Michael Ring wants to hand Ireland back to the Queen

Terrontress

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11652926

An Irish politician has called for the return of British rule to Ireland.

Fine Gael TD Michael Ring said the Irish government should "hand back" the Republic to the Queen during a royal visit next year.

The County Mayo representative also suggested that the government should apologise to her for the "mess" they have made of the country.

Mr Ring made the comments during an economic debate at the Irish Parliament.

He said: "Now look at the mess we're in and look at the mess this country is in.

"Next year the Queen is talking about coming to Ireland for a state visit.

"Maybe we should say to the Queen when she comes 'you know, we have our own independence now, we'll hand you back the country and we'll apologise for the mess that we're after making of it.

"Because at least when they were running the country they didn't put it into the mess and the hock that we are in now."

Mr Ring, 57, was named "heckler of the year" by a magazine in 2006 for "effectively challenging the government with a unique style of street wit and lively heckling".

He is now being described as the Queen's "Lord of the Rings" by commentators in the Republic in the wake of his royalist comments.

It is more than 80 years since Irish independence was secured.

A spokeswoman for the Queen refused to comment on Mr Ring's statement.

She added: "The Queen wouldn't be saying anything about that."

I can't see anything about this elsewhere on the Politics forum so apologies if there is already an active thread.

I cannot believe that this man can be serious. Let's be honest, if it was the correct decision and the majority of people agreed with it, what good could the Queen do?

He seems to just be creating a soundbite to be vilified by the people who pay his wages.

TheMilkyPirate

It seems to be nothing more than a passing comment to me taken completely out of context by the media as usual.

I mean come on, He can't be serious.

Sulmac

Must have been a slow news day for the BBC.

He was clearly being tongue-in-cheek.

HarryPotter41

Could we hand her back Michael Ring?

Amhran Nua

Going for the laugh or not, I'd take an extremely dim view of an elected representative proposing seccessionist or anti-state activities like this, in particular given the ham fisted train wreck that English rule was in Ireland and anywhere else they got involved.

Fire the chucklehead, and he can go work for the queen if she'll have him.

gurramok

Without taking him serious, if that event ever did happen you'd be guaranteed things would be alot worse.

Firehen

He's clearly not serious.

Still, he's giving his political opponents ammunition if they ever need to shoot him down.

HarryPotter41

Amhran Nua wrote: »

Going for the laugh or not, I'd take an extremely dim view of an elected representative proposing seccessionist or anti-state activities like this, in particular given the ham fisted train wreck that English rule was in Ireland and anywhere else they got involved.

Fire the chucklehead, and he can go work for the queen if she'll have him.

Ah its Michael, ya have to let him go, we're used to his drunk man in the pub loose comments down here in Mayo.

Sulmac

Firehen wrote: »

Still, he's giving his political opponents ammunition if they ever need to shoot him down.

To be honest, his light-hearted aside has done nothing to damage our sovereignty compared to the debt crisis the current crowd have created.

MagicSean

Clearly he's joking. Or just plain stupid. Aren't the english €81 billion in a deficit this year. I'll take our crisis over theirs.

JonathanAnon

k_mac wrote: »

Clearly he's joking. Or just plain stupid. Aren't the english €81 billion in a deficit this year. I'll take our crisis over theirs.

Well per capita, it's still better than ours... Michael Ring was clearly just joking.. This article is a deliberate mis representation of his comments taken out of context... cynical..

HarryPotter41

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Well per capita, it's still better than ours... Michael Ring was clearly just joking.. This article is a deliberate mis representation of his comments taken out of context... cynical..

Is it? Remember to any outside nation this is a senior opposition parliamentarian making this statement so they take it as a serious statement as they would any comment made in any other country by an equivalent. We know Michael Ring plays to the gallery, they don't.

galwayrush

I think the jokes on the BBC ...

HarryPotter41

galwayrush wrote: »

I think the jokes on the BBC ...

Nah, the jokes on Mayo, thats our public representative.

Amhran Nua

HarryPotter41 wrote: »

Is it? Remember to any outside nation this is a senior opposition parliamentarian making this statement so they take it as a serious statement as they would any comment made in any other country by an equivalent. We know Michael Ring plays to the gallery, they don't.

