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[I certainly enjoyed the afternoon]

'Belfast Newsletter'


Superintendent Gerry Murray, PSNI and Sports Minister Nelson McCausland



A GAELIC football tournament has been praised as an "excellent" example of how sport can bring people together around the world — by the DUP's Nelson McCausland.

The Sports Minister was speaking as he attended his first GAA match in Northern Ireland at the weekend, the Third International Police Gaelic Football Tournament.

The event was held in Belfast on Saturday and hosted by the PSNI.

Police forces from the Province, England, the Republic of Ireland and the USA competed for the Tom Langan trophy.

Tom Langan was a Garda Police Officer and a member of the Mayo sides which won All-Ireland gaelic football championship honours in 1950 and 1951.

It was the first time the tournament had ever been hosted by the PSNI Gaelic Football Club.

Two years ago, it was hosted in London by the Metropolitan Police and won by the New York Police Department, with the PSNI finishing third.
And in 2005, it was hosted and won by the Garda in Dublin.

Mr McCausland said that the tournament "demonstrates that although the teams may be from different backgrounds and nations, they can compete together".

He added: "There is a great family atmosphere at the tournament and I certainly enjoyed the afternoon. My congratulations go to An Garda Soichana who won the competition."

Recently, the Minister had warned that GAA clubs named after dead IRA members could face funding cuts.

He had asked Sport NI to examine their equality statement, which clubs have to sign if seeking funding, to see if it is "adequate", after a hunger strike commemoration at a GAA club at Galbally in Co Tyrone involved a display with paramilitary elements.

Mr McCausland had said what happened in that incident was "disgraceful".

The DUP MLA previously attended a GAA 7s match in Canada as part of the 2009 World Police and Fire Games.

Did his mammy never tell him take his hands out of his pockets? Especially when meeting royalty!

Shame!

/Jim.

According to Sunday Tribune, TV3 are to broadcast a documentary on the ugly side of domestic soccer in Ireland.  It will expose the underbelly of organised hooliganism (complete with shocking footage):

http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news/article/2009/feb/01/it-was-just-a-riot-with-kicks-and-fists-flying/

On behalf of dublinfella I want to get in first and say:

• sensationalist media
• anti-LOI
• agenda driven independent group

Shame!

There is no culture of soccer hooliganism in Ireland and save for the odd incident at contentious Dublin and Belfast derbies and Linfield v Derry. You get more action down Sumerhill after a Dubs v Meath game.

/Jim.

Last November, on the suggestion of an OWC contributor here on the GAA board I registered on OWC.  I made a number of contributions with regard to rugby and GAA in the "Other Sports" section.  To those that have access I used the moniker "JamesR" so you can see the posts for yourselves.  I think I can safely say I threaded the middle-ground on these topics.  Apart from a bit of name-calling from one contributor (who admittedly didn't seem to actually read/understand my posts) there seemed to be a reasonable engagement.

However when I took issue with the branding of all GAA members/supporters as "scum", one moderator took issue, pm'ed me and when I went to log in to respond my account seems to have been removed.  I have to say that some contributors seem to agree with with my issue but obviously the admin side of the house didn't.

I would have liked to have continued some of the conversations, got my points across and taken on board some alternative views but there you go..............

Anyway I just said I'd post to save others the bother of registering etc.. because the policy there seems pretty clear.

/Jim.

Needs sound, NSFW.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDOoEIfADfs

/Jim.

...well actually December.

I see actor extraordinaire PatricK Kielty has been signed up for a one-off Christmas special of popular GAA program Celebrity Bainisteoir.

I have to say that the bit of Gaeilge, Free State TV and involvement in "terrorist supporting filth" GAA combined with his theatrical experience should put him in line for some serious praise from a certain supporters website.

Good man Paddy!

/Jim.

Heard him interview Mary Harney this morning.  He seems to be on a bit of jaunt to prove himself as a serious journo.

Anyhow Mary H made a point about the timing of cervical cancer vaccinations at least 5 times during the interview but the penny just didn't seem to drop to Ray "Wait now.." Darcy.

Stick to the fixit Friday methinks.

/Jim.

From breakingnews.ie:


A PSNI investigation into the fatal shooting of a Co Tyrone man has concluded that the likelihood of a British Army's version of events is so remote that it should be disregarded.

Aidan McAnespie was shot dead by a British soldier while walking to a GAA match on the border at Aughnacloy in 1988.

The soldier who fired the shot said his hand was wet and slipped on the trigger, causing him to kill the 23-year-old accidentally.

The McAnespie family has welcomed a report from the PSNI's Historical Enquiries Team concluding that the British Army's version of events is virtually incredible.

