Poppy Watch

[gallsman]

Rule 21 should have been brought in for the 26 counties and phased in to the 6 counties as a mark of respect for the suffering caused to northern Gaels .

Daftness with a capital D. How exactly would it be "phased in" ? County by County?
The ban was removed as a result of the new Political agreement ion the 6 Cos and because a new(ish) Police service was being introduced.
It was mainly so young Nationalists could join the new Service and remain members of the GAA.
Anyway it was the removal of a ban NOT making it compulsory for members of the RUC/British Army to become members of the GAA.

I agree with lynchboy on rule 21. Most in the 26 have no idea about the North's security forces situation. That's like me voting on a law involving Maoris.

And it wasn't a new police force. Different name, same scum.

Complete ballacks.

read Brian Fenny s colume in today's Irish News.

It's too late to buy it and unavailable online - care to summarise his main points?

£500 million patten pay off, £250 million compo for hearing loss for RUC men, £250 million udr/rir payoff,  £20 million ruc reserve, £100 million rehiring those who were retired through patten.  Yet they can't find £340,000 for the ombudsman s budget.

While shambolic, that's not really anything related to your "Differerent name, same scum" comment, is it?

[charlieTully]

You obviously don't read what you reply too. But I do agree they are same name scum.

[lynchbhoy]

Rule 21 should have been brought in for the 26 counties and phased in to the 6 counties as a mark of respect for the suffering caused to northern Gaels .

Daftness with a capital D. How exactly would it be "phased in" ? County by County?
The ban was removed as a result of the new Political agreement ion the 6 Cos and because a new(ish) Police service was being introduced.
It was mainly so young Nationalists could join the new Service and remain members of the GAA.
Anyway it was the removal of a ban NOT making it compulsory for members of the RUC/British Army to become members of the GAA.

I agree with lynchboy on rule 21. Most in the 26 have no idea about the North's security forces situation. That's like me voting on a law involving Maoris.

And it wasn't a new police force. Different name, same scum.

+1
Spot on Benny

Regardless of what they know or believe, when it comes to the rules of the GAA, their voices count too. You can't have an All Ireland organisation and then demand that different rules should apply to different parts of it.

Other than the symbolism of it, what has the abolishment of the rule done? A couple of exhibition games involving the PSNI? A few lads working for the PSNI and playing for their club (Ronan Kerr scandalously lost his life because of this ffs)? If their club mates accept them, what business is it of yours?

It's now history but
It wouldn't have been two sets of rules

It would have been implementing the new ruling in the 26 counties first to ensure it worked ok
Then
Phasing it in over the year in the six counties

But the (lack of imo) logic in your ideology would have England Scotland and wales voting in the recent Scottish referendum

[lynchbhoy]

A lot of the 'abandonment ' and feeling of being betrayed by their own association has not been forgotten by a lot of Gaels I know in north and mid Derry at least.

So how are they worse off now than before the Rule was abolished that gives those feelings of "abondonment and betrayal"?

The organisation made a decision in accordance with its rules. Accept it and get on with organising/playing Gaelic games which is what the GAA is for - else get out of the GAA.
You either want an All Ireland organisation or 2 separate organisations - a 6 Co and 26 Co one - or one with separate rules in both jurisdictions - Partitionism at its worst.
If the majority of the GAA aren't "pure " enough for some 6 Co extremists - they're still the majority.

That's even dafter than your prev post IMO!

Point out where I or anyone refuse to accept that or any other ruling!

[lynchbhoy]

Rule 21 should have been brought in for the 26 counties and phased in to the 6 counties as a mark of respect for the suffering caused to northern Gaels .

Daftness with a capital D. How exactly would it be "phased in" ? County by County?
The ban was removed as a result of the new Political agreement ion the 6 Cos and because a new(ish) Police service was being introduced.
It was mainly so young Nationalists could join the new Service and remain members of the GAA.
Anyway it was the removal of a ban NOT making it compulsory for members of the RUC/British Army to become members of the GAA.

I agree with lynchboy on rule 21. Most in the 26 have no idea about the North's security forces situation. That's like me voting on a law involving Maoris.

And it wasn't a new police force. Different name, same scum.

Complete ballacks.

read Brian Fenny s colume in today's Irish News.

It's too late to buy it and unavailable online - care to summarise his main points?

£500 million patten pay off, £250 million compo for hearing loss for RUC men, £250 million udr/rir payoff,  £20 million ruc reserve, £100 million rehiring those who were retired through patten.  Yet they can't find £340,000 for the ombudsman s budget.

While shambolic, that's not really anything related to your "Differerent name, same scum" comment, is it?

Just as a matter of interest - what has changed? How are they different - apart from the name change?

All New top hierarchy ?
Sacked all old cops and hired completely new set?
New cop shops and abandoned all the old ones?
Etc....

