If David Ervine dies - impact on north?

ArthurDent

Think this will have a big impact on the talks and Stormount - I'm sorry that he's gone - I think on the balance of things he was a force for the better on the unionist side

Bateman

Have to agree. Things may be a lot more fragmented without him; not good.

Greenman

He's not dead yet. Ask Anne Doyle.

spurious

BBC still have him as 'critical'.
Critical is what someone will be of RTE's debacle.

Wishbone Ash

Bit of a cock-up in the news. Now he is critically ill.

flogen

Aye; he's apparently "fighting for his life", but he's not dead yet...

Also, not to say that he was completely unimportant but the PUP are a pretty marginal grouping, they're even lower on the pecking order than the UUP, who are in pretty bad shape too.

youcancallmeal

According to Eircom.net he's dead, wierd?
See here

ArthurDent

RTE have reported him as dead and Tommy Gorman just interviewed on same - major snaffoo if incorrect

Villain

Breakingnews.ie:

07/01/2007 - 21:19:19

Progressive Unionist Party leader David Ervine remains in a critical condition in the Royal Victoria hospital in Belfast tonight.

It had been reported by media outlets that Mr Ervine had died, but this cannot be confirmed at this time.

British Home Secretary and former Northern Secretary John Reid said his thoughts and prayers were with Mr Ervine's family at this difficult time.

ateam

The RTE website has changed his position from dead to critically ill, how could this blunder of happened!

Villain

What did the nine o clock news say?

ateam

irish1 wrote:

What did the nine o clock news say?

Anne Doyle announced that he had died, a package on his life was given by a Northern correspondent and then Tommie Gorman spoke on the phone for a few minutes about him. The RTE News website hasn't been updated to include the videos of his death.

funktastic

They said he was dead.

Villain

If they are wrong thats one awful mistake.

joebhoy1916

Wonder If an IRA guy was caught with a car bomb trying to murder innocent people then year's later died ye would be sorry?

Although he changed his way's to the process there not really involved In It.

To be honest might be a good thing maybe the good Friday agreement can be fulfilled. All paramilitary's give up there arms.

He's critical not dead..

Ray777

Apparently, David Ervine is "clinically dead", but on a life-support machine. I read this on caltonradio.com, so it must be true...

InFront

Couldn't be less reliable than RTE!

Considering his role as an active conspirator in taking the lives of others back in the 1970s, I can't say I've ever thought much of him in comparison to some of his more gentlemanlike colleagues in the North.
However, he has denounced all violence, seems to have put it behind him and is obviously keen to get on with the parliamentary process. I admire his dedication to his community during his political career, hopefully he has more to offer it.

Wishbone Ash

RTE Radio One's 6.30am news says he "remains critically ill".

InFront

Tommie Gorman has just been on Morning ireland and described the report as "his error". He received incorrect information from 2 "reliable sources".

Ervine is still alive, but nobody seems to be suggesting to what extent he is alive.

Maskhadov

well done RTE (roll eyes)

joebhoy1916

joebhoy1916 wrote:

Wonder If an IRA guy was caught with a car bomb trying to murder innocent people then year's later died ye would be sorry?

Well if someone like Mitchell McLaughlin were seriously ill and close to death I would be surprised if there was no thread here...

lostexpectation

Deleted User wrote:

Well if someone like Mitchell McLaughlin were seriously ill and close to death I would be surprised if there was no thread here...

who is his deputy or likely replacer, I can't find it to hand, they only had one seat in the assembly, how many councillors do they have?

left wing unionist...hmmm

geting praise from all quarters despite his past

Hagar

Sky has just reported his death.

mike65

Sad news. Ervine stuck me early on as one of the few involved with the mechanics of the "pre-peace process" who one might trust.

Mike.

dregin

It's sad to see one of the few politicians who did their job without having to put a spin on everything they said and did come to such an early end. If there were more politicians like David Ervine around I think Northern Ireland would be far better off. It seems to me that alot of the problems standing in the way of peace are caused by politicians grasping to have the last say. David said and did what he had to in order to better the lives of thousands of people in Belfast with a bravery and honesty which is seen in very few politicians today. I have no first hand experience of the man but I know through reading and talking to people from Belfast about him that he'll be sorely missed.

Rest in peace.

[yus I copied and pasted the post I made on thumped]

Dirk Gently

I always thought he was one of the more genuine, hard working and straight talking politicians up there. He done a lot of behind the scenes work trying to keep the whole agreement together and has perhaps been over looked in the contribution he made over the past number of years. A big loss to all who want to see dialogue and progress up north. I never thought I would be saddened to hear of a former loyalist terrorists death but his loss is none the less a blow to the peace process.

