Messages

In relation to tensions inside the prison, i was thinking about all these protests and the publicity around the strip searches. Would it not make sense for some group to say raise a million pounds or receive large donations from a number of nationalist parties. Buy a few of these seat scanner yokes and "donate"them to the prison service after making a large media hullabaloo about how this should solve the problem. If the prison service didn't accept them there would be outrage, it would be backing them into a corner with two clear options. Either end the feud or openly show that they don't want the feud with republican prisoners to end. I cant see how any nationalist/republican group would be against this peaceful fund raising scheme. 

Well lads, big weekend of gaa action, any inside tips for the club games? personally think cullyhanna to win by 1-3 points this evening at 6/1 is very priced. Dromore,Carrickmore, Crossmaglen, Portlaoise, St Brigids and Cookstown should form together a winning accumulator for anyone looking some free money.

Coleraine    1/5      
Loup 1/6
Ballinderry 2/7
Kingscourt 1/5   
Cavan Gaels 1/12   
Crossmaglen 1/5   
Killyclogher 5/4      
Dromore   2/7      

Works out at over 7/1. Only half dodgy one is killyclogher, but i think they should squeeze into the next round. They are an experienced team and it will be a last chance for some of their big players to make a serious impression on the championship.

Alot of money to be won this weekend. Whats everyone's views for armagh, derry and the other championships?

http://www.oddschecker.com/other-sports/gaelic-games

This website compares all the odds of the top bookies, very handy to find out which bookmakers is the best value for accumulators. In my experience William hill seems to give the best odds on GAA

10/08/2012   Accumulator (15) To Win   £15.00

Dromore @ 1/7
Match Betting
Dromore v Eglish   Pending   
   
Derrylaughan @ 1/2
Match Betting
Derrylaughan v Edendork   Pending

Errigal Ciaran @ 1/16
Match Betting
Errigal Ciaran v Moortown   Pending

Carrickmore @ 1/6
Match Betting
Carrickmore v Trillick   Win

Kilcoo @ 3/10
Match Betting
Kilcoo v Castlewellan   Win

Creggan @ 2/5
Match Betting
Creggan v Moneyglass   Win

Coalisland @ 1/8
Match Betting
Coalisland v Greencastle   Win

Cargin @ 1/12
Match Betting
Cargin v All Saints Ballymena   Win

Dungiven @ 1/8
Match Betting
Dungiven v Glen   Win

Killyclogher @ 1/2
Match Betting
Killyclogher v Kildress   Win

Bellaghy @ 2/9
Match Betting
Bellaghy v Craigbane   Win

Crossmaglen @ 1/10
Match Betting
Crossmaglen v Armagh Harps   Win

Magherafelt @ 4/11
Match Betting
Magherafelt v Banagher   Win

Ballinascreen @ 1/3
Match Betting
Ballinascreen v Steelstown   Win

Mayobridge @ 1/6
Match Betting
Mayobridge v Saval   Win

Bet is looking good so far, might hedge my bets next weekend especially on Edendork. GAA betting is by far the best course of action if a punter wants to beat the bookies imo.

Nolan coming up now in the boxing, he came through an extremely tough qualifying division. Hope he does well COYBIG

Amir Kahn on the bbc coverage of the Olympics just now, there is just something about him that makes him highly unlikable.

Republican dissidents join forces to form a new IRA

Three of the four main dissident republican terror groups in Northern Ireland are to merge and reclaim the banner of the IRA, in a major escalation of attempts to destabilise power sharing.

The Real IRA has been joined by Republican Action Against Drugs, which has been running a violent vigilante campaign in Derry, and a loose coalition of independent armed republican groups – leaving only the Continuity IRA outside the group.

In a statement released to the Guardian, the new organisation claimed it had formed a "unified structure, under a single leadership". It said the organisation would be "subservient to the constitution of the Irish Republican Army".

This is the first time since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that a majority of the forces of dissident republicanism has coalesced.

Republican sources have told the Guardian that the new paramilitary force includes several hundred armed dissidents, including some former members of the now disbanded Provisional IRA who have been conducting a campaign of shooting and forcible exiling of men in Derry City, whom they accuse of drug dealing.

It also includes what the statement described as "non-conformist republicans" – smaller independent groups from Belfast and rural parts of Northern Ireland.

Republican Action Against Drugs and the Real IRA will now cease to exist, one source close to the dissidents said.

The new organisation is planning to intensify terror attacks on the security forces and other targets related to what it regards as symbols of the British presence, according to the source.

Such targets could include police stations, the regional headquarters of Ulster Bank and the UK City of Culture 2013 celebration in Derry – which the dissidents have described as "normalising British rule".

In its statement, the new group said: "In recent years the establishment of a free and independent Ireland has suffered setbacks due to the failure among the leadership of Irish nationalism and fractures within republicanism" – a reference to the divisions between hardline republicans opposed to the peace settlement and Sinn Féin which has followed a political strategy. Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin, Northern Ireland's deputy first minister, was a leading figure in the Provisional IRA.

In a clear dig at Sinn Féin's participation in the power-sharing executive with unionists, the dissidents' statement said: "The Irish people have been sold a phoney peace, rubber-stamped by a token legislature in Stormont."