[Myles Na G.]

Rule 21 should have been brought in for the 26 counties and phased in to the 6 counties as a mark of respect for the suffering caused to northern Gaels .

Daftness with a capital D. How exactly would it be "phased in" ? County by County?
The ban was removed as a result of the new Political agreement ion the 6 Cos and because a new(ish) Police service was being introduced.
It was mainly so young Nationalists could join the new Service and remain members of the GAA.
Anyway it was the removal of a ban NOT making it compulsory for members of the RUC/British Army to become members of the GAA.

I agree with lynchboy on rule 21. Most in the 26 have no idea about the North's security forces situation. That's like me voting on a law involving Maoris.

And it wasn't a new police force. Different name, same scum.

Complete ballacks.

read Brian Fenny s colume in today's Irish News.

It's too late to buy it and unavailable online - care to summarise his main points?

£500 million patten pay off, £250 million compo for hearing loss for RUC men, £250 million udr/rir payoff,  £20 million ruc reserve, £100 million rehiring those who were retired through patten.  Yet they can't find £340,000 for the ombudsman s budget.

While shambolic, that's not really anything related to your "Differerent name, same scum" comment, is it?

+1

[Myles Na G.]

Rule 21 should have been brought in for the 26 counties and phased in to the 6 counties as a mark of respect for the suffering caused to northern Gaels .

Daftness with a capital D. How exactly would it be "phased in" ? County by County?
The ban was removed as a result of the new Political agreement ion the 6 Cos and because a new(ish) Police service was being introduced.
It was mainly so young Nationalists could join the new Service and remain members of the GAA.
Anyway it was the removal of a ban NOT making it compulsory for members of the RUC/British Army to become members of the GAA.

I agree with lynchboy on rule 21. Most in the 26 have no idea about the North's security forces situation. That's like me voting on a law involving Maoris.

And it wasn't a new police force. Different name, same scum.

Complete ballacks.

read Brian Fenny s colume in today's Irish News.

It's too late to buy it and unavailable online - care to summarise his main points?

£500 million patten pay off, £250 million compo for hearing loss for RUC men, £250 million udr/rir payoff,  £20 million ruc reserve, £100 million rehiring those who were retired through patten.  Yet they can't find £340,000 for the ombudsman s budget.

While shambolic, that's not really anything related to your "Differerent name, same scum" comment, is it?

Just as a matter of interest - what has changed? How are they different - apart from the name change?

All New top hierarchy ?
Sacked all old cops and hired completely new set?
New cop shops and abandoned all the old ones?
Etc....

Police numbers down from over 13,000 to just over 7,000.
Over 30% of that 7,000 is now made up people from a catholic/nationalist/republican background, compared to about 9% in RUC days.
New accountability mechanisms (PCSPs, Policing Board) consisting of elected representatives such as Gerry Kelly and other Shinners.
Huge number of 'cop shops' closed, nearly 40% according to this report: 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-15971776
Police patrols no longer accompanied by the British Army.
No real change my arse.

[charlieTully]

The IRA have been on ceasefire for years and decommissioned, yet still people are arrested for past membership, meanwhile the uvf basically does whatever it likes, shooting people, dealing drugs, burning down alliance members offices, orchestrating civil unrest when the notion takes. They don't get arrested though, they get invited on to tv and radio shows, or to meetings with the first minister about marches and flags. No money for an enquiry into Ballymurhy, Loughinisland etc but plenty to facilitate loyalist protests at Twadwell. The membership of the police may have changed but the top brass remain the same.

[johnneycool]

The IRA have been on ceasefire for years and decommissioned, yet still people are arrested for past membership, meanwhile the uvf basically does whatever it likes, shooting people, dealing drugs, burning down alliance members offices, orchestrating civil unrest when the notion takes. They don't get arrested though, they get invited on to tv and radio shows, or to meetings with the first minister about marches and flags. No money for an enquiry into Ballymurhy, Loughinisland etc but plenty to facilitate loyalist protests at Twadwell. The membership of the police may have changed but the top brass remain the same.

Correct.

the 30% Myles is rattling on about are low level grunts, very ,very few even remotely in middle management let alone the policy making levels where its still the sole preserve of the Mervyns and the likes.

Remember, the only time the cops waded into loyalist protestors was when yer man who has just left brought in cops from UK police forces for the G8 in Fermanagh and kept them here for a week or two thereafter for the Ardoyne parade.
The PSNI pussyfoot around them.

[Myles Na G.]

The IRA have been on ceasefire for years and decommissioned, yet still people are arrested for past membership, meanwhile the uvf basically does whatever it likes, shooting people, dealing drugs, burning down alliance members offices, orchestrating civil unrest when the notion takes. They don't get arrested though, they get invited on to tv and radio shows, or to meetings with the first minister about marches and flags. No money for an enquiry into Ballymurhy, Loughinisland etc but plenty to facilitate loyalist protests at Twadwell. The membership of the police may have changed but the top brass remain the same.

