Ogra Sinn Fein and their Commemoration at Narrow Water

[Rossfan]

Well we commemorate Kilmichael which also resulted in a load of deaths of Brit Auxiliaries.
Then Unionists commemorate the Battle of the Boyne which consists of mainly of abonimable gloating over a battle where thousands were killed.
By the way was anyone ever charged with the murder of the man who was killed in Co Louth that day by shots fired by the Brits across the lough?

[red hander]

A SOUTH Down MLA has voiced outrage that members of Sinn Fein's youth wing plan to visit the scene of the Narrow Water massacre this weekend.


The site outside Warrenpoint is where 18 British soldiers lost their lives in an IRA attack in August 1979.


It remains the biggest ever loss of life suffered by the British Army in Northern Ireland in a single attack and one of the most bloody episodes in the history of the Troubles.


Ogra Shinn Fein is staging a Republican Youth Weekend in Newcastle this weekend (9 to 11 January) and the agenda includes a demilitarisation protest at Ballykinler Army base and a "historical tour, tracing local republican history, including Narrow Water."


But the plan to visit Narrow Water has angered local DUP Assembly member Jim Wells.

"Most people living in South Down will be appalled that the youth wing of Sinn Fein have included as part of their conference programme an outing to celebrate and gloat over one of the most dreadful events in Northern Ireland's history," he said.


"This gruesome interest in mass slaughter indicates just how little Sinn Fein has moved on.

"They should be ashamed of this heinous crime, but instead they are encouraging their young members to regard the site of the carnage as an opportunity for a day out to celebrate multiple murder."


Sinn Fein MLA Caitriona Ruane is one of the guest speakers at the youth weekend and Mr Wells called on her to "ensure the outing is cancelled immediately."


The DUP man said he was also concerned about a "threat to vandalise" Newcastle Orange Hall.


It follows an anonymous comment on the Ogra Shinn Fein website about the Republican Youth Weekend in Newcastle, which states: "Great work, I heard there will be a change of colour outside the orange hall this year too!"


Newcastle Ogra Shinn Fein is hosting this weekend's event and spokesperson Fra Cochrane accused Mr Wells of seeking to generate "cheap headlines."


"Whilst it is encouraging that Jim Wells has the time to examine Ógra Shinn Féin blog-spots on the Internet, his latest attempt to generate controversy over genuine political discourse is designed to do nothing more than generate cheap headlines," he said.


"The weekend being organised by Ogra Shinn Féin will include debates on a diverse range of issues, involving prominent guest speakers who are taking the time to engage with young people on political and social topics.


"There will also be a number of historical tours, including a trip to Narrow Water Castle, that will allow for an explanation of some of the defining moments of the past conflict.


"Mr Wells needs to realise that Republicans fought a justifiable war against the British war machine here in Ireland, just as the Palestine people are currently doing in Gaza.


"The British Paratroop Regiment are notorious killers who, amongst a litany of other crimes in the six counties, murdered 13 innocent people in Derry on Bloody Sunday.


"The soldiers killed at Narrow Water were combatants in a bloody conflict where all sides suffered."


And the Ogra Shinn Fein spokesperson dismissed claims that the youth weekend posed a threat to Newcastle Orange Hall.


He said: "Mr Wells knows full well that it is impossible to control comments posted on an Internet site.


"He only has to examine the sectarian bile that is emailed to Loyalist band websites to understand this, yet of course he always remains silent on this issue.


"The reason why Sinn Féin has a very active youth wing is because the party puts an emphasis on political discourse and if Mr Wells would like to participate in this weekend's event he is welcome to do so.


"This is probably unlikely however, as he is still unable to speak or be photographed with Sinn Féin elected representatives, such is his inability to treat Republicans as equals."

 

Now whether you agree with what the Shinners are doing here or not ....you would have to wonder and ask yourself is this one of the same guys who would be commemorating mass slaughter in France during WW1 etc every year on 11th November.

If you can't see the difference between commemorating the dead (your own dead, in particular) and celebrating the death of one's enemies, then you can't see very much at all. One is about paying respect to those who fell in battle, the other is about gloating.

Aye, and the British army never gloated over the deaths of IRA volunteers (or joyriders they machine-gunned to death for that matter)?

[Myles Na G.]

Well we commemorate Kilmichael which also resulted in a load of deaths of Brit Auxiliaries.
Then Unionists commemorate the Battle of the Boyne which consists of mainly of abonimable gloating over a battle where thousands were killed.
By the way was anyone ever charged with the murder of the man who was killed in Co Louth that day by shots fired by the Brits across the lough?

Who's the 'we' in that sentence? I've never commemorated Kilmichael, unless it was by accident or in the course of an extended sleep-walking incident.

If you can find me one living relative of anyone killed at the Boyne who might be offended by the celebration, I'll concede there's a parallel. Otherwise, I'll go on assuming that one is a fairly pointless commemoration of an historical event, while the other is the action of a bunch of sectarian ghouls. You work out which is which  

As far as I'm aware, noone has been charged with the murder of that unfortunate man. Another reason, I would've thought, not to turn that incident into a Sinn Fein jolly.

[armaghniac]

Already is the case for landline to landline calls and has been for years.