The HET report says it would have taken a minimum pressure of nine pounds to pull the trigger and the soldier's version of events was the least likely scenario.

It says the chances of the shot being un-aimed or random are so remote as to be virtually disregarded.


/Jim.

Taking the family to Enniskillen next weekend as herself wants to try out the siopadóireacht there.

Any recommendations for lunch and things for me and the kids to do while she shops?

Thanks,
/Jim.

[Belfast Cúchulainns win Under 16 Hurling Championship at Youth Games 28 July 2008Cross Community Under 16 Hurling Team, the Belfast Cúchulainns, have won the Intercontinental Youth Games Under 16 Hurling Championships defeating New York 3-12 to 1-5 in the final of the competition in Philadelphia.The team return home on Tuesday after a 10 day American tour won every game of their section beating teams from San Francisco and Boston as well as a North American Combined team. The hurling team, which is a cross-community inter-school hurling team of 20 Boys all of whom are under the age of 16, have five players from four schools namely Corpus Christi College, St. Patrick's College Beranagheeha, Belfast Boys Model School and Ashfield Boys School. The tour led by Ulster GAA President Tom Daly and Director of Coaching and Games Dr. Eugene Young started in New York with a challenge match at Gaelic Park against a the New York Under 16 development team before moving on to Washington. The Washington stay of the tour included a training session with the Washington Gaels on the Mall followed by a reception at Capital Hill hosted by Congressman Joseph Crowley and Congressman Jim Walsh. The team were also guests of honour at a reception at the Irish Embassy hosted by Deputy Ambassador Tim O'Connor and a later reception with the Washington Gaels at the Northern Ireland Bureau Offices hosted by Deputy Director Aidan Cassidy. The team completed the tour by participating in the North American GAA Continental Youth Games in Philadelphia. Tom Daly President of Ulster GAA said: "I am delighted that Ulster GAA is involved in developing this flagship project which merges the two main cultural traditions of Ulster together embracing both respect and diversity."Danny Murphy Director of Ulster GAA who established the project with school Principals Andy McMorran, PJ O'Gradey, Dan McGivern and Jim Keith highlighted that the Cúchulainns are the first of several cross community hurling teams, which the Ulster GAA plan to establish over the next year. "Already we have had great interest from other schools in urban areas that are willing to establish teams similar to the Cúchulainns and we envisage our first cross-community Hurling competition taking place in 2009. Additionally we hope to select an Ulster All-Star U-16 Hurling Team from this competition to play an international match against a Scottish Shinty select on an annual basis."Andy McMorran Principal of Ashfield Boys School praised the project, "This has been an outstanding initiative which has given all the boys involved with the team the opportunity to see America and develop new friendships. All the lads and the adults involved in the project have developed a strong bond over the past year and it has been an excellent educational experience for all of us, I am thankful to Danny Murphy, Eugene Young and the GAA generally for their support in developing this project."GAA President Nickey Brennan hailed the success of the initiative - "I am thankful to both the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the First and deputy First Minister for supporting this important project, it is fantastic to see the a fully representative team from Belfast travel to the games and win their section, well done to everyone involved in the project."The cross community hurling project has been in existence for just over two years and the schools playing under the Cuchulainns banner have participated in the range of events, which included travelling to Scotland in 2007 to play Scotland in an International Shinty match. The favour was repaid on 26th June when a Scottish under 16 Shinty select travelled to Stormont to play the Belfast team in an international challenge match hosted by the UIster Council. The children who are part of the Cuchulainns team, represent both religious dominations and live in North, West and East Belfast.]

...seeing as there generally is a cross-fertilisation of topics betwen here and "Other NI Sport" on your wee website (usually something painting us a terrorist supporting filth(c)) could someone maybe cut and paste the following in there.  It is sourced from elsewhere on this discussion board  http://gaaboard.com/board/index.php?topic=7499.0


Belfast Cúchulainns win Under 16 Hurling Championship at Youth Games
28 July 2008


Cross Community Under 16 Hurling Team, the Belfast Cúchulainns, have won the Intercontinental Youth Games Under 16 Hurling Championships defeating New York 3-12 to 1-5 in the final of the competition  in Philadelphia.



The team return home on Tuesday after a 10 day American tour won every game of their section beating teams from San Francisco and Boston as well as a North American Combined team.

The hurling team, which is a cross-community inter-school hurling team of 20 Boys all of whom are under the age of 16, have five players from four schools namely Corpus Christi College, St. Patrick's College Beranagheeha, Belfast Boys Model School and Ashfield Boys School.

