ?
    Yes Turkey may need some help with this refugee side of the war they are in , like the €6 billion from the EU which is probably now spent.
    They are seeking aid and at war.
    They do deal very generously with millions of refugees from Syria and do need help.

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