# England vs. IRA. Gimme some perspective.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-vs-ira-gimme-some-perspective/276856>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [November 27, 2004, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-vs-ira-gimme-some-perspective/276856 "2004-11-27T10:27:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-vs-ira-gimme-some-perspective/276856/81 "2004-12-10T07:42:51Z")

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> [@duffer](#):
>
> I have a question about the photos Paisely wants. How long has that been a demand? I thought I heard something years ago about somebody wanting photos of something. Though that could have been wholly unrelated. Has that demand been on the table for awhile now, or am I thinking of something else?

I can’t recall hearing about it being a demand before this year. But in any case, in previous years it was David Trimble rather than Ian Paisley leading the unionist side, so any previous years’ demands aren’t necessarily relevant anyway.

In this round of talks, photographic evidence was first mentioned in September and Sinn Féin immediately told the Governments that the IRA would not be likely to agree to it.

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**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-vs-ira-gimme-some-perspective/276856/82 "2004-12-10T14:06:09Z")

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> [@ZombiesAteMyBrain](#):
>
> Paisley has said umpteen times that he will not sit down with Sinn Fein, so I think that this photographic evidence business is just the first step in his plan. As soon as he achieves it, he’ll find something else to ‘renegotiate’ in the GFA.
> 
> He says he wants apologies from the IRA, and “These people have to repent their evil deeds and show they have repented,” - but I have never once heard him apologise for his physical attacks on civil rights marchers, or on gay activists, abortion clinics etc. If there is going to be public repentance, surely, to mean anything, it should come from all parties involved - otherwise, to people who remember his behavior in the 60’s and 70’s, he is just showing himself to be a grade A hypocrite.

I’m inclined to agree with what you say about Paisley. I don’t have the depth of knowledge about the finer details of what we euphamistically call the “troubles” that you do, but it’s very hard to be sympathetic to anything Paisley says, actually it’s an impossibility for me. He doesn’t come across as a very pleasant man. Personally I’m convinced rightly or wrongly that he is a major stumbling block to a proper peace in NI.  
Unless everyone is prepared to let the past go, this process will get nowhere. I don’t believe that expressing apologies means very much, the damage has already been done - from both sides.

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