The tour led by Ulster GAA President Tom Daly and Director of Coaching and Games Dr. Eugene Young started in New York with a challenge match at Gaelic Park against a the New York Under 16 development team before moving on to Washington. The Washington stay of the tour included a training session with the Washington Gaels on the Mall followed by a reception at Capital Hill hosted by Congressman Joseph Crowley and Congressman Jim Walsh. The team were also guests of honour at a reception at the Irish Embassy hosted by Deputy Ambassador Tim O'Connor and a later reception with the Washington Gaels at the Northern Ireland Bureau Offices hosted by Deputy Director Aidan Cassidy.   

The team completed the tour by participating in the North American GAA Continental Youth Games in Philadelphia. 

Tom Daly President of Ulster GAA said: "I am delighted that Ulster GAA is involved in developing this flagship project which merges the two main cultural traditions of Ulster together embracing both respect and diversity."

Danny Murphy Director of Ulster GAA who established the project with school Principals Andy McMorran, PJ O'Gradey, Dan McGivern and Jim Keith highlighted that the Cúchulainns are the first of several cross community hurling teams, which the Ulster GAA plan to establish over the next year. "Already we have had great interest from other schools in urban areas that are willing to establish teams similar to the Cúchulainns and we envisage our first cross-community Hurling competition taking place in 2009. Additionally we hope to select an Ulster All-Star U-16 Hurling Team from this competition to play an international match against a Scottish Shinty select on an annual basis."

Andy McMorran Principal of Ashfield Boys School praised the project, "This has been an outstanding initiative which has given all the boys involved with the team the opportunity to see America and develop new friendships. All the lads and the adults involved in the project have developed a strong bond over the past year and it has been an excellent educational experience for all of us, I am thankful to Danny Murphy, Eugene Young and the GAA generally  for their support in developing this project."

GAA President Nickey Brennan hailed the success of the initiative - "I am thankful to both the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the First and deputy First Minister for supporting this important project, it is fantastic to see the a fully representative team from Belfast travel to the games and win their section, well done to everyone involved in the project."

The cross community hurling project has been in existence for just over two years and the schools playing under the Cuchulainns banner have participated in the range of events, which included travelling to Scotland in 2007 to play Scotland in an International Shinty match. The favour was repaid on 26th June when a Scottish under 16 Shinty select travelled to Stormont to play the Belfast team in an international challenge match hosted by the UIster Council. The children who are part of the Cuchulainns team, represent both religious dominations and live in North, West and East Belfast.


/Jim.

.........then this latest outburst from OWC-land would surely have "Centre Spot GAWA" on the plane to Bejing!

I was speaking to someone yesterday who is quite heavily involved in Ulster rugby circles. I knew that he went to pretty much all Irelands home games so I was surprised when he told me that he wasn't going to the Wales match this weekend. When I asked him why he said that he was fed up with supporters/clubs from up north being allocated sh1te seats since the move to Croke Park and proceeded to tell me that he and many others from this neck of the woods have been continually given tickets for the worst seats in the house since Ireland started playing their matches there.

I wonder is the GAA behind this? 


/Jim.

Staff at the British Embassy in Dublin have voted to mount strike action in a dispute over job cuts.

The workers, members of the Unite trade union, have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action.

Up to 45 staff have been in dispute with the embassy since three workers were told earlier this month that they were being laid off.

They are now due to mount a one-day strike at the embassy on February 7.

/Jim.

[Pope denounced as 'anti-Christ' in radio fire and brimstone row]

From today's indo.....if plastic rosary beads offend these guys so much I hope they never get caught outside a stall in Knock!

Pope denounced as 'anti-Christ' in radio fire and brimstone row

By John Cooney
Wednesday January 23 2008


A new Messiah has risen to save the Protestant people of Ulster from the heretical snares of Rome and to keep the Pope, "the anti-Christ", out of the North.


An unholy row on yesterday's 'Joe Duffy show' began innocently enough, when the chief aide to Nigel Dodds, the North's Enterprise Minister, voiced his objections to the sale of Catholic rosary beads inside St Patrick's Cathedral, in Dublin.

Wallace Thompson challenged the Anglican Dean of St Patrick's, Dr Robert MacCarthy, for selling rosaries not sanctioned in Holy Scripture, in the cathedral gift shop.

The Dean explained that the beads were sold because the shop attracted visitors of all denominations, and revenue from the sales helped finance the cathedral's upkeep.

During an hour-long phone-in, Mr Thompson castigated these misguided papists for adhering to a corrupt church that demanded Protestant partners in a mixed marriage to surrender to their creed.

The temperature became as hot as the fires of hell when Mr Thompson pleaded with Irish Catholics to abandon their idolatrous prayer to the Virgin Mary.

Then Mr Thompson, speaking in a personal capacity, escalated his war of religions when he denounced the Pope as the anti-Christ and announced he would oppose plans to bring Benedict to the North.

