Messages

'Music isn't what it used to be'. Bullshit. Maybe if your source of music is the X Factor and commercial radio stations. There's endless good music out there. Thinking of the last few years - The National, Villagers (already mentioned), Phoenix, Richard Hawley,Doves, James Vincent McMorrow, Bat For Lashes, Bright Eyes, Ryan Adams, Arcade Fire, TV On The Radio, The Gaslight Anthem...
the list is endless.

The National playing Belfast in November.  Can't see them filling the Odyssey mind you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA68f56yh80

Acrade Fire - Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)

Time to pretend - MGMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sArxl4TR8K0

An excellent opening shout.  Great song.

What's the current situation around The Waterfront/Central station, as regards flegs protest, orange marches etc? Have a couple of nights planned for the Waterfront in the next couple of weeks, and just wondered is it safe to walk to and from Waterfront/Central station?

Totally. It always was.

Just don't wear your Rangers tap around the Markets.

Some of ye Nordies just refuse to budge an inch from your own thick prejudices and appear to just love spouting it out loud.
The Maze is a place of history, there's a story to be told, one of the biggest stories in modern Irish history.
The EU is providing a grant to build a centre where the story can be told. What's there to be afraid of?

Are you afraid that people might gain a perspective about history that's different to your? Are you afraid that the story told about that history, be different from how you would tell it? 
Actually, do have anything sensible at all to say on the matter?

AFAIA there will not be a booth in the corner somewhere for a 'creationist' account of events.

The place should be bulldozed and forgotten about.  Nothing to do with people with different perspectives etc.

Why? Whether you like it or not it's a site of huge significance in Irish history.

Because it is a reminder of miserable times which should be forgotten about and consigned to history.

So your model is that the past should "be forgotten" and that we should say no way to something which would in all likelihood become one of the biggest attractions for tourists in Ireland? Should Robben Island be flattened? What about Auschwitz? They just "reminders of miserable times which should be forgotten about" too?

It's just my opinion.  Perhaps "not dwelt on" is more appropriate than "be forgotten".  I live here, so to be honest, I am not that bothered about its appeal as tourist attraction. 

Can we flatten Stormont then?

I thought as "a site of huge significance in Irish history" you'd be all for its maintenance.

Some of ye Nordies just refuse to budge an inch from your own thick prejudices and appear to just love spouting it out loud.
The Maze is a place of history, there's a story to be told, one of the biggest stories in modern Irish history.
The EU is providing a grant to build a centre where the story can be told. What's there to be afraid of?

Are you afraid that people might gain a perspective about history that's different to your? Are you afraid that the story told about that history, be different from how you would tell it? 
Actually, do have anything sensible at all to say on the matter?

AFAIA there will not be a booth in the corner somewhere for a 'creationist' account of events.

The place should be bulldozed and forgotten about.  Nothing to do with people with different perspectives etc.

Why? Whether you like it or not it's a site of huge significance in Irish history.

Because it is a reminder of miserable times which should be forgotten about and consigned to history.

Some of ye Nordies just refuse to budge an inch from your own thick prejudices and appear to just love spouting it out loud.
The Maze is a place of history, there's a story to be told, one of the biggest stories in modern Irish history.
The EU is providing a grant to build a centre where the story can be told. What's there to be afraid of?

Are you afraid that people might gain a perspective about history that's different to your? Are you afraid that the story told about that history, be different from how you would tell it? 
Actually, do have anything sensible at all to say on the matter?

AFAIA there will not be a booth in the corner somewhere for a 'creationist' account of events.

The place should be bulldozed and forgotten about.  Nothing to do with people with different perspectives etc. 

[feeble grounds of 'terrorist glorification']

Surely Unionists will be tempted by the tourist potential that such a site would bring? Wave a few £s in their face and they'll soon change their tune.

Wouldn't be surprised if the Daniel O'Donnell stunt double and his party ends up being bought and sold. They only reason they oppose it on the feeble grounds of 'terrorist glorification' is because they don't like the truth.

There is nothing wrong with not wanting to glorify terrorists.

Of course there isn't. (But the term itself is open to interpretation. For e.g. I would class members of the security forces as terrorists, state killings etc etc - I could argue that they glorify terrorism every November)

The whole point of it is for people (visitors) to actually visit the place and make their own minds up. A bit of education on the Troubles and what went on during that period.

Tourist potential?! Who the fcuk would want to go to this shite in a wasteland between Lisburn and Belfast? Just another in a long line of exercises in burning cash from the shinners and DUP. The same goons that are always crying about poverty in West/East Belfast.

They interviewed a lock of tourists and said they'd go. Believe it or not this the type of thing people go to see. Sure don't they go on an open bus tour round the city ffs!!!

It might actually have a lot of potential. I just think Unionists don't like the fact that it may paint 'them' in a slightly darker light.

Surely that depends on how the whole thing is couched.  If emphasis is also placed on the atrocities carried out by IRA terrorists, sorry Freedom Fighters, Republicans would not be painted in a particularly flattering light either.

Should just flatten it.

+1

[feeble grounds of 'terrorist glorification']

Surely Unionists will be tempted by the tourist potential that such a site would bring? Wave a few £s in their face and they'll soon change their tune.

Wouldn't be surprised if the Daniel O'Donnell stunt double and his party ends up being bought and sold. They only reason they oppose it on the feeble grounds of 'terrorist glorification' is because they don't like the truth.

There is nothing wrong with not wanting to glorify terrorists.

Didn't Glens fans take particular delight at Windsor reminding their Linfield counterparts lyrically that Gerry Adams was their MP?

Did they?
I know Linfield have large support in the Shankill Road area, but they also have large support in south Belfast which is where they're based.

I'd say most of Linfield's support traditionally comes from the Greater Shankill area - Back in the day there were something like 70,000 living there.  Literally only a handful of Glen men from West Belfast. 

I see Stenaline are running a special package trip to the Rangers V Linfield game at Ibrox next Wednesday evening. Now if I was on that boat, I think i'd take my chances swimming over!

What precisely do you think would happen?

I think he means it would be a coldhouse for a nationalist or a republican, but then again why would he get on a special soccer ferry anyways, why can't he get the next one.

Unless you actively looked for bother, I doubt anything untoward would happen.  Been on plenty of crossings with Celtic and Rangers fans and there has never been any hassle.  Not that your man would go out of his way to be offended or anything.

When Belfast Celtic folded,two of their most prominent players,jimmy Jones and Jackie Denver,joined their home town club,Glenavon and hence attracted a lot of former Celtic supporters to the Lurgan club,including my father and uncle,who were both Glenavon season ticket holders.

In the early 70s however that generation concluded that Irih league football was shite,and that with the troubles,meant that a lot of people on both sides avoided areas perceived to be either loyalist or republican,hence the cross community element of most Irish League clubs (with the obvious exception of Linfield who never had cross community support) became almost extinct.

Luckily Newry were always cross community in terms of support. I doubt anyone could say Glentoran were ever cross community, even before the troubles.

I was actually told that Glentoran had a Catholic following once upon a time.

My dad's catholic mate from Willowfield used to follow the Glens, as did a colleague from Ballymurphy at work.
The delightful Linfield fans certainly think the Glens have catholic fans though, given their charming little ditty that they sing about the chapel on the Newtownards Road.

I see Stenaline are running a special package trip to the Rangers V Linfield game at Ibrox next Wednesday evening. Now if I was on that boat, I think i'd take my chances swimming over!

What precisely do you think would happen?