Partitionist abuse - The poison of the meeja?

[whiskeysteve]

Something that has been brewing in the back of my mind for the past few years was stoked again today after reading/listening online to fallout over 'partitionist abuse' during the Armagh-Laois game (though the events of the game itself are distintly linked to this post).

The 'partionist' abuse, or innocent goading if you like, has long been a feature of relations between North and South on the island, in the GAA family and beyond.

However the media coverage in the run up to and during the Irish presidential election, though not unexpected, seemed like a new low to me, in its level of politically anti northern undertone and the depths to which certain outlets would shamelessly drag up past atrocities to emotively further political agendas.

At the time it bothered me to hear privliged media figures drag up the horrors of the past, atrocities that they were relatively far removed from, and repeatedly evoke them so brazenly for debate they would pass as objective. Now even the likes of Willie Frazier wouldnt bother me in the slightest. The man obviously suffered personally and is consistently nuts in his views. But to see major Dublin based media figures go a little bit Frazieresque in their outrage on one day, and then respectfully sell the honourable history of the states founding the next day... I found this a bit harder to swallow.

Granted the extreme views from the likes of the Sindo are ridiculed on all sides but nevertheless is a brand of stringently anti republican and/or pro partionism now de riguer across the board of the major media outlets? Is it hypocritical? And is a nasty offshoot of it seeping out into wider society and the GAA?

Or maybe i'm way off the mark here. I just cant shake the feeling that this is the season of the 'nordie animals' as possibly portrayed by Joe Duffy and co 

BTW, I have no problem if folks are not republican/nationalist/unionist or whatever. I respect the sincerely held views of many Unionists.

And not for one second is this some kind of general criticism of the South, I hate the idea of starting any kind of infantile N v S crap. very specifically I find those down in Montrose house and in the major papers have a streak of individuals who pursue this sentiment.

[saffron sam2]

It certainly seems to be more of a free state thing.

[ziggysego]

In fairness, in my many many times down south, I've only experienced it twice. Both times at Croke Park. Once by a Dub supporter and the other by a Kerry supporter.

[Billys Boots]

Journalists, because of the lazy clowns they are, like to portray the extreme as normal. 

[ziggysego]

Sure you only have to look back to the lead up to the 2003 All-Ireland Final. Because it was two Ulster teams in the final, the southern media were warning that it was going to be a blood bath in Croke Park, with the two teams tearing lumps out of each other during the game and the supporters battering each other in the stands.

[Hardy]

If you're genuinely looking for an opinion from the "South" rather than having an ould whinge, here's one.

As discussed here during the Presidential election campaign, you're confusing anti-Sinn Féin feeling with anti-Northern feeling. There is indeed among a huge majority of citizens of the Republic a very profound loathing of Sinn Fein and the Provo agenda they promoted during the troubles and continue to justify today. Sinn Féin supporters continue to misinterpret this anti-Sinn Fein sentiment as anti-Northern.

As an aside, this misinterpretation seems to betray a conviction that Sinn Féin are somehow uniquely representative of the people of the Northern state or at least present the only valid or acceptable version of Northern nationalism.

However, two simple examples, one related to the Presidential campaign you cite, will serve to illustrate how wrong-headed the perception of anti-Northern sentiment is.

1. When Seanus Heaney was being sounded out as a potential candidate, the universal belief was that if he ran, it would be pointless to run a candidate against him, so popular would his candidacy be.

2. John Hume recently won a mass-participation poll run by the Late late Show to select the greatest ever Irishman.

If your point is about ignorant terrace banter between football supporters I'd only say it's foolish to take heed of ill-informed cat-calling among the uneducated, who apply a schoolboy level of discrimination in seeking out distinguishing factors to mock in their opponents. I'd be surprised if you could declare a winner in the loutishness stakes between those shouting "go back to Britain" on the one hand and "Free State bastards" on the other.

[Hardy]

I forgot to mention Van Morrison and George Best.

[Dont Matter]

It's not just an anti Sinn Féin feeling though. It's a feeling that they are not properly Irish. You'd be surprised at how common this view is held.
It comes from the long standing media campaign that vilified all Northern Nationalists not just those involved with SF or the IRA. People were given a one sided view for 40 years by the Southern media, it had to have an effect.

[trileacman]

Sure you only have to look back to the lead up to the 2003 All-Ireland Final. Because it was two Ulster teams in the final, the southern media were warning that it was going to be a blood bath in Croke Park, with the two teams tearing lumps out of each other during the game and the supporters battering each other in the stands.