That's nonsense. How many hundreds of loyalists have been arrested and charged after various riots in the past couple of years? Who do you think did the arresting and charging - traffic wardens maybe? Odd that you think the PSNI are biased against republicans. Loyalists think exactly the opposite:
http://www.u.tv/News/HET-denies-anti-loyalist-bias-claim/b160e330-142e-444d-81ab-9773e676ccbc

[Applesisapples]

You don't see the relevance of wishing to feel sorry for a British soldier as a member of the West Belfast community (or your club certainly is anyway), in which the British Army wreaked havoc with immunity for years?

And you don't see any relevance in your club voting in favour of removing Rule 21 (the rule which banned British Soldiers and her majesty's police force) and other clubs in West Belfast being disgusted with yours for it??

But sure call me a walt. Maybe your father wasn't murdered by the British Army but mines was. Maybe your house wasn't smashed in by the Brits when you were a child but mines was.

Your dismissal of Rossfan because he's not from West Belfast or the North says it all. "You can't have a valid opinion because you didn't grow up blah blah blah".

I didn't say I don't see any relevance between perception of a club and it's voting history - in case you haven't realised, that's not what the debate is about. What I don't see the relevance of is how St. Galls voted when it comes to Rule 21 and whether or not it's possible to feel sympathy for individual soldiers whilst still condemning a war, but please, feel free to enlighten us. You're twisting yourself in so many circles you don't know what point you're trying to make.

Or maybe you didn't read my contribution to the debate?  All you seem to have read was the last few lines of it.
The issue of Rule 21 is completely relevant.  How could a vote to change a rule barring the permission of British Army personnel into our association not be relevant in communities such as West Belfast, South Derry, East Tyrone, South Armagh and many more in terms of the feeling of sympathy to British soldiers? 

Brits are mercenaries in the most as you have already stated.  Plenty more avenues to get yourself ahead instead of entering a war machine that following orders or not brings horror to the lives of millions in their own countries.  They deserve no sympathy whatsoever.  Their amputated legs and arms are medals of shame.

Mickey you have some serious issues there. You are letting blind hatred win over reason. Perhaps because of the way you lost your dad. But times have moved on and the GFA whilst far from perfect shows us that there is another way. We can all live in the past and hate the Brits or we can try and deal with the past and move on. Part of that is recognizing the right of the other peoples including the British to their own culture and identity. Why would we deny any Irishman in those circumstances the right to join the GAA because of his job?

[Myles Na G.]

The IRA have been on ceasefire for years and decommissioned, yet still people are arrested for past membership, meanwhile the uvf basically does whatever it likes, shooting people, dealing drugs, burning down alliance members offices, orchestrating civil unrest when the notion takes. They don't get arrested though, they get invited on to tv and radio shows, or to meetings with the first minister about marches and flags. No money for an enquiry into Ballymurhy, Loughinisland etc but plenty to facilitate loyalist protests at Twadwell. The membership of the police may have changed but the top brass remain the same.

Correct.

the 30% Myles is rattling on about are low level grunts, very ,very few even remotely in middle management let alone the policy making levels where its still the sole preserve of the Mervyns and the likes.

Remember, the only time the cops waded into loyalist protestors was when yer man who has just left brought in cops from UK police forces for the G8 in Fermanagh and kept them here for a week or two thereafter for the Ardoyne parade.
The PSNI pussyfoot around them.

Correct about the very top tier of management in the PSNI - it'll take a while for those who came in after 2000 to work their way through - but it's already happening at middle management level.

[Applesisapples]

I suspect a lot of GAA members were not  very happy with many of the actions of the Provos, many of which caused anguish to a lot of members of the Nationalist Community in the North over the years so should they be banned from membership too I wonder?.
As for only allowing GAA members from the 6 Cos to vote on the Rule 21 abolition.... come on lads wise up. As pointed out the GAA is a 32 County organisation and ALL it's delegates have a right to vote at Congresses.
The less bans we have the better anyway in this day and age ( or indeed in any day or age)
Positivity is the way to go and come out from behind the barricades of negativity.

As for poppy wearing .. I will NEVER do such a thing.

Easy for a free stater to pontificate from that side of the border.

I take it these are the same GAA members who couldn't contain themselves with excitement for the Queens visit. God save her.

Partitionist nonsense.

[Brick Tamlin]

The whole lot of yiz aren't f**kin wise.
Life's too short.
Its time people started to look forward rather than back.
Sicken yer sh!te.

[Applesisapples]

I despair, and I thought only the PUL's were living in the past.