Claire Byrne and Farage

Chips Lovell

Farage is not a serious person. Why should he expect to be treated seriously. He's little more than human clickbait.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042212#Comment_118042212

British Rule, was in no way, shape or form, a "Union", and certainly not one comparable to the European Union, an organisation we voted to enter into, share a voice in (however small but that's a different debate), and can willingly leave if we want (as the UK did).

Are you seriously comparing the EU to a foreign invasion and rule for almost 800 years that resulted in a war for independence? Seriously?

I did not miss the point. You clearly don't understand it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118041402#Comment_118041402

Newstalk school of interviewing. All that matters is a squirm inducing question and a leading question to get a guaranteed soundbite, which can be played on the news.

Never ask questions where the interviewee can actually answer, where you then need to be able to ask a pertinent follow up.

iffandonlyif

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118043160#Comment_118043160

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118043223#Comment_118043223

By ‘usual crowd’ I meant the noxious nationalists of this country with their hands permanently hovering over the West Brit card, and you prove me spectacularly right in your next post. What is it with you zealots and accusing fellow Irish people who disagree with you of being beholden to England? Incidentally, it suits me perfectly to be called a West Brit. I am confident enough in my own Irishness to know it’s a ridiculous charge and am grateful for anything that distinguishes me from your kind.

As for your rejection of my claim that the two Lisbon treaties were identical, is a news report in some no-name publication really the best you can do?! The Treaty remained unchanged; what changed was that Ireland was given informal assurances on a number of issues. But anyone with a shred of sense - and I accept that that doesn’t include you - knows that the Lisbon Treaty did not pass the second time of asking because concerns the country had about abortion and taxation had been assuaged.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118043395#Comment_118043395

I always love this one.

Brexiters: " how dare you say people who voted for Brexit are fools and idiots who were duped "

Brexiters: "people who voted for Lisbon II are fools and idiots who were duped"

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118043395#Comment_118043395

I think you'll find that the noxious nationalists are those that are impressed with the focus on isolation that the Brits have pursued. Whatever flavour or Irishness you ascribe to, you're welcome to it. You and the handful of other people who spend their time complaining about pretty much every facet of what is represented by Ireland in the 21st century.

If you don't like the evidence that shows that Ireland received assurances which were adhered to, why not show evidence that the concerns of those against the Lisbon Treaty (either version of it) were founded in reality and Ireland immediately suffered as a consequence of it being adopted. You seem to know why exactly the referendum passed, how about some evidence that supports this view?

Snickers Man

Leaving aside the cheap shot about his "Up the RA!" howler. (Why should anyone be surprised by a clown being a clown?) Let's look at some of his statements and take them head on.

"Ireland made the historic error of joining the euro. You now do not have control over the levers that directly affect your economy, The European Central Bank now runs your country. Whoever you vote for doesn't really matter."

Well, having control over an independent currency DOES give you some "levers" by which to steer the economy but did Ireland EVER have such levers? Prior to about 1980, the Irish pound was pegged to sterling. Irish base lending rates were effectively set in London. In those days, interest rates were in the control of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, so the people who operated the "levers" in the 1970s were such renowned Irish patriots as Tony Barber, Dennis Healey and Geoffrey Howe. Independent accountable democracy?

For less than 20 years, between Ireland entering the European Monetary System and the introduction of the euro we had some leeway, as I understand it, but we were required to keep our currency within bands set by the EU to attempt "convergence" of all currencies to permit the introduction of the euro.

Small countries are taking a huge risk if they allow their currency to float freely without being pegged to a larger stronger one. If speculators could force a currency backed by an economy as large as Britain's to abandon a determined policy, as they did in September 1992 (Black Wednesday) they could manipulate the Irish economy, or at least take hold of its "levers" effectively with small change.

"I think it's a matter of time before the Irish people say you know what. We are now a net contributor to the EU. We're not getting anything out of it."

There may well be such a point of view expressed. Whether it would win a cogent argument is another matter.

