Good Effort Ed...
But im assuming thats not short for educated. Lets try again...
Fact - gospel means good news...im pretty sure that St.Patrick brought that with him. His message can therefore very accuratly be called his gospel. And thats clearly what was meant

Posted by Martin | 22.03.10, 12:29 GMT

I love black people...perhaps i should spread the word world wide about the former confederate states in the USA and beyond and how they have behaved. oh wait...is that to say northern ireland arnt the only nation with a history and existing problem of division???well that spoils the plans to make us feel guilty doesnt it. Imagine how upset i am that americans think protestants are all backward, in the same way we all think they are hicks with pickup trucks and clan masks. Im pretty sure im not the only one not bothered by a misguided opinion. But then when you have american politicians openly praising the ira it just shows what a horribly warped view they are getting beamed across the pond

Posted by Andy | 22.03.10, 12:21 GMT

NI-BoringLittleStatelet ... to suggest that all protestants are bigoted... please tell me your not too stupid to see the hypocrisy in what you have just written. Shall i tell you afew of the things my granny said about catholics? im sure that would cause uproar. get a life sadlittleperson. I swore for i second i was listening to the ramblings of a certain roi president there.

Posted by Andy | 22.03.10, 12:16 GMT

Is your mum Catriona Ruane?

Posted by Bored | 22.03.10, 10:45 GMT

fighting over issues of the distant past, what a waste of time and energy.

Posted by Ian | 21.03.10, 22:02 GMT

I am a republican, but unlike joeboyle I really appreciate the Belfast Telegraph's coverage of news and opinion, which I regard as very balanced.

Posted by Tony Newlove | 21.03.10, 15:54 GMT

Ray usa, those same people who have never heard of the 12th or the OO , have probably been drip fed a pack of lies about the big bad Protestants and how things could eb so different in the Old Country if only they would behave themselves. I think people should read up what actually took place here down through the years as the forces of militant republicanism tried to butcher and bomb us into submission . Anyway , back to the original post , would it be acceptable to Catholics to have a St Patricks day for everyone , where no foreign tricolour flags are present and the actual flag of St Patrick is the only one present ? I think the very least they could do is rid the festivities of the bigotry and stop using it as a day to get one up on anyone else .

Posted by Gary | 20.03.10, 16:04 GMT

Hi Richard, hows it going there?
I remember one time, long ago, when my mummy taught me how to spell 'protestant'

She did it strangely, though:

p a r a n o i d

Nowadays however, I fully understand what she meant. She also taught me an alternative, separate version:

b i g o t e d

Posted by NI-BoringLittleStatelet | 20.03.10, 12:20 GMT

A couple of Ulster flags entwined with the Tricolour would be nice.

Posted by Chris | 19.03.10, 17:37 GMT

What the hell is wrong with all these loyalists/unionists on this site. This is an article celebrating St Paddy's Day and showing pictures of these celebrations, which in the past was largely religious, but as most Irish people have drifted away from religion in the last two decades it is more about celebrating our Irishness, which obviously involves the national flag of the Irish nation, the tricolour. What is wrong with celebrating our culture and identity on our national day. Some people in the North are really bitter judging by the comments on this site. No wonder you are seen as a bigoted and backward looking bunch all over the world, expecially with all the americans and canadians posting messages of joy only to see the hatred from our unionist cousins in the northeast, really its time to bring yourselves into the 21st century and shed your hatred once and for all.

Posted by Paul | 19.03.10, 17:32 GMT

sean is winding ye all up joseph your letter shows how much bitterness still exists in the north a pack of lies that is why i will not bring my children back to live with the bitterness exists there st patricks day is for everyone we had a block party in the street everybody wore green catholics,protestants,jews ,muslim no bitterness in the melting pot called the usa not one person ever heard of the 12 th or the oo

Posted by ray usa | 19.03.10, 16:04 GMT

You have to wonder just how insecure some on here are in their own identity that they feel obliged to continually rail against someone who describes themselves as Irish and coming from Ireland though they live in a region under the control of the United Kingdom.

The results of the internet poll must be getting to them....

Posted by John Q. Public | 19.03.10, 16:00 GMT

Aaaaahhhh Sean love his mummy!! However she neglected to teach him how to spell.

Posted by Richard | 19.03.10, 15:03 GMT

sean it is spelt PROTESTANT! There is NO D!!

Posted by bored | 19.03.10, 14:26 GMT

Carl, be very careful and don't be too afraid.
Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.
Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will.
Powerful you have become, the dark side I sense in you.

Posted by Ulysses32 | 19.03.10, 14:07 GMT

To Joseph:

Fact: St. Patrick was not Protestant. Protestantism did not exist at the time St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland.

Fact: The correct title is "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". You need to learn how to spell United Kingdom.

Fact: St. Patrick did not write a Gospel. The 4 Evangelists were Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Fact: St. Patrick should indeed be used as a symbol of Irish Nationality - after all he is the patron saint of the isle. Don't think the word Irishism exists.

Fact: It's "Sinn Fein" not sinn fien.

Fact: The Republic of Ireland is not in the commonwealth, does not serve London nor will it ever. The President Of Ireland is the head of state, not the British Monarch.

Fact: The point of a railway is quite irrelevvant to the rest of your post.

Posted by ED | 19.03.10, 12:59 GMT

Sean,

Can you ask your mother to teach you how to spell protestant please?

A few lessons on geography, political boundaries, and history wouldn't go amiss either.

Obviously there's little chance of you being taught respect and tolerance for your fellow British citizens though.

Posted by Jeff | 19.03.10, 12:23 GMT

So sean what are these foreign flags you speak off? The only foreign flag i know of that is flown here is the irish tricolour.

Posted by Ian | 19.03.10, 11:49 GMT

I for one am disgusted with the picture of those stormtroopers.....Are we to take it that there are troops back on the streets of Northern Ireland? Will there be Imperial Watchtowers going up along the border?!.....Or are they just a bunch of masked gunmen? I'd be disgusted at that too!
Doesn't Reg Empey look like Yoda.....

Posted by carl mclung | 19.03.10, 04:46 GMT

Fact: st patrick was protestant
Fact: united kingdome cant be called UK without Northern Ireland its based on it.
Fact : Catholics have hijacked St patrick.
Fact : Catholics need to look at the gospel of st patrick and not use it as an outlet for irishism
Fact: Sinn Fiens worse nightmare is a united ireland.
Fact: best thing for ireland is to be united - under the crown and provisional goverment in dublin and rule of the law in the uk and eventually be a dominion status like canada and australia but catholics are that bitter that cant see thats the best thing.
besides who wants ex IRA men in govement. oh sorry its the catholic people. wise up and vote sdlp and UUP they are the moderates and with a level playing field without bigotry.
FACT : we had a great railway system
FACT : both governments waste money on themselves.
FACT : vote the hardliners out.

Posted by Joesph | 19.03.10, 00:55 GMT