Irish mercenaries, unionist coat trailers and the Bard of Dunclug

[tyrone86]

I agree with SS2, whoever alerted the IN on this will probably make us all regret his actions. Was there any need for the board to "go public", surely an "internet forum" would have been wiser than actually naming the baord. Some on here are obsessed with the board achieving publicity/notoriety. We should have had a laugh at his expense and forgot about it as he would have retreated back into the shadows.

Someone attached a link to a thread on Slugger and I'd wager that's where the IN got hold of it

[pintsofguinness]

What exactly are yous worried about - new members?

[nifan]

If a SF councillor posted something on owc regarding the Provo's taking out & shooting posters on a particular thread (allegedly) & was found out, what would the reaction be?

Do you think the Newsletter would look at his side of the story?
Do you think people would be on 'defending' him?

The reaction would have been revulsion, a banning and of course media attention would have been sought by some. Same as here.

The newsletter is a shite paper. The IN is much more savvy.
I dont see him defended. They have quoted what he has said. They do not have all the evidence I am sure so are wary about going too hard.

[Donagh]

Internet forums grow and change, thats the nature of the beast. I've been about this one for near ten years now and it's as entertaining now as it was then, although in a very different way and with over a thousand extra members. Same goes for AFR. A bit of new blood won't do any harm.

[Yes I Would]

Looks like the shit has hit the fan on this one  .

Which of the many offensive posts is the councillor claiming ownership of or is he now washing his hands of them all??
Why should the future of the board be compromised over this??
Each member is responsible for their postings and are aware of the impilcations of offensive postings. The fact that he was an elected councillor i would have thought would have ensured that this individual would have been more careful with the tone and slant his postings were taking.

[red hander]

From today's Belfast Telegraph:

Councillor denies forum slur
I've been set up says Ulster Unionist over offensive comments on GAA website

BY LESLEY-ANNE HENRY
lhenry@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

AN ULSTER Unionist councillor today denied posting offensive comments on a GAA discussion forum.
Neill Armstrong, a member of Ballymena Council, claimed an opportunist used his name and password to post the abusive remarks during an online conversation about next month's Royal Irish Regiment parade.
The discussion, entitled 'Irish mercenaries and unionist coat trailers', took place on the gaaboard.com website on Wednesday afternoon.
At about 3.20pm a controversial comment was posted from Mr Armstrong's username "The bard of dunclug". It read: "It's a real pity that the Army whilst they were in Northern Ireland hadn't taken some of the recent contributors to his thread out and killed them, that would have caused me real pleasure."
The post was in response to a previous comment which read: "As for the loyal Irish soldiers having a parade in Belfast, that is disgusting and unacceptable, the Parades Commission is toothless for the most part."
Just over half an hour later, at 4.01pm, Mr Armstrong intervened to say that someone had sabotaged his web address.
Mr Armstrong, a public representative of eight years experience, admitted he had been logged on to the Gaelic sports site earlier in the day, but said he had "forgotten to log out properly".
He wrote: "Hi, this is Neil Armstrong — it has been reported to me that someone has been using my name and password to type comments on the forums and first and foremost I never typed these comments. I must have left the general discussion page open when I left a computer I was using. I strongly condemn anybody who wishes violence on anybody and I would condemn anybody who has made these remarks. Neill."
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Mr Armstrong said he had been set up and that his reputation had been "run into the ground and covered in muck" by the incident.
"I just didn't log off. I fully expected to be dragged through the coal. It was a simple error. People just believe the absolute worst of you. I am absolutely gutted. I really am. I have got up and I have said anybody on the noticeboard who wants to contact me, can. All I ask is to be judged on what I have done over the last eight years.
"I have gone on the noticeboard when someone told me what was said and I have condemned it unreservedly.
"This is what really aggravates me, if I had wanted to say something really controversial, I could be doing that every five minutes on it, couldn't I? This is what irks me because no matter what I say or do, I am an Ulster Unionist councillor, therefore I am going to be guilty anyway aren't I?
"I am hurt and disappointed. I am not trying to hide anything. This has broken my heart."
Mr Neill declined to say where he had been using the computer.
"I don't know who you contact about these sorts of things. The reality is if I contact a solicitor and people put these things on the board, what can you do?"
"I am taking steps and when I get the person who did it, I will give his or her name and I will get this sorted. But I am not really at liberty to give away the address. All I am saying is just give me a fair crack of the whip."

[The Watcher Pat]

There are that many people on here anonymously..

The story could get to the papers very easily without anyone calling them.....For all we know there are IN journalists as members...

It's not the point of how it got to the press as far as I'm concerned....

I'm just glad it was reported!

[ONeill]

Aw, red hander - you could have edited thon last line for the craic - "I am taking steps and when I get the person who did it, I ......."

[tyrone86]

Its well known that most if not all the press & media on a national, regional and local basis that provides GAA coverage do look at this board. Jerome Quinn at one time was a poster here. I also remember earlier this year a plant from the Irish DMoS tried to make up a story about the Louth County Football squad as part of a piece for a story they were running about Gaelic Games message boards. Sure not too long ago Dessie Farrell was calling those who on message boards like this didn't support the GPA stance on the grants scheme as "f**king jealous" along with some other choice words!

Yes but they'd mainly be journalists of the sporting variety who'd treat the board as a resource. News journalists would treat a political blog like Slugger in a similar fashion and frequent it much more often. But I do get what you're saying, this board is more widely accessed than people think, I remember in 2002/03 a group at a coaching course having a conversation about something that was posted on the board. I was also 'outed' by clubmate under a previous incarnation because I'd said too much about something.

[Yes I Would]

I hope to god he finds the person who posted this comment!!

[Sideshow Bob]

Why have the mods/admin moved to help this idiot by deleting his account??? It is plainly obvious that he posted these comments and when he was pulled up on them and came out with a c**k and bull story about his account being hacked. The mods should be working to out this sectarian bigot instead of protecting him and his evil words. This idiot should be out of a job, if it was anywhere other than Norn Iron this man wouldnt be employable, but to make matters worse its Ballymena. Its par for the course up there and now the people who run this site are siding with this bigot.

[ludermor]

I have gone on the noticeboard when someone told me what was said and I have condemned it unreservedly.

Who would have told him what was posted? Who would have known his user name? This doesnt seem like a site that his mates would be reading.
It seems a bit farfetched that someone would hack into his account then half an hour later one of mates who happened to be reading the baord and happened to be reeading the thread spotted that his user name was used. He was very quick off the  mark!

[full back]

At least the BT reporter had the guts to press him on where he was using the computer unlike the IN

[pintsofguinness]

"This is what really aggravates me, if I had wanted to say something really controversial, I could be doing that every five minutes on it, couldn't I?

*chokes*

You made a few controversial comments Neill!!

BT done a better job.

[red hander]

If his comments weren't bad enough, the fact he's bringing his wife into it (IN quotes) to elicit some sort of sympathy shows him up to be a particualrly pathetic arsehole