Martin McGuinness dies...

[Rjk]

I have a good mate who is from Tramore in the republic. His view on this seems to be that the leaders of the various factions decided to put down their guns and start the peace process when they realised it was a young man's game and they could no longer command as they had done previously. He really did hate the violence and said it just was not the Irish way at all.

I don't think there's much o a coincidence that they put down their guns at around the same time that the Catholic population became larger than the Protestant.

[protex blue]

I don't think there's much o a coincidence that they put down their guns at around the same time that the Catholic population became larger than the Protestant.

Another thought is that the Loyalist paramilitaries were taking the war to the Republican community and winning the war.

[Rjk]

Another thought is that the Loyalist paramilitaries were taking the war to the Republican community and winning the war.

I don't think you can win a war like that.

[protex blue]

I don't think you can win a war like that.

Exactly!

There are are no winners and hence why SF/IRA were forced to go down the political route.