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The Daily Mail have today published an article describing the Bloody Sunday murderers as "Britain's brave paras".

If ever a paper needed boycotted it's that horrible, vile rag. Not to mention it's "Irish" edition.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2568874/If-terror-suspects-immunity-not-Britains-brave-Paras-Furious-MPs-demand-immunity-soldiers.html#ixzz2uc5qCEZ5

(In an easily amused mood here today, hence this thread.)

I've heard of the "six degrees of separation" theory before, i.e. that any two people on could be connected through a chain of (on average) six people. Never heard tell of this Bacon Number caper before. Type an actors names into google along with "bacon number" and it tells you how many steps they are from a link to Kevin Bacon. Crucial information alright!!

Seems most actors (at least well known ones) have a Bacon Number of 2!

Few Irish ones...

Liam Neeson's Bacon number is 2
Liam Neeson and January Jones appeared in Unknown.
January Jones and Kevin Bacon appeared in X-Men: First Class.

Colin Farrell's Bacon number is 2
Colin Farrell and Tom Cruise appeared in Minority Report: Bonus Material.
Tom Cruise and Kevin Bacon appeared in A Few Good Men.

Brendan Gleeson's Bacon number is 2
Brendan Gleeson and Ryan Reynolds appeared in Safe House.
Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Bacon appeared in R.I.P.D..

Cillian Murphy's Bacon number is 2
Cillian Murphy and Robert De Niro appeared in Red Lights.
Robert De Niro and Kevin Bacon appeared in Sleepers.

Peter O'Toole's Bacon number is 2
Peter O'Toole and Michael Fassbender appeared in Prometheus.
Michael Fassbender and Kevin Bacon appeared in X-Men: First Class.

After getting the all clear a short time ago, it looks like things have just turned drastically bad for the poor wee fella.

http://oscarknox.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/devastating-news.html?m=1

(Bit of background..... http://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/23156)

Decision to be made today on whether or not she is to be released. Hopefully she will be at home in her own bed tonight.

EDIT: She's free!

Someone on the Donegal v Tyrone thread mentioned the Ross Wherrity wiki page earlier which talks about his "disappearances", his hair and includes in his honours "1 Mc Ginley's Bar 'Tueday Night Pub Quiz' - General Knowledge *5th Runner-up (June 2010)" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Wherrity

Any really good wiki entries out there?

Anybody have any advice on how I could go about transferring old VHS tapes onto dvds? Been on the to-do list for too long.

Just to get something straight.  This asshole Carter has went and taken one of the best songs of the last 10 years, (Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show, with a part of the chorus actually written by Bob Dylan) and f**king annihilated it.  He deserves a fart in the mouth.

Assuming we can agree that it's not Wagon Wheel and that anyone suggests otherwise deserves a fart in the mouth....what is the best song since 2003?

P.S. Do us a favour....if you put up a youtube link, title it and save people having to click the link only to be disappointed with the suggestion 

P.P.S. What's the chances of a consensus being reached rather than everyone naming just naming their own favorite? Asking a bit much?

I'm sure many's a poster on the board would have some stories to tell from going through the infamous checkpoint at Aughnacloy. In my own experience, it was always the most hostile checkpoint to have to cross and often involved being directed into the large "shed" and locked inside for long spells, often in the dark, and receiving some fairly horrible abuse and threats. Aidan McAnespie recieved many threats to his life as he passed regularly through the checkpoint. His won father once reported a British soldier at the checkpoint telling him "I've a bullet here in the gun for your son Aidan". Sadly, just over a year later, the British army acted upon these repeated threats when they shot him dead as he walked towards his club grounds for a match one Sunday.
February 21st will mark the 25th Anniversary of his murder and I see there are a number of events being held to mark the occasion so I just though I'd spread the word here for anyone interested. On that day in 1988, Aghaloo were due to play Killeeshil. Players from those clubs from that era, with others, will compete for the Aidan McAnespie Trophy on Saturday 23rd February at 4.00pm. While on the Thursday night before that (21st Feb) there will see a candlelit vigil with Peter Canavan as main speaker.

http://www.teamtalkmag.com/archives/19917

Teamtalkmag.com has tonight learned that Dromore man Ryan Mc Menamin has indicated to Mickey Harte that he will not be making himself available for the 2013 season.  Mc Menamin won an Ulster Championship medal with Tyrone in 2001 and went on to win another four titles in '03, '07, '09 and 2010.  He was also on the field of play for the three All Ireland Senior Championships in '03, '05 and '08.  While many would have known that this day wasn't far away his decision to retire leaves Tyrone with a huge gap to fill in terms of experience and know how.  A fearless leader for the Red Hands for well over a decade and one of the men that never took a step back when Tyrone needed to go to war to win games. We wish him well in his retirement from county football and thank him for his contribution to the most successful era Tyrone football has ever enjoyed.

Just what Ireland needs.....a Michael McDowell comeback 
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0227/1224312439734.html

On the day when Inda is due to address the state to tell everyone how belts must be tightened, we find out he ordered his officials to break the salary cap and bring in a 37% pay increase (an extra €35,000) for his friend and former spin doctor Ciarán Conlon. Inda said that while the new wage was excessive, it was appropriate "in this specific case". The more things change.....

