He makes a good point on unity talks

When Ryan Tubridy announced he was leaving the @RTELateLateShow I think I was the first person to suggest publicly on X that Patrick Kielty should become the new host. And it was that interview you posted that made me think of him as being the best for the job. What he said there, with such clarity and such foresight, was stunning. It cut through all the bullshit throwaway opinions and obfuscation and a-nation-once-again-everything-will-be-beautiful crap. He seemed like the only one who got it and I'm sure he encouraged many people to see this issue differently. Sometimes when you look at things as they are and not as you want them to be you'll get the best out of an interview. It's why I initially suggested him in an X thread asking who should replace Tubridy as the Late Late host.

@RTELateLateShow You see the pureness in people Rory , I have a lot of time for people like Patrick and yourself , no bullshit talking and very straight to the point ☝️

@1rorycowan @RTELateLateShow Rory is a bellend, don't be fooled kelly, he will block you if you have a different opinion that him or challenge him.

@1rorycowan @RTELateLateShow I do have many different opinions than Rory and he's always been pleasant to me

Up the Ra is harmless, according to Tommy Tiernan. Its offensive & disrespectful to an entire community.

No he doesn't... He's an appeaser & there's no shortage of them Seoiníní We'll stop singing "Up the RA" when you orange cnts stop singing "up to our knees in Fenian Blood" & burning our flag on your Bonnie We don't have to convince anyone of anything You get one vote

Watching Tommy, the bard, sage and great air balloon philosopher struggle to get his head around Patrick’s analysis is priceless. There’s a lot of people in the Republic who are completely lost with absence of real leadership. Kielty for @PresidentIRL

@PresidentIRL Like the owl saying goes you can't educate a fool and believe me there are plenty on here , I like Kielty he seems a very warm man with a lot of common sense

@PresidentIRL I completely agree. For devastating reasons Patrick’s understanding of the north is unrivalled. His contributions Once Upon A TIme in Northern Ireland, along with all those interviewed are definitive. Kielty is a remarkable man.

Talks are impossible when one side refuses to engage. But change is happening, demographics make that clear. In a border poll, everyone gets one vote. Unionism can either engage and influence the future, or stand aside and watch it unfold.

@Michael55287926 Do you think Gerry Adams etc will see a united Ireland

I hope his grandchildren will. A united Ireland may not come in my lifetime either, but time is irrelevant. What matters is the dream and the part we play in making it real. Gerry has played his role, and history will remember his contribution positively.

@Michael55287926 @KellyMatshall History will certainly remember the role he played in the deaths of (amongst others) two Warrington kids in 1993, three year old Tim Parry and 12 year old Johnathan Ball.

@KellyMatshall Irish history is centuries long. The Northern State? One chapter. Gerry Adams? A paragraph or two. Peace, unity, done. Next page.

@Michael55287926 @hellodavsk @KellyMatshall No mention of Bobby Sands? So will the hunger strikers be ignored in this chapter to or what?

@hellodavsk @KellyMatshall They'll never be ignored. My point is too many think that when the history of Ireland is written 100 years from now it'll revolve around 'the troubles' and Gerry Adams. Our island's history is so much more than the last half century and involves many more than Gerry Adams.

Unionist will have a vote like you and me when the border poll is called

He is 100% right about this the current people pressing irish unity like irelands future totally dissuade me and i am open to persusion but they seem to think its their way or the heighway fair play to patrick as well given his father was murdered by the uvf

Think it was the uff that murdered him and yes he's a credit to himself for not allowing that to cloud his opinion on the issue

Maybe it's my staunch unionist upbringing, but I've never once heard a case for a united ireland that makes sense. Just because we'll be united isn't enough of A reason

Now he’s the man for president. His points are so well made, so simple and so accurate. An authentic voice, reasoned and reasonable.

Nice to see the usual vitriol put aside, I often wonder how those with republican support expect those who feel British to put that aside, when they themselves will not. I’m from England, feel very English in my sentiments, although both parents are from catholic Ulster.

