Sir Bob and the f***ing martyrs

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Some time back there was a fashionable notion called the Tipping Point. In the old days we’d have called it the straw that broke the camel’s back. Well, I’ve reached that point with Sir Bob Geldof. I know he’s done huge things in terms of getting the pop world – and the world – to fork out and support the millions who are starving. And  ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’ is one of my favourite pop songs. But the Tipping Point with Sir B has been reached since about two minutes ago, when I read an online interview with him in which he outlines his thoughts on the Easter Rising.

You’ve probably read it already but in case you haven’t, here’s what he says about the leaders of the Rising.

“You dignify it by saying it was martyrdom. If it’s grievous mortal sin to commit suicide, why is it a less sin to hurl yourself upon a willing bayonet? Why is that a (sic) martyrdom? So much rests on this myth. How many murders have been sanctioned in its name? Fuck off!”

Bob then goes on to say the real hero of the struggle for independence was W B Yeats (Bob has a BBC 4 programme about Yeats coming up), because Yeats’s words fostered the dream of a free Ireland.

Where do I start? I’m sorely tempted to start with the last two words of Sir B’s quoted passage and suggesting that he himself fuck off. But I won’t. I’ll try to look at some of what he says.

 

  1. He clearly is living in a world of 1950s Catholicism: ‘If it’s a grievous mortal sin to commit suicide…” I’ve known several instances of young and not so young people from a Catholic background who’ve taken their own lives, and not once have I ever heard anything but sympathy and sorrow from the priest who officiated at the funeral and anyone who heard of the sad event. That stuff about ‘grievous mortal sin’ and suicide was consigned to the theological dustbin at least forty years ago, Sir B, and thank God it was.
  2. So the leaders of the Rising knew that the British would react with their customary ruthlessness – and now you are telling us that the signatories are to blame because they stood in front of the guns which killed them, Sir B? I’ve heard of blaming the victim but this takes that strategy to a new low.
  3. As an authority on Yeats, Sir B (well you’re presenting a TV programme on him so you must be an authority),  you’ll  know that Yeats fretted about his role in the Rising: “Did that play of mine send out/Certain men the English shot?” While a fine poet, Yeats had an inflated idea of the influence of his poetry. He clearly hadn’t considered the possibility that the Rising would have happened if he’d never put pen to paper. It’s called having a big ego. You’re probably not a total stranger to that yourself, Sir B.

Maybe when you’re done with Yeats, you’d consider doing a programme on  another great Irish writer, George Bernard Shaw. The Grand Old Man had a shrewd take on Irishmen in England which you might benefit from pondering:

“When a thoroughly worthless Irishman comes to England, and finds the whole place full of romantic duffers…who will let him loaf and drink and sponge and brag as long as he flatters your [the Englishman’s] sense of moral superiority by playing the fool and degrading himself and his country, he soon learns the antics that take you [ the English]  in”.

If the cap fits, Sir B, if the cap fits.

 

 

67 Responses to Sir Bob and the f***ing martyrs

  1. jessica April 3, 2016 at 3:38 pm #

    Well, what should we expect from someone who sees the British empire as the English sharing their greatness with the world.

    • Ryan April 3, 2016 at 6:27 pm #

      The Nazis and Soviets were only trying to share their greatness too….

      • Vincent Doherty April 3, 2016 at 11:45 pm #

        Boo hoo. My Empire’s better than yours.

  2. Francis April 3, 2016 at 3:49 pm #

    Sir Bob, and his many, many chums in the Establishment, are living in a bubble. His admiration of Thatcher, despite the fact she refused to bury even a portion of the interest on the Debts strangling Third World economies, shows the mettle of this Lickspittle. As a knight of the Realm, the only befitting response to his Revisionism, should be one of silence. Politically irrelevant, and pointedly arrogant in his inane outbursts, no self respecting Irishman or Woman should pay him heed. When he bowed his head, before arising Sir Bob, he forfeited the right to be taken seriously as a commentator on things Irish concerning his beloved Empire.

    • Sharon April 4, 2016 at 3:55 pm #

      Francis. Totally agree with you.

  3. Barry Doherty April 3, 2016 at 3:53 pm #

    He’s so so so much worse than Bono…..