Last thread locked. SAY NO TO CENSORSHIP!!!

But to pick up where the last one left off....

So Martin wont be in the Aras for 2016 and the whinging and blame game starts. Pick up your toys and the dummy you spat out and go home.

"Mitchell was the most impressive I thought...If Mitchell steps up his campaign now he will walk it." (Ross Matt)

[PM rejects Public Inquiry in Finucane Case]

The saga goes on:

PM rejects Public Inquiry in Finucane Case
Pat Finucane Centre Response to Finucane meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron Today:

"Reacting to the outcome of the meeting this afternoon with British Prime Minister David Cameron the PFC shares the shock and concern of the Finucane family at the news that no Public Inquiry is to be held into the 1989 murder.

"The family have campaigned long and hard for an inquiry into the murder of Pat. They were told that a Public Inquiry would be set up by the British Government. The Irish Government was told that a Public Inquiry would be set up.

Instead the PM has told the family that a QC, Sir Desmond da Silva, will be asked to 'review' the available papers and then brief the family. This is an extraordinary turnaround which we find incomprehensible and unacceptable. We understand that the family will not cooperate in any shape or fashion with this 'review'.

At the meeting they were told that this was the "best way forward". This may be true for the security forces and agencies who wish to conceal the truth. It is certainly not the best way forward for the family.

It was claimed that witnesses are not 'available' and that this would negate the effectiveness of any inquiry. This is a shabby and scandalous excuse.   

It is absolutely vital that any inquiry be allowed to delve into the involvement of the British Army Force Research Unit, RUC Special Branch and the Security Service MI5 in the murder. Britain is failing to honour the commitment it made at Weston Park to implement the recommendations of Judge Cory, the Canadian judge appointed by the two governments to evaluate the evidence in a number of contentious cases. He recommended a Public Inquiry into the murder.

Pat Finucane received death threats from members of the RUC. Using parliamentary privilege only weeks before the murder a Conservative Government minister accused members of the legal profession of being close to the IRA thus setting the scene for loyalist attacks on lawyers. Both RUC and FRU agents were involved in the murder of Pat Finucane. On February 12 1989 Pat was murdered in front of his family.

Those who would argue that the above facts are a not a matter for Public Inquiry should consider the words of Geraldine Finucane,

I believe that it is a mistake to ignore cases of serious concern just because they are in the past. I believe the only way our society can move forward into a peaceful future is by examining the controversies of our past and exposing them fully for all to see. I believe this creates foundations of confidence, upon which a lasting peace can be built. END"

[still poses a threat to the public]

For anyone unaware of the story, the above photo is of former republican prisoner Brendan Lillis, who is currently in Maghaberry Prison. Lillis was sentenced to life in prison in 1977 on explosives charges but was released on licence in 1993. In 2009, he was arrested in relation to a separate charge. Around this time, he took sick with a severe bone debility illness and was deemed unfit to even stand trial for these charges. Despite this, his release licence from his 1977 life sentence was revoked on the basis of his alleged 2009 crime and he was thrown back in jail. Since then his condition has deteriorated drastically.

Writting in yesterdays Irish News after a visit with Lillis, Irish News reporter Allison Morris remarked that "pictures have been released in recent weeks showing him in an emaciated state...the reality is much more shocking." She describes his current condition by saying:
- "From the waist down Lillis's legs are withered and wasted, his thighs and calves completely emanciated, like those of a long-term coma victim.'"
- He has the body mas index of a 10/12 year old boy
- He cannot hold down more than a few spoonfuls of creamed rice per day
- His eyesight is failing and he cannot cope with direct sunlight
- He has been unfit to be showered/bathed in over a year
- He has been lying in the same position in his bed for several months as he is in too much pain to move
- Due to the level of his pain when moving him, his bedsheets can only be changed infrequently and are often soiled in between times
- His stomach has swollen out with gas
- His spine has fused


Six county justice minister David Forde has today decided that Brenda Lillis should not be released on compassionate or humanitarian grounds as he still poses a threat to the public
and that he would have to serve the rest of his original life sentence at Maghaberry Prison. How can a man who cannot move, barely eat, barely speak and cannot even see direct sunlight, and who will likely die in prison, be a danger to the public?

It's that time of year again. Last week, we saw the Short Strand residents taking the abuse, this week, it's the turn of...




The LVF has issued death threats to the band, stating that the band members "will be shot" when they arrive to perform at a GAA fundraiser in Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh, on July 3rd if planned parades through the nationalist village are blocked.

Who will feel the wrath next week? This could be a another messy summer.

Over the next three days, TV3 is allocating 11hrs 30mins to the British royal wedding. On friday, their coverage of the wedding in the daytime is scheduled to be lengthier than BBC who will at least stop for news and weather. I suppose it makes a change though in that usually they just broadcast whatever ITV are broadcasting at any given moment in time so why not copy bbc for the day as a little change.