Peter C

David Irvine always came across as a straight talking gentleman. Only wish others would follow his example at this critical stage in peace process and take a leaf from his book.

R.I.P.

wow sierra

I think its a really sad day for Northern Politics. He made a huge contribution to the Loyalist Peace process. Always found him open minded and willing to focus on the important issues and improve things for all communities. Will be sorely missed at such a young age. My favourite Unionist politician of recent times by a mile. RIP

walrusgumble

anyone referring to his past. please he was 21 yrs old, and like many 21 yr old nationalist who saw their community being attacked, he felt it was there duty to do what he did. martin maguinness had a similar past but different sides. but like ervine they changed and put their engeries to create peace. it was a war up there after all back then, both sides were effected. it happened, yes never forget but time to move on and build bridges.

check out a link on loyalist 1981 on history & heritage. he was always very open about his reasons for doing what he done, his reasons for changing his opinion. he was a working class unionist who represented his community. very open to the irish, had a good relationship with the irish after. can you say that about paisley in the past

how could his party get much attention, he had the frame of mind of social issues like we discuss in our community day in day out. northern ireland politics has been influenced greatley on peace process etc. , how many times have we ever heard stormount discussing/debating annual budgets, new prosals on education etc. he would have contributed greatly had he been around by the time stormount gets up and running. he contributed greatly to peace process.

rip (never thought i be sad to hear of a unionist's death, times are changing...for the better)

Zambia

He left the fence when he witnessed a Nationalist bombing , and by his own admisson joined the UVF. He went to prison and served his time. He has never denied anything and has often been quoted when no else would go on record.

I never met the man but was glad to have him as my MP. Remarks like the ones on this forum in his favour from members of the southern Irish community are well recieved. It shows even his passing has progressed us ever so slightly buy our past.

A very straight man who will be sadly missed.

RIP

walrusgumble

now time for a few others to take a leaf out of his book. anyone see q&a rte1 on wednesday nite. ian paisley jnr lovely bigoted comment (although probably meant as a joke) referring something along the lines of ....pitty you lot cant stop interferring with the north.

hmmm, britain under blair help out in peace process because they have people who see themselves as british. what about the other side, oh shock horror paisley there are people who consider themselves as irish, gee paisley is it ok if our representatives come to tea to represent the other side?

maybe it was a joke by him, and maybe i should see the light side to it, the other speakers did, but what annoys me is that he came out with this comment. i thought that crap should be left back in the 1990's and before that.

Zambia

walrusgumble wrote:

hmmm, britain under blair help out in peace process because they have people who see themselves as british. what about the other side, oh shock horror paisley there are people who consider themselves as irish, gee paisley is it ok if our representatives come to tea to represent the other side?

No Britain helps out because technically N.Ireland is part of the U.K. But I Irelands right to partake in N.Irelands future is for another thread.

stovelid

Nobody here is justifying what DI did in the past, just praising his hard work in trying to bring his community into the peace process. Unfortunately, many politicians in the North are tainted with terrorism in varying degrees, whether as former terrorists, those who have had dialogue with them or those who have used them (or their threat) for their own political means. I guess the most important thing is how much people are now willing to move forward and to me, DI was one of those people so RIP.

joebhoy1916 wrote:

Wonder If an IRA guy was caught with a car bomb
trying to murder innocent people then year's later died ye would be sorry?..

Only Hugh Smyth now AFAIK..?

lostexpectation wrote:

how many councillors do they have?

stovelid

In fairness walrus, you've answered your own question.

Unionist N.I citizens have as much right to consider themselves British as others have to consider themselves Irish.

Paisley is just an extremely unpleasant version of a valid political viewpoint held by many people in the north.

Anyway as Zambia said, this is for another thread.

walrusgumble wrote:

oh shock horror paisley there are people who consider themselves as irish, gee paisley is it ok if our representatives come to tea to represent the other side?

.

walrusgumble

oh ye ur right lads i agree with ye, anyway this is a thread to di,

as for paisley i went on a rant, sorry, was being sarcastic about paisley on my view, but i will leave it to myself, particularily on this thread.

incidently, say in a few weeks would it be possible to statrt up a thread on basis of irish involvement in the peace process:a yes or no debate. and if it gets ridiculous and biggot, by all means close it. would people of all communities contribute in an objective and non secterian manner. at least we may get some understanding of each sides view points.