    • Ryan April 3, 2016 at 6:22 pm #

      Not when it comes to dodging tax…..

  4. Wolfe tone April 3, 2016 at 3:58 pm #

    Me thinks you give fraud Geldof too much credit for world poverty and all that baloney. This clown made a personal fortune from that enterprise; he certainly wasn’t wealthy before that. He also introduced a way for thatcher govt and other western countries to absolve themselves of moral responsibility into helping the needy, and instead lumping responsibility onto the common public. A master stroke that freed up for tax payers funds to spend on other more worthy things such as nuclear proliferation.
    Added to that he gave others the idea to set up other charities in which the patrons made a nice little wage for themselves.
    If he was a genuine commoner concerned for other commoners he’d be highlighting the corruption and obscenity that is the Royal cabal. Alas the truth is he is merely another useful idiot entrusted with keeping the exploiter in control. Ruling by fooling.

  5. Pàdraig O'Choirbinn April 3, 2016 at 4:49 pm #

    Well Sir Bob did doff the cap, touch the forelock and go on bended knees to receive his knighthood….did he not.????

    • John Joe walsh April 5, 2016 at 12:03 am #

      So did Jimmy Saville, Cliff Richard, Could go on. If all Starving Children got their dues, One song Bob would be a nobody

  6. Joe McIvor April 3, 2016 at 5:31 pm #

    Nothing surprising from another southern irishman turned honary brit. Funny he should use the suicide/mortal sin in his rant,seem to remember the catholic church was one of the reasons he left and hates the country of his birth so much. Sure last time he was mouthing of was against Scottish independence in their referendum vote. Then to hear this morning about the unveiling of the 1916 monument in glasnevin cemetery to all those who died including British soldiers, makes you wonder what they died for?

    Point of interest, watched the portillo prog about the rising from the British viewpoint on BBC4, it was also shown on RTE, saw the trailer, he mentioned war crimes were committed that day, not in the BBC version obviously edited out for British viewers.

  7. jessica April 3, 2016 at 5:40 pm #

    I heard an interview with him on RTE not too far back, I think it was with Ray Darcy who suggested he might well be the President of Ireland one day.

    From what I have seen this year, I think he would make a fitting President for that southern state that calls itself Ireland.

    • Chucky R Law April 4, 2016 at 11:48 am #

      Ahhh, Jessica, i see you are here too.

      Aren’t all the descendants from the planters of all mostly from Scotland and the Low-Lands?

      To paraphrase a chant from a now defunct Glasgow football club,

      “Isn’t it time you all went home”

      • jessica April 4, 2016 at 5:05 pm #

        “Aren’t all the descendants from the planters of all mostly from Scotland and the Low-Lands?
        To paraphrase a chant from a now defunct Glasgow football club,
        “Isn’t it time you all went home”

        Well Chucky, I wouldn’t like the same to be said about the Irish in England and elsewhere in the world of which there are quite a few.

        To me they are now as Irish as anyone else on this island and moreso than quite a few.

        • Chucky R Law April 5, 2016 at 12:01 am #

          Have the Irish suddenly taken a large swathe of Cumbria and are claiming it as the fifth province of the Emerald Isle?

          Like i said dear, perhaps it’s time you all went back home to Scotland and the Low-Lands. I’m sure the Irish will manage just as well, if not better without you all.

          And as a bonus, you’ll be nearer to that German Queen you are all so fond of.

          So it’s a win – win situation. We win / you win. And you don’t lose face either.

          Slán abhaile a stórín.

          • jessica April 5, 2016 at 8:22 am #

            Well chucky, my roots go back to county Clare, but later via Donegal, then Down and now Armagh so as far as I am concerned, I am Ulster first and have no real connection to Scotland or Britain though I consider those who do no less Irish.

            Ulster was the fiercest part of Ireland which is what the plantation was about in the first place. Those that came to live amongst us are now equally Irish.

            In terms of telling the people of Ulster to leave Ireland, all I can say to you, why not come and make us?

            Its not like its the first time we have had to fight for Ireland

          • Chucky R Law April 5, 2016 at 11:16 am #

            Gasúr do chuid Chros Mhic Leannain atá ionamsa a stóirín.

