I would like to second both of you. Some time back I allowed myself to get sucked into some nastiness. I have regretted it since as I felt I had demeaned our marvellous creative community. I made an oath that I would not allow it to happen again.

alison, I have many Irish friends, a number of them from the North. Some feel as you do, others are strident supporters of the armed struggle. I know that most of the time, we 'catters prefer to stick to the music. But so much of the music of Ireland deals with the struggle, that it seems appropriate to have a discussion. Being raised in Belfast, you would be invaluable to that discussion. My own background is simply that I was raised in a very Republican emmigrant family, "raised on songs and stories, heroes of reknown" and I have been around Irish friends and relatives all my life. I could certainly add a different perspective to the discussion, but you were raised with the troubles. Give it some thought, OK?

And to all others, by its nature the subject is volatile. It need not be uncivil.

All the best,

Mick