Arlene Foster is a truly valuable political leader – for nationalists and republicans. For the DUP? Um, maybe not.
Sinn Féin’ s success in the Assembly election was due to a number of factors, not least among them the DUP leader’s comparison of Sinn Féin to a crocodile. The fact that this was linked to her insistence there would be no Irish Language Act on her watch heightened nationalist/republican indignation. Gerry Adams’s throwaway “See you later, alligator” took that indignation and flipped it skilfully into that most deadly of election weapons, laughter. You can cope with your opponents’ indignation, even rage. When they start laughing at you, the game’s up.
No one is more aware of this than the DUP. They took such a pasting last time out, they’re determined to remove a vital source of that pasting. They couldn’t remove Arlene as leader, for that would have shown them dancing to the Shinners’ tune. So they softened her image.
Now the woman who rejected an Irish Langauge Act out of hand has done a high-profile tour of Catholic schools involved with the Irish language and says she has learnt an awful lot about the love of it. When reminded that she’d never preside over an Irish Language Act, she now says
“I said there wouldn’t be, in terms of nothing else happening, in terms of culture and language. We have been in negotiations for some time and we have been putting forward that we need to respect all cultures, including the Ulster Scots, the Orange, the British culture.”
Translated, that means she’ll agree to an Irish Language Act but please guys, gimme a fig-leaf or two, I can’t go out to face my supporters looking like Sammy Wilson. Alas, it doesn’t look as though her opponents are going to settle for an Irish Language Act that comes parceled up with goodies for the Orange Order and the British military, when it was a free-standing commitment in the St Andrew’s Agreement.
That said, you’d think the new improved Arlene means a powerful political weapon has been removed from the nationalist/republican armoury. No more Mrs Arrogance. But answer me this: when you glimpse Arlene on your TV screen or in your newspaper, does that crocodile remark not continue to resonate? And doesn’t it bring images of guys cavorting at count centres in full crocodile suit? The giggles and guffaws continue, if only in your head.
As someone once nearly said about something completely different: that ol’ crocodile, it hasn’t gone away, you know.
The Transformation Of Arlene is so transparent that you would need to be a complete idiot to believe that it was anything other than repainting the old fascade. She’s been kept off-air with her lips sewn together and the decision was made to re-style her . The mad stare was surgically removed and then there was the new hair-do. It’ll be botox and , liposuction and fillers next. The DUP are so needy to get back into local government that they can barely contain themselves. The truth is the game is up. There is nothing there ,other than artifice ,so unless they actually learn to live in the modern world I can’t see how we can do anything other than laugh at them .
I do feel a certain degree of sympathy for Tiocfaidh Arlene. Let’s face it – the DUP aren’t exactly bastions of progression, and I imagine many within the ranks still struggle with a woman leading the party. Shouldn’t she have dishes to do?
As a result, Arlene bocht has had to appear more antagonistic towards Irish nats/reps than even the most backwards of Orangemen. Unfortunately for her, this approach ended up backfiring quite spectacularly in the most recent Assembly elections.
For as long as the Orange tail continues to wag the Unionist dog, things are only going get worse for the Unionist parties. Their inability to understand this makes it all the more enjoyable to watch. LOL indeed.
She makes me sick.
Her pathetic outreach to nationalists, its not genuine – its electioneering and she couldn’t care less about nationalists at all.
This time last year, she was the self appointed queen of NI, the arrogant display of confidence with a unionist supremacy mindset.
I asked a fellow DUP colleague, Stephen Warke, on another site would he support a SF First Minister – he said –
“‘Considering at the present time there is, an albiet slim, Unionist majority the question is rendered hypothetical. As I’ve alluded to elsewhere on this thread, I much prefer to deal in fact.
Furthermore, judging by the reckless actions of SF from Jan 2017 and the pity and petulant behaviour witnessed during the recent talks, it’s clear there is much maturing to be done by SF before they ever find themselves worthy to be in a position to exercise one of the highest levels of British rule in Northern Ireland ”
The ballot box is the only way to get these people.
Can someone please tell me how a visit to Catholic maintained grammar school in Newry, is an example of outreach to the Irish language community ?
