IRA "fired first" in 1987 attack in Loughgall

[Maguire01]

Fcuk sake Maguire, you don't have to highlight my point even further with your indirect (or maybe just direct) West Brit / Anti Republican attitude.

Or, you could play the ball...

[Minder]

Fcuk sake Maguire, you don't have to highlight my point even further with your indirect (or maybe just direct) West Brit / Anti Republican attitude.

It's my belief that if Colin Howell and Hazel Stewart were Catholics, they'd have been locked up within hours of their respective partners dying... But good honest living respectable Protestants, surely they could NEVER carry out such a heinous crime... 

Not everyone swallows the SinnFein narrative/spin Sammy, is that not a good thing?Just because you don't doesn't make you West Brit (unless Martin McGuiness is saying it) or any less of an Irish man.

[sammymaguire]

I think it's fair to say most Volunteers knew it was a case of kill or be killed so, what happened in Loughgall that night was another terrible incident in this country's history, same as all the IRA autrocities that were carried out in the name of Freedom.

Army Cadets... Do kids join that for honing the use of a Camogie stick? Or a rifle? Look it doesn't matter if only 1% of Cadets join the British forces, it's set up to make sure as many as possible do which, when that Lord Mayor found out the true extent of what was going on, put him in a very very difficult position. I think he handled it well, he has many many people to try and keep happy and inevitably some of those people will always be pissed off regardless.

My opinion on this won't change your Unionist slant-minded opinion on the whole thing anyway, that's ingrained in you now and good luck to ya. Just make sure you remember what side your bread is buttered the next time you go to a GAA match or when the lads stop you at some random border checkpoint some time in the future.

Not everyone swallows the Unionist media sway what's put out there either Minder... That's cos some just aren't that gullible, others are.

[Minder]

So if you don't swallow the Sinn Fein slant you are swallowing the Unionist agenda? Really ? As for the Lord Mayor, he had to ring to headquarters for advice and the awards ceremony was held up for 45 minutes, you could argue he is a puppet and a lot of the flak he had received this week was undeserved as he didn't make the decision not to present the award.


So are Sinn Fein and the Gaa someway intertwined? What are you smoking ?

[ThroughTheLaces]

So if you don't swallow the Sinn Fein slant you are swallowing the Unionist agenda? Really ? As for the Lord Mayor, he had to ring to headquarters for advice and the awards ceremony was held up for 45 minutes, you could argue he is a puppet and a lot of the flak he had received this week was undeserved as he didn't make the decision not to present the award.

One of many being controlled by only a few hands.

[muppet]

If mental gymnastics was an Olympic sport, no country on Earth could compete with the Provisionals and their supporters.

Was it a war as PSF continually tell us?  If so, people get killed in war and the whole 'who fired first' question is totally and utterly irrelevant.

Was is not a war as McElduff seems to be implying?  If it wasn't, the IRA and all of their deeds were criminal.

You can't have it both ways.

Speaking of both ways, are you a proud supporter of the ideology that lead to the Great Irish Famine?

[trileacman]

Just make sure you remember what side your bread is buttered the next time you go to a GAA match.

What the f**k does that mean?

[Eamonnca1]

Just curious.  How many British soldiers (or unarmed contractors working for them) were ever arrested by the Provos? How many attempts at arrest were made?

If you've switched your mind over to the "oh but it was a war and therefore criminal law doesn't apply" mode (as some people do when this kind of question is asked) then let me ask in terms of how many POWs did the Provos take?  Did their accommodation meet the requirements of the Geneva Convention and Associated Protocols?

[trileacman]

If it's double standards, it's just amazing how many Irishmen are on here happily ignoring the fact that Britain has also been applying the exact same double standards, and how these posters are happy to just criticise the families of these eight men instead.

The thing is Nally, I personally would expect nothing less from the British. It's the apparent u turn that Sinn Fein have made on the matter that disappoints, yet doesn't surprise me. I'm more let down by the actions of SF in recent years than the Brits.

Your own opinion to which you are perfectly entitled. My own thoughts is that it is shameful that people here on this thread are happy to lambaste sf and more importantly, the families, over this whole thing; while blissfully refusing to criticise the british for the EXACT same apparent 'hypocrisy'. It seems the message the families would get from the majority of the posts by their fellow Irishmen on this thread would be, "You can't have it both ways.....But Britain can."

But the same argument could be made for the militant republican agenda. SF and their followers are happy to lambast and criticise the dissident republican movement but on the other hand defend and romanticise the actions of the provisional IRA. It seems the message the families would get from the statements by their fellow Irishmen would be "The deaths brought about by the dissident IRA are unjust and criminal . . . . . . but the provo's were grand."