"No! No! No! No! No! Nobody, nobody on this side of the argument ever suggested putting a border back on the island of Ireland. Only UVDL, your boss nearly did that. Nobody in the British government, nobody in the NI Executive is talking about a hard border. "

Let's see how this one plays out. They're not TALKING about it but will they do it? If they tear up the protocol, refuse any animal checks on traffic across the Irish Sea and then, say, enter into a deal with some country that allows say dodgy drug-fed cattle not allowed by the EU, they will effectively be putting up a border and pretending that it was our fault. He's an utter charlatan. I think he knows this is a likely scenario if the Protocol is torn up.

"What was the point of fighting the British for 500 years. what was the point of it? Do you want to be an independent nation or governed by foreign bureaucrats? That is a debate that will happen in your country in the next few years, believe you me. Do you want to be an independent democracy or part of a European superstate?"

Well indeed. But the crucial difference is, we are a member of this "European Superstate" by our own volition and all we have to do to get out of it is write a nice letter to the President of the European Council. (Charles Michel, today; Donald Tusk when Britain left) Contrast that with what countries had to do to get out of the British Empire. The US had to fight a war for 8 years, the Cypriots had to fight. So did the Kenyans, the Malayans, the Yemenis. India and Pakistan went for the non violent route but still endured decades of repression, massacre, famine and eventually a perfunctory skedaddle and partition which caused millions of deaths.

I don't think the EU and the British Empire are comparable in that regard.

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118043655#Comment_118043655

I see you've moved on from being concerned about ad hominem I see.

You're just ranting now. Any evidence, at least I linked to a news report. And if you think the recent conversations about tax are a direct consequence of a Treaty from 14 years ago, I don't know what to tell you. Rant away.

markodaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042257#Comment_118042257

Using a 10-second birthday greeting as some sort of benchmark to ascertain the entirety of one's knowledge of Anglo-Irish relations....

markodaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118043328#Comment_118043328

800 years... blah blah blah....

Were the French-speaking Normans (who we invited by the way) British? People keep falling for this 'version' of Irish History, yet then have a go at someone for not knowing Irish History.

Hilarious!

The point is simple. We left one Union, the act of Union of 1801 which merged the Kingdom of Ireland with the Kingdom of Great Britan, and for 50 odd years did things ourselves until we joined what was then the EEC (we only really joined because the UK were going in which is ironic). Now we are in another Union which curtails our sovereignty somewhat.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for curtailing our sovereignty at times and being told what to do because during the 50 odd years we were on our own we made a right old mess of things. We need the Germans showing us the way. But at least I know what's it about and where most of our laws today come from...

Again ill repeat, there is a reason why the hard nationalists and Irish Republicans like Sinn Fein have for decades been against every EU/EEC referendum.

franciscanpunk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042614#Comment_118042614

Funnily enough Farage and UKIP\Brexit party or whatever other sh1te they uaed to call themselves would probably have benefited a lot in some elections from a PR vs FPTP elwction scenario. I recall them getting something like 1 or 2 of 630 off MP seats but actually roughly 10% of the overall

Donald Trump

I don't think his "up the Ra" was accidental at all. I believe he thought it would be a jingoistic slogan to get him some traction in Ireland.

I think that, in his ignorance, his shallow understanding was that "the Ra" were freedom fighters fighting against the control of a foreign oppressor. He believed that that mindset was still prevalent here and he thought he could channel that towards the EU "foreign oppressor".

Claire Byrne was 100% correct to pull him up on his shite and fair play to her for doing it

Shao Kahn

She is embarrassingly rubbish at her job.

Probably should stick with the late night chat show format. She's not really built for this head-to-head serious type stuff.

The_Kew_Tour

Farage is not worth listening too and he is total tit, but a proper presenter would have destroyed him the other night, Byrne is nowhere near good enough to do it.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118041417#Comment_118041417

Touché, couldn't put it better myself 😁

This show is truely awful, the mock ups during the pandemic where just bizzare. It's full of gimmicks and utter nonsense that treats its audienceslike children, more suitable as an afternoon feel good (stupid) show.

Hard to take seriously as is her Radio show that moves from alledged serious public interest stories, to the latest trends in the world of Knitting, back to a local interest story, back to a discussion on why your Victoria sponge hasn't risen to the occasion.

