US troops crash wedding in Clare!

Local-womanizer

THE actions of dozens of US troops who ‘gate-crashed’ a wedding in Clare last week, have been criticised by a leading anti-war campaigner who has described the matter as another clear breach of Irish neutrality.
The incident occurred at the Clare Inn Hotel near Newmarket-on-Fergus last Wednesday where almost 300 troops stayed for two nights after the aircraft on which they were travelling to Iraq was grounded at Shannon Airport by technical problems.
After wandering into the function room where the wedding reception was being hosted, they were allowed to stay and enjoy the festivities despite the best efforts of their commanding officer to remove them from the hall.
One wedding guest said, “The soldiers were around the hotel all day. We saw them walking around the grounds, chatting in groups outside and in the bar but we were surprised when they came in to the wedding that night.
“You could see that some guests were very uncomfortable with the soldiers being there, especially wearing their uniforms. But they were in great form and seemed to enjoy themselves.”
Retired Irish army officer and international secretary of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Dr Edward Horgan, has described the actions of US troops as highly inappropriate.
“Again we see how the Irish and US Governments blatantly breach Irish neutrality. Ireland continues to participate in a foreign war and it is highly inappropriate that US soldiers would appear in an Irish hotel or in Shannon Airport in uniform. Remember, the US has a reputation for gate-crashing weddings. They have bombed wedding parties in Afghanistan and killed dozens of people,” Dr Horgan said.
Troops are regularly accommodated in local hotels if an aircraft suffers technical issues while en route to or from the US. Personnel are not allowed leave the vicinity of the hotel where they are staying but have in the past breached the rule.
When contacted yesterday (Monday), the hotel declined to comment on the matter.

Caught this over on the Clare forum,that would have been some wedding!

Poccington

They didn't crash the wedding, the couple have come out to publicly state the troops were invited.

Suzannem

Yes! sounds like a fun wedding alright...Im sure some girls met some nice american guys haha

Poccington

Also forgot to mention, Edward Horgan is an absolute wanker

Local-womanizer

Poccington wrote: »

They didn't crash the wedding, the couple have come out to publicly state the troops were invited.

Cool!That was a wedding that will be remembered for a long time!

Wonder was Manic tipping about it?:p

pmg58

Local-womanizer wrote: »

Wonder was Manic tipping about it?:p

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055638087

It would appear so :cool:

minidazzler

I would hate to be one of the guests at that wedding.

Just imagine, it's 9 o clock you are dressed to the nines and standing near the bar chatting up one of the sexy bridesmaids. When all of a sudden 40 US soldiers come in and have the girls swooning over them!!!

Bastards!!!!


I hope they enjoyed it!!!

Fratton Fred

Queue a flurry of mixed race babies in Clare :-)

iceage

Poccington wrote: »

Also forgot to mention, Edward Horgan is an absolute wanker

ROFL

diverdriver

The usual non story stirred up by hack in a local rag. Hears about the wedding so rings up rent a mouth Horgan for a quotable quote. Voila, controversy. Meanwhile the Herald has the real story (for once). They were invited in eight at a time for half an hour each controlled by an officer. None were drinking as is traditional in the US forces. Great fun was had by all except one guest, one hack and Horgan.

I'm glad they got a good reception and some hospitality. At least they leave with a positive impression of Ireland.

Fratton Fred

how does a Retired army officer become international secretary of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance?

Did he suddenly find God or something.

I wonder if he still claims his army pension?

marco murphy

Fratton Fred wrote: »

how does a Retired army officer become international secretary of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance?

Did he suddenly find God or something.

I wonder if he still claims his army pension?

He seen an image of jesus on his boot, or he has infiltrated the group and climbed to the top :pac:

neilled

Fratton Fred wrote: »

how does a Retired army officer become international secretary of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance?

Did he suddenly find God or something.

I wonder if he still claims his army pension?

Am I correct, or does that chap keep threatening to hand back his medals?

testicle

You are incorrect. He already handed them back.

