link

The TG4 documentary on Rose Dugdale, the English aristocrat who joined the Provos and took part in their terrorist campaign, has to have been one of the most despicable things we've ever seen on state-funded TV.

IRA member Seanna Walsh (Seanna Breathnach now apparently) was allowed to give his two cents unchallenged, and British Army atrocities were highlighted, with little or no mention of the huge numbers of civilians murdered or maimed by the Provos. If a visitor from Mars had visited, they would have thought that the IRA's struggle was akin to the Polish Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto. You could also have believed that her theft of art works had been a noble act, and that the poor owners had been guilty of some crime.

I hope no relatives of the IRA's victims were watching, but some must have been. The sickest thing of all is that, as licence fee payers, they also have to be paid to be insulted. The IRA lost the war, but with the state broadcaster pumping out their propaganda on a regular basis, it appears that they are winning the peace.

Seamus89 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 3848 - 12/01/2012 15:17:18    1092581

Well I have seen lots of programmes in RTE glorifying another woman in the past year who is head of armed forces that have committed many an atrocity in this country and others. Just hope relatives of the victims were not watching!

Real Kerry Fan (None) - Posts: 2957 - 12/01/2012 15:31:19    1092590

Seamus89
County: Kilkenny
Posts: 3023

.You could also have believed that her theft of art works had been a noble act, and that the poor owners had been guilty of some crime.

;)
Really?!!!

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13819 - 12/01/2012 15:32:18    1092591

I found it a very good program and an interesting person, there was no glorification of anything she had done. It seems most of the protaginists have moved on, a lot of the victims and many you should too. History in decades from now will judge her, not you or I.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4954 - 12/01/2012 15:41:34    1092597

Arock

Did you hear her closing line in the program? Something along the lines of 'it's vital to bring down capitalism, and preferably you do it without shooting people all around you.'

This woman should not have her extreme views dignified by giving her airtime.

Seamus89 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 3848 - 12/01/2012 16:12:55    1092625

Seamus89 - Cop on, its part of our past and TG4 make excellent documentaries in my opinion. Next you will say their should be nor docs on Michael Collins.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11651 - 12/01/2012 16:17:22    1092629

So seamus are you saying the fact she would like to achieve her aims through non violent methods is dangerous for the country? She said she would like to do achieve them without shooting people.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 12/01/2012 16:24:20    1092634

Gotmilk

I'd like to get Labour out of government. I'd like to get the public sector unions out of policy making. And preferably, PREFERABLY, I'll do it without killing people.

Seamus89 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 3848 - 12/01/2012 16:35:12    1092639

Seamus, it is a documentary, what did you expect?
Do you also have issues with the discovery channel doing documentaries on sharks and nazis? What will the families of shark attack victims or jews think??
Maybe we should all not learn about anything in case someone takes offence.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 12/01/2012 16:45:37    1092645

Tell you what seamus when you get them out you can urinate over them. I do not think anyone who thinks urinating over a dead body is acceptable behaviour can say what an extreme view is.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 12/01/2012 16:48:21    1092646

This was a story of how this woman came to join the IRA, therefore I think her motives and opinions about the north were quite pertinent to the programme.

Perhaps programmes like this are exactly what the public in the south of Ireland need to see, in order to give a fuller understanding of our history. After all, any young person who reads the indo and viewed RTE's Presidential coverage, could very well be under the impression that that the IRA destroyed the utopian State of equality and freedom that was the north pre 69. Well done TG4.

artisan (Down) - Posts: 1794 - 12/01/2012 16:53:30    1092651

Gotmilk

When did I say it was acceptable to do that? Either withdraw that comment or else go away.

Artisan

Yes, but there were some things missing from the historical narrative. Bloody Friday, Kingsmills, Abercorn, the Disappeared, etc. Thousands of people killed and maimed by the IRA, and they didn't even warrant a mention it appeared.

Seamus89 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 3848 - 12/01/2012 17:01:32    1092661

Apologies Seamus i only glanced your post on the other thread. I thought you were condoning the actions of the troops. I do apologise. But I still think you need to read a bit more into the history of northern Ireland pre troubles.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 12/01/2012 17:10:15    1092671

Northern Nationalists were discriminated against, yes. But that does not excuse the IRA's murderous campaign, nor does it explain why they killed more Catholic civilians than any other organisation in the conflict.

Seamus89 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 3848 - 12/01/2012 17:20:07    1092681

Northern Nationalists were been killed by Loyalist death squads in belfast. The provos were formed to protect the people of the area from these thugs.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 12/01/2012 17:27:09    1092687

County: Kilkenny
Posts: 3026

Yes, but there were some things missing from the historical narrative. Bloody Friday, Kingsmills, Abercorn, the Disappeared, etc. Thousands of people killed and maimed by the IRA, and they didn't even warrant a mention it appeared.

--------------
This was an account of this lady's experiences and motives, it was not meant to be an historiacl account of 30 years of violence, or indeed 5 decades of discrimination and State repression that preceded her involvement.

artisan (Down) - Posts: 1794 - 12/01/2012 17:27:47    1092688

Gotmilk

Yet the Provos went from defending people from those thugs to murdering hundreds of innocent Catholics in a remarkably short space of time.

Seamus89 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 3848 - 12/01/2012 17:57:21    1092726

What is a short space of time?
If you are bringing up the case of those that were disappeared i think you will find that the majority of those were informers. Although i honestly believe they shouldn't have been disappeared by the provos it has to be remembered that they were fighting a war.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 12/01/2012 18:15:07    1092742

IRA propoganda? It makes a change from the 26 county media pouring out their usual Unionist/Loyalist/British military/British Royalty/D4 embarrassing, fawning crap. It's very easy to spout revisionist nonsense from the safety of Kilkenny 45 years after the Northern conflict kicked off especially when you didn't live in it and have no experience of it. It galls many Northern Nationalists to have to listen to lectures from those who get their opinions and information from Sir Tony, the knight of the British realm, and his robotic lemming journalists who have their own sinister anti- Northern Nationalist agenda. Seamus, you have NO right to talk about events and circumstances you know NOTHING about. Come up to Belfast on July 11th and visit some 'Orangefest' bonfires; tell the natives in your Southern brogue how much you admire them and wait for the reaction.........something along the lines of Edward Woodward in The Wicker Man I would guess. The Provos didn't appear out of the thin air. The first sectarian murders, bombings and policemen killed in the Troubles were all carried out by Loyalists while the first civilians murdered were in Derry and the lower Falls Road by the RUC and British Army. It is shocking that many are still so naive, brainwashed and gullible when it comes to the North; then again when you have a rotten, lying media that's what happens.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9819 - 12/01/2012 18:40:30    1092759

Very well articulated, Ulsterman.

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 3033 - 12/01/2012 18:49:00    1092764