Talk:Mark Durkan

Pro-IRA and sectarian attacks? Any proof for this?

Tactical voting in 2005 election

The Unionist people in Foyle really saved Durkan and the SDLP. I hope he remembers that. I added that to the article. -- Rebelstrike 20:33, 6 May 2005 (UTC)

Very badly written.

"The SDLP victory has been interpreted as a humiliation for Sinn Féin given the high profile they gave to winning this seat."

Twas hardly humiliating.

Not as humiliating as the SDLP's fall from grace anyway.

That sentence needed removing as it was very POV. Ben W Bell 16:21, 30 April 2006 (UTC)

Religion

Why do editors think it is necessary to mention that he is a catholic, I have seen this in a few articles on Irish politicans, it seems like a sectarian headcount.--padraig3uk 13:30, 8 July 2007 (UTC)

WikiProject class rating

This article was automatically assessed because at least one WikiProject had rated the article as start, and the rating on other projects was brought up to start class. BetacommandBot 06:10, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Hello, new contributor here with a small query - The bias of my being Irish aside, I was just wondering, why is Mark Durkan's nationality down as British?

He is a citizen of of Ireland, a nationalist, and as most other nationalists are listed as Irish, I was just wondering what the reasoning behind it is? —Preceding unsigned comment added by ConorOhare (talk • contribs) 12:15, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Durkan's nationality?

Hello, new contributor here with a small query - The bias of my being Irish aside, I was just wondering, why is Mark Durkan's nationality down as British?

He is a citizen of of Ireland, a nationalist, and as most other nationalists are listed as Irish, I was just wondering what the reasoning behind it is?

||||

ConorOhare (talk) 12:20, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

unbiased answer (I'm both)...

from Irish nationality law :

Before the 2 December 1999, the distinction between Irish citizenship and entitlement to Irish citizenship rested on the place of birth. Any person born on the island of Ireland was:

* automatically an Irish citizen if born in the Republic of Ireland; or * entitled to be an Irish citizen if born in Northern Ireland.[12]

As he was born in Derry he WAS BORN British, and MAY HAVE CLAIMED Irish citizenship. (And I guess, as a nationalist, it would be unusual if he hasn't). Wikipedia's an encyclopedia and should contain the fact he's British, not the conjecture he's Irish. Of course, if somebody has source material showing he's taken up the Irish citizenship to which he's entitled, that's another thing. Bazj (talk) 15:47, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Ok I understand your point (and I also understand that you ARE being relatively unbiased) - I've sent an Email to Mr Durkan's office at the SDLP site, would it be ok to link to his reply (I'm new here, not 100% sure if that would count as verifiable)?

It would be more or less from the horse's mouth I would have thought!?

ConorOhare (talk) 16:53, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

That seems to be the most reasonable way to resolve the question of British, Irish, or both, and within Wikipedia's ground rules. Cheers, Bazj (talk) 18:03, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Ok thanks for your help - I'll let you know how it goes when I get one back from the office.

Much Obliged,

ConorOhare (talk) 18:48, 10 August 2008 (UTC)