He didn't hand back his pension though.

neilled

testicle wrote: »

You are incorrect. He already handed them back.

He didn't hand back his pension though.

Oh right, I had read about it a few times so it occurred to me he may have been doing a bit of brinkmanship. Never mind.

steyr fan

I was chatting to a friend of mine who was at the wedding, and the US Troops were the ultimate in civility. There were 7 or 8 at a time allowed (by one of their own Officers) into the wedding room, and they were all (from what he saw) drinking soft drinks (there ARE Americans: Americans don't drink minerals:D), and some were dancing.

Ed Horgan, take a hike.

weepee

Must have brought back memories of the Aer Lingus days.

minidazzler

diverdriver wrote: »

The usual non story stirred up by hack in a local rag. Hears about the wedding so rings up rent a mouth Horgan for a quotable quote. Voila, controversy. Meanwhile the Herald has the real story (for once). They were invited in eight at a time for half an hour each controlled by an officer. None were drinking as is traditional in the US forces. Great fun was had by all except one guest, one hack and Horgan.

I'm glad they got a good reception and some hospitality. At least they leave with a positive impression of Ireland.

AFAIK they were invited in, as in all of them could have gone in, but the officer made the decision to limit numbers for this exact reason so the meeedya wouldn't blow it up to be something it's not.

diverdriver

They blew it up anyway despite his best efforts. Sometimes you really can't win.

Delta Kilo

Poccington wrote: »

Also forgot to mention, Edward Horgan is an absolute wanker

Just googled him there and I have to support your theory! His CV is the first result.

The only reason he thinks they were inappropriate is because he is against US forces using Shannon!

Peace Activism:
My peace activism originated with my United Nations service as a military peacekeeping, and
was reinforced by my subsequent service as a civilian UN Volunteer, in post-conflict situations.
My studies and research into matters of peace and international relations have also informed my
convictions that war and torture are counter-productive ways of trying to achieve international
peace and justice.
My efforts to promote peace by peaceful means include:
• Organise peaceful demonstrations against the abuse of Irish neutrality arising from US
military use at Shannon airport for unlawful wars in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2001
to date.
• Initiating a peace camp at Shannon airport in January 2001 to create public awareness
of Ireland’s breach of the Hague Convention on Neutrality.
• Took High Court Constitutional case against Irish Government over the Shannon issue
in March 2003
• Returned all my military and UN decorations and Presidential Commissioning
Certificate in Sept 2003, in protest at the Irish Government’s participation in the Iraq.
• Unjustly and unlawfully arrested or detained during protests or while simply transiting
through Shannon airport on four occasions, since 2002.
My efforts to promote peace and justice, by peaceful means and the rule of law will continue.

What a tit!

prinz

The wedding party came out and explicitly said that they had been invited in. Apparently they had been having wedding photos etc taken during the day and they were brought in to enjoy the party. Doesn't quite make the same headlines though unfortunately. Had a couple of experiences with troops at Shannon Airport and they have been unfailingly polite, courteous and obliging.

Edward Horgan is indeed a prat. Wasn't it not long ago that he and his PANA buddies shared the stage with Sinn Féin, to tell the rest of us about neutrality? Of course when I sent an email to Mr Horgan about the irony of the situation there was no reply.

mick867

Well done to the Bride and Groom for showing such a real Cead Mile Failte to these American Soldiers so far form home

The wedding party showed real class and generosity

Teddy boy is an instructor on the international **** course

mayhem#

"Ireland continues to participate in a foreign war and it is highly inappropriate that US soldiers would appear in an Irish hotel or in Shannon Airport in uniform. Remember, the US has a reputation for gate-crashing weddings. They have bombed wedding parties in Afghanistan and killed dozens of people,” Dr Horgan said."

What a complete and utter whackjob..

E.

weepee

mayhem# wrote: »

"Ireland continues to participate in a foreign war and it is highly inappropriate that US soldiers would appear in an Irish hotel or in Shannon Airport in uniform. Remember, the US has a reputation for gate-crashing weddings. They have bombed wedding parties in Afghanistan and killed dozens of people,” Dr Horgan said."

