Well, I hope Her Maj. was wearing gloves.
Seriously though, I hope this leads to a more peaceful future for all.
Queen and McGuinness (IRA) shake hands
Queen and Martin McGuinness shake hands
The Queen and former IRA commander Martin McGuinness have shaken hands for the first time.
The meeting between the monarch and Northern Ireland's deputy first minister took place at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast on Wednesday.
It happened at an event organised by a charity, Co-Operation Ireland, which works to bring communities together.
They shook hands at a private meeting and later shook hands in public.
The private meeting, in a room at the theatre, involved a group of seven people, including Irish President Michael D Higgins and Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson.
The event took place at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast
It is understood Mr McGuinness welcomed both the Queen and the Irish president in Irish.
The deputy first minister is said to have commented on the Queen's visit to Dublin last year, and in particular her comments regarding all the victims of the Troubles.
A Sinn Fein spokesman said: "He emphasised the need to acknowledge the pain of all victims of the conflict and their families."
Sinn Fein said Mr McGuinness told the Queen that their meeting was a "powerful signal that peace-building requires leadership".
Later, as the Queen left to continue her Diamond Jubilee tour of Northern Ireland, the pair shook hands again, this time in public.
As they shook hands for a second time, Mr McGuinness wished the Queen well in Irish, which translates: "Goodbye and God bless."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18607911
Well, I hope Her Maj. was wearing gloves.
Seriously though, I hope this leads to a more peaceful future for all.
Takes a lot for someone to shake hands with people who blew a relly to bits. Theres a helluva lot to HMQ, long may she continue.
Might want to count her rings, afterwards...
Makes me feel physically sick - but probably a necessary step.
I note that Prince Phillip was not quite so friendly, which is no surprise given that the ****s blew up his uncle.
Took her ****ing long enough.
what 14 years? christ, Arafat was a Nobel Peace prize winner in that time frame.
Maybe we should wait and see how long it takes the US president to shake the hands of Al Qaedas leader?
The fact that the former IRA/Sinn Fein usually boycott such things.Originally Posted by seraosha
Exactly. This may be a 'domestic' terrorist situation that we're still coming out of, but in terms of history, ideology, ill-feeling etc, it's a very good analogy. Not to mention as has just been said, Sinn Fein have snubbed her previously.
Is that some sort of lost irony, or are we genuinely to believe that the Queen should have been gagging to meet a terrorist scumbag who took pleasure in slaughtering innocent civilians, including members of Her extended family?
That NORAID tin must have been fvcking chocca' in your local...
You don't handle criticism well.
Uncalled for and baseless. Same **** that Linedoggie got tarred with a year ago. And McGuinness took pleasure in slaughtering people? I'll just take your word for it.That NORAID tin must have been fvcking chocca' in your local...
Anyway it is about time they got on with it ( both sides). The visit in Republic was successful and welcome, surely normal relations in N.Ire are to be expected.
People stuck in the past like Maggie are what kept the problem going. John Major showed what a bit of forward looking can do. Even Paisley moved on.
While its great to see people moving on i cant blame people to hold hate against McGuinness,the guy is a scum bag.
Just rember what this guy has KNOWN & Done in his time in the IRAAC.
I thought Philip held himself particularly well when McGuiness turned to talk to him. Dignified but cold.
Like Obama or his successor will be lining up to shake Mullah Omar's hand? How about UBL? Did GWB want to shake his hand and let bygones be bygones?
The IRA is responsible for the deaths of approx 2000 people of which 1100 were British security forces. Expecting the British to get over that is like expecting America to get over the 3000 killed on 9/11.
A terrorist is a terrorist. Makes no difference if they're catholic or sunni.
Totally called for.
Behind Gaddafi, NORAID was the biggest supplier of weapons to the IRA.
It's an indisputable fact that elements of US society openly provide matierial for what is clearly a terrorist organisation, its also clear that the US government did not go to far out of its way to deal with the issue. The US has also refuses to extradite known (convicted but escaped) IRA terrorists.
McGuinness didnt take pleasure in slaughtering people? I guess then the same standard applies to Mullah Omar and every other terrorist responsible for American deaths, yeah?
The hypocracy you and so many other Americans display is quite astounding. Clearly you sympathise with a known terrorist group.
That is unacceptable on this forum.
Tea drinker is American, Ngati?
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