Seems Lizzy's on the way...

**dahamsta** · 10/03/2011, 1:28 PM

Originally Posted by Gather round

A spokesman for the British lobby Republic claimed recently on the BBC that tourism here actually fell in 1981 (when Chas and Di married), compared with the pevious year.

I don't get the correlation with a visit from the queen to be honest. I would have thought it obvious that brits would be more likely to holiday at home when an event that created national pride happens. Did they call here on their honeymoon or something? (I was under the impression that although Charles has actually been here, he's never been on an official visit.)

So you respect her for being independently wealthy?

That's not what I said, in fact that's almost the opposite of what you actually quoted me as saying. She isn't independently wealthy, by a long stretch. There's very little doubt in my mind that she could if she had to or wanted to though.

**Lionel Ritchie** · 10/03/2011, 1:29 PM

Originally Posted by dahamsta

The closest they can come to that is this idiocy. Hence, idiots.
.

I wonder if Mary Harney had given yer wan from Eirigi a full-bodied slap of the shovel she was holding when she'd paint tipped on her...could she have claimed it wasn't an assault but rather her chosen form of legitimate counter-protest. Hmmm.

**dahamsta** · 10/03/2011, 1:31 PM

Oh that's fab. No better woman.

**Macy** · 10/03/2011, 3:00 PM

OT, but sod it - Disgraceful waste of resources Harney pushing that case. The country on it's knees after 14 years of mismanagement by a Government that included her around the cabinet table the whole time, and she wastes more garda, dpp, judge and court resources for a bit of bloody paint. She probably claimed the dry cleaning on expenses anyway. Minihan actually has the moral high ground regardless whether it was a legitimate protest in first place.

**Lionel Ritchie** · 10/03/2011, 3:29 PM

Conviction for criminal damage says to me the cops were pushing this case Macy -though they'd have needed Mary Harney to give them a statement. Minihan can pay up and then shove her high ground as far as I'm concerned. Assault is assault whatever your cause. If it was me I'd have lamped her a slap in return ala John Prescott and I'd have apologised to no-one for returning the serve.

**Macy** · 10/03/2011, 3:46 PM

Do you really think they went ahead regardless of Harney? And Is a bit of paint even assault and/or criminal damage? By that logic Noonan's custard pie in 2002 was assault as well? Just another waste of resources by Harney - I suppose in the scheme of everything shes done to the country, it's small fry.

**Mr A** · 10/03/2011, 4:02 PM

Actually I think she was dead right (assuming she had something to do with the case being brought). It was unacceptable behaviour and a self serving stunt from the Eirigi head, good enough for her.

**Eminence Grise** · 10/03/2011, 4:34 PM

The Guards didn’t need Harney to make a complaint. It was criminal damage, pure and simple. There’s a proper, civilised way to protest, and behaving like a yob isn’t it. For all her many faults, Harney carried on in a dignified way. The eirigi thug got what she deserved.

Still, you’d have to question Harney’s security. Isn’t that why ministers have Garda drivers? Maybe the Garda� pushed the case as a deterrent to other similarly minded uncivil activists.

And maybe they’ll need to up their game when the Queen visits.

**Gather round** · 10/03/2011, 4:36 PM

Originally Posted by dahamsta

I don't get the correlation with a visit from the queen to be honest

I'm suggesting merely that a high profile event in a country (be that Britain, Ireland, or anywhere else) doesn't necessarily mean a noticeable increase in tourism in/ visitors to that country. I don't claim any detailed knowledge of recent tourism trends in the RoI (other than, at the anecdotal level, that hotel prices have fallen during the recession).

I would have thought it obvious that brits would be more likely to holiday at home when an event that created national pride happens

I was thinking of foreign visitors to Britain. Just to clarify, that's what I meant by "tourism here".

Did they call here on their honeymoon or something? (I was under the impression that although Charles has actually been here, he's never been on an official visit

No idea.

That's not what I said, in fact that's almost the opposite of what you actually quoted me as saying. She isn't independently wealthy, by a long stretch. There's very little doubt in my mind that she could if she had to or wanted to though

She has a personal wealth of about �20 million even if you take the lowest estimate on her wikipedia page. She doesn't act independently in British politics, as I said. I'm not sure what point you are making?