What was once the premier current affairs radio program has desended into 2 hours of home economics, beauty and fashion tips fest, already adequately and awfully covered in the afternoons.

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118046091#Comment_118046091

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118046101#Comment_118046101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118046130#Comment_118046130

How do ye really feel about her? 😁

Farage has sat in front of plenty journalists, unfortunately, few are unwilling, or maybe unable to get the better of him. Claire did better than most.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118046141#Comment_118046141

Apologies, forgot to mention, can't abide her 😁😁

I just felt Farage achieved what he wanted, controversy so in that respect he won (odious invidious individual he is I might add)

Just find it hard to take Claire Byrne seriously, I was kinda waiting for her to ask Farage about his spotted dick recipe 🤣

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118045888#Comment_118045888

Well, we don't know. In an election in which they had any real chance of winning seats, it's possible that fewer people would have voted for them.

If — as I believe — their vote was largely a protest vote, it's possible that people vote for them safe in the knowledge that they are registering their protest without risking affecting the election result. The UKIP vote general election vote peaked in 2015 at 12.6%, but an analysis of that vote shows that it was highest in seats which were safe for either Labour or the Tories - i.e. people were much more willing to vote UKIP where was no real chance of UKIP winning but, where UKIP could win, voters were much more reluctant to vote for them. That suggests that, if the UK had a more democratic electoral system which attached more equal weight to all votes, UKIP would probably have got many fewer votes (but, I would guess, would still have got more seats than the 1 which they did in fact get).

The_Kew_Tour

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118046141#Comment_118046141

No she hasn't. She played a video clip that a 5 year old could press a button to that.

It just annoys me more cause I can't stand him.

Mad_maxx

I'd have preferred the UK to have remained but I don't get the animosity towards Nigel Farrage?

One person can't force millions of people to vote BREXIT, there was long a euro sceptic wing of the population in the UK

Never close to the same positivity we have always had towards the EU, we have to realise not every nation of people view things like us

Relax brah

Didn’t realise we had so many pro-brexiteers on this forum

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118046456#Comment_118046456

So you don't get the animosity towards someone who lied through his teeth to bring about something you are against.

"I don't like Brexit but" has become the new "as a gay man myself" on this site

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118046998#Comment_118046998

Yes, because he's the only politican who ever lied

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118047021#Comment_118047021

So we just can't dislike any politician then ?

He put himself way out into the spotlight with inflammatory and outlandish comments so it makes sense that all the extra attention he courts leads to extra negative attention

dudley72

IN regards to the interview, a huge tick in the box for RTE. It is all over the internet and even its own thread here. The publicity for Claire Byrne is at an all time high, so fair play to her. It looks like she seen an angle and smashed it. Would be hilarious if it came out they only booked Farage after the "Up da Ra" video because they it would prove they only booked him to make him look like an ass

mick087

What was the reason they had Nigel on the show?

Claire Byrne was out of her depth interviewing Mr. Farage.

RTE is our national broadcaster and should show more sense.

dudley72

They also have Farage wishing Gerard Adams a happy 71st birthday, looking forward to seeing him and some of the old team in Brighton at "tiocfaidh ár lá" pub

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118046180#Comment_118046180

That's wasn't the significant element of the interaction, the significant element was telling him very bluntly that he hasn't a clue about any sort of a significant mindset and has no basis to be talking like he does.

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118048648#Comment_118048648

Claire Byrne was out of her depth interviewing Mr. Farage.

Clearly, she wasn't.

dudley72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118048648#Comment_118048648

She seems to have kicked his ass twice now on her show, I don't watch her personally but can't see how she was out of her depth. Farage came out the worst on both interviews

iffandonlyif

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118048746#Comment_118048746

It was just ‘Gerard’ that he wished happy birthday to. Bit pathetic that people are getting kicks from having him say Irish slang, as if not knowing an IRA slogan disqualifies him from having an opinion.

For the slow learners, I am not expressing support for Farage. In fact, I think he is a buffoon. But as with some Democrat behaviour in response to Trump, it’s useful to see how your own side behaves in response to provocation. I have been repeatedly disappointed on that score.

