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Will those 3 or 4 teams with genuine designs on Sam take the Provincials very seriously?
I know winning them gives you perks (1st seed, 1st game at home) but 3 or 4 weeks without intense knock out games v neighbours might leave them in better shape for the AI series.
Thoughts?

Yes that would be  my thinking on it.  Put your feet up , forget about provincial, go in fresh to the group stage .  No suspensions, fresh legs etc.

Why would any team with All Ireland aspirations  go hell for  leather trying to win a meaningless provincial title?

I don't agree. winning Ulster gave Derry a massive lift last year. Most teams won't win the all Ireland. The provincial titles will always be silverware. Armagh came up against their ceiling at the quarter final stage. Next year a Geezer anglo Celt win would mean a lot.

I get what you are saying  but in Ulster there are a number of teams that are capable of beating each other: Armagh Tyrone Derry Donegal Monaghan Cavan .

I think 4 of those are in division 1 next year .. so let's say someone like Tyrone could possibly need to beat Derry Monaghan Armagh and Donegal to win Ulster.  If they've already been  well placed in Div 1  and already qualified for this group stage , why would they even bother trying to win Ulster? 4 tough games v 4 rivals. Risking injury suspensions and  being knackered  for the really important  matches later on . Why bother?

Will those 3 or 4 teams with genuine designs on Sam take the Provincials very seriously?
I know winning them gives you perks (1st seed, 1st game at home) but 3 or 4 weeks without intense knock out games v neighbours might leave them in better shape for the AI series.
Thoughts?

Yes that would be  my thinking on it.  Put your feet up , forget about provincial, go in fresh to the group stage .  No suspensions, fresh legs etc.

Why would any team with All Ireland aspirations  go hell for  leather trying to win a meaningless provincial title?

Jimmy Nesbitt graffiti in Portrush  after he was  at the United Ireland debate.  I'm surprised it took so long

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-63325994

You can butter it up as much as you want but the Unionist won't vote for a UI, its like turkeys voting for Christmas, or a Northern Nationalist voting to stay in the UK 

This is it though, the bit Unionism hasn't come to terms with, to achieve a majority of 50+1 you don't need a Unionist to vote for it as per the last census figures and the trends within it are suggesting it's only going the one way unless Jamie Bryson and the UVF start a shagathon within the loyal orders..

Plantation II ?

We need a GE and the brits should consignee these c***ts to the bin forever.

We thought that  after Thatcher , then Major.  But the stupid  feckers had to go and vote  them  in again   . So it's hardly surprising the way things  are

https://youtu.be/eY2FgX6dhCc

I didn't realise just how threatened Loyalists really feel!!!. What have they really to fear anyway?. The Catholic's up North will never treat them they way they treated us and the Southern brigade will probably pamper them and give them what they want. A United Ireland will do them no harm at all but I think we'll all agree they'd rather fall on their own swords first

If anything they'll get far better treatment in a UI than they currently do from London who could not give a shite about them. They'll get far more of a say in an Irish parliament than they currently do in Westminster

I honestly think  if a UI happened,  nationalists in the north  would again be the poorer for it, just like after partition.  Let's face it , the Dublin government would have to   bend over backwards to be seen  pumping money into unionist areas  in terms of housing , jobs,education etc etc .  Northern Unionists have more to  gain in a UI than northern nationalists . Unionist "culture",  orange marches , Ulster Scots, and all that  , would take off like never before

[what is the point]

Another NI election what is the point

There is none

Not in any way attempting to defend Tories here, only just trying to point out we've problems closer to home.

I would take issue with comments like "English people have short memories", as if Irish voters are superior.

Ireland is an economic time bomb. Unless there is a fundamental reset on second /multiple properties, we are currently witness to the last generation of emergency workers, key workers and other civil servants who will be able to afford to live in urban Ireland. The choice for the next generation will boil down to three: join the big company rat race, choose unemployment and social payments, or move to the few remaining areas of the island that have affordable housing.

The Tory govt have been unashamedly visible in their loyalty to the prosperity of a small percentage of the population, at no matter what cost to the rest.

But here's the thing. Income levels aren't important. Disposable income is everything. And as the Irish govt have fuelled a system whereby upwards on 75% of income is being routed to landlords and banks, the exact same scenario is unfolding in Ireland as it is in the UK. It's just not as obvious. Yet.

Great post.

Yeah. It is near enough global this kind of thing. Also for me it's very problematic because you look at inflation, controlling it etc etc. There are situations(and currently are) where there's loads of cash about it's just in very few peoples hands. That does not help a lot of people.

You're on to  something there . This is all bigger than  the Tories looking after themselves and their billionaire mates

Call me nuts , but I believe  this cost of living crisis , inflation, climate change etc is all  bound up together.  For example,  people can't afford to get on property ladder ,  and even both parents working with a kid or two  are struggling to survive .  If 2 parent families are struggling, what is  Single parent/1 working families like?  In good times , people could have 5 or 6 children, and make ends meet .  Now it's got to the stage  where if a couple are expecting,  they might seriously consider abortion as they could literally be out on the  street the way mortgages/childcare costs are .

