These fcuking empty heads wouldn't know what to do with a united Ireland. They'd just start blowing stuff up for another reason. Any reason. Scummy filth.

What sort of school of stupid do you have to attend to carry out a bomb attack like this?

How does bombing Belfast city centre at Christmas time, full with people enjoying life, further any cause? Ohh that's right it doesn't. Maybe it's time we stopped calling these fools dissident Republicans and start labeling them just horrible criminal scum. That way at least tit for tat is less likely.

Belfast is so full of great people who just want to enjoy their days, bombs and fleggers not needed. Asreholes the lot of them.

What damning revelations of collusion? The Smithwick Tribunal found nothing of the sort! It found on the "balance of probability" there may have been collusion. Typical political whataboutery and angling for success.

Glad to hear the PSNI chief constable is so positive about cross border policing and co=operation. Pity the politicians can't be more pragmatic.

It's OK kids, I'm trying to avoid getting on anyone's bandwagon! You clearly want to push me as a Provo apologist, which I am anything but. Lovey to see now how so many people feel the actions of either the British or Irish policing bodies or individuals within them vindicate collusion on "their" side!

I'm not a Republican nor do I want money wasted on enquirers! I like to think of myself as a failry well educated and informed realist!

I don't think I ever said Bin Laden was blamed wrongly, I do however know that he and "Al'Qaeda" was used as scapegoats to invade Afghanistan for the forth time in British Military History.

The Smithwick report said collusion of members of the Gardai with the pIRA was probable but there was not enough evidence to say definitively. Nothing that would ever hold up in a court of law was found.

Just like I think prosecuting the Para's who murdered on Bloody Sunday would be a waste of money, I think prosecuting anyone for collusion is a waste of money. Victims and family's need clarity and honesty. But I believe a line needs to be drawn, crossed and never returned on if Northern Ireland's working class wish to move on.

You can believe what you want, believe the BBC have nothing but reporting the news in a fair and impartial manner at heart. Believe that because Smithwick found a probability of collusion with members of the Gardai that this means their "side" was bad as "ours". Believe that war and military intervention world wide is about the spread of Democracy and freedom. Be wee lambs all you want!!

Mr Justice Smithwick said that "on the balance of probabilities" collusion did occur! But there was not enough evidence to name suspects.

He also said, It is also right today to acknowledge that during the course of the troubles on this island An Garda Síochána in co-operation with their colleagues in Northern Ireland played a vital role in safeguarding the institutions of the state and protecting the people of these islands, sometimes at great cost to individual members. Nothing in the report should detract from that.

Your tone of belittlement of the Irish Defence Forces is unnecessary. Smithwick has not found that the Irish State colluded in anyway. Moles in the Gardaí is not state collusion.

Dark times on this island, it will take 2 more generations before any concrete advancement is made for Northern Ireland! Until then the "ours" vs. "yours" bull will continue!

Lovely to see everyone jumping to massive conclusions and trying to take this as a victory for their side! "Oh yeah so our boys colluded so did yours, your worse".

Like a massive bunch of screaming kids. Disgusting! We are all humans and humans on both sides of the Irish conflict since the 16th century to now are guilty of murder, hate, destruction and the typical human qualities that are exploited by the few to get monetary, personal or political gain.

Let's not all jump on our respective collusion bandwagon, take it as what it is. The darkness and horror of war.

Move on and live, like ohh so many folk on both sides of the Irish divide do each day.

P.S. Lovely to see the BBC jump on this story with gusto in stark comparison to their reports on collusion from the British side.....stoking fires and pandering to agendas, as usual. Filth

Fleg, Flegs, Flegs! Northern Ireland will be just fine if the Scottish electorate vote Oui! The North is already very "foreign" to most people in the UK and sadly for some in Éire also. That's one of the challenges Northern Ireland faces; developing business, trade and openness with the rest of the island it shares, as-well as with it's big uncle across the sea!

A good, honest, capable government in Stormont would be able to do meaningful trade and cooperate with an independent Scotland if need be and make progress for all, that's the North's real worry. Good, honest, un-bigoted governance. Not the blue in some fleg that one part of the population don't care for and some of the others would smash and destroy their own home for.

Fcuk the flegs,

It's a sad thing that you and your children must live in such a way. Another clear sign that many parts of Northern Ireland as a "statelet" was doomed to failure since its inception! Major change is needed. I hope you and your kids stay safe and they learn to respect the world and their home!

Maurice you are a strange fella, it has not taken nearly 100 years for a state visit. As until 1937 the British monarch was still technically if not in reality the Head of state of the Irish free state.

Our past President (the Northern born Mary McAlesse) made many visits to Britain in official capacity but never for a state visit, likewise for Mary Robsinson. I'm not sure why you think the lack of a state visit since the setting up of Éire in 1937 is some sort of blight on our nation. It's not, maybe past presidents had more relevant work to be dealing with and the time never came up in either HOS's calendar for such a visit.

Maybe a genuinely poor colonial relationship between the two islands takes time to patch up, maybe this is the perfect time, dictated by nature and history for such a visit. We've not suffered in anyway because of no state visits in the past from our elected head of state to the non-elected, privileged monarch in Britain.

Trying to dig to find some deep foundations of the lack of state visit based on the "Troubles" is not necessary. Although the Irish constitution laying claim to the entire island until 1999 may have actually been a genuine barrier to official state visits to Britain by an Irish President.

The on-going reality of Northern Ireland is yeas of neglect and whataboutery from both Éire and Britain, a state visit would not have changed that one bit!

Soo because the North has a team of it's own the Belfast Telegraph must have a total embargo/blackout on any reporting of the success or failure of the Irish Team? Surely even the most staunchly loyalist sash loving supporter of the Norn Iron team would have some interest in the result of the match of their closest neighbours team on their first outing with a whole new (and legendary) management?

Surely that result was news-worthy enough for a newspaper? (ohh and in-case you don't now the Irish manager is from Kilrea, Co Londonderry)