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Every now and again in the North attempts are made to demonise the GAA by certain sections of the media and political  groups who insist that GAA club names are something to be ashamed of.  This has been usually met with a mixture of stout defence and from some quarters an acceptance that the GAA can do more to be more inclusive.
In reality though the names of clubs throughout the country are an astonishing achievement in themselves.  To the best of my knowledge the names of GAA clubs are unparalleled anywhere in the world. 
In this years All Ireland club finals, Crokes beat Watty Grahams and Shamrocks beat Cuchullainns. Local History,  National Heroes,  National pride, mythology, , Patriots,  Saints,  Martyrs and much much more. In English football you have City, Rovers, Town, Wanderers,  Athletic. Bland  meaningless stuff. In America you just pick a wild animal or something..  Its time to celebrate the History and heritage of our great names.

With Glen getting to the AIF I read up on who was Watty Graham?  He was a Presbyterian Church elder from  Maghera, Co Derry who was hanged in the COI rectory Maghera for his part in the United Irishmen rebellion of 1798.
I think we should post the stories and backgrounds of our famous club names and celebrate one of the things that makes our organisation truly great.

If you could start a new job/career what would it be?  Forget about restrictions about money/time/homelife/location.  If there were no barriers what would you do next?

Does anyone know where I could get a bladder for an old style 1950s football.

Struggling to find this online, and the one that I ordered that finally came was too small.

There has been no coverage of this in todays media, but last night at Mid Ulster Council, the DUP proposed to remove ALL council support and funding to GAA clubs in the area.
It was supported by every single Unionist councillor in attendance.
I shouldn't be shocked, but I am.  Blatant bigotry at its most obvious.  It's not even a news story because Anti Irish bigotry is still totally acceptable in Northern Ireland.

Like most Irish people from a cultural Catholic background I am opposed to the Church's teachings on countless issues.  I believe that they are wrong about contraception, abortion, gay marriage, women priests, the sanctity of confession.  And most of all, I don't actually believe in God.  In addition to that I firmly believe that most priests do not believe in god either, because half of them only became priests because they were gay and didn't know what else to do.

However, we all play along with the game.  We get our kids baptised because we want them to go to the local school.  We play along with the Catholic faith because we want to get married in Catholic churches and when I die, I want to be buried in the same graveyard as the rest of my family which happens of course to be a catholic graveyard.

The Catholic church have been getting flak for questioning why people want to get married in Catholic churches if they do not adhere to Catholic doctrine, and maybe they have a point.  Why do we want to get married in Catholic churches?  Is it time to make a break and start again?  Have I a right as a non practising catholic to be buried beside my parents and grandparents or should I be shunted off to the municipal graveyard in the town.

As I live in rural county Armagh, if I don't send my children to a Catholic school, I have to send them to a Protestant primary school, there is no alternative, therefore I am forced to get the children baptised.  The churches authority is gone, and it's time to question why they should be allowed to continue to dominate the education sector both North & South.

Looking for ideas for Paddy's Day to spend with wife and kids.   Within 50 miles of Newry, something a bit different.

I thought I would start a nice positive thread for a Monday morning.  Who do you think is Ireland's most loved personality dead or alive?

Sporting heroes like Roy Keane are widely respected but not necessarily loved, ditto for Brian O'Driscoll who is widely regarded as one of our greatest ever sportsmen but not loved and adored by the nation at large.

Martin McGuinness is loved by many people but a large section of the population hold him in disdain due to his IRA past.

So who are the people that are uniformly loved and respected by the Irish Nation?

My nominations are,

Luke Kelly
Paul McGrath
Micheal O'Muircheartaigh

Slaughtneil play Cuala in the All -Ireland hurling semi final in Armagh in a fortnight. I'm not going to rehash the achievements of this small club,  you all know the story. 
However I am going to ask you and your family to turn up at the Athletic Grounds for the match. Let's give Slaughtneill and Ulster hurling some support.  Let's make this the biggest Hurling match in Ulster in 20 years.
Are you from a small club who aspire to succeed like Slaughtneil?  Go to the match.
Are you a lifelong GAA man who has never gone to the hurling?  Go to the match.
Are you a sporting romantic and lover of the underdog?  Go to the match.
Would you love to see a hurling game in Ulster that the media couldn't ignore?  Go to the match.
Are you likely to be doing nothing else anyway?  Go to the match.
I'm not a Slaughtneil man, a Derry man or even a Hurling man, but I'm a Gaa man from a small rural club,  and was priveliged to see Slaughtneil win over St Vincents in Newry yesterday.  I wouldn't miss the next match for all the world,  and full heartedly encourage you all to join me there.