Had she attended the actual gael scoil in Newry as opposed to a Catholic Grammar then, yes, that would be outreach. As it was she completely ignored Bunscoil an Iúir. Outreach ? Really ?
She only went there to get a feed at Friar Tuck’s, I know I would.
chicken burger with coleslaw,currychip.parfull.
Her reference to an act that respects Orange and British cultures jars. It makes me think that for her, Dodds, McCausland and Donaldson that ‘respect’ would mean unrestricted Orange Marches through Fenian streets unfettered by a Parades Commission
The DUP arrogance , egotism and what is fundamentally racial curmudgeonry is willfully and ably abetted by our so called press. In any other place in the western hemisphere , they would be hounded for their racism , sectarianism and gross misuse of public funds …..not so here , everything is designedly ignored or briefly mentioned and instantly forgotten. That rotund and not overly intelligent (in my opinion) presenter on Radio 2/3 rds Ulster is a prime example….he broke the story about the RHI debacle ,then almost immediately ,he abruptly dropped it…Red Sky also disappeared into the sunset , I could pointlessly go on but it’s evidently NIO policy to keep them as unharmed as possible….as you stated Oriel27….the ballot box will get them !
I’m not so sure on your assessment over a softening about an ILA…..
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/dup-rallies-round-foster-and-vows-there-will-be-no-irish-language-act-1-7953898
That’s from this morning.
Could not be bothered reading it , it would only annoy me their loss. The English parliament is worth nothing to them or us, they need storment to fool themselves into thinking they still have some control over us, god help them. I am sixty seven and a brand new crocodile as far as i am concerned no Irish Language Act. Then it would be a cold day in hell before i would let them back into storment. Please Sinn Feinn don’t let us down and let it be wrapped up with some other stuff to allow it in, we are depending on you forget storment until they get manners. Just keep up the good work on the councils and in the Dial that will do for now.
After the assembly elections we were all having lunch and i said well who did you all vote for. It was like a movie all the heads turned to me at once and said nearly at once who did you vote for and i said Sinn Fein they all laughed and said so did we, we always do but you don’t vote why did you vote. I only ever voted for the good friday agreement. Now these young women and men are pretty smart, yes i am proud of them. Two of them work in their fathers quite successful business’s which they add to and don’t cruise in and one is a chartered accountant and another a staff nurse. They tell me Sinn-Fein in their eyes are the best party because they also do a lot of community work. And i had to confess and tell them i got of my bottom and will continue to because i am now a fully paid up crocodile. And (bad word) Arlene Foster and the like of her.
Well I hope that they have enough put by for a rainy day….apart from those DUP members with Westminster salaries , I don’t think the council allowances will pay their mortgages……hunger is a cruel master , but if it’s bigotry before bread , so be it !
all of the snouts are still in the trough.i know its ridiculous but the wages are still being paid.
An Irish Language Act must be precisely that. To compare a language with marches, military processions or highland dancing in country-side Orange Halls is bogus. By all means provide extra funding for cultural events but this has nothing to do with the Irish language.
Was it J Swift who said “government can withstand anything but saltire”?
I think we need an English language Act to protect the unionist population of Newry and Mourne District Council Officials who have gone overboard in promoting Irish
Im reminded of the sayings of some of the Protestant community in what was The Irish Free State in the 1920’s-“They have made me a stranger in the land of my birth”
This is what unionists believe is behind the push for ILA
Anyone want to prove me wrong?
Bet you do not publish this Jude
Sláinte
No censorship here Gaz. Perhaps you can offer some evidence in the over promotion of Irish in Newry, bilingual road signs don’t count though.
And Ireland’s history didn’t start in the 1920’s either. Irish was spoken for centuries before that, until it was almost wiped out by the deliberate promotion of English by the British invaders.
Ah, good man, Gaz. Nothing like a bit of hyperbole to get the blood rushing to the head.
Not sure about an English Language Act being needed. You could, however, do with some English language classes. Full stops, Gaz, full stops.
An English language act might be a good idea because of the large number unable to speak ‘proper’ English, and to hide the fact, they claim to be speaking a dialect they call Ulster Scots, thereby hiding their embarrassment!
Get away wi yi.Naethin wrang wi Ulster Scots. Scots is a recognised separate language or leid, and it is no ‘English’- it’s what yi call ‘proper’ English that yi want tae get rid o, or at least only hae as a second language for international use.