Did your parents move to England in taking it before you were born

I was born in a catholic mother and babies home, in Warwickshire, adopted and grew up with many Irish families, here in England. But I’ve always known my parents were Irish, only recently have I had the full knowledge. So I’m slightly disingenuous with my first reply.

Kielty is a pathetic worm of a human being. This man's father was murdered by the UDA and here he is talking about making unionists "feel comfortable" in Ireland if and when this fantastical border poll ever occurs. Genuinely repugnant behaviour.

On the UI debate, this has been the only grown up commentary I’ve heard. When he first said it I thought there would have been much more made of it……. The fact very little was, speaks volumes

a United ireland is an impossibility.

Tommy Tiernan looks like he has the IQ of a gnat and is still living in 1824. How could there be a united Ireland when he thinks singing "Up the 'RA" is "so harmless". Sectarian ignorance in one person there.

Some very good points

He's such a fair man , there is no hate in him even though loyalists killed his father , fair play to him for being so open minded

Kels, while I take Patrick’s point here, NI was artificially created to cater for & maintain a permanent Protestant majority. That majority no longer exists so what is the point in NI’s indefinite continuation?

He makes good points BUT , we are far better lying dead in our fields with our Children after fighting to the last than ever , ever even contemplating living in a United Ireland. The blood of our kin must not have been shed in vain. Seriously!

The way England is going (downhill fast) plus a Monarch who appears to believe 'Diversity is our strength', we could end up forming a new coalition between the Irish, Scots, Scots-Irish & whatever is left of GB. Having said that, ROI is heading down the same path as England atm.

As well put as I've seen from the "green" side in ages. Or the "orange side" for that matter. It's a penny that is slowly dropping down here even if it's taking time. It is the only way it can happen. I for one would give up our national anthem and much more for a united Ireland

I don't think many Irish people would be in favour of giving up the national anthem, just from what I read on here

Yeah but it is one of the first things that would have to be conceded if people truly want a proper, genuine united Ireland.

Accommodations will have to be made but there can’t be red lines in a democratic vote.

OR, unionists can fuck off if they don’t want to be part of Ireland 🤷🏻‍♂️

Patrick Kielty comes across well, with the exception of his "harmless" endorsement regarding the singing of "Up the RA." However, the most telling aspect is Tommy Tiernan’s sneering—amplified by the audience—and his complete ignorance of the topic.

UI is a pipe dream! republican leaders are terrified at the thought of their electorate waking up and asking questions like "you have controlled vast areas of NI for decades now why has nothing changed for the better?" just keep repeating boarder poll and hope for the best.

That's exactly why they don't improve the areas , they don't want to improve people's lives as they may think twice about unity , self destruction has always been planned even though people are suffering

He's absolutely correct.

He has always spoke well on the issue. And completely embarrasses most republicans

There are no 'unity talks' and there won't be.

A million people came to Ireland in the last 25 years and never asked us to change our flag or anthem but if a majority vote to join the republic we should instead listen to the minority who lost to tell us what our future should be, has this happened anywhere before in history

The problem when people talk of a “United Ireland” they think in terms of landmass, not people. If we talked about a United Ireland in the context of uniting people and doing useful gestures, respect for culture to bring people closer together that’s “United” not a land grab

iv found hes usually pretty fair

Just like Palestinians want all of Israel and no Jews !

Until they both say Up the RA is harmless...

UI can't happen for several reasons.Lots of Nationalists don't want it. At this moment Unionists will have lots of support against it. Ireland, as an island, is a total mess. Ethnic influences (esp. Islamic) are in silent ascendancy..unknown to Shinners!

The one thing I take issue with is that people who have centuries of heritage and history on this island should not need to be made feel welcome in their own land. Sometimes they talk about unionists like they're a different species and then expect them to feel the love 🙈

Full of Illegal economic migrants

Up the Ra is the least of everyone’s problems if the worlds toilet keeps turning up.