I did a gig a few nights before he died a charity thing and Don Concannon , a local MP with Irish connections had been there to see him and plead with him not to starve himself to death as it was obvious that the streets would run red with blood, reprisals, riots etc.

And in fact a lot of people did die in the wake of his death. I can see that Boby Sands has a lot of friends reading this thread, but don't you feel he was a perhaps a little responsible for all those bereaved people.

I suppose the answer is as always , well if you English weren't here in our country..... but in your heart of hearts I think you must realise its a bit more complicated than that.

If you read the Irish Post for a month or so, there isn't a month goes by without there being a two page spread about somebody saying they have been abused by Catholic priests - put in some teaching or pastoral role, that they would never have in any other country. Similarly it doesn't seem that long ago when the forces of law and order were getting together to try and prevent a 12 year old rape victim from leaving the country so she could have an abortion. There is no way the Northern protestants will join up with you, when the church has so much power in your society.

I suppose you're going to say I'm anti catholic, but other countries France, Germany and so on have a lot of catholic citizens without having scenarios like this.

Okay I am ill informed and stupid. I feel I have been called that in some of the messages on this thread. But these points genuinely puzzle me.