What a complete and utter whackjob..

E.

Whackjob or not, the US did in fact bomb a wedding in Afghanistan, killing over 40 guests.

Mayhem#: resurrecting a zombie thread ain't helpful.

Weepee: your contribution was even less helpful. If you agree with Horgan, just say so.

Mods, i suggest you lock the zombie thread.

mayhem#

@seaslacker; "zombie thread"? How that then?

It wasn't me!

A week does not a zombie thread make. Barely ripe tbh.

weepee

Deleted User wrote: »

Mayhem#: resurrecting a zombie thread ain't helpful.

Weepee: your contribution was even less helpful. If you agree with Horgan, just say so.

Mods, i suggest you lock the zombie thread.

I know nothing about Mr Horgan, but he didnt lie.

If you wish me to pretend the USAF did not bomb an Afghan wedding, thats a different matter.

PS: Why block the thread, is freedom of speech dead now?

It wasn't me!

weepee wrote: »

I know nothing about Mr Horgan, but he didnt lie.

If you wish me to pretend the USAF did not bomb an Afghan wedding, thats a different matter.

PS: Why block the thread, is freedom of speech dead now?

I think the point is that the logic being used seems to go something like:

"They bombed a wedding in Afghanistan... And now there are some soldiers in a wedding in Clare... MY GOD! They're all in mortal danger!"

See, that, I object to, because it's ridiculous. Unless of course he's insinuating that because soldiers bombed a wedding in Afghanistan, that no US soldier should be allowed attend any wedding ever again, in which case it's downright stupid. It's a silly, pointless comment.

weepee

It wasn't me! wrote: »

I think the point is that the logic being used seems to go something like:

"They bombed a wedding in Afghanistan... And now there are some soldiers in a wedding in Clare... MY GOD! They're all in mortal danger!"

See, that, I object to, because it's ridiculous. Unless of course he's insinuating that because soldiers bombed a wedding in Afghanistan, that no US soldier should be allowed attend any wedding ever again, in which case it's downright stupid. It's a silly, pointless comment.

Yes I understand that, and offered no support to his arguement, simply that he didnt lie.

It wasn't me!

weepee wrote: »

Yes I understand that, and offered no support to his arguement, simply that he didnt lie.

I agree, but the point is his motivation for saying it. It's a really silly cheap dig.

weepee

It wasn't me! wrote: »

I agree, but the point is his motivation for saying it. It's a really silly cheap dig.

Yeah, I can go along with that, maybe they should have put him in a room with the troops to defend his corner.

FiSe

Only reminds me of when I was leaving Shannon 2weeks ago, early in the morning, boys from 101st and 82nd were all over the place, waiting for god only knows what for god only knows how long, but it doesn't matter...

They were trying to get in contact with their families and friends over the 'free wireless connection' at the airport or were trying to use the phones... Jaysus, felt really sorry for them, it didn't work as it should and they were unable to do anything.
Then one of them asked the girl behind the counter, when buying his bottled water, how far is Kildare County, she hasn't got a clue what he's talking about...

Welcome to the moon, like :rolleyes:

...and that's all what I can say about that wedding

weepee

FiSe wrote: »

Only reminds me of when I was leaving Shannon 2weeks ago, early in the morning, boys from 101st and 82nd were all over the place, waiting for god only knows what for god only knows how long, but it doesn't matter...

They were trying to get in contact with their families and friends over the 'free wireless connection' at the airport or were trying to use the phones... Jaysus, felt really sorry for them, it didn't work as it should and they were unable to do anything.
Then one of them asked the girl behind the counter, when buying his bottled water, how far is Kildare County, she hasn't got a clue what he's talking about...

Welcome to the moon, like :rolleyes:

...and that's all what I can say about that wedding

How would a receptionist, born in Krakow, know how far it is from Shannon to ''Kildare County''!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!