PIRA graves vandalised

[ViroBono]

The Milltown Cemetery graves of several PIRA members, including one of the Ulster Slimming Team have had yellow paint poured on them, according to the BBC.

BBC clicky

Oh dear, how sad, never mind.

Another piece of 'performance art', possibly...

 

[maninblack]

This is not the done thing, regardless of what they did or who they were.

Treat your enemy as you hope they would treat you even if you know that it is not the case.

 

[rickshaw-major]

I could obviously never condone such a thing; indeed I find it utterly reprehensible. The thoughtless animals who did this should be ..........

Who am I kidding! Its wrong but I'm not in tears. Those PIRA barstewards did a lot worse than vandalise a graveyard; they helped to populate them with a lot of innocent people before their alloted lifespan.

I'm with you VB - how sad, never mind!

 

[armchair_jihad]

Seconded, this is not the done thing

 

[Biped]

Much as I hate everything the nationalist murderers have done, I think damaging graves is completely wrong.

As it is, British forces are having to move graves of the fallen to safe areas, such as the remaining barracks.

I think that in the current climate, that of downing tools and semi-co-operation, there should be agreements in place between the two communities to respect the graves of the dead.

 

[The-Daddy]

the Shinners & Boyos in the South are guilty of doing this to the memorials and gravestones of British (Irish) Soldiers in cemetaries all over - so f~ck 'em!

 

[Victorian_Major]

Agree with MIB. Not done at all. Idiots.

 

[happyhammer]

At least they got a grave. What about the families who are still trying to get the IRA to disclose the locations of dead love ones.

FECK EM!

 

[H_FLASHMAN]

Agree with Man In Black - Not the done thing. Whilst we do not agree with the individuals buried there, they still have family and relatives who mayt have been upset by this and do not care about the political background.

As Mr MCotter said in the report: -

Padraic McCotter, chairman of the Belfast National Graves Association said three or four republicans were buried in each of the 12 plots.

"It is just wrong," he said, as experts worked to try to remove the gloss paint from the plot.

"Sixty-six British soldiers are buried in Milltown and not one of their graves is touched. That is the way it should be.

"The Republican graves should be treated in just the same way."

 

[Whiskybreath]

...

As it is, British forces are having to move graves of the fallen to safe areas, such as the remaining barracks.

I think that in the current climate, that of downing tools and semi-co-operation, there should be agreements in place between the two communities to respect the graves of the dead.

Only memorials are being moved, not graves.

Nobody has the moral right to do this sort of thing. The people affected aren't the bodies six feet down. Anyway, who wants all the old hatreds to be kept going? Only the fools.

(That's not to say that there aren't times when I wish I had my old SLR handy; just that taking out your frustrations on graves is, well, pointless as well as provocative. I don't want some DYH peeing on my plot when I'm gone.)

 

[mistersoft]

Wrong but one heart pumping purple pish here.

 

[geo7863]

Seconded ViroBono...

Oh dear, how sad, never mind!!

they were terrorist murdering scum, they should have been cremated and the ashes dropped into the nearest drain!!

 

[Cuddles]

I agree with the principle that fallen combatants graves should be honoured. However I must admit I do find the pomposity of PIRA and the Shinners quite laughable and they must be pissing steam. hopefully the PSNI will pull all the stops out to detect the unfeeling idiots who did this. Shame there wasn't a covert OP in the next grave, but then that's progress and peace for you...

Edited to add:

While I think about it...the "spokesman" who mentioned the unviolated "British" graves must be aware that they are mostly local and predominantly Catholic boys, some of whose families still tend the graves.

The cemetery has a Cross of Sacrifice, which was first erected after the 1914-1918 war. There are 102 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-1918 war and 52 of the 1939-1945 war commemorated in this site. There are also 10 Foreign National burials. Those of the 1914-1918 whose graves are not marked by headstones are named on a Screen Wall memorial near the Cross of Sacrifice.

 

[themaadone]

PIRA were not combatants, they were and still are murderers - as such they are criminals!

Perhaps if they reveal were Robert Nairacs remains lay I could have a smidgen of sympathy towards the families whose graves have been defaced.

But no, I feel nothing - graves are defaced daily and de facto by twerps non politicos who do so for fun.

This is just an added length of hate in the province and what for?

I do not honour those creatures but they lie in a graveyard and as such the graves shouldn't be touched (and they should have been ex-communicated but hey - the pope and his merry band of killers....)

 

[Lurgan_Stoop]

As has already been mentioned. The graves that were desecrated were more than likely done so by members of the same religion. ie.. those members of the same grouping who have become 'splinter' factions of bigger organisations.
I can't imagine any of the loyalist groupings taking the time to cross over to milltown. Generally too busy intimidating the minority ethnics in the village.
It's a good job there isn't an election coming up.
Nearly think people were trying to raise tensions....?

 

[amazing__lobster]

As always I am moved and refreshed by the views of my fellow ex and serving colleagues on ARRSE.

This is not the done thing, and despite what they did, the respect expected should be the same as the respect given.


You should never attack a man as he sleeps

A_L

 

[mistersoft]

As has already been mentioned. The graves that were desecrated were more than likely done so by members of the same religion. ie.. those members of the same grouping who have become 'splinter' factions of bigger organisations.
I can't imagine any of the loyalist groupings taking the time to cross over to milltown. Generally too busy intimidating the minority ethnics in the village.
It's a good job there isn't an election coming up.
Nearly think people were trying to raise tensions....?

While I still don't really care it's been done, I do agree that most loyalists wouldn't be seen dead the other side of the Westlink/M1. In five years living in the village, I only ventured across the once and that was when I first arrived. I took the wrong turning but quickly retraced my steps until the gable end 'murials' got friendlier and more familiar.

 

[OldRedCap]

My difficulty is that I do not see just what has been achieved. So far as I am able to say now, I would not care what happened to my gravestone. If I go by cremation, I'm unlikely to have one anyway. My lack of understanding also means that I do not get the desecration angle either. I cannot see that paint on a piece of stone would in any way change my opinion of the person whose remains are there interred. If he was a good person, he remains in my memory as such.

 

[bobath]

Damaging ravestones of anyone is not on. Like it or not, a lot of the PIRA fought for what they believed, they just did it in a stupid and misguided way.

Time was only the dead got any peace in NI. Doing this is only going to add fuel to very old fires. Fires we hope are going out.

 

[ViroBono]

PIRA fought for what they believed, they just did it in a stupid and misguided way.

PIRA may have started out fighting for some principle, but it was soon lost in their struggle to control organised crime. If you were here you would know that they continue to do it; they have just rebranded so as not to disrupt Bliar's 'legacy' of appeasement.

I do not condone the vandalism of graves, but nor do I have any sympathy for these creatures or their families. Perhaps if the terrorists had given more thought to the impact of their actions upon their families they would not be there now.