Irish Politician's Cromwell Shame

Irish politician Neale Richmond has been criticised heavily on social media today after shocking images emerged of him attending an Orange Order Rally a number of years ago and being photographed standing near a banner glorifying Oliver Cromwell.

In Germany, if a politician attended a rally honouring Adolf Hitler, and was pictured beside banners glorifying him, they would be hounded out of public life.

Yet for Neale Richmond and Oliver Cromwell it's another set of rules for some reason. pic.twitter.com/Ewae7rv9mR

— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) February 4, 2021

Cromwell’s genocide against the Irish people was one of the bloodiest in history. Tens of thousands of Irish were raped, enslaved and murdered by the violent English Protestant.

The Orange Order’s views on Catholicism are well known, but for an Irish politician to be photographed near such an image is an inexcusable faux pas.

One social media user described the event as ‘extremely concerning’.

This is extremely concerning.

— B. O'Firinne (@BOFirinne) February 4, 2021

Another Twitter user described Richmond’s inappropriate presence near the banner as ‘disloyalty towards the nation’.

Normal, self-respecting countries don't tolerate subversives like Neale Richmond. His "shared island" rhetoric is simply a disguise for political West Britonism and is emboldening disloyalty towards the nation.

Attends Orange parades with Cromwell banners👇 pic.twitter.com/nTAful1NM8

— Dáibhí Ó Bruadair (@DBruadair) February 4, 2021