Good News from Ireland

[JohnKelly]

I see on the BBC News that the Police Service of Northen Ireland (PSNI)and the Garda are exchanging Officers for duty in any of the 32 Counties and that the PSNI intend to recruit 65 Detectives from the UK and the Irish Republic to fill a skills gap in the Force.

Ah, commonsense prevails at last.

Crime knows no borders.

John Kelly

[KL]

How is the new police service doing? A few years ago I dealt with a couple of RUC detectives on a file. They had come up an isolated spot in northern Canada to interview a potential witness to an army shooting many years before. They seemed like great guys. However, during a conversation in a bar I came away with the impression that I wouldn't like to be the subject of one of their investigations if I was Catholic. The whole Irish situation doesn't make a lot of sense to someone living in the multi-cultural/religious society we have in Canada. I hope they can get it together!

[Leigh Harrington]

It will take generations to overcome 350 years of sectarian hatred. It is so ingrained into the culture there it is hard to see it ever going. It even carries over, albeit with far less violence to many parts of Scotland. In cites like Glasgow there is a distinct difference between Catholics and Protestants,most noticeably apparent in the Soccer teams. Rangers is Protestant and Celtic Catholic although watching a Celtic game on TV you would think it was an Irish team from the number of Irish flags they fly, I only saw one cross of St andrew in the crowd at a UEFA game they played. I know someone who told me that when growing up you would ask someone you met at a dance etc what school they went to.If it was St something they were catholic and that was the end of it, you didnt mix. Yet in England thats virtually unheard of.
Its incredible really that so much violence is generated by people arguing over basically whats the best way to live a good life, I have never read the bible but I am sure theres nothing in about killing people who dont agree with your interpretation of the contents of a book!

[JohnKelly]

I kid you not. This chap was a passenger on a bus that was stopped by terrorists, just outside of Belfast. The passengers were subsequently segregated into groups according to their religion, Catholics on one side and Protestants on the other.

Not knowing whether this was an IRA or a UDA roadblock, when this quick thinking lad was asked what religion he was, he replied, "I'm a Jew". "Hmmm", said the terrorist, "And are you a Catholic Jew or a Protestant Jew?";)

Cheers,

[JohnKelly]

Originally posted by KL
How is the new police service doing? A few years ago I dealt with a couple of RUC detectives on a file. They had come up an isolated spot in northern Canada to interview a potential witness to an army shooting many years before. They seemed like great guys. However, during a conversation in a bar I came away with the impression that I wouldn't like to be the subject of one of their investigations if I was Catholic. The whole Irish situation doesn't make a lot of sense to someone living in the multi-cultural/religious society we have in Canada. I hope they can get it together!

KL - I hope that the two RUC members who gave you the impression that you would not like to be the suject of one of their investigations if your were a Catholic, are not members of the PSNI, and have taken the Golden Handshake and retired.

I don't want to get into a debate about the Irish situation. I am really only interested in the Police and Law Enforcement ie PSNI and The Garda. You mentioned that the whole Irish situation doesn't make a lot of sense to someone living in Canada, mate, there is a lot of people living in Ireland who can't make sense of the Irish situation.

However, I do believe that things are on the improve and I quoted the example of the PSNI and Garda working a lot closer by exchanging Officers and also each Police Force recruiting from the 32 Counties.

I was speaking to a chap who incidently belongs to this Forum and he joined the PSNI and when I asked him how the Catholic/Protestant situation was going in relation to Recruitment and his reply was, that in the New Force there is no Orange or Green, just BLUE.

Blue, being the colour of their uniform - I thought that that said it all.

Another example which would have been unheard of a few years ago, was when the bodies of the two members, 1 x Irish Guards and 1 x Royal Irish Regiment were brought home to Ireland from Iraq for burial with full Military Honours, the Guard of Honour consisted of members of the both the Irish and British Army, using both National Flags.

So there you go, one step at a time.

Regards,

John Kelly
Australia

[JohnKelly]

In view of some recent questions and discussion about the PSNI and Policing in Northern Ireland, I thought that I would recall this Thread for information and perhaps further comment.

Regards,

JohnKelly
Australia