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Seems Michael Collins and Padraig Pearse were gay?

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  • 09-10-2012 8:31pm
    #1
    tomtherobot
    Registered Users Posts: 188 ✭✭


    I found myself leafing through yesterdays Irish Times (it's pretty ****e i know) and found an excerpt from David Norris book, he's talking about the gay right movement in Ireland and goes on to strongly suggest that Roger Casement, Padraig Pearse, Michael Collins and Eoin O'Duffy were gay.

    Now personally I don't have a homophobic bone in my body (stop) but isn't it a bit weird outing people like this when there dead? Also, I'd love to know what the republicans here think of this?

    I know its been widely suggested before that Roger Casement was gay but the other three came as a bit of a shock to me. For one thing i want me money back from the Liam Neeson/Julia Roberts movie. Damn you Hollywood lies....


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    #2
    wes
    Registered Users Posts: 11,747 ✭✭✭✭wes


    I can't say that it really matters either way to me.


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    #3
    Mr. Boo
    Registered Users Posts: 347 ✭✭Mr. Boo


    Not that weird. He might be dead, but we all know Haughey focked the whole country.


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    #4
    El Weirdo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,646 ✭✭✭✭El Weirdo


    I thought that rumours of Eoin O'Duffy being gay were widely known?

    Blueshirtlifter.


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    #5
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    Casement, yes. Pearse, maybe, mabye not. O'Duffy, yes - thats out a while.

    Collins though? Never heard that before. I'd like to know what he's basing it on.


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    #6
    p.oconnor
    Registered Users Posts: 548 ✭✭✭p.oconnor


    So what if he was Gay .... the man was a fcuking legend END OF!


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    #7
    PhlegmyMoses
    Registered Users Posts: 11,906 ✭✭✭✭PhlegmyMoses


    Pearse wrote some fairly homoerotic poetry. Wouldn't be a surprise.


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    #8
    sam34
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,073 ✭✭✭sam34


    I thought the padraig pearse rumour was quite commonly known, tbh. hadn't heard the other ones though.


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    #9
    1ZRed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,293 ✭✭✭1ZRed


    Given the source, he could just be looking into things that weren't there but I'd say it could always have been a possibility but not mentioned considering being gay was illegal and heavily punishable back then.
    We'll never know though.

    In my own family on my grandad's side, they were soldiers and very high up in the army as well. A few of my great uncles never married at all and considering they were good looking men it makes me wonder were they. In fact, I think that's were I got the gene from that influenced my sexuality. But again, it's easy to assume considering I'll never know.


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    #10
    brummytom
    Registered Users Posts: 10,572 ✭✭✭✭brummytom


    OP, any chance you could copy some of the excerpt?

    EDIT: Found it
    Other heroes of Irish nationalism were also less than 100 per cent heterosexual ... An elderly man came in one night who had been visiting Sinn Féin’s headquarters three doors down.

    He had fought in the Civil War more than half a century before and claimed to have been one of Michael Collins’s principal boyfriends. I mentioned this to a well-known popular historian of the period, who confirmed that this was generally known in certain republican circles, who were deeply uncomfortable about it. Well, if Michael Collins was gay, or bisexual – so what? Who cares? It shouldn’t matter as it is just a neutral fact. It certainly isn’t a slur, and the vast majority of the Irish people no longer regard it as such.

    Anyway, this all lessened the surprise when it emerged recently that another absurdly macho figure, the leader of the Blueshirts, General Eoin O’Duffy, had been embroiled in a long affair with the great Irish actor Micheál Mac Liammóir.

    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1008/1224325013269.html

    Well that's pretty conclusive proof. A random old man, and an unnamed historian. And it's not like Norris has ever lied before.


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    #11
    Damathon111
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13 ✭Damathon111


    Do you know that homosexuality was decriminalized in 1993 or around that time? It's amazing how backward Ireland is for a supposed-first world country.


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    #12
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    Could'nt have been gay, sure wasnt he riding Julia Roberts.


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    #13
    TeddyTedson
    Registered Users Posts: 10,758 ✭✭✭✭TeddyTedson


    No no no, Collins wasn't gay. I've seen the film.


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    #14
    Riddle101
    Registered Users Posts: 8,385 ✭✭✭Riddle101


    I've heard the rumor about Micheal Collins being gay. But wasn't he engaged? I heard O'Duffy was gay too. Never heard about Pearce or Casement though.


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    #15
    Thrill
    Registered Users Posts: 5,485 ✭✭✭Thrill


    "strongly suggest" "widely suggested" "rumour" "possibility"

    Heh, what more proof do we need.


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    #16
    Seaneh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    David Norris in "everyone was gay" statement shocker...


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    #17
    3ndahalfof6
    Registered Users Posts: 5,184 ✭✭✭3ndahalfof6


    Fantasy, fantasy, fantasy, dear David, but if it filled your sock so be it.