Thanks for just proving my point!
Gaz, this presupposes that there is such thing as a right to be offended. Which there is not. As far as I can see most people in Newry know English and speak English so why on earth do you feel uncomfortable? Does the very existence of another language make you feel uncomfortable? Most placenames in Newry area are in Irish and it has been so for 1000s of years long before the Monastry of the An Iúraigh (pronounced Newry) was founded or Iúr Cinn Trá (the yew tree at the head of the strand). The Newry area was one of the last places in NI where native Irish was spoken (up to 1950s and 1960s). So don’t assume when people try to reclaim their recently lost heritage in the Newry area that they are trying to do so to annoy Unionists or out of political spite. They are simply trying to get their language back.
Read: “a right not to be offended”
I am truly concerned at wee Arlene’s approach to her First National Language, she is, after all, a Kelly from west Ulster, same name as a great many Republican hero’s, it would seem their families did not the soup take, unlike my wife’s and wee Arlene’s.
My Mrs. too is no fan of an Teanga Naisunta but, at lease does not reject it outright, and, given she understands me when I speak it to her, she went into the census form as an Irish speaker (haven’t told her that yet).
Wee Arlene needs to waken up, unless she should like the still Catholic side of the populace here to, again, punish her at the polls, I have spoken to people whom I am stunned, voted Sinn Féin last time out, and have long memories.
Does your wife not fill out her own Census Form Mark?
Even her words that she has nt ruled out an Irish language Act is arrogance in the extreme.
What right does she have to rule out the native language of this country. This is not something to be negotiated with racists. Its a God given right of the Irish people.
Perhaps Gaz , a little history lesson would suffice….do you think we just invented Irish to annoy people….it’s one of the oldest European languages …..spoken long before the sounds , that are now known as English , were ever uttered on any of these islands…it’s a pure complex but unadulterated language…. After years at attempted conquest ,the English , realizing that they couldn’t physically beat or conquer us on the battlefield decided to supplant us with foreigners..( the Lowland Scots and Border English ).. and at the same time take all our arable and fertile land and drive us to the barren outcrops….however that indomitable spirit and resolve of the Irish persisted , we were determined and pertinacious …. we were still a thorn in their side ,and after many genocidal attempts , they discovered that if you take the language from a people ….you take their very soul….Tír gan teanga , tír gan anam . They ingloriously tried to ban Irish as a last attempt at subjugation and even employed the Catholic church to execute their nefarious plan …it didn’t work…I speak Irish ,Tá Gaeilge agam , my children and my grandchildren speak it …..basically Irish is the indigenous language….English is a second language…like it or lump it !
No.
Arlene and her fellow sectarian bigots in the DUP are completely delusional if they think anyone belives that she has changed.
They cant even bring themselves to bid our representatives a ‘good morning’ never mind anything else.
The DUP are damaged beyond repair due to this supremacist attitude and lifetime spent, despising they’er neighbors, with full support from they’er masters in London. Arlene’s arrogance has been her down fall and things will never be the same for her and the DUP.
She can flirt with the UDA all she wants, she can empty the treasury and involve herself in fraud on an epic scale all she wants and she can dance ‘the bouncy’ at her party conference all she wants…but she cant hide.
It’s a bit puzzling given her constituency is the “stick it to SF” wing of the DUP. If she declines to continue sticking it, then Sammy or Gregory will happily replace her. As evidenced by the speed with which they lead the circling of the wagons, reassuring all that nothing was changed, the line was being held, there will be no standalone ILA.
As Oriel27 makes clear, the ballot box is now the only way. Lucid Talk quarterly tracking poll out at the end of the month, let’s see how Brexit is playing with Unionism. A border poll is going to start being winnable within a few years thanks to Brexit, we’ve got to start preparing for it – study how IndyRef went for Scotland and how they are applying those lessons to IndyRef2. We need to be ready because we don’t want to have to wait 7 seven years because we left a stone unturned.
I truly,solemnly,sincerely believe that,our day is coming.After reading the replies to this post,it gives me great confidence in the people who have had nothing to lose,simply because everything was stolen from us to keep up the pressure on the bigots.Tiocfaidh At La.
Ar