Muahahaha

Clip in question, this Cameo stuff doesnt seem to be going well for him

https://twitter.com/jankell21032905/status/1450604175503544328?t=rd8ET23DSDrKafPSexb-jg&s=08

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118048971#Comment_118048971

Most people on here won't have a "side" insofar as not being British or eligible to vote. I think the UK were very silly to vote for Brexit and I'm entitled to laugh at one of the main protagonists making an eejit out of himself for a relatively small amount of money.

For a gimp who goes around proselytizing over "unelected" foreigners telling citizens what to do, he sure likes trying lecture Irish people on their history and trying to tell them what to do. So it is nice to see him being pulled up as wholly ignorant on even basic aspects of that history.

The only surprise is that his research on the topic didn't even extend as far as the Rubberbandits' accurate and educational "Up the Ra". Maybe next time he wants to educate us about our history and culture, he can pull a few quotes from it. 😂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VstDOv0C1do

McMurphy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118049070#Comment_118049070

.....

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118045888#Comment_118045888

They have only ever won 1 seat in a general election and that was Carswell in 2014 and he was defending a seat he had held as a Tory. Any other mid term Tory ship jumper lost his seat in the next election.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118048971#Comment_118048971

Why can't people just have a laugh off it. That's all we are doing is making jokes on a forum.

Far far more benign than the treatment Corbyn got. Youde swear he planted bombs the way the media and Tory voters went on.

I'm not buying your "I don't like him" thing for one second. You wouldn't be so upset about a few jokes if you honestly didn't like him

What is the fascination with Farage?

It would much more useful to just air footage of Enoch Powell's speeches/interviews. At least he had an impressive academic career (professor by 25) and military background (brigadier by 30). Massive bigot and racist but much more interesting than Farage holding a pint of ale aloft.

iffandonlyif

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118049414#Comment_118049414

Your commitment to your prejudices is genuinely bizarre. I’ve called Farage a clown and a buffoon and likened him to Trump. What more can I do?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118049465#Comment_118049465

YOur comments are always of the "I hate Farage but" variety.

To paraphrase Larry David everything before the "but" is BS.

You also claim Ireland is currently majority pro EU only because we are anti English

iffandonlyif

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118049529#Comment_118049529

You don’t deserve my time, so let’s wrap this up quickly.

I’m having to qualify my comments with expressions of dislike for Farage only because people like you are unreasonably interpreting criticism of Byrne as support for Farage. It’s ludicrous to claim my ‘but’ in calling Farage a buffoon shows I think the opposite

I said Ireland is ‘staunchly pro-Europe’ because of its anti-English sentiment. You characteristically misconstrue what I said. You need only recall the two failed referendums in a decade and animosity to the Troika to know that Ireland has not always been so positive towards the EU.

You have given me numerous reasons to believe I should have ignored you from the start.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118049643#Comment_118049643

Ah another Boards trope. The I have decided as arbiter of the conversation to say END.

Being anti bailout was to be against the decisions of the Fianna Fail government of the day not the EU.

Also the referendums had things people did not like which again is not anti EU but just negative to change that would have harmed Ireland like Lisbon 1.

I have never mentioned your anti Claire Byrne stance only your moaning about people on Boards who are having a laugh of a staunch English patriotic saying up the RA

ShagNastii

Bang of the modern day Late Late Toy Show.

A set piece produced exclusively to “get trending” on Twitter, FB and the like.

Scoffing at Farage is sooo passé. Painting him out to be a pillock is real lowest common denominator stuff. Shooting fish in a barrel.

fash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042212#Comment_118042212

One "Union" committed a genocide against Ireland, was imposed and maintained by force, impoverished Ireland & the majority Catholic population faced systemic discrimination and when, following a war we finally left, forcibly partitioned Ireland to cripple the state under the threat of "immediate and terrible war".

The other protected Ireland's interests against the British attempting to starve Ireland, prevent medicines from arriving and wage economic war on Ireland, made Ireland one of the richest countries in the world and for the first time in 900 years have Ireland (or at least part of it) true independence (including breaking economic dependence), gives loads of freedoms to Irish people, was freely joined and can be freely left and is democratic.