Indeed, people have a tendency to lose their sense of humour about comments like this, and maybe rightly so. He should immediately issue an apology and clarification to be honest.

PatsytheNazi

Terrontress wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11652926



I can't see anything about this elsewhere on the Politics forum so apologies if there is already an active thread.

I cannot believe that this man can be serious. Let's be honest, if it was the correct decision and the majority of people agreed with it, what good could the Queen do?

He seems to just be creating a soundbite to be vilified by the people who pay his wages.

Excellent Terrontress, excellent. Sure what else could you expect from the party whose leader Bruton described the visit of Prince Charles was the "happiest day of his life"

Fine Gael should change their name to the " Conservative and Unionist Party of Eire " :pac:

mike65

Gaybo said the same thing in the 80s - "lets hand it back and appologise for its condition" Just a quip, but one that underlines frustration about the hash made of independence maybe.

HarryPotter41

Amhran Nua wrote: »

Indeed, people have a tendency to lose their sense of humour about comments like this, and maybe rightly so. He should immediately issue an apology and clarification to be honest.

If he starts apologising for every nonsensical comment he makes MidWest Radio will have to give him his own show to cover it.

jackbenimble

Ireland's currently ruled by The EU in every conceivable way, so what he said isn't really that controversial.

Bottle_of_Smoke

That's low of the BBC. He was clearly being sarcastic and they've made out it was necessary to contact the Royal family.

Very immature.

slimjimmc

jackbenimble wrote: »

Ireland's currently ruled by The EU in every conceivable way, so what he said isn't really that controversial.

If that is true (which is ain't 'cos the EU don't control our corporate tax policy or defence policy for example) then every EU member, including the UK, is likewise ruled by the EU, no?

Manach

Well under successive treaty's those powers have been abrigated to the EU. So a treaty vote which would bring us closer to the UK would also have the same effect.

jock101

As if Britain would want us back:rolleyes:! As we did not win independence, they washed there hands of us in 1922:eek:! Rebelious, in fighting, ignorant crowd!:(

Einhard

Amhran Nua wrote: »

Indeed, people have a tendency to lose their sense of humour about comments like this, and maybe rightly so. He should immediately issue an apology and clarification to be honest.

Correction, some people do. Usually those who didn't have much of a sense of humour to begin with. It was a humorous quip, and one that got across a serious point at the same time.

PatsytheNazi wrote: »

Fine Gael should change their name to the " Conservative and Unionist Party of Eire " :pac:

Yes. Or perhaps people should view the comment with the same light-heartedness in which it was made.

HarryPotter41 wrote: »

If he starts apologising for every nonsensical comment he makes MidWest Radio will have to give him his own show to cover it.

It wasn't a gaffe. It was a bit of humour. I've often said the same thing in jest. People need to stop being so sensitive. It's as if we're looking for reasons to get our noses out of joint.

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

That's low of the BBC. He was clearly being sarcastic and they've made out it was necessary to contact the Royal family.

Very immature.

I think the BBC were in on the joke, which it more than can be said for many of the posters here. Hence their reference to Ring's title as best heckler in the Dail for 2006.

Jeez, people really need to lighten up a bit.

HarryPotter41

Einhard wrote: »

It wasn't a gaffe. It was a bit of humour. I've often said the same thing in jest. People need to stop being so sensitive. It's as if we're looking for reasons to get our noses out of joint.

Never said it was a gaffe, said it was nonsensical, which he does in abundance, talk to some of his Fine Gael colleagues who he irritates with his nonsense.

proon4

Well he is a blueshirt from the blueshirt party FG.Who were never too far away from the Queens Shilling

Einhard

HarryPotter41 wrote: »

Never said it was a gaffe, said it was nonsensical, which he does in abundance, talk to some of his Fine Gael colleagues who he irritates with his nonsense.

Yes, but it was deliberately nonsensical, which is what people seem to be overlooking. It was said to elicit a laugh, which it did, and also to get a more serious point across. Which, IMO, it did.

PeterIanStaker

Maybe he should get his head out of his ass and came up with solutions to the current mess instead of making throwaway comments that generate him a few hours publicity and would make Sindo hacks cream themselves.