**Macy** · 10/03/2011, 4:41 PM

Originally Posted by Mr A

Actually I think she was dead right (assuming she had something to do with the case being brought). It was unacceptable behaviour and a self serving stunt from the Eirigi head, good enough for her.

imo it's a case of two wrongs - Minihan shouldn't have done it, but Harney shouldn't have been vindictive enough to take it to court/ not stop it going to court. If anything it's made Minihan a martyr, as a lot of people agree with the sentiment she was conveying, if not the method used.

**Lionel Ritchie** · 10/03/2011, 5:06 PM

Originally Posted by Macy

Do you really think they went ahead regardless of Harney? And Is a bit of paint even assault and/or criminal damage? By that logic Noonan's custard pie in 2002 was assault as well? Just another waste of resources by Harney - I suppose in the scheme of everything shes done to the country, it's small fry.

Maybe the cops'd like to send a message to the likes of eirigi that this form of "direct action" or wtf they rationalise it as being is going to cost them a few quid too. I contend a bit of paint is assault - be it a bit, a little or a lot. What if it got in her eyes? I know it didn’t but it easily could’ve.
It basically comes down to you either believe tipping things on people is a legitimate form of protest or you don’t. I don’t.

**bennocelt** · 10/03/2011, 5:43 PM

Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

Maybe the cops'd like to send a message to the likes of eirigi that this form of "direct action" or wtf they rationalise it as being is going to cost them a few quid too. I contend a bit of paint is assault - be it a bit, a little or a lot. What if it got in her eyes? I know it didn’t but it easily could’ve.
It basically comes down to you either believe tipping things on people is a legitimate form of protest or you don’t. I don’t.

Mary Harney who had a hand in messing up the state of the nation, with the help of the smart Irish people who voted for a clearly corrupt FF led government THREE times. Now we vote for FG,we are clever now and that will sort out all our problems.
And complain about it all the time on the net cause we can.?

**dahamsta** · 10/03/2011, 6:49 PM

Originally Posted by Gather round

I'm suggesting merely that a high profile event in a country (be that Britain, Ireland, or anywhere else) doesn't necessarily mean a noticeable increase in tourism in/ visitors to that country.

It doesn't, but in this case I - personally, in my opinion - think it will. My logic is that although Britain is further along with it's recession than Ireland, I assume British people are still looking for cheap holidays, and that many of them will have holidayed in Britain last year and might like a change this year. And Ireland is cheap as chips for accomodation at the moment. Plus I think British tourism numbers have waned in recent years, so I don't think it'd take a lot to bring it up.

There's a lot of assumptions and speculation in there though I'll grant you.

I don't claim any detailed knowledge of recent tourism trends in the RoI (other than, at the anecdotal level, that hotel prices have fallen during the recession).

Oh believe me, it's not anecdotal, I've been taking advantage of it as often as I can. Hotel prices in Dublin in particular have as much as quartered, you can get fine rooms there every day of the week for less than €50, and Travelodge have a €19 offer at the moment. You couldn't get a room in Dublin a few years ago for less than €100, and you'd likely pay €125 for a bog standard room. It's less obvious in the holiday areas though, which is of course a factor.

I was thinking of foreign visitors to Britain. Just to clarify, that's what I meant by "tourism here".

Apologies, I didn't see your location, I just assume everyone one Foot.ie is in Ireland.

She has a personal wealth of about �20 million even if you take the lowest estimate on her wikipedia page.

I'd be wary of that, to be honest, it's only relatively recently that the assets of the person and the Crown have been separated, and there's still a lot of crossover. However...

I'm not sure what point you are making?

I'm not sure what point you were making either, so let's leave that one...

**Eminence Grise** · 11/03/2011, 3:55 PM

Originally Posted by bennocelt

Mary Harney who had a hand in messing up the state of the nation, with the help of the smart Irish people who voted for a clearly corrupt FF led government THREE times. Now we vote for FG,we are clever now and that will sort out all our problems.
And complain about it all the time on the net cause we can.?

You forgot to include the encryption key. (I'm guessing anything this unintelligible has to be in code, right?)

**bennocelt** · 11/03/2011, 4:04 PM

Funny guy

**dahamsta** · 11/03/2011, 7:08 PM

Ordinarily I'd give an infraction for that sort of thing in here, but to be perfectly frank I didn't understand a word of it either. I was waiting for Mel Gibson or Tom Cruise or Charlie Sheen to come along to back you up.

**bennocelt** · 11/03/2011, 8:21 PM

That your complaining about people who did Harney over with paint, she deserved it - so what? Better than moaning on the internet all the time and doing nothing.