Furthermore, historically France and Spain in particular have both supported Ireland against the British and served as refuges for Irish fleeing English oppression.

iffandonlyif

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118049802#Comment_118049802

genocide against Ireland

That’s now taken as fact, is it?

and when we finally left, forcibly partitioned Ireland to cripple the state

Ignoring the obvious about an unwilling Ulster population threatening civil war, Ireland was a British state, so surely it was we who partitioned Ireland in leaving?

The (EU) protected Ireland’s interests against Britain trying to starve Ireland

That’s an outrageous falsehood. And I don’t need you to quote Priti Patel. If you’re going to, explain exactly how her quote justifies your claim.

France and Spain have acted as refuges for Irish fleeing English oppression

Many, many more Irish have fled to England, fleeing Irish oppression.

Faugheen

Jesus. Some amount of soup-takers here.

iffandonlyif

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118049944#Comment_118049944

Yuck. You lot and your vile nationalist cliches.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118049959#Comment_118049959

You are as bad thinking everyone in opposition to you is a nationalist.

I "took the soup" for 10 years and still would be if it wasn't for Brexit so try factor that into your we are all nationalists agenda

Faugheen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118049959#Comment_118049959

Would much rather be a 'vile nationalist' than someone who looks for any reason to look for sympathy for a divisive prick like Farage and an empire which ruined the livelihoods of so many countries, some of whom are still trying to rebuild following that disgusting regime.

This thread has been turned from a thread laughing at Nigel Farage to you going on a rant about Ireland having an anti-English mindset. The ultimate deflection.

As someone highlighted earlier, it's so easy to forget that boards is in no way representative of Irish society.

markodaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118049802#Comment_118049802

Christ, so much historical revisionism there.

You honestly think the French and Spanish who had their own Empires would have granted Ireland 'freedom' had they managed to wrestle it away from Britain? I have magic beans to sell you if you believe that.

We have 'true' independence now, even though most of our legislation comes from Brussels?

Look, I am about as Pro EU as they come, but I don't live in a fantasy world that Ireland now is truly free or independent, unlike pre-1921.

We joined the EEC in 1972 and gave up a portion of our sovereignty and independence in the process in order to get rich and increase the standard of living of our people. That is a good trade-off, but people telling ya we are truly 'Free'.... sorry that ain't true either.

The EU has this thing called European Union Law which the ECJ and EUHCR rule supreme on these matters. No Irish court can overturn these laws. That is the deal we signed up to.

fash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118051321#Comment_118051321

Neither France nor Spain had sectarian anti Catholic laws - the UK did.

Even upon joining the EEC, Ireland was economically dependent on the UK with 90% of exports going there and the Irish pound pegged to sterling. The UK changed their currency for the benefit of their currency, Ireland was forced to do the same. The UK threatened 90% of Ireland's exports, Ireland almost always did what it was told. That's not independence.

As regards the decisions of the citizens of Ireland to empower the European parliament rather than the Irish one to decide and coordinate trade, safety regulations and do so on a European basis to the massive economic benefit of Ireland - who are you to say they are wrong?

Most importantly, it is in any case trivial - just because the Brexiters were able to fool their population that handing over such rule making from the EU to the Tories would be "taking back control", as can be seen by brexit, the UK has in fact lost control .

It's lost vast quantities of wealth - and the wealth which you've acknowledged that Ireland has got through EU membership is an important form of independence - it brings with it the capacity to implement things. You can't build a children's hospital without money. You can't build social housing without money. There is not much point in being "independent" but stuck in a quadriplegic body.

The UK no longer has a say on the rules & regulations in its neighbours, its biggest market (50%) and the UK no longer has the power of the EU when trying to shape the world. It has less control over refugees, less control over its economy and less capacity to react.

Ireland does. And as can be seen in the brexit negotiations, Ireland had the power to control negotiations in a way that shocked the British. That was independence in action - so yes, I very much stand by my statement that within the EU Ireland is for the first time truly independent (or at least since 1168 perhaps).