            So now you are pontificating the history of Ulster to a man from Crossmaglen.

            I have come across you ilk and your type of revisionism before dear.

            Chased from Clare to Donegal and then to the santuary of Portadown.

            I’ve been, only briefly though.

            Chin up, your shilling on here is mediocre, at best.

            “In terms of telling the people of Ulster to leave Ireland, all I can say to you, why not come and make us?”

            Indeed.

          • jessica April 5, 2016 at 11:57 am #

            So what’s your story Chucky?

            Originally from Crossmaglen, you now want the people of Ulster to leave Ireland to the Irish???

            Chucky R Sole more like.

          • Chucky R Law April 5, 2016 at 8:07 pm #

            Quality riposte.

            Chucky R Sole.

            Do you write professionally?

          • jessica April 5, 2016 at 9:36 pm #

            No chucky, I write simply because unlike the majority of people on this island, for that is all that it is, an island, I struggle to accept that the nation that I would happily give my life for is not what it should be.

            I simply cannot accept that this nation is nothing more than a society of individuals only interested in their pockets.

            The passion has gone out of Ireland and for the first time in my life, I don’t believe we can blame it on the English.

  8. Iolar April 3, 2016 at 6:04 pm #

    Today’s RTÉ 1 History presentation provided a number of shrewd assessments of the events of 1916. Journalists in the USA have described contributions by RDE as “malevolent” and Sir Bob’s as “ahistorical”. The presenters managed to ground the historical context of 1916 without resorting to expletives.

    • Caomhan April 3, 2016 at 9:24 pm #

      Hi, which Rte1 progs? Am interested in seeing them

      • Iolar April 4, 2016 at 8:04 am #

        RTÉ Radio 1

        6.00 pm 3.4.2016

  9. Ryan April 3, 2016 at 6:21 pm #

    I never really had much time for Sir Bob and I can honestly say I’ve never listened to any of his music, its long before my time.

    Would Sir Bob be remembered if it wasn’t for all his “charity work”. I doubt it very much, as I said I never listened to any of his music and the only song I do know that he sung was “I don’t like Mondays”, which has a catchy tune but isn’t anything brilliant. I think Musical geniuses like Freddie Mercury, Elton John, John Lennon (a PIRA supporter, but shhhhh! don’t tell Bob!) and even classical geniuses like Mozart, Beethoven, etc could fart out better tunes than Bob could sing them. Of course I’m sure Bob is a decent musician, I’m not bashing the man but as I said he’s not really remembered for his music, its all about his “charity work”.

    Lets talk about Bobs charity work, along with Bono’s as well. Bob is a multimillionaire and has been for a very long time. He hasn’t only made millions from his music but he’s also a very astute businessman and has made many wise investments.

    Bono, on the other hand, is not a millionaire, hes a BILLIONAIRE. Bono has been much more successful in music than Bob, I know many of Bono’s songs and he’s a very good musician. These days hes particularly popular amongst many young people in North America, that’s where the bulk of his wealth comes from, I suspect.

    Now both these men have made careers, massive careers in fact, of telling other people that are poorer than them to give their money away. Think about that for a few seconds. Stop reading my comment and actually pause and think about that. That’s right, put on your frowning face but then replace it with a thoughtful one:

    Here is a multimillionaire (Bob) and a BILLIONAIRE (Bono) telling other people, people who are wildly less wealthier than them to give their hard earned money away to people in Africa…..there’s just something not right there…..

    Of course, there have been numerous allegations of Bono not paying proper tax too. Bono, after all, needs to save his money for apartments, like the one he bought off the late Apple founder Steve Jobs for 14 million dollars. How many children would that have fed Bono, eh? How many mosquito nets? How many life changing operations? How many millions of litres of clean water?…..Its almost as hypocritical as political Unionism……almost…..

    ——————————————————————————————————–

    The likes of Bob, Ruth Dudley Edwards and many others are this tag team of English stationed “Irish” people who have an agenda against Irish Republicanism, whether it was in 1916 or 2016. They harbour a very Pro-British attitude, despite the inaccuracies, the hypocrisy and immorality of that attitude.

