Nearly had to kick my radio in listening to the Today programme this morning

[Burney]

British troops left NI 10 years ago so I would say the Brits are out. The leading figures of the enemy were then invited to the table and afforded positions of power in the democratic apparatus which hardly equates to military defeat. Be rather like offering Heydrich a seat in the The Cabinet.

You're conflating 'Brits Out' with 'Troops Out'. The troops were only there because of IRA violence. Once that stopped, there was no need for them. They left because they'd won, not because they IRA had beaten them.
They were offered seats at the table in a power-sharing government as a devolved part of the United Kingdom in return for abandoning the armed struggle, handing over their weapons and operating purely by democratic means. That was a million miles from their stated war aims of fighting the British until they gave up and left Northern Ireland to unite with the Republic and, as I said, was basically the same deal that had been on the table in 1974.

Let me ask you something: in a war, which side usually has to hand over their arms? Is it the winners?

[redgunamo]

Incorrect. They did want to win militarily. .. They couldn't. Ergo, they lost.

Yes, military forces invariably do, but there's always wider issues at stake.

[SWv2]

You're conflating 'Brits Out' with 'Troops Out'. The troops were only there because of IRA violence. Once that stopped, there was no need for them. They left because they'd won, not because they IRA had beaten them.
They were offered seats at the table in a power-sharing government as a devolved part of the United Kingdom in return for abandoning the armed struggle, handing over their weapons and operating purely by democratic means. That was a million miles from their stated war aims of fighting the British until they gave up and left Northern Ireland to unite with the Republic and, as I said, was basically the same deal that had been on the table in 1974.

Let me ask you something: in a war, which side usually has to hand over their arms? Is it the winners?

I actually don't think any party can really claim to have won.

[Herbette Chapman - aged 15]

Yes, but she was close to Louis. He was like a second father to Charles.

Thirteen dead and not forgotten
we got fourteen and Mountbatten

[Norn Iron]

I wonder what sort of funeral it will be? He was always IRA first imo. He was proud of the IRA. They can't go with any IRA type funeral after him being the Deputy First Minister, can they?

[Herbette Chapman - aged 15]

Please don't say that; my own parents were regular guests at those functions

Oh dear. I expect Lord Louis mounted your mum a few times. Do you have a certain something of the teuton about you Red?

[redgunamo]

Oh dear. I expect Lord Louis mounted your mum a few times. Do you have a certain something of the teuton about you Red?

My wife

[Herbette Chapman - aged 15]

14 Intelligence Company, known as The Det, undercover loonies who collected intelligence for MI5 and undermined the Ra

It's Tim McGraw, a fine singer of both types of music, country and western.

So we draw our information now from folk music do we? Works for me C - better than any bloody fake news

[Burney]

I actually don't think any party can really claim to have won.

In the sense that the UK government's aims were only ever to hold the circle and achieve peaceful and democratic co-existence between the parties, I'd say it's hard to argue they didn't achieve them, since that's what we now have.

[SWv2]

I wonder what sort of funeral it will be? He was always IRA first imo. He was proud of the IRA. They can't go with any IRA type funeral after him being the Deputy First Minister, can they?

I would assume not. Perhaps some nod to the past but none of the marked men and armed salutes at graveside.