I honestly think  this is all linked not only  to everyone being forced to reduce their  carbon footprint (I detest that term ), countries meeting their  emissions targets ,  and reducing the population  as people have less kids

Look at this crap  with the windfall taxes from energy companies.  Take the fuel costs for cars , govt could easily reduce it but they choose not  to .  Governments aren't  serving their people , they are serving  their masters in EU , IMF, Cop26 and those climate change gangsters

There's too many games these days . The same Pundits are under pressure to  deliver good regular  analysi. But it ends up those. same few pundits  churning out the same  old shite . No matter how good the    pundit and the analysis,  after a while it all  becomes stale

We didn't have this problem back in the  day with 5 or 6 live games a year

Too   much of the one thing, no matter how good it is , eventually leaves you  bored and  unfulfilled 

[They're now hearing that the British Army did run amok in Derry and Ballymurphy killing people who are just like them, they now know that the British Army were directly involved in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, they now know that the British Army and the RUC worked cheek to jowl with Loyalist paramilitaries killed people like Sean Brown and Aidan McAnespie just for their love of GAA, just like them.]

There's something happening at the minute and it's interesting to watch. Not sure if it's a reaction to being told by a Sky reporter how the Irish should behave or an acceptance of our own history but there's something happening here.

I think so too and it's the Southern media's response to this.

A bunch of Armagh or Tyrone camogs or ladies footballers and they'd be fair game for this overreaction for your one from Portadown trying to get some of the girls sacked, but they're Dubs, they're from Cork, Donegal and wherever..

So far it's been slightly more nuanced, Mullaly in the Irish Times touches on it (although she's quick to distinguish the new IRA from the Old IRA    ) as it's the young, modern Irish are proud of their Irish heritage and manifests itself in Republicanism whereas the older generations were still forelock tuggers to the English betters.

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2022/10/13/una-mullally-what-does-it-mean-to-say-up-the-ra-and-why-does-it-keep-happening/

Or maybe it's a bit of what Mulally points to but also the youth of Ireland being much better informed as to what actually happened up here during the troubles now that RTE has lost it's absolute control of the messaging relating to here.

They're now hearing that the British Army did run amok in Derry and Ballymurphy killing people who are just like them, they now know that the British Army were directly involved in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, they now know that the British Army and the RUC worked cheek to jowl with Loyalist paramilitaries killed people like Sean Brown and Aidan McAnespie just for their love of GAA, just like them.

The truth may have set the youth of Ireland free, may it set Ireland free.

They must not have got the memo about Enniskillen, Shankill, Warrington, Bloody Friday etc

Well that's exactly the point, everyone can rhyme off these list of incidents as they are constantly in the media limelight, in the way Bloody Sunday is also. Though to be fair I don't think there was an establishment conspiracy to label the victims in any of the former incidents as culpable in their own demise in the way the Bloody Sunday victims were, and quite frankly still are across a large swathe of unionist opinion in the north.

I listened to part of Nolan there, a man from Newtownards was on who said he had been caught up in an IRA bombing in 1992. He was strongly against people glorifying the IRA by singing the Celtic Symphony and was looking people banned from the airport and the Ireland team to be banned from the world cup. There was absolutely no mention of banning anyone from the centre of Banbridge.

He then said that he was lucky he wasn't 'killed innocently' and that he was lucky he wasn't one of the "1800 people that were killed innocently". To me this just sums up the entire mindset of a substantial proportion of the unionist population. That the 1800 people who were killed by the IRA were innocent victims. The remaining people who were killed by the Police Army and UVF etc were not among the innocent victims.

Nolan, neglected to challenge this nonsense from the contributor.

There weren't any UVF victims on, or Catholics asked if they were offended by the FTP songs.

Jesus wise up. Thats makes no sense at all.  He was nearly killed, hes bound to be bitter and I think you are away off there putting words into his mouth with your own interpretation.

Walk in another mans shoes before you judge. Some serious growing up needed on both sides

I didn't put words in his mouth, hence the quote marks where I directly quoted him 

I rarely listen to Nolan but put in on the wireless this morning on the way back from the school run.
He's pretending to be impartial....some guy asked him a question (can't remember what now) and he said that he can't answer questions or give opinions as then he couldn't do his job impartially.
Then he goes on to continually refer to IRA murderers and terrorists killing innocent people. By calling the IRA terrorists, he's giving an opinion. Yes the establishment and unionists would like to brand them terrorists, but by many on the nationalist side they were the defending force and were instead freedom fighters. One narrative doesn't invalidate the other.

A caller said that no-one is calling Ukrainians terrorists for fighting back against the Russians, or the French for fighting back against the Nazis. An extreme comparison admittedly, but it's a fair point. Of course, he was cut off.