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    #18
    tomtherobot
    Registered Users Posts: 188 ✭✭tomtherobot


    brummytom wrote: »
    OP, any chance you could copy some of the excerpt?

    "Other heroes of Irish nationalism were also less than 100 per cent heterosexual ... An elderly man came in one night who had been visiting Sinn Féin’s headquarters three doors down.
    He had fought in the Civil War more than half a century before and claimed to have been one of Michael Collins’s principal boyfriends. I mentioned this to a well-known popular historian of the period, who confirmed that this was generally known in certain republican circles, who were deeply uncomfortable about it. Well, if Michael Collins was gay, or bisexual – so what? Who cares? It shouldn’t matter as it is just a neutral fact. It certainly isn’t a slur, and the vast majority of the Irish people no longer regard it as such.
    Anyway, this all lessened the surprise when it emerged recently that another absurdly macho figure, the leader of the Blueshirts, General Eoin O’Duffy, had been embroiled in a long affair with the great Irish actor Micheál Mac Liammóir."


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    #19
    TeddyTedson
    Registered Users Posts: 10,758 ✭✭✭✭TeddyTedson


    He may have been engaged, but it wasn't that long ago when Freddie Mercury was married to a woman either.
    I don't think people were openly gay 100 years ago :P

    I'd be willing to bet at least one boardies father is secretly gay.
    My friends Dad is openly gay but only for about 15 years.
    I still think his wife must have known...everyone else did.


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    #20
    Praetorian Saighdiuir
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,968 ✭✭✭✭Praetorian Saighdiuir


    No way was Collins gay, our uniforms would be much fancier if he had been gay.


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    #21
    Aenaes
    Registered Users Posts: 1,677 ✭✭✭Aenaes


    Collins was engaged and reported to be head over heels in love by his close friends.
    In a couple of biographies of him it's suggested he was pretty successful with the ladies during his time spent in London.

    Just seen he might have been gay OR bi-sexual so the above doesn't really matter. Maybe he was secretly ginger too? Oh well, I guess Frongoch wouldn't have helped.

    I think Norris is just fishing for reactions.


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    #22
    1ZRed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,293 ✭✭✭1ZRed


    It wouldn't surprise me if they might all be gay/bi. Some older people seem to think that everyone was straight back then when in fact the percentage of gay people has never changed, even now.
    People just weren't aware of it because it was carefully hidden. I'd say there was bound to be a good few high profile leaders of the time who were actually gay or bi but were closeted for obvious reasons.


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    #23
    Maire2009
    Registered Users Posts: 1,379 ✭✭✭Maire2009


    benwavner wrote: »
    No way was Collins gay, our uniforms would be much fancier if he had been gay.

    Only if he was Louis Spence gay :D


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    #24
    tayto lover
    Registered Users Posts: 51,644 ✭✭✭✭tayto lover


    I heard that David Norris was straight.


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    #25
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    tomtherobot wrote: »
    "Other heroes of Irish nationalism were also less than 100 per cent heterosexual ... An elderly man came in one night who had been visiting Sinn Féin’s headquarters three doors down.
    He had fought in the Civil War more than half a century before and claimed to have been one of Michael Collins’s principal boyfriends. I mentioned this to a well-known popular historian of the period, who confirmed that this was generally known in certain republican circles, who were deeply uncomfortable about it. Well, if Michael Collins was gay, or bisexual – so what? Who cares? It shouldn’t matter as it is just a neutral fact. It certainly isn’t a slur, and the vast majority of the Irish people no longer regard it as such.
    Anyway, this all lessened the surprise when it emerged recently that another absurdly macho figure, the leader of the Blueshirts, General Eoin O’Duffy, had been embroiled in a long affair with the great Irish actor Micheál Mac Liammóir."

    What better way to get attention than to say that you've shagged a famous character.....

    I suggest its wishful thinking on the part of Norris. After the split over the treaty their would have been no hesitation in opening the gob then. I've never heard a hint of this, ever.


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    #26
    TeddyTedson
    Registered Users Posts: 10,758 ✭✭✭✭TeddyTedson


    Shure aren't we all bisexual


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    #27
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    tayto lover wrote: »
    I heard that David Norris was straight.

    An old woman came in one night and told me he was a divil for the wimmin allright, and that she was one of his favourites.


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    #28
    Praetorian Saighdiuir
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,968 ✭✭✭✭Praetorian Saighdiuir


    Maire2009 wrote: »
    Only if he was Louis Spence gay :D

    Thats proper gay!


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    #29
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    TeddyTedson wrote: »
    Shure aren't we all bisexual

    Only if we're staying in your gaf and miss the bus.


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    #30
    martic
    Registered Users Posts: 515 ✭✭✭martic


    Pearse,Collins and O'Duffy are Gays :eek: and there was me thinking Daffyd Norris was thee only gay in the village


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    #31
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    benwavner wrote: »
    Thats proper gay!

    Ye can't imagine a louis spence level gay collins surviving long on the run though.....


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