Northern Ireland: Former enemies come face to face

Both Republican and Loyalist paramilitary murderers got amnesties, and now both both communities over there oppose any such amnesty for British soldiers .... in that case f-off once and for all, Catholic and Protestant alike.

Freedom Ireland !

Former enemies come face to face yet our politicians up at Stormont have had 2+ years of no government. It's going to be a few generations yet before real progress is made for the majority of people on all sides

Terrorists need to be executed. I hope the cop’s family gets even.

Served with Lee , good lad , spoke very well, hopefully there be peace and no going back to the dark days

Good to see this, it must have been very difficult for the former soldier. Only though mutual respect can things improve. The British have to understand the need to be careful and diplomatic, let's not allow the extremists and ultranationalism latitude to dominate the debate. Sort out Brexit and don't disregard Irish sensibilities. Also recognise that the terrorist acts at Lough island and Ballymurphy can't be put aside. Collusion has to be addressed.

"I couldn't concieve of America being wrong" said the Vietnam veteran. "Such was the fate of so many of the boys sent to win hearts and minds, who lost their own." - Michael Maclear 'Guerrila Nation'

i am a protestant and want a united ireland as i am sick of being treated as a leper by british companies that refuse or charge abusive rates to deliver here even though we are supposed to be part of the uk pc world and ebuyer are examples

freedom for northern Ireland from the british after brexit.....

tiocfaidh ar la

The only tune that I could play was FTP and the IRA nanananaas naaa🇬🇧🇬🇧✋

Pity we didn't shift all the protestants and unionists over to the UK before the troubles began, then let them have home rule, then ban them from use of our air space

Michael will answer for his actions

Traitor in reality sorry to say

I will never brake bread with these people

As a former British soldier who walked these streets 3 times during his service and lost a few comrades I believe that this is the only way forward. I have and feel no hate, and I hope that my opposition feel the same. Only by talking can we make sure future generations live Tobin peace.
Only by talking can this happen. We are not that different.

🇮🇪🍀🌙🌗🌈🌔🕛🌖🖐️➕✔️

HELLO AM IN SHEFFIELD HERE

. dont send your sons on the the behalf of people who will never send theirs to fight a war that started over 800 years ago. By men who sent English sons to fight Irish sons....men who would have seen eye to eye and shook hands to build a future for their families but were thrown to war by regiment and by men who never knew peace..the salmon who swim our rivers dont care of the men who dictate their lives but yet the powers throw neighbours against one another.....sacrifice our men and sons but not theirs. I wont be told what king to bow before irish or another

Its just a pity life not like tis as far apart as ever . Sad but true 👍

Well done to Sky News for acknowledging that the two sides in this conflict were the IRA and the British army.

oh

Former scumbags

As a British soldier who served 3 tours of Northern Ireland and lost comrades of these troubles I feel the tours where pointless and a waste of military and civilian lives a war that was never won by either side and yet it rages on ,but never reported on TV the war is not over a victory never to be won but many more lives lost and for what ??

Would I be welcome to the rock bar in my Para t shirt? Or my sandy lid? I’d love a pint or twenty in there, just for the craic. Beautiful place, beautiful people on both sides of the divide, just spoilt by the tiny few on both sides.

The IRA also have a massive amount to apologise for. Lots of families who gave never had answers on both sides

The problem was the English never really understood the conflict on my island sadly they played into the ira hands drove up recruitment amnesty is a terrible thing both sides should be held accountable

IRA terrorist

relatively unbiased sky report that didn’t just spout “ira bad british army good” i’m honestly impressed

They used British soldiers to KEEP the divide the conservative party closed the docks and mines on the British public leaving many families destitute and told them to go into the forces many did then they sent the forces into northern lreland to make sure the people on either side stayed divided a world war 2tactix

The IRA already got letters to say they wont get prosecuted

Oh man i wish we could restart over, what a mess, deep love for ireland, their fight is just more of a reason why i want the union restored, based on mutual respect not tyranny, imagine an irish pm of the uk, would be beautiful

Don’t forget ballymurphy 11 and the new lodge six to name a few there’s many many more civilians killed by British bullets 🇮🇪32

❤

im so happy america is far away from britain and we kicked those freaks out...

Bloody Sunday, the story untold.. Martins provos`s used innocent Catholics as cover.. he rotting

Fantastic too see the two former enemies shake hands

British should have sorted it out around a table ....back in the 1920s....

Its amazing how some middle eastern mental illness lead to this.

Had a surreal moment as an ex-British soldier having served in N Ireland and found myself in the French Foreign Legion having a cup of tea with an ex-IRA terrorist in the desert during Desert Storm.

South Africa had a truth and reconciliation commission. Can Northern Ireland consider this?

Lee lavis what a traitor , the IRA had an amnesty , parasite !

Oh my Culbert

Nice to see the troubles need to be confined to history and an open friendly dialogue between all parties. If former members of the IRA actually met British soldiers like this then people would realise that we're all very similer and hold much the same values. Hate never wins ir just kills.

I’d shake the hands of both men.

Aal Brits were Targets

Fair play to Lee and Michael for doing this. The Brits should never have been there. After Ballymurphy and Bloody Sunday they should have called in the UN.

When talking about modern Ireland, one thing that needs to be mentioned was how a Protestant Irish Parliament successfully gained independence for Ireland between 1782 and 1800, during which time Catholics got most of their rights back, with most Irish people of different faiths uniting under the ideologies of either constitutionalism or Republicanism, with both in favour of varying degrees of Irish sovereignty/autonomy and increased personal rights.

This independence ended when a failed Republican Revolution in 1798 led British prime minister William Pitt to intimidate and bribe the Irish Parliament into merging the Kingdom Ireland into the UK after an initial Union vote failed. Ireland’s Parliament was forced to merge with The British one (though the courts and civil service of Ireland remained separate, but nominally subject to Westminster from now on).

People on both sides seem to have completely forgotten this chapter in Irish history, because Protestants and Catholics fighting together for an independent Irish Kingdom doesn’t fit anyone’s narrative, and yet it had a major impact on the island. Unionism, Republicanism and Constitutionalism all originate from the original Irish volunteers that used the opportunity of the American Revolution distracting Britain to revolt in 1782. This heralded the independence and has shaped all aspects of Irish politics, ever since

Now ye join up with Loyalists to stop Refugees having a safe home, whar do ye stand for?