    Now I was reading a while back about a southerner called “Conor Cruise O’Brien”. Now I know little about this individual but he was a devout anti-Republican and extremely Pro-British/Unionist. The article I was reading stated that him and others like him (Ruth Dudley Edwards was mentioned) were involved in Northern politics in order to help Unionism because “Unionism is hopeless when it comes to PR”. Indeed Ruth Dudley Edwards often says the Orange Order and political Unionism doesn’t know how to conduct good PR. She says this like a mother would speak of a beloved, helpless child, not in a scornful way.

    Is Sir Bob now in on the act? We seen Sir Bob even coming out during the Scottish Independence referendum and urging Scots to stay in the Union. This is despite Sir Bob once saying “Remember, If any musician ever gives a political speech then he’s talking crap”. Oh I remember Sir Bob, I remember, so by your own admission, you are talking crap too and you have your own agenda.

    —————————————————————————————————–

    Sir Bob said that “suicide is wrong” in reference to the 1916 Leaders, even though they didn’t commit suicide. This is Sir Bob being deliberately insulting and besmirching these heroes. (May I also tell Sir Bob that taking drugs is wrong too, those eyes of yours tells many a story). By Sir Bob’s logic then the men at the Battle of the Somme committed suicide. When you knowingly run into a hail of German machine gun fire you do tend to have body parts blown off and you do tend to die. Indeed many men who fought in WW1 knew they were going to die, some even wrote about it in their diaries. If they didn’t “go over the top” then they were shot for cowardice by their own officers. So by Sir Bobs own logic that was suicide. The men of 1916 who were executed didn’t run towards British bullets, they didn’t put a gun to their own heads, they were sentenced to death, they were put before a firing squad. So in many ways its a fairer argument to say the men at the Battle of the Somme committed suicide than the Leaders of 1916.

    I wonder what Sir Bob thinks of the history of the British Empire? Which he willingly accepted that are honours from that same Empire. The British Empire cost the lives of maybe hundreds of millions of people throughout its existence. It ran a slave trade, the proceeds of which built the foundations of the wealth the City of London enjoys today. The very Jewells in the crown worn by the woman Sir Bob bowed to, kneeled to, was stolen from Africa and India. Indeed very recently many Indians called for those Jewells to be returned.

    The great irony is Sir Bob’s charity work focuses mainly in Africa but yet Africa was massacred by the British Empire, its people enslaved, its resources stolen, its land colonized, its people raped and murdered by that same British Empire. But that doesn’t stop Sir Bob accepting honours….instead he’s too busy trying to blacken the enemies of the British Empire who fought for freedom, democracy and righteousness.

    In many ways Sir Bob really should just fuck off….and take Bono with you.

    • Brian April 4, 2016 at 12:24 am #

      Brilliantly accurate and representative of a LOT of Irish peoples view of this twat.

      • Anne Kelly June 11, 2016 at 8:29 pm #

        Bob Geldof makes my skin crawl. He is an a***licking, false man. He is a yes man whilst pretending that he care about the issues he so boringly pronounces on. Yuk! Go take a long walk in a deep bog ya prick.

    • john dalton April 4, 2016 at 10:24 am #

      a truly articulate and enlightened mind that wrote those words. pity about the last sentence. they were not necessary. however, Irelands contribution to the worlds literary library are in good hands with this reply to the post by RYAN and if written by anybody but an irish person would be seen as an inspiring well thought out summary of any of the big empire builders both past and present. we as a nation must accept and not scorn the very notion of somebody(bob) who dares to speak his mind in public. be he right or wrong he is entitled to his opinion.long may we cherish the ideals that the people that partook in the risings against an empire ,because they too were running against a tide In their endeavours to give voice to an aspiration to nationhood.

  10. RJC April 3, 2016 at 6:40 pm #

    I think most of Ireland are with you on that one, Dr Collins.

    Let the record also show that Sir Bob of Blackrock once charged $100,000 to give a talk on world poverty.

    http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/for-geldofs-poverty-talk/story-e6freo8c-1111118043626

    And it never does any harm to remind people about Spin Magazine’s 1986 Live Aid exposé

    http://www.spin.com/featured/live-aid-the-terrible-truth-ethiopia-bob-geldof-feature/

    Bob Geldof is an awful, awful man.