I was wanting to take the family to stay over in Dublin for the Easter Weekend, can anyone suggest things to do/ sights to see / places to eat in the city centre suitable for a young family that isn't going to break the bank.

Was watching Ogie Moran on Laochra Gael last night.  Apologies I can never figure out how to post a  photo on here but two of the best and worst jerseys of all time were on display in the 1981 All Ireland Final.

Offaly had the cool tight fitting white jersey with a high gold banner and green on the shoulders. 

Kerry however had the most godawful green and gold shiny thing with shiny green shorts.  (never.seen.worse.)

How would you feel about NI qualifying for the Euro championships?, and would you support them?

Does anyone actually know any Catholics who support them? 

Any way of getting this on SKY in the North?  I know there is some sort of  search facility for hidden channels on SKY.

Get out and Vote!
Transfer your Vote!
and most importantly,
Encourage your friends and family to vote!!!

Read the roll of honour for Ireland's bravest men
We must be united in memory of the ten
England you're a monster, don't think that you have won
We will never be defeated while Ireland has such sons

In those dreary H-Block cages ten brave young Irishmen lay
Hungering for justice while their young lives ebbed away
For their rights as Irish soldiers and to free their native land
They stood beside their leader the gallant Bobby Sands

Now they mourn Hughes in Bellaghy, Ray McCreish in Armagh's hill
In those narrow streets of Derry they miss O'Hara still,
They so proudly gave their young lives to break Britannia's hold
Their names shall be remembered as history unfolds

Chorus

Through the war torn streets of Ulster the black flags did sadly wave
To salute ten Irish martyrs, the bravest of the brave
Joe McDonnell, Martin Hurson, Kevin Lynch, Kieran Doherty
They gave their lives for freedom with Thomas McElwee

Michael Devine from Derry you were the last to die
With your nine brave companions, with the martyred dead you lie
Your souls cry out "Remember, our deaths are not in vain
Fight on and make our homeland a nation once again"

On RTÉ news now.  Leo Varadkar signals Government/IRFU intent to bid for 2023 World Cup.

Last time out New Zealand did it with 12 stadiums.

By 2023 we will have the following

1. Aviva Stadium - 51,700 all seater stadium
2. Thomond Park - 26,500
3. RDS - 18,500 - Would probably get an upgrade for the World Cup
4. Windsor Park - 18,000 all seater brand new stadium
5. Ravenhill - 18,000 redeveloped stadium
6. Musgrave Park, Cork or Sportsgrounds Galway - Would probably get an upgrade for the World Cup

We would then need 6 GAA grounds.

1. Croke Park - 82,000
2. Casement Park - 38,000 brand new stadium
3. Pairc Ui Chaoimh - 45,000 redeveloped stadium

Then take your pick for 3 out of
Semple Stadium - Thurles
Gaelic Grounds - Limerick
Fitzgerald Stadium - Killarney
McHale Park - Castlebar
Breffni Park - Cavan
St Tiernach's Park - Clones
or any other County Ground

Aviva, Thomond, Windsor, Ravenhill, Croker, Casement & Pairc Ui Chaoimh will all be first class modern stadiums.  You don't need 12 world class stadiums.

I would guess that your groups will be based as follows,

Ireland's group - Aviva, Croker, RDS

Scotland's group - Ravenhill, Casement, Windsor

Group 3 - Thomond, Limerick Gaelic Grounds, Pearse Stadium, Galway Sportsgrounds.  3 out of that 4.

Group 4.  Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Musgrave Park, Killarney, Thurles. 3 out of that 4.

Hopefully this goes through.  Would be absolutely brilliant to see it.

