President Connolly

Brendan Bendar · 18-03-2026 08:05PM

Just stay within the rules of her office…… that’s about it

Mod: warned for trolling.

pureza · 18-03-2026 08:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124322410#Comment_124322410

I’m sure in Catherine’s world she didn’t see any disrespect for sainthood or Christian heritage either

But then she doesn’t believe in that kind of thing

Which is fine but the position is a presidency for all the people and there are considerably more Christians in this country than any of the minorities mentioned

What she did was an attempt at sterilising a Saint from his Christian background and heritage

A decapitating of what St Patrick is and always will be

adaminho · 18-03-2026 08:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124322571#Comment_124322571

You've been asked several times and have yet to produce these rules she's broken.

FrancieBrady · 18-03-2026 08:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124322571#Comment_124322571

What 'rules'?

Please show these rules?

If she has broken 'rules' surely you should be asking why she is getting away with it and who is letting her away with it.

elperello · 18-03-2026 09:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124322574#Comment_124322574

I'm not sure what you expect from a "President for all the people".

When she issues a statement/message it is for all not the majority.

As citizens we don't get a veto on what the President says in public statements/messages.

pureza · 18-03-2026 10:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124322846#Comment_124322846

I’d expect respect for the Sainthood and what it means and stands for and of course a Saints Christian core beliefs at least getting a nod on the day celebrating our patron Saint from our country’s President

What I saw was some sort of clinical secularising decapitation of the Saint

Disrespectful but not unsurprising sadly

dulpit · 18-03-2026 11:16PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124323159#Comment_124323159

I didn't hear her speech, so can't be sure what exactly she said, but from the sounds of it you're getting annoyed because she referred to somebody who's name was Patrick as Patrick? Is that where we're at now?

elperello · 18-03-2026 11:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124323159#Comment_124323159

From my point of view I see a President paying tribute to the missionary endeavours of our patron saint and linking them to the challenges we face today.

adaminho · 18-03-2026 11:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124323319#Comment_124323319

She was also referring to his early years long before he was known as a Saint (He has never been formally canonized as a Saint by the Vatican)

elperello · 19-03-2026 12:03AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124323337#Comment_124323337

I"d be happy to leave any irregularities regarding the status of his sainthood to the relevant church authorities to sort out.

Bishop of hope · 19-03-2026 12:29AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124323337#Comment_124323337

Many recognised saints weren't. St Peter even, he who holds the guarding of the gates of heaven, was never cannonized by the church.

pureza · 19-03-2026 09:07AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124323312#Comment_124323312

I think I made my view very clear

Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary and a recognised saint

Any attempt to secularise him or de Saint him is just disrespectful to his life,his ethos and his works

I’ve no problem at all with an atheist trivialising the title and importance of sainthood,that’s an individual atheist’s own prerogative

I do not expect it to be espoused from our nation’s highest albeit mostly ceremonial office

As President of Ireland,it’s an unnecessary disrespect for the beliefs and traditions of a much larger section of Irish society than the immigrants she mentioned in her speech

I respect as a citizen her secularity in her personal life

rock22 · 19-03-2026 09:16AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124323672#Comment_124323672

You need to read up on the lives of the saints. Patrick was never canonised so is not considered a saint by the church. If you have a problem with that then I think you need to take it up with Rome.

Seth Brundle · 19-03-2026 09:18AM

Mod: Lets stop this Patrick/St. Patrick nonsense please!

Bishop of hope · 19-03-2026 09:54AM

The presidents messages of late have been of striving for peace. Nothing I wouldnt expect from any president here really. I personally had huge misgivings about her before and after the election. I thought a situation like this Iran war would see her drive wedges between ourselves and our "economic:" allies. But so far I reckon she hasn't put a foot wrong. And that's me eating crow saying that.

pureza · 19-03-2026 09:58AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124323699#Comment_124323699

just then on a point of order/information to correct what the last poster said,Saint Patrick is considered a Saint by the church,they have named many churches as St Patrick including a very prominent cathedral in Manhattan

St Patrick’s day is a holy day of obligation in Ireland and his Sainthood predates the canonisation process,the recognition being formalised in the previous process as far back as the 12th century by Pope Urban 3rd

For reference to anyone interested ,its outlined in the link below

I had zero desire to be involved in a tit for tat over this in this thread and am leaving it at that

https://aoh.com/2011/03/01/st-patrick-is-a-saint/

zell12 · 19-03-2026 10:02AM

It is great to see her name elevated in the US, via Trump errors. Connolly now more globally recognised than before 🤩

lumphammer2 · 19-03-2026 01:15PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124323760#Comment_124323760

I agree …. I voted for her and am glad I did …. I think it is the place of the Irish president to speak out against wars and warmongers and promote peace ….. staying quiet about the carry on by Israel/Trump's crowd on Iran is utterly unacceptable …..