  11. MT April 3, 2016 at 6:46 pm #

    Irish nationalists don’t seem to like fellow Irish people who don’t conform to traditional Irish nationalist views. In fact, they seem to hate them.

    • TheHist April 3, 2016 at 9:14 pm #

      Bit of a generalisation and exaggeration there, MT – “Irish Nationalists” and “Irish people” – a difference of opinion doesn’t necessarily mean one hates the other person … Obviously, Irish Nationalists, like those who have other ideological beliefs, are entitled to their opinion, would you agree?

      • MT April 4, 2016 at 8:50 am #

        “Bit of a generalisation and exaggeration there, MT – “Irish Nationalists” and “Irish people” – a difference of opinion doesn’t necessarily mean one hates the other person …”

        Of course not, but the language used against Geldof and other Irish people who don’t toe the nationalist line here and elsewhere seems to me to indicate something approaching hatred.

        “Obviously, Irish Nationalists, like those who have other ideological beliefs, are entitled to their opinion, would you agree?”

        Why would I not agree? The point is about others’ opinions, which don’t seem to be tolerated by many nationalists.

    • RJC April 3, 2016 at 10:19 pm #

      Starting to wonder if you ever actually read the stuff you comment on tbh

    • Vincent Doherty April 3, 2016 at 11:47 pm #

      I think lrish people are no different from other people. What they hate is ill informed buffoons like Geldof talking out of their arse.

      • MT April 4, 2016 at 8:45 am #

        About what is he ill informed?

      • Anne Kelly June 11, 2016 at 8:32 pm #

        Here here Vincent. It is the way this man presents himself that screams false false false. He is feathering his nest with words that are contrived to please the people he wants to impress…..the people he is also fooling. YUK again. I can’t stand the man or should I say mouse.

  12. Belfastdan April 3, 2016 at 7:52 pm #

    By the way has anyone asked Bob how many migrants he has living in his houses that he so generously offered for their use? At the last count I think it was zero,
    The man is nothing but a self regarding windbag.

  13. Rebecca Stuart April 3, 2016 at 8:07 pm #

    Sir Bob’s head is so far up his own arse he’s talking shite!! That’s all that needs to be said on this matter!!!

  14. Pointis April 3, 2016 at 8:24 pm #

    Bob Geldof may be a has-been but he still belongs to the British Celebrity culture/ scene and as such he probably shares something in common with most of them – Narcism . With a narcacist the narrative is always the same, it is always about the narcacist and how they can focus attention on themselves.

    The story is not about the brave heroes of 1916 it is about Bob and his opinions and how important they are and how important he is. If you read up on narcacists, all the expert advice is to avoid them.

    Bob Geldoff’s opinion should hold the same credability as someone like Katie Hopkins, jeremy Clarkson or White Dee from Benefits street. From my own perspective the man is so far up his own ivory tower that he defies credibility. This man has shown his allegiance to the British monarchy so we should expect no quarter to be shown by a British monarchist to the heroes of the Republican revolution.

    The best thing you can do to take the wind out of a narcacists sails is to ignore them!

  15. giordanobruno April 3, 2016 at 8:27 pm #

    The idea of martyrdom is a dangerous one and that seems to be what Geldof is getting at.
    The leaders, at least, of the rising were ready to die to inspire a greater rising and their certainty of rightness (“Ireland through us…”) is no different from the fanaticism that drives a suicide bomber.
    I don’t know that they were suicidal but it was surely a mortal sin at that time so I am not sure why Jude is talking about ’50s Catholicism’,
    People so sure of their cause they are prepared to take the lives of innocents as well as give up their own, ought to be viewed with scepticism at the least

    • jessica April 3, 2016 at 9:11 pm #

      The fanaticism that drives a suicide bomber usually comes from state led oppression against a people you have a strong affinity with.

      And yes, the decision to take up arms is being prepared to take lives, or kill, or murder which ever you choose to call it.

      It was the British that targeted and took the lives of the vast majority of the innocents however.