[sammymaguire]

Just make sure you remember what side your bread is buttered the next time you go to a GAA match.

What the f**k does that mean?

I wonder what Aidan McAnespie's family think of the armed occupying forces of the North. Or even what Jerome Quinn another Tyrone man, what is his opinion of the British Broadcasting Corporation?

Two wrongs don't make a right but it's a matter of respect for the cause and those who stand up for their rights and beliefs

[sammymaguire]

So are Sinn Fein and the Gaa someway intertwined? What are you smoking ?

No. 2 completely separate organisations.

Sorry to bring this to your attention Minder but I think it's fair to say most sports loving Sinn Fein folk would attend GAA games and events and may even be members of some clubs and county boards. I also think its fair to say that most people in general who attend GAA games and events would have Sinn Fein as their political party of preference. I am sure you wouldn't see it that if Gerry Adams went to watch his son play for his county he'd be bringing the game into disrepute by even being there cos that's how it's coming across to me.

[Minder]

You said "just remember what way your bread is buttered the next time you go to a Gaa match"


What does that mean?

[Nally Stand]

If it's double standards, it's just amazing how many Irishmen are on here happily ignoring the fact that Britain has also been applying the exact same double standards, and how these posters are happy to just criticise the families of these eight men instead.

The thing is Nally, I personally would expect nothing less from the British. It's the apparent u turn that Sinn Fein have made on the matter that disappoints, yet doesn't surprise me. I'm more let down by the actions of SF in recent years than the Brits.

Your own opinion to which you are perfectly entitled. My own thoughts is that it is shameful that people here on this thread are happy to lambaste sf and more importantly, the families, over this whole thing; while blissfully refusing to criticise the british for the EXACT same apparent 'hypocrisy'. It seems the message the families would get from the majority of the posts by their fellow Irishmen on this thread would be, "You can't have it both ways.....But Britain can."

But the same argument could be made for the militant republican agenda. SF and their followers are happy to lambast and criticise the dissident republican movement but on the other hand defend and romanticise the actions of the provisional IRA. It seems the message the families would get from the statements by their fellow Irishmen would be "The deaths brought about by the dissident IRA are unjust and criminal . . . . . . but the provo's were grand."

Your point is one that has already been brought up by numerous posters on the board. Can't you read? Or is it just that you cannot tolerate somone quietly pointing out that if Republicans are using double standards, then Britain must be to?  Even me pointing out that Britain is doing the same thing has prompted you to try to quickly change the focus of criticism back to Republicans. Eight men dead due to British shoot-to-kill policy and you don't wish to talk about the inconsistency of their stated position of what the conflict was. Seems you can't stomach somone pointing out that Republicans weren't the only side involved. Pathetic. Keep talking like that and you'll suddenly find yourself leader of the sdlp. Or the TUV.

[Maguire01]

So are Sinn Fein and the Gaa someway intertwined? What are you smoking ?

No. 2 completely separate organisations.

Sorry to bring this to your attention Minder but I think it's fair to say most sports loving Sinn Fein folk would attend GAA games and events and may even be members of some clubs and county boards. I also think its fair to say that most people in general who attend GAA games and events would have Sinn Fein as their political party of preference. I am sure you wouldn't see it that if Gerry Adams went to watch his son play for his county he'd be bringing the game into disrepute by even being there cos that's how it's coming across to me.

I seriously can't understand where you've been going with your posts on this thread. I don't know why the GAA was brought into the discussion, nor Jerome Quinn and the BBC, nor Colin Howell or Hazel Stewart.

I also think its fair to say that most people in general who attend GAA games and events would have Sinn Fein as their political party of preference.

Limited to the six counties, obviously. Although as above, I'm not sure why we're discussing it on this thread.

[Maguire01]

Army Cadets... Do kids join that for honing the use of a Camogie stick? Or a rifle? Look it doesn't matter if only 1% of Cadets join the British forces, it's set up to make sure as many as possible do

The discussion was as follows:

Only 25 years old and the Lord Mayor of a fairly large and certainly historical and high profile City who decided at the 11th hour not to hand out a British medal of honour to a British kid heading for a life in the forces...

She was in the Cadets. How do you know she was heading for a life in the forces? Do you know what proportion of Cadets who actually join the army?

You said the kid was "heading for a life in the forces". That was mere speculation. It's probably more likely than not that she won't join the army.