Since 1922 in fact. The higher charges for post and for mobiles are a relatively recent innovation, something these modern politicians are making no effort to sort out, being more interested in stunts.

[Rossfan]

Who's the 'we' in that sentence? I've never commemorated Kilmichael,
.......a bunch of sectarian ghouls.

[/quote]
"WE" are Irish Nationalists and you claimed to be one 
I presume you are referring to the Orange Order ...any crowd of bucks who go around wearing gaudy clothes and white gloves and hate Catholicism and Catholics would in my view qualify for the term sectarian.
As for Sinn Fein remembering an action of their IRA mates -- it might be classed as anti Brit but certainly not sectarian. Those soldiers were killed because they were soldiers not because of their religion.Some of them were probably Catholic for all we know.

[Main Street]

"Ogra Shinn Fein is staging a Republican Youth Weekend in Newcastle this weekend (9 to 11 January) and the agenda includes a demilitarisation protest at Ballykinler Army base and a "historical tour, tracing local republican history, including Narrow Water."

What exactly is the problem with a Republican organisation on a "historical tour, tracing local republican history, including Narrow Water"?
What exactly is the substance of anyones objection?

[Myles Na G.]

Who's the 'we' in that sentence? I've never commemorated Kilmichael,
.......a bunch of sectarian ghouls.

"WE" are Irish Nationalists and you claimed to be one 
I presume you are referring to the Orange Order ...any crowd of bucks who go around wearing gaudy clothes and white gloves and hate Catholicism and Catholics would in my view qualify for the term sectarian.
As for Sinn Fein remembering an action of their IRA mates -- it might be classed as anti Brit but certainly not sectarian. Those soldiers were killed because they were soldiers not because of their religion.Some of them were probably Catholic for all we know.
[/quote]
I'm an Irish nationalist, not an Irish Republican. Big difference. As for the IRA killing Catholics, sure that's a matter of public record. They killed more Catholics than any other group in the course of the conflict here. That doesn't make them non sectarian. The Nazis killed plenty of Aryan Germans in their time. Doesn't mean they weren't anti semitic too.

[Myles Na G.]

"Ogra Shinn Fein is staging a Republican Youth Weekend in Newcastle this weekend (9 to 11 January) and the agenda includes a demilitarisation protest at Ballykinler Army base and a "historical tour, tracing local republican history, including Narrow Water."

What exactly is the problem with a Republican organisation on a "historical tour, tracing local republican history, including Narrow Water"?
What exactly is the substance of anyones objection?

Do you think the 'history tour' will include a trip to the site of where Joanne Reilly was killed?

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE2DB153CF935A25757C0A96F948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

Shower of tossers.

[Minder]

In a press release Ogra Shinn Fein spokesperson Fra Cochrane likened Irish people to Palestinians in "Gazza"..............

[pintsofguinness]

"Ogra Shinn Fein is staging a Republican Youth Weekend in Newcastle this weekend (9 to 11 January) and the agenda includes a demilitarisation protest at Ballykinler Army base and a "historical tour, tracing local republican history, including Narrow Water."

What exactly is the problem with a Republican organisation on a "historical tour, tracing local republican history, including Narrow Water"?
What exactly is the substance of anyones objection?


I'm still waiting to hear too, anyone?  Whats the objection?

[doire na raithe]

"Ogra Shinn Fein is staging a Republican Youth Weekend in Newcastle this weekend (9 to 11 January) and the agenda includes a demilitarisation protest at Ballykinler Army base and a "historical tour, tracing local republican history, including Narrow Water."

What exactly is the problem with a Republican organisation on a "historical tour, tracing local republican history, including Narrow Water"?
What exactly is the substance of anyones objection?


I'm still waiting to hear too, anyone?  Whats the objection?

I would have thought it was obvious?

The 'historical tour' is obviously being perceived as some form of 'gloating' or 'galmorization' at best. This may cause some members of the British community to take offence to the perceived disrespect being shown to their fallen soldiers.

[pintsofguinness]

But it's a historical tour. 
There's historical tours everywhere about everything.  There's even a Jack the Ripper tour in London (I wanted to go on it when I was there but ran out of time).  A major event happened there, what is the issue?

[doire na raithe]

I think the issue is as I previously stated. The people offended obviously don't see it as an historical tour.

[Myles Na G.]

In a press release Ogra Shinn Fein spokesperson Fra Cochrane likened Irish people to Palestinians in "Gazza"..............

Mother of God. Does the man have no shame?

[Main Street]

I would have thought it was obvious?

The 'historical tour' is obviously being perceived as some form of 'gloating' or 'galmorization' at best. This may cause some members of the British community to take offence to the perceived disrespect being shown to their fallen soldiers.

I was referring to people here.
Is the problem here, with a few posters, with the rampant prejudiced images their imagination inflicts upon their perceptions that transforms a historical tour into disrespect for fallen soldiers with degrees of gloating' or galmorization?
They were soldiers, they got killed, it happens. Their graves are not there (to be píssed upon).
Some people want to know how it happened, where it happened  and maybe also the military technique of the remote ambush.
And how that tourist get killed.

What would  opinions be on taxi tours charging money to drive people around "historical" sites in Belfast?
Or as Pints remarked, paying money to go an a "ripper" tour?