      You always seem to leave out the wrong doings of the British gio.

      Why is that I wonder?

      • giordanobruno April 4, 2016 at 10:09 am #

        jessica
        The topic is Geldof’s view on the rising. That is what I commented on.
        If Jude ever puts up a blog defending the British Army (unlikely i know) I will be sure to point out their many wrongdoings, though there will always be plenty of others on this site to make that case.
        State led oppression is not in my view a justification for taking innocent life.

        • jessica April 4, 2016 at 10:46 am #

          “If Jude ever puts up a blog defending the British Army (unlikely i know) I will be sure to point out their many wrongdoings”

          gio, you just have defended the British Army and ignored the innocent lives that they took.

          That to me says as much about you as it does about Geldof.

          • giordanobruno April 4, 2016 at 11:05 am #

            jessica
            “gio, you just have defended the British Army”
            Sop making stuff up.

          • Jude Collins April 4, 2016 at 12:57 pm #

            That’s not a sop, gio – that’s a command.

          • giordanobruno April 4, 2016 at 4:05 pm #

            Jude
            Very droll.
            In all my years commenting here I can confidently say that is my first smelling mistake!

    • Mick Fealty April 4, 2016 at 7:58 am #

      Spot on. I find Bob pushy (that may be too weak a term) and far too prone to cutting corners. The suicide thing is wrong, but on the Martyr thing he’s dead on. Ruth DE nails it when she says that the fulfilment of Pearse’s ambition was to become a ghost.

      That’s an ambition we should both respect and be beware of in equal measures. As Yeats himself put it…

      “And what if excess of love/Bewildered them till they died?”

      With regard to Ireland (in its broadest sense) that’s a question we could do with asking ourselves on an ongoing basis, especially because in the 100 years since the Rising Ireland has been independent and increasingly flourishing.

      Dying for Ireland is over rated. Perhaps more of us should try living for it instead…?

      • fiosrach April 4, 2016 at 10:36 am #

        Says the man whose fealty is to Britain. He opines that the martyrdom thing was spot on and who does he quote as back up? The Edwards woman! Pearse and his comrades had an escape route planned northwards to Meath. So much for suicide. And Ireland has not been independent for 100 years. Indeed the 26 counties has not either.

        • giordanobruno April 4, 2016 at 5:44 pm #

          fiosrach
          That is just manplaying followed by woman playing.
          Then you seem to miss that Mick dismissed the suicide theory too, thus you are agreeing with him on that point.
          Finally you say the 26 counties is not independent but you do not back it up.
          Are you saying the rising was futile then if it failed to bring about independence either north or south?

      • Martin Gillen June 16, 2016 at 8:28 am #

        jude ,how do you feel about singing from the same hym sheet as sir bob?

        • Jude Collins June 16, 2016 at 8:41 am #

          Somewhat ill, I confess. But then it’s the same one as him or the same one as Boris, Gove, Nigel….Arrggghhhh

          • Donal Kennedy June 16, 2016 at 10:02 am #

            With Spivs like Farage and Geldof duelling on the Thames you’d want a rising tide sinking both boats – or a Duck Shooting Party with Punt Guns.

    • Wolfe tone April 4, 2016 at 12:01 pm #

      ‘The leaders, at least, of the rising were ready to die to aspire a greater rising’