Of course that wont happen, because it requires thought and effort.

jock101

proon4 wrote: »

Well he is a blueshirt from the blueshirt party FG.Who were never too far away from the Queens Shilling

Where as the other crowd are never to far from thievery and corruption!:)

murphaph

proon4 wrote: »

Well he is a blueshirt from the blueshirt party FG.Who were never too far away from the Queens Shilling

Your civil war b0ll0x politics is part of the reason we are in the mess we are in now. I wish the fcuking lot of you would go away.

Einhard

PeterIanStaker wrote: »

Maybe he should get his head out of his ass and came up with solutions to the current mess instead of making throwaway comments that generate him a few hours publicity and would make Sindo hacks cream themselves.

Ummm, along with the hacks from the BBC it would seem. And the Irish Times. And the Examiner.

PeterIanStaker

Einhard wrote: »

Ummm, along with the hacks from the BBC it would seem. And the Irish Times. And the Examiner.

I seriously doubt the English would want us back. They waste enough money keeping NI on life support as it is.

Rejoining the UK is as invalid and outdated as a united Ireland.

The civil war mentality, FF and FG, dumb and dumber, is also redundant, but it shows no sign of going away either.

Ring just handed FF a few votes - "ah shur jasus Mick, dat lad'd have de Brits ovir heeor"


*also, Einhard, as resident counter-Indo sniper, I gotta take my shot*

HarryPotter41

Einhard wrote: »

Yes, but it was deliberately nonsensical, which is what people seem to be overlooking. It was said to elicit a laugh, which it did, and also to get a more serious point across. Which, IMO, it did.

Which is what he does all the time, plays for laughs, hes a front bench spokesman, time for him to cop on a tad.

jackbenimble

slimjimmc wrote: »

If that is true (which is ain't 'cos the EU don't control our corporate tax policy or defence policy for example) then every EU member, including the UK, is likewise ruled by the EU, no?

First of all, all aspects of The Irish tax and spend policy are impacted on by Ireland's membership of The Euro.

Secondly, Ireland has no credible defence policy and is dependent on countries like The US and The UK fighting wars world wide to secure the oil pipe lines that act as the arteries of the west's economy - including Ireland's. Said 'ARMED' western nations also provide global deterrence against those states that would prey on the weak - i.e. such as The Irish.

Beyond this, Irish laws MUST comply with EU rulings. This is not the same as SHOULD comply (as in the case of powerful states such as The UK). Should The Irish attempt to 'plough their own furlough', they would find out just how much The EU called the shots.

Your response to my statement is no surprise and reflects the imaginary world that most of The Irish live in.

Einhard

PeterIanStaker wrote: »

I seriously doubt the English would want us back. They waste enough money keeping NI on life support as it is.

Rejoining the UK is as invalid and outdated as a united Ireland.

The civil war mentality, FF and FG, dumb and dumber, is also redundant, but it shows no sign of going away either.

Ring just handed FF a few votes - "ah shur jasus Mick, dat lad'd have de Brits ovir heeor"


*also, Einhard, as resident counter-Indo sniper, I gotta take my shot*

You can be damn sure they don't want us back! If they had half a chance they'd dump the North on us too, despite all the nonsense that goes around about "British occupation".

*also, as Sir Anthony O' Reilly's lackey, and all round gopher for the cause, I'll always be here with a rebuttal!*:D

PeterIanStaker

Einhard wrote: »

*also, as Sir Anthony O' Reilly's lackey, and all round gopher for the cause, I'll always be here with a rebuttal!*:D

Aw no, don't be a lackey, be your own person.

PeterIanStaker

Einhard wrote: »

*also, as Sir Anthony O' Reilly's lackey, and all round gopher for the cause, I'll always be here with a rebuttal!*:D

Aw no, don't be a lackey, be your own person!

proon4

jock101 wrote: »

Where as the other crowd are never to far from thievery and corruption!:)

EXACTLY!!!!!!.....Im glad were agreed on that

Shea O'Meara

Terrontress wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11652926



I can't see anything about this elsewhere on the Politics forum so apologies if there is already an active thread.

I cannot believe that this man can be serious. Let's be honest, if it was the correct decision and the majority of people agreed with it, what good could the Queen do?

He seems to just be creating a soundbite to be vilified by the people who pay his wages.