Care to prove that with any links? Or are you too adding extreme hyperbole to make a point? Men in glass houses Ziggy.

Dromid got a load of abuse for running to the whore themselves to the media when they lost and couldn't accept it. To me it seems Armagh are doing the same. If McKeever had called a Laois man a "free-state ****" and got took up for it retrospectively and labelled a racist their would be uproar on here for heavy-handiness. And rightly so.

Do you really think that the North is the only ones to take abuse? When Cork and Kerry play do you think they go around saying "Hi Sean, pleased to see you, great day for a game". What next? Will Roscommon take up everyone who calls them a sheep-shagger for abuse? Will Donal-og go around looking for retrospective banning from every county who players or fans called him a "homo". Clinton Hennessy could do the same considering the abuse he takes because his brother is gay. What about Jason Sherlock or the O'Halpins, you think they were never called "black" or "chinks" or told to "f**k off back to China"?

On this board Nally Stand regularly mocks the Mexicans by addressing them in German or telling them they are controlled by Germany. Sure why don't we just ban him from it for racist remarks, sure its no different than calling a Northerner a Bristish bastard.

This is a storm in a tea-cup. There has been alot worse abuse threw out on a GAA field than this. I can think of one alleged example last year involving a Donegal player and a young Tyrone player that, if it were true, would have completely crossed the lines of gamesmanship and let a very sour taste for any person who would have heard it. Likewise I was talking to a few Cavan lads last night and they were saying that McMenamin, McGuigan and Gormley were known to sledge players to try and get a physcological edge. They didn't advocate any bans or call them cheats or racists, they just said that this kind of thing was now rife in the GAA and no-one can truly stand and back say its a disgrace without being hypocritical.

[trileacman]

It's not just an anti Sinn Féin feeling though. It's a feeling that they are not properly Irish. You'd be surprised at how common this view is held.
It comes from the long standing media campaign that vilified all Northern Nationalists not just those involved with SF or the IRA. People were given a one sided view for 40 years by the Southern media, it had to have an effect.

Do you live in Dublin or the South?

[Hardy]

It's not just an anti Sinn Féin feeling though. It's a feeling that they are not properly Irish. You'd be surprised at how common this view is held.
It comes from the long standing media campaign that vilified all Northern Nationalists not just those involved with SF or the IRA. People were given a one sided view for 40 years by the Southern media, it had to have an effect.

I've lived here all my life and I didn't notice this. Again, I refer you to John Hume and Seamus Heaney.


And Barry McGuigan. 

[AQMP]

2. John Hume recently won a mass-participation poll run by the Late late Show to select the greatest ever Irishman.

Quite an acheivement for a foreigner.

The whole Armagh/Queen's County thing is an embarassment, just fellas slagging each other on a football field and in my view, I'd rather be called a Brit by someone unsure of what county (never mind country) he is from than have him go on about my Ma or sister.

I've spent a fair time in the South with work and have come across anti-Northern sentiment only twice/three times and if that represents the wider population then it's very much a small minority who think/practice it.  The %age in the media may be higher right enough.

[Dont Matter]

It's not just an anti Sinn Féin feeling though. It's a feeling that they are not properly Irish. You'd be surprised at how common this view is held.
It comes from the long standing media campaign that vilified all Northern Nationalists not just those involved with SF or the IRA. People were given a one sided view for 40 years by the Southern media, it had to have an effect.

Do you live in Dublin or the South?

Laois.

[AZOffaly]

It's not just an anti Sinn Féin feeling though. It's a feeling that they are not properly Irish. You'd be surprised at how common this view is held.
It comes from the long standing media campaign that vilified all Northern Nationalists not just those involved with SF or the IRA. People were given a one sided view for 40 years by the Southern media, it had to have an effect.

I'd be very, very surprised, if it were a 'common' view that anyone from the north who considers themselves Irish is not as Irish as the rest of us. I have no anecdotal or quantative evidence that that would ever be the case in any significant numbers.

[AQMP]

It's not just an anti Sinn Féin feeling though. It's a feeling that they are not properly Irish. You'd be surprised at how common this view is held.
It comes from the long standing media campaign that vilified all Northern Nationalists not just those involved with SF or the IRA. People were given a one sided view for 40 years by the Southern media, it had to have an effect.

I've lived here all my life and I didn't notice this. Again, I refer you to John Hume and Seamus Heaney.


And Barry McGuigan. 

Look Hardy, I let you away with Van Morrison and George Best, but I'll see your Barry McGuigan and raise you Eamonn Holmes (an achievement in itself)