The context of the song in this case I don't believe was to give praise to the IRA. It was a spur of the moment deadly tune to celebrate with. Compare that with we have to listen to every year during marching season on a planned and repeated basis that we have to accept as culture. To the emblems of loyalist paramilitaries plastered over walls, flags and band banners. Para regiment flags being erected in Derry on the eve of Bloody Sunday anniversary. Effigies and flags being burnt on bonfires. British Army collusion in murders. Its a culture of bigotry, secterianism and hate. A culture celebrating the superiority of unioism over Catholicism/nationalism/irishness.  Where is the parity?
This is a unionist storm in a teacup meant to try to divide.

The Nolan show is a platform for unionist vitriol.
But the single most obvious undertone of all of this is that they terrified. Terrified of a UI. They will say and do anything to avoid it.

That's it  in a nutshell

[You say the crown has no authority in policy making, you might want to read a little further into exactly what the English royal family are able to do in terms of interfering; and what they have done in the past when it comes to lobbying and vetting laws before they are passed.]

If you can pull up where I said I enjoy it or happy enough funding it then go ahead. Knock yourself out.. Making stuff up that I said doesn't make your post any better..

I said you might enjoy it, no need to thank me for clarifying.

If you care to look then you'll see I've said I'm not a royalist, can I understand people who are? Yes they feel they want that head of state to be a monarch and are happy enough to pay for that, if there was an opt in or out for their contributions you will defo getting plenty of 'Royalist' opting out on the fly so that they can save their money and spend it on other millionaires playing football

Fair play to you for understanding the royalist psyche, like I said I can't get my head round it - particularly people from working class backgrounds swooning over incredibly wealthy people that hate them... now adulation for millionaire footballers I find easy to understand, especially when many of the players themselves are from working class backgrounds; and unlike the Windsors footballers have actually earned their money, however overpaid they might be.

You prefer democracy, that's great, last time I heard this place was a democracy with voted in politicians (as useless as they are at present) but there is a big cohort that love that monarch thing and are willing to wave flegs at it, that's ok, it has no authority in policy making, just accept that in the UK there won't be an abolishment of that, certainly not in your tax paying or children's tax paying days

The UK is not a true democracy, a monarchy is the antithesis of democracy. You say the crown has no authority in policy making, you might want to read a little further into exactly what the English royal family are able to do in terms of interfering; and what they have done in the past when it comes to lobbying and vetting laws before they are passed.

Yeah , anyone  who thinks the royals have no power or  influence are extremely naive

Robbie Coltrane, 72

Ah for frig sake. That's  sad to hear

I liked Robbie.  He was great  in the Potter movies.

I don't understand why  that Irish player being interviewed didn't just say , there's a statement been put out already and I'm   saying no more on the matter.  Now,  do you have a question about the football? No? Well, I'm off then

[Just because the British Army were part of the establishment doesn't mean they are not terrorists.]

https://twitter.com/McHenryJames/status/1580317296803057664

100% right.
It's frustrating and angering to be honest.

Realistically if it wasn't for the exploits IRA/IRB of the 1916/1921 era there might not even be a ROI football team, so why wouldn't they celebrate them.

But t's complex.

For many, north and south the IRA are seen as heroes and not terrorists.
Likewise, many perceive the British establishment and forces as terrorists.
Both sides committed terrible acts, so why should those who see the IRA as heroes diminish their feelings and ability to express that as it will offend others with a different viewpoint?
Will the British stop wearing poppies to celebrate the activities of their fallen heroes in Ireland and elsewhere? That is offensive to some.
What about the flying of Para Regiment flags in Derry and other places where they shamelessly murdered innocent Irish catholics?  Just because the British Army were part of the establishment doesn't mean they are not terrorists. Or at least terrorised one section of a community.
Open support of UVF/UDA during marching season with bands flying paramilitary flags in nationalist areas?

Either we have the ability to express our beliefs or we dont, but the precedent must apply to all and so I think it's a bit rich for Sky Sports and others to be making such a fuss about this without applying equal scrutiny to everything else.

That's  it

The thing is , those in Britain (and northern unionist s) are ignorant  of  the behaviour of the British army, re Bloody Sunday , ballymurphy, and abroad in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kenya etc...  they have the opinion that their lads are doing such a great job , and that those other fellas are the terrorists .  You see that narrative played out every Nov when the annual poppy fascism takes hold.

Many Brits can't Understand why someone wouldn't support/wear a poppy . Then again part of that comes  from being brainwashed by the establishment/media , and the inability to  think for themselves

The GFA was 24 years ago.  Most of those girls wasn't even born in 1998,  so probably to them , the IRA might as well have been  generations ago .

I mean , I seen a photo of Michael Collins in  Varadkars office.  Sure look at the event in August at Beal na blath. 

Thousands look back with misty eyes  on the old IRA period . If the girls singing Celtic symphony is  supposedly glorifying the IRA , then surely  all the  events surrounding Collins/1916 etc , is the same? But I suppose that was 100 years ago , so that's ok