Isn't It Ironic? No, Actually

Peter Hain told the Today programme this morning that it was "ironic" that the IRA had pledged to give up violence when Britain was under renewed terrorist attack. That was either highly disingenuous or the tanned one has about as much idea of what ironic means as Alanis Morrisette. It is not ironic - the IRA has been out-terrored comprehensively by this new breed of lunatics and looks about as up-to-date as a ration-card and as parochial as a church hall. Although, as has been said, it did have the first suicide bomber in Europe - Edward "eejit" O'Brien, the English-born "Irishman" who blew himself up on a bus in 1996. But that (and who could make this up?) was a mistake. Then there is the American taste of terrorism on 9/11 which seemed to change minds about the "boys" over there - so, no, Peter, it is not ironic.