As a huge fan of Irish music, i keep finding myself going back to the old stuff like Christy, The Pogues, Luke Kelly etc,  I am pretty sure that I am missing out on good new Irish music.  Here are my Top 10 Irish songs of the last decade or so, would be keen to hear about your favourite Irish songs this century.

1.  Colony - Damien Dempsey
2.  Passage West - John Spillane
3.  Saints & Angels - Waterboys & Sharon Shannon
4.  Mayhem - Imelda May
5.  16 Fishermen Raving - Christy Moore
6.  Big Sur - The Thrills
7.  The Steady Song - Republic of Loose
8.  The Blowers Daughter - Damien Rice
9.  The Man Who Can't be Moved - The Script
10. Galileo - Declan O'Rourke

I'm fed up with the 'Sinn Fein, they have gone away you know' thread, and it's moronic title.  So here is a new thread.  Not strictly a SF thread, because the cause of Irish Unity is much wider than just SF.

However, according to the latest Irish Times/MRBI poll today

FG - 26%
SF - 23%
FF - 22%
Ind/Others - 21%
LAB - 6%

According to this poll, SF is now by some considerable distance, the most popular party across Ireland, North and South.

I live in Newry, and I hear a lot of people locally are having a problem where they are getting the echo of their own voice back when they try to make a call.  I get it with about every 2nd or 3rd call.  Any techy people out there know what this is?  It seems to be irrespective of mobile network?
If it was just me I would think that the hoors have tapped my phone, but it seems to be widespread.

I am quite amazed after years and years of abuse revelations and child safeguarding measures that fellas still stroll about bollock naked in  mens changing rooms in council run family swimming pools.  Fathers that are taking young boys and girls into the changing rooms shouldnt have to march their children passed hairy arsed oul fellas who refuse to use the cubicles.  Even when taking the children through the shower on the way in and out of the pool there will be grown men showering and shampooing without a stitch on.  I mean is it too much to ask to keep the f**king shorts on.

Now this has always been the form in this particular pool, because I have been going there since I was a child myself, but now that I am bringing my son and daughter there, i find it hard to beleive that people think this is acceptable in a family swimming pool.  I have never known for this to happen in any other swimming pool. 

Obviously you don't want to start a row with a naked man in a shower.  I suppose what I want to know is, Is this normal behaviour in Irish swimming pools in 2013 or is Newry pool full of f**king perverts?

I have drawn up my own rankings of the counties since the beginning of the qualifiers and quarter finals in 2001.  I have decided to only award credit to counties who have reached the quarter finals.  I considered giving credit to those who reached the last 12, but this skews the results unfairly towards Munster and Connacht counties who can occasionally reach the last 12 by default. (Example, this year Leitrim will reach the last 12 if they beat New York and London).

20 Counties have reached the last 8 since the inception of the qualifiers in 2001.  I have ranked the counties by stats, not opinion.  The 4 columns are for All Ireland, Runners Up, Semi Finalist, Quarter Finalist.  I do not give additional credit for winning a provincial title except where the results throw up a draw.  In the only case where this was relevant I have placed Roscommon above Westmeath beacuse Roscommon won 2 provincial titles to Westmeaths 1.

The most recent counties to be added to this list where Limerick in 2011.  Down in 2010( who in typical Down fashion went straight from nowhere to an All-Ireland Final), and Wexford and Kildare in 2008, and Kildare have reached at least the QF every year since then.

I would be interested to hear if anyone has a better way of ranking the counties.


1.  Kerry          4-4-2-2
2.  Tyrone       3-0-1-5
3.  Cork           1-2-5-1
4.  Armagh      1-1-1-3
5.  Dublin         1-0-5-5
6.  Donegal     1-0-2-3
7.  Galway       1-0-0-4
8.  Mayo           0-3-1-3
9.  Meath         0-1-2-1
10. Down         0-1-0-1
11. Derry          0-0-2-1
12. Kildare        0-0-1-4
13. Fermanagh 0-0-1-1
14. Wexford     0-0-1-0
15. Laois           0-0-0-4
16. Roscommon 0-0-0-3
17. Westmeath  0-0-0-3
18. Sligo            0-0-0-2
=19. Monaghan 0-0-0-1
=19. Limerick     0-0-0-1