He's obviously being sarcastic. Basically saying the government made such a balls of things the Queen may as well run the place.
Storm in a tea cup. But I guess the likes of FFail will clutch onto this straw.

Einhard

PeterIanStaker wrote: »

Aw no, don't be a lackey, be your own person!

But he pays me so well!!

Amhran Nua

jackbenimble wrote: »

First of all, all aspects of The Irish tax and spend policy are impacted on by Ireland's membership of The Euro.

Irish taxation policy is a source of constant irritation to the EU, so this isn't true.

jackbenimble wrote: »

Secondly, Ireland has no credible defence policy and is dependent on countries like The US and The UK fighting wars world wide to secure the oil pipe lines that act as the arteries of the west's economy - including Ireland's. Said 'ARMED' western nations also provide global deterrence against those states that would prey on the weak - i.e. such as The Irish.

The UK almost lost a war with that global superpower, Argentina, back in the 80s. I doubt many "predatory" states would be trembling at the thought of going against the UK these days. In any case, which do you think is more likely, that Middle Eastern countries will sit on their oil reserves and watch the sun set over the dunes through the tent flaps, or sell it to the west and build their countries from that wealth? There is no need to go to war to secure oil, unless you want it cost price. And even then that won't be passed on at the pump.

jackbenimble wrote: »

Beyond this, Irish laws MUST comply with EU rulings. This is not the same as SHOULD comply (as in the case of powerful states such as The UK). Should The Irish attempt to 'plough their own furlough', they would find out just how much The EU called the shots.

So what's the story with VRT? Compliance with EU regulations can be pretty hit and miss in all EU states.

rightwingdub

Michael Ring is a gombeen, parish pump politician. Then agin I'm not taking his comments seriously and some people on this thread need to lighten up.

jackbenimble

Amhran Nua wrote: »

Irish taxation policy is a source of constant irritation to the EU, so this isn't true.


The UK almost lost a war with that global superpower, Argentina, back in the 80s. I doubt many "predatory" states would be trembling at the thought of going against the UK these days. In any case, which do you think is more likely, that Middle Eastern countries will sit on their oil reserves and watch the sun set over the dunes through the tent flaps, or sell it to the west and build their countries from that wealth? There is no need to go to war to secure oil, unless you want it cost price. And even then that won't be passed on at the pump.


So what's the story with VRT? Compliance with EU regulations can be pretty hit and miss in all EU states.

Sorry, are you deliberately trying to prove my statement about The Oirish and the imaginary world they live in?

Well done, you passed.:rolleyes:

KeithAFC

I don't think the Queen would want the republic anyway.

Einhard

KeithAFC wrote: »

I don't think the Queen would want the republic anyway.

I don't think she's particularly enthused about the North either in fairness.

charlemont

clearly its a piss take , but it would end the absurdity that is partition ..

KeithAFC

Einhard wrote: »

I don't think she's particularly enthused about the North either in fairness.

Seemed happy in her last visit.

Einhard

KeithAFC wrote: »

Seemed happy in her last visit.

Happy to be there no dobut; not happy to have to bear the cost of running the place!! Seriously, sometimes I think that the only people who are more desperate than the nationalists to be rid of the British presence in the North are the Brits themselves!!

KeithAFC

Einhard wrote: »

Happy to be there no dobut; not happy to have to bear the cost of running the place!! Seriously, sometimes I think that the only people who are more desperate than the nationalists to be rid of the British presence in the North are the Brits themselves!!

lol. Hopefully we can hang on as long as possible.

Cú Giobach

jackbenimble wrote: »

Sorry, are you deliberately trying to prove my statement about The Oirish and the imaginary world they live in?

Well done, you passed.:rolleyes:

If you are dyslexic I apologise for the following.
If I was to write Brishít instead of British in my posts I would be called up on it.
At the very least have some respect and stop with the ignorance.

As for the Queen of Englands response to "having Ireland back" I think it would be something like this.

JustinDee

Amhran Nua wrote: »

Indeed, people have a tendency to lose their sense of humour about comments like this, and maybe rightly so. He should immediately issue an apology and clarification to be honest.

:rolleyes:
Some people should seriously take a step back and take a look at what they select to be 'outraged' at.