Trump saying he'd bomb an island for fun is ethically wrong ….. as wrong can get ….. and that Hegseth individual seems to be enjoying it too much ….. as if it is one of those Duke Nukem type games …… and Netanyahu assassinating all these Iranian leaders reflects more like a mafia drug cartel head honcho than a country's prime minister …..

For those who are concerned about economic issues ….. this war could severely destroy the US economy, could block fertilisers from coming not to mention oil and gas ……if it were to go on unchecked you'd end up with Covid style near lockdown measures where fuel is rationed ….. none of this would be good for the economy …..

Catherine Connolly is also a lot more intelligent than Donald Trump …… a lot more …… and she can make her point without resorting to cornerboy language …..

Peace is badly needed in the world ….. and all this war profits the few to the detriment of others ….. Catherine was 100% right when she spoke about the industry around arms and military …… and it is this very thing that swayed me to vote for her and no other candidate ….. even before the candidates were finalised ….. wars like the ones in Ukraine, Gaza, etc have gone on way too long …. and the last thing we needed was another one ….. characters like Netanyahu are influencing way too much and causing this warmongering attitude while the arms industry make a killing forgive the pun on the blood of innocent people ….. this has to stop and it is no good for any economy and only good for arms dealers ……

Too many stupid world leaders like Trump can easily be praised and coaxed into unsound warmongering policy ….. other leaders like Netanyahu must be making money out of it …… because he is more intelligent than Trump but must personally gain out of this carry on …… we are all sick of it and there are too many wars going on threatening our economic welfare …..

Catherine Connolly is also far from the only Irish leader to speak out against wars ….. Micheal Martin, Simon Harris, and Michael D. Higgins have also been vocal about this and other wars ….. one cannot sit back and let an American government destroy America obo Netanyahu and expect the world economy to be ok ….. these wars are too risky to allow continue …… and pressure needs to be put on Trump to end it and also to end this relationship with Israel no matter what ……

Butson · 19-03-2026 01:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124324190#Comment_124324190

I'm sorry to break it to you, but nobody globally gives two fecks what the Irish president thinks about this, or anything else.

lumphammer2 · 19-03-2026 01:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124324223#Comment_124324223

And I am sorry to break it to you ….. the Irish president is not the only one opposing this war ….. she is one of many and that many includes Pope Leo ….. the more oppose these wars and the unholy pact between America and Netanyahu the better ….. public opinion worldwide counts and has in the past helped bring down Apartheid policy in South Africa ….. when people say something like 'what's the point no one gives 2 fecks about what is said' then the bad guys like Netanyahu win ….. and his unholy alliance with Trump/other American leaders continues ….. and the murder continues …… my desire is for America to see Netanyahu as someone like Karadzic or Milosevic ….. because that is what he is ……

Tell me how · 19-03-2026 05:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124324223#Comment_124324223

Right wing media is full the last couple of days of the various mouthpieces many from the US complaining about what Connolly said. And some of the such as Steve Bannon, people very influential in that corner of political discourse.

So, I'm sorry to break it to you, but a great many people clearly do pay attention to their words.

Larbre34 · 19-03-2026 07:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124325013#Comment_124325013

Do you have any examples? Any clips or links to these complaints?

Bishop of hope · 19-03-2026 10:46PM

I came across tis piece about a rant by Conor McGregor. Its from the Irish Mirror. Hes a horrid little man. President, Taoiseach and Tanaiste all getting a roast.

"Conor McGregor has taken aim at Ireland's politicians in a vicious tirade - calling President Catherine Connolly a 'Godless woman' before describing Tánaiste Simon Harris as a 'cancer'.

In a rambling post, McGregor began by lamenting St Patrick’s Day as a sad day for Ireland, claiming that military barracks on this island are being used to house migrants.

He then took aim at President Connolly, stating that she 'disrespected' the religion of Irish people before claiming that she lied about an incident involving Enoch Burke’s brother Elijah. That incident occurred back in October while President Connolly was campaigning to be the next Uachtarán. During an event, Elijah Bourke was removed by Gardaí for disrupting proceedings, with the event restarting 20 minutes after the disruption.

In her St Patrick’s Day message, President Connolly used the plight of St Patrick - an immigrant who was trafficked to Ireland - as a reminder for people to be compassionate to migrants in the world today.

McGregor, who briefly ran for president last year on a right wing anti-immigration platform, used the President’s comments as an excuse to slam Ireland’s immigration policy, using the horrendous murder of Ashling Murphy by Jozef Puška in 2022 as evidence to support his claim Ireland has an immigration problem.

Concluding his rant, McGregor wrote “Simon Harris you are a cancer to Ireland. Martin, a worm.”

Taoiseach Martin has been strongly critical of McGregor in the past, while the Tánaiste earlier this week had described McGregor as the ‘worst’ of Irish society."