"The Pope is the anti-Christ ... a lot of Protestants probably might not hold (that view) but it is still enshrined in the standards," he said.

"It is a strong statement to make, but in expressing those views I am not conflicting with the main teachings of the main churches," Mr Thompson thundered.

Oppose

The 54-year-old married father-of-three, who is a regular preacher across the North, and a member of the Independent Orange, went on to warn that true Protestants would totally oppose a papal visit.

SDLP Assembly member Dolores Kelly said Mr Thompson's fundamentalist language was a throwback to the North's troubled past.

"I don't think he has any right to deprive the people of the north, and in particular the Catholic population,of an opportunity to greet and meet their spiritual leader," she said.

Sinn Fein Assembly group leader, John O'Dowd, described Mr Thompson's comments as "deeply insulting to many, many people across this island".

Last night, a worldly wise DUP official was at pains to emphasise that Mr Thompson was not speaking in a political capacity.

- John Cooney

It would appear that Darren Graham has become a convert to Catholicism.   

Fascinating stuff: when he leaves the GAA he is a Prod but when he returns it would appear he has converted into a baby-eating Taig.

http://ourweecountry.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=18973&st=405&start=405

You couldn't make it up 

/Jim.

GAA and soccer coaches to be employed in schools

ULSTER GAA officials have launched a search for 20 coaches to help realise education minister Caitriona Ruane's vision of teaching top-class sporting skills at the earliest possible age. Those appointed will go into primary schools across Northern Ireland and instil their love for Gaelic games. 

The article was in last Friday's Irish News.  I'm not registered so I can't pull full article from archives.   SammyG, you had better get on the blower to those teacher friends of yours: It can't be happening can it?

/Jim.

[noun a form of football played between two teams of 11 players, in which the ball may be advanced by kicking or by bouncing it off any part of the body but the arms and hands, except in the case of the goalkeepers, who may use their hands to catch, carry, throw, or stop the ball.]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source

soc·cer      /ˈsɒkər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[sok-er] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun a form of football played between two teams of 11 players, in which the ball may be advanced by kicking or by bouncing it off any part of the body but the arms and hands, except in the case of the goalkeepers, who may use their hands to catch, carry, throw, or stop the ball. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Origin: 1890–95; (As)soc(iation football) + -er7]

Flicking through OWC I see yet another tirade against the innocuous word "soccer".  Despite the fact it is commonly used in other countries such as USA or Australia (notably places where there are other variations of "football".)    I believe the australians affectionately refer to their team as the socceroos.   

However over in OWC-land soccer seems to be a token of oppression?   What the fcuk is that all about?

Surely it is not that hard to acknowledge that there is another variation of football played in Northern Ireland and that the shorthand of Gaelic/Soccer is a useful one?

/Jim.

As our OWC are continually asking about a "GAA for All" campaign I give you:

http://www.downgaa.net/downgaa/general/news/2007/june/june6th1.htm

An excellent initiative and well done to all!

/Jim.

Could a DUP'er fall foul of their pledge???

No surprise really given who you are dealing with.  Particularly daft to say it to "Hot Press" of all publications.

The man's bigotry seem to know no end.

/Jim.

A Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive was under pressure tonight to apologise for allegedly saying he was repulsed by gays and lesbians.

The Democratic Unionist Party's Ian Paisley Jr has caused outrage with his apparent assessment that homosexuality damages society.

Sinn Féin representatives accused him of dangerous homophobia and demanded a complete withdrawal of the remarks.

The party is also understood to be examining whether Mr Paisley has breached his ministerial pledge of office.

Sinn Féin MLA Martina Anderson said: "Whatever about his personal beliefs, the fact is that he now has ministerial responsibility for this issue.

"Ian Paisley Jr should withdraw these comments and apologise.

"The fact is that comments such as this cause great harm and distress.

"They feed into the attitudes that fester and lead to homophobic violence."

Mr Paisley, appointed a Junior Minister at Stormont, came under fire over comments in Hotpress magazine.



"I am, unsurprisingly, a straight person," the North Antrim MLA is quoted as saying.

"I am pretty repulsed by gay and lesbianism. I think it is wrong.

"I think that those people harm themselves and – without caring about it - harm society.

"That doesn't mean to say that I hate them. I mean, I hate what they do."

But Ms Anderson insisted that as a Junior Minister within the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) at Stormont with responsibility for equality he should not have made the remarks.

"OFMDFM has a responsibility to promote equality and protect the rights of everyone in our society regardless of religion, sex, race, disability or sexual orientation," she added.

"This is the law; it is the statutory equality duty that rests on all Ministers in the Executive."

Mr Paisley was tonight unavailable for comment.