      Nobody truly knows that the leaders of the rising wanted to die when they set out that fateful week. Although i am quite sure if their actions had achieved an independent republic they would have liked to be around to witness it and enjoy it. What we do know is that the leaders were willing to die for a just and honourable cause. There’s nothing strange about that. What is unique is that the leaders led from the front and took the hit if you like for others under their command. Now that’s admirable. They showed every and any person who cares to see that if people are rallying you to fight for a cause/war then at the very least those who are doing the rallying should be at the front. It’s no wonder the great and the good want to demonise their actions, otherwise the great and the good will struggle to get anyone to fight for them in pointless wars.
      Btw as I have said nobody knows for sure what the leaders truly wanted, other than independence, when they initiated the rising. They had hoped I am sure that in spite of the countermand issued by Mac Neill that others around the country would’ve took the hint and got the work just like their comrades in Dublin. If that had happened who knows what the end up would’ve been? Would British forces have been stretched some much so that the leaders may have made their escape from Dublin for example. We will never know because the British killed them. And don’t anyone be fooled that the British made a error killing them as it ‘made martyrs’ out of them. The British don’t do silly killings; there always have a reason. And they were long in the tooth to know that martyrs they would be when they killed them. Did the great and the good need them to die because they knew they wouldn’t go away? Clarke was an example to them. 15 years hard labour and he’s still back for more. Now there’s a true selfless leader. So the Brits knew that these leaders were never going to give up and thus they were murdered to nip their aims in the bud.
      It truly is strange that young people are still being indoctrinated to admire ‘those who gave their lives’ for small nations(no sniggering) at cenotaphs every year. The liars who state that these cenotaphs are not trying to honour British colonialism but rather honour the poor plebs who died should be ashamed of themselves. Their lies ensure more eejits will be threw into wars to die. If they were genuinely there to remember the craters who perished then they would object to greedy Betty Windsor and her vile spouse from drooling all over them every year. The fact that they are given centre stage, subliminally at the very least, suggests the poor sods died for them and their ilk.
      If winston Churchill had serve 15 yrs hard labour and was willing to lead from the front thereafter and risk his life for the same cause then I would sit up and take notice of him. Alas our youth are taught the opposite lmao!

  16. Martin Stark April 3, 2016 at 9:56 pm #

    For an intelligent man like “sir” Bob to use the phrase “f***ing martyrs” is beyond me, but that’s keeping up his image somehow?
    I’m trying to read between the lines and I “think” what he meant was that they knew on the Sunday that the Rising was hopeless but they went ahead on the Monday regardless, so yes if they knew they would possibly, or even certainly die for the cause, it WAS suicidal.
    Just my humble opinion.

  17. Donal Kennedy April 3, 2016 at 10:29 pm #

    Let’s suppose that violence and homicide are evil.
    ,
    The peoples of the United Kingdom and its colonies, of France and its Colonies, of the
    Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires did not vote for a World War They were
    plunged into it by their political masters. A month to the day after the murder of the heir to
    the thrones of Austria and Hungary, British Forces shot dead unarmed civilians on Bachelors
    Walk in Dublin. Nine days later the UK went to war as allies of the murderers of Franz Ferdinand. IRELAND was plunged into a war with powers which had never harmed or even
    insulted Ireland and had no intention of so doing.
    Grinding poverty drove and dishonest propaganda goaded Irishmen in offering them as
    cannon-fodder, and greed inspired Irish capitalists to seek and get contracts to supply
    munitions to kill Grermans, Austrians and Turks.
    By April 1916 millions had died.
    The Easter Insurgents reckoned that their insurgency was the lesser of two Evils.
    “t’Was better to die neath an Irish sky
    than at Suvla or at Sud El Bar.”

    The blood spilt in Easter Week, the ‘Tan War, Civil War and later Republican campaigns combined,though not negligible, was but a small drop compared even with the Irish blood lost in the Great War, and an almost invisible one compared with all the blood spilt in that war. In 1914 the UK launched a war whose violent repercussians ate still with us. Irish Troops serving with the UN patrol the Golan Heights to help mitigate the fruit of British and
    French warmongering in the Great War. And the British and French are up to no good in the region to this day.

  18. Perkin Warbeck April 4, 2016 at 8:38 am #

    More and more, and even exponentially, Esteemed Blogmeister, Sir Bob is becoming to resemble a cliché in general, and a cinematic cliché in particular.

    Yes, but which one?

    It took one a sleepless night of the restless toss and turn type to figure out just which which one it was. And it was not till 4 -4-16 dawned this very morning that the number finally dropped and added up: 279.

    That would be cinematic cliché number 279. As follows:

    -Whenever a strange extra-terrestrial object or creature lands in a remote community, members of the community will go for help, but leave the most expendable member of the group to look after the object/ creature, who will then be killed in a gruesome manner.

    In this particular instance for ‘remote community’ read: RTE.

    For ‘most expendable member of the group of the group’ read Dame Dosh Finucane.

    And for the ‘gruesome manner in which she was killed’ please read ‘with kindness’.

