Presidential Election 2025

Connolly has answered all questions with calm, clarity and as far as we know, honesty.
There is one thing fundamentally clear about this woman - Connolly's and O'Cuiv's judgement of what she was going to do with her life was absolutely sound. The proof is there, people can see it and judge for themselves.

If it were so difficult to ascertain if she was still member of Eirigí or not maybe then a different role or none at all for her would have been a more wise approach by CC.

Im not fully au fait with Dáil security rules but I'd imagine the fact that Garda vetting was applied for and refused highlights that CC exercised very poor judgment in signing Ursula Shannon into the Dáil on multiple occasions while this vetting process was pending.

No attempted armed robbery charges, correct, just firearms charges successfully brought by the Special Criminal Court under the offenses against the state act. One of her accomplices had previously been convicted in the same court for being a member of a proscibed organisation.

So she sat in a car outside the arms dealers house with 2 convicted criminals, in possession of 2 automatic pistols, a stun gun and while wearing disguises and you think she didn't have intent to either imprison the arms dealers against his will or steal firearms from him? And you don't think there would not have been an attempt at violent crime had the Gardaí not intervened?

The Lowry question is pure whataboutery. I don't believe he ever received a criminal conviction. Yes, he was shown to be corrupt in a Tribunal, which I don't excuse. But equating that to active involvement with dissident republicans is farcical.

I was a bit surprised by the Daily Mail, which is owned by conservatives in the UK, making an issue of Orange Order links in HH's family like her husband. Do they want to elect the Left? Or is it just about selling newspapers?

Are we going down the American road of dragging politicians families into political criticism?

She has described herself as an Irish Republican. I hope sectarianism doesn't become part of the campaign.

The United Irishmen were founded by Protestants in Belfast. We forget that sometimes.

The problem is though Connolly is overly earnest.

A problem for you.

But its been nearly 30 years since the end of the Troubles, and the marching season has become much more peaceful, with a few flashpoints. I think Orange Order in the South is much more moderate because they have gotten used to partition.

If we exclude such people, it doesnt bode well for a United Ireland.

Sorry, @Seth Brundle I messed up the quoting.

Presidential Election 2025 - Page 326 — boards.ie - Now Ye're Talkin'

If it were my decision, I wouldn't bring someone from what I deem to be a subversive organisation who was recently released (under licence) from prison for what appear to be attempted terrorism offences into the national parliament that her subversive organisation wish to usurp.

Nor would I, unless I knew different from advice and engagement with the person.

As far as I'm concerned O'Cuiv is a sleeveen who I wouldn't ask for the time of day. I certainly wouldn't ask his judgement on someone that I believed was opposed to our form of democracy

Well if the person who put him in that position, believes the same, they have to be answerable for that, surely?

Me being a mod has nothing to do with CC's poor judgement FFS. Being a mod on a discussion forum is a long way away from bringing a subversive criminal into a national parliament. I would have the cop on to know who to bring into the Dáil.

I'm just saying that 'somebody' made a judgement call on your fitness to be a Mod. They trust your 'cop on'. Seems to me Micheál etc now want to second guess that choice now that there is political capital to be made. That would be my definition of sleeveen behaviour.

As was pointed out before, you would not give a recently released paedophile a role in a creche, would you?

As was pointed out before, you would not give a recently released paedophile a role in a creche, would you?

No I wouldn't and it isn't really comparable. A paedophile cannot be cured as far as I know.

If it were so difficult to ascertain if she was still member of Eirigí or not maybe then a different role or none at all for her would have been a more wise approach by CC.

Released early from her sentence for being a model prisoner, self-claimed her membership was renounced and recommended by Éamon O Cuív, former deputy leader of FF, isn't that good enough in your books to give somebody a chance?

Im not fully au fait with Dáil security rules but I'd imagine the fact that Garda vetting was applied for and refused highlights that CC exercised very poor judgment in signing Ursula Shannon into the Dáil on multiple occasions while this vetting process was pending.

The semi-official line I heard this morning was that the garda clearnace wasn't applied for so, although I accept the actual details are somewhat confidential so there will be different accounts for a few days until the facts become more clear

No attempted armed robbery charges, correct, just firearms charges successfully brought by the Special Criminal Court under the offenses against the state act.

So you were incorrect about the armed robbery, good to hear you admit it.

One of her accomplices had previously been convicted in the same court for being a member of a proscibed organisation.

I'm not going to bother fact checking you here but since you didn't provide a source I'm assuming it's like your armed robbery lie

So she sat in a car outside the arms dealers house with 2 convicted criminals, in possession of 2 automatic pistols, a stun gun and while wearing disguises and you think she didn't have intent to either imprison the arms dealers against his will or steal firearms from him? And you don't think there would not have been an attempt at violent crime had the Gardaí not intervened?

I don't know what her intentions were, watching those cop dramas another thing she might have been doing is disposing of the evidence. Still a crime, no doubt, but only an guesstimated opinion, just like yours. The facts of the matter are what are more important here than whatever opinionated story either of us have

The Lowry question is pure whataboutery. I don't believe he ever received a criminal conviction. Yes, he was shown to be corrupt in a Tribunal, which I don't excuse. But equating that to active involvement with dissident republicans is farcical.

So FGs former law breaker is fine but CC's isn't… It's almost as if you are applying different rules to suit your own narative

Mod: "lied" replaced with "were incorrect"

This is just second guessing now.

You do things differently and so do I and so does Connolly and so does everyone else.

Here we go again seeing as your replies are so disingenuous.

It's good enough to give someone a second chance in many fields of employment. Let's remember that Ms. Shannon pleaded not guilty to this crime. Not exactly the actions of a repentant criminal. And certainly not appropriate to be entering the national parliament regularly without Garda vetting. She now seems to have settled in a role as an Irish language activist, a far more fitting employment.

Ok so you're admitting that CC may not have even applied for Garda vetting? That makes the situation far worse with respect to her judgement. CC needs to clarify many aspects of this issue it seems.

Source for her accomplishes being convicted criminals, one for IRA membership, the other for lesser 'summary' charges i.e. more minor crimes. One of these accomplices was charged for possession of the firearms on the same date but appears not to have been present in the car. Seems obvious what his role in all this was i.e. the supplier.

Disposing of the evidence? So she was trying to sell the firearms to the dealer? But wanted to do so in disguise with 2 others while also being in possession of a stun gun and a flashlight? Anyway, these firearms are illegal, a gun dealer can't purchase them legally. And yes the facts of the crime are not detailed in the public domain but I'm invoking Occam's Razor here with my implications.

Michael Lowry was convicted for failing to keep proper books of account and of delivering an incorrect corporation tax return for his refrigeration company. Not to be equated with being in possession of firearms while in the company of criminals, one such firearm that has been used in a murder at a point in time. Also, Michael Lowry isn't running for president or hasn't been employed to work for anyone running for president without correct Garda vetting. He has nothing to do with this topic.

I think I am probably as well aware of the Orange Order as you. I grew in in a mixed neighbourhood pre-troubles. Most of our protestant neighbours took a few days off around "the twelfth" for marching. Some of them were "staunch" but most were not. When the marching was over it would be back to making hay, etc., together. There are a lot fewer members nowadays.

I should say that some (a minority) of our Catholic neighbours were "staunch" too. Some of them even murdered to prove it.

Anyway, You failed to provide any reference for your assertion that "Her husband is a member of a sectraian organisation". So I can assume you were just making it up.

You really are clutching at straws now in fairness