It said that the "necessity of armed struggle in pursuit of Irish freedom" against what it described as "the forces of the British crown" would only be avoided by the removal of the British military presence in Northern Ireland. It demanded "an internationally observed timescale that details the dismantling of British political interference in our country".

It also attacked the Northern Ireland secretary, Owen Paterson, over the arrest of several key republican figures, referring to him as an "overlord". "Non-conformist republicans are being subjected to harassment, arrest and violence by the forces of the British crown; others have been interned on the direction of an English overlord. It is Britain, not the IRA, which has chosen provocation and conflict."

It is understood that among the republicans who have joined the new organisation are those responsible for the murder in April 2011 of Constable Ronan Kerr, a Catholic recruit to the police service of Northern Ireland, and the terrorists who targeted Peadar Heffron, another Catholic police officer, who was seriously injured in January 2010 when a bomb exploded inside his car as he was driving to his police station.

The recruitment of Republican Action Against Drugs activists in Derry marks a major step up in the terror campaign in the city. Dozens of former Provisional IRA members have been involved in shooting and intimidating mainly young Catholic men whom they accuse of drug dealing in Derry.

Republican Action Against Drugs' campaign has become notorious around the world since an investigation by the Guardian earlier this year into the wave of shootings and forced expulsions in Northern Ireland's second city.

Republican factions

Until this week there were four separate violent groups opposed to Sinn Féin's peace strategy. As a result of this merger three republican terror groups have become one, reclaiming the banner of the IRA:

The Real IRA was formed out of a split within the Provisional IRA (PIRA) in 1997 and was responsible for the Omagh atrocity a year later.

Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) – a group comprising ex-PIRA members whose purpose was to run an armed vigilante campaign against drug dealers. It has agreed to coalesce with other anti-ceasefire republicans.

Independent republican factions – until now an amalgam of terror groups operating in Northern Ireland. They are sometimes referred to collectively as Óglaigh na hÉireann.

Continuity IRA, the fourth republican faction, remains wholly independent.

The adoption of the name IRA is an attempt by the dissident republicans to reclaim from history the title of the movement that dominated republican politics in the 20th century. Since the Irish war of independence there have been several mutations of the IRA from a mass movement of armed fighters in the 1918-1921 Anglo-Irish war to a small band of diehards who conducted the 1958-62 border campaign. Its use has withered since the peace agreement in 1998.

Interesting. Disturbing turn of events? or is this a desperate move to gain resources/man power?

You're the man with the vision, Myles.

How do you mean, because I predicted Johnston would get an injury before the game? Everyone knew that. That's like predicting its going to rain next week in Ireland!

I do believe we have a special bunch of young footballers coming through, not that they all have the football talent of the top players (although I believe some of them will) but what they have in bucket loads is guts and attitude and on all the evidence I've seen they have a real love of their county and a willingness to work hard to achieve success. Maybe next Sunday is too soon for them but its not Kerry, Dublin or Cork we are playing. Its Kildare, a good team no doubt, but one that has been hyped to the ends of the earth for some reason that no sensible observer of football can fathom. A Kildare team that are under huge pressure to deliver given all the money they've spent, the scorn they've brought on themselves in the SJ affair and the strangehold McGeeney seems to have over all club football (and it seems hurling) in the county. If they don't beat Cavan well that would amount to a huge step backwards for them. So I say Cavan have nothing to lose and Kildare everything and if we can stay with them and keep the scoreboard close coming into the last quarter then we can win this game. That's my opinion.

Im a Tyrone man Myles and I completely agree with some of your sentiments. I was at the last two U21 ulster finals against Tyrone. Both years Tyrone had the better players and footballers, but cavan came away both times through pure effort and because they wanted it much more. I think Cavan have a great side coming forward and in young Mc Kiernan, Mc Dermott and Tierney they have three potential stars for the future. There will be a huge cavan support i suspect and all the pressure will be on a Kildare side without an "injured" SJ. Although they may not win it will be a great game, finally Cavan IMO are a side for the future.

Kildare to win by 2

What i have noticed is a lot of scumbags who couldn't get near a job in Ireland, have packed there bags and went over now. In the past it would have been a lot of students with degrees who couldn't get work here immigrated. They would have had a bit of wit about them, where as these clowns are ruining Irish integrity abroad. ,

At the end of the day in 10 years time when people look at records it will show liverpool will (possibly) have 2 titles and their league standing will be irrelevant. If they end up with two trophies it will be a successful season imo.

Holy god never in my life have i been as sickened hearing about something. Actually stopped watching the ITV an BBC news as much, due to the s**t they call "reporting" on this subject.

st.mick goal keeper is what i would call a bruiser 

Tyrone Ref Eugene McConnell almost single handedly destroyed the Cavan Derry match, absolutely shocking bad. Well done to Cavan, much better team than Derry but Derry had a lot of fight and a real good outlet at FF in McGuckian. Should be a good final.

He is absolutely brutal, don't know how he is now refereeing at provincial level. One of these referees that wants to be at the centre of attention