The chairman of the National Forum on Europe, Senator Maurice Hayes, had to call for order several times during a public meeting of the forum in Donegal town on Wednesday night. Exchanges became particularly heated as the two most senior Fianna Fáil politicians present, the Minister for Sport, Dr McDaid, and Mr Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP spoke.
Up to 200 people attended and, of the 28 speakers from the floor, those against the Nice Treaty outnumbered those in favour by about four to one. Many people complained that the Government was not accepting the vote of the people.
One speaker, who did not give his name, said the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, had insulted the Irish people by saying "we must vote again until we get it right".
When Mr Gallagher replied with a strong defence of the EU and the Nice Treaty, he was drowned out by shouts of "Is this a party political broadcast?" and "You had your time paid for on TV".
As heckling continued, Senator Hayes was forced to say: "If you want to have that type of argument, you can have it outside." Most of those who spoke said they were not against enlargement of the EU, but that they voted against the Nice Treaty because of issues such as a lack of democracy in the EU, its implications for neutrality and the fact that it had never been explained properly.
"I will not vote for a treaty about which I have been told nothing. And I object very strongly that the Government has treated me and people like me as 'eejits'," said Mr Ray Byrne, to applause.
Mr Brian Gallagher, who voted Yes, said the problem was the necessity in Ireland to put each treaty to referendum. He said Dáil members should decide on such issues.
Mr Thomas Pringle, a county councillor from Killybegs, said the rights of small countries had to be protected. "Maybe they want to ratify it now to silence those small countries," he said.
Mr Seamus Hayden, a retired businessman, said he would like eastern European countries to join but he voted No because of "provisions to create a two-tier Europe".
Ms Daisy Patterson, a director of a community theatre, questioned why Ireland was "sitting with NATO-aligned countries" Ms Angela Houlihan of the Community Workers' Co-operative asked what had happened to all the Objective 1 money.
"I don't think it is getting to people on the ground," she said.
Mr Colm Shovelin from Portnoo in west Donegal praised the EU for providing money to build a community centre in his area. It would not have been possible without EU money. He added that most people now were very privileged compared to his parents' generation.
Mr Sean O'Donaghue of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation said principles of fairness and equity were not being applied in recent negotiations on fish quotas. The European Commission had backed bigger member-states in trying to take away "the small piece of the cake" Ireland had in hake quotas, he said.
An official from the Czech embassy said it was not true that smaller states were being silenced by the Nice Treaty.
Dr McDaid angered one woman by saying that people raising the neutrality issue did not understand the Nice Treaty.
Another man shouted that Dr McDaid was making a speech and the chairman should stop him.Guest speaker, Mr John Hume strongly defended the EU. He was applauded at the end of the meeting for his peace awards.