  19. Freddie mallins April 4, 2016 at 12:30 pm #

    What about the charge of the light brigade. They rode to certain death. I’ve never seen them described as being suicidal, only brave.

    • Jude Collins April 4, 2016 at 12:52 pm #

      Ah now Freddie – what about the good Alfred Lord Tennyson’s follow-up poem “The Charge of the Suicidal Fanatics”?

  20. Jim Neeson April 4, 2016 at 1:26 pm #

    I find it hard to believe but Geldof is a bigger bastard than Bono Now thats hard to do

  21. Kenny Dalzell April 4, 2016 at 10:41 pm #

    When a thoroughly worthless Irishman goes to England!

  22. jessica April 5, 2016 at 5:59 am #

    You do realise that the views expressed by Sir Bob, are no different than those expressed by many on this site, or the views portrayed officially by the southern state in the Easter commemoration. Perhaps more colourful language used but the point of view looks fairly similar to me.

    Perhaps Bob is only pointing out the confusion and sheer hypocrisy that exists within opinion in Ireland today and is laughing at us for not even recognising it.

    I can respect his honesty more than the silence of so called Irish in the free state over the torrents of abuse coming north from state officials and their media cronies. That silence was deafening to me and has done more harm to Irish republicanism than Britain could have ever done alone. We just haven’t realised it yet but a unified republic of Ireland is never going to happen now, I would never support joining with that state as it exists today and it makes the GFA utterly pointless.

    As I said, if he toned down the language he would make a fitting President of the Republic of Ireland.

  23. Freddie mallins April 5, 2016 at 8:21 am #

    I think you’re partly correct, Jessica. But is it not really a problem “within the pale” only? Surely you cannot compare a Dublin 4, Royal horse show attending, Leinster rugby supporter with, for instance someone form rural Ireland. Surely their vision would still reflect to a greater degree the ideals of the proclamation.

    • jessica April 5, 2016 at 9:49 am #

      “I think you’re partly correct, Jessica. But is it not really a problem “within the pale” only? Surely you cannot compare a Dublin 4, Royal horse show attending, Leinster rugby supporter with, for instance someone form rural Ireland. Surely their vision would still reflect to a greater degree the ideals of the proclamation.”

      I agree fully with you Freddie

      Ireland is no longer divided over a 26 to 6 county border.

      It is time for us all to choose sides is what I am saying.

      I will take the result either way, but after the fight we have had for equality in the north, I am not now prepared to be treated the same way once again by a southern state more interested in their pockets.

      If another fight is needed, then another fight is needed.

  24. Wolfe tone April 5, 2016 at 12:08 pm #

    I wonder will saint Bob start a campaign to force govts to put a halt to the tax haven scandal that has arrived from Panama? No wait David camoron’s father is in the mix so best let it lie. We will just focus on those baddies such as Putin,Assad,North Korea and China. It’s a wonder the independent,rte etc havnt linked slab Murphy to the scandal. His ‘crime’ looks like mere child’s play compared to this corruption. The silence is deafening from the great and the good.

  25. Paddyod April 5, 2016 at 9:27 pm #

    Bob the Brit should have spent more time helping his drug addict wife and daughter than professing on our founding fathers shame on him but for a punk to accept a knighthood says it all especially a West Brit Jaccobite scumbag

  26. MickO May 5, 2016 at 1:14 am #

    Don’t care Jude! The ‘Rats were the best punk band from the 26, and SLF were the best from ‘up there’! (Loved the ‘Tones too, but SLF were the biz!).

  27. Frank June 16, 2016 at 12:01 am #

    This so called man, is a hypocrite and a fraud. The knighthood honour seems to be given to anyone who’s on the right side of the fence! He supposedly stands for world poverty, and charges handsomely for it. There’s one award he will never receive and that’s father of the year! My third point is, this guy made his name with one record, anyone who has had the misfortune of hearing it. Well, count yourself lucky, you got of lightly. It’s no wonder Paula, eloped with Michael he had a bath & used soap…

  28. Alex69 July 4, 2016 at 2:15 pm #

    I have to say Sir Bob should never be taken seriously.Have you ever listened to his “music”.