Messages

Henry wasn't well marshalled, to me he was out played by Maher would had a great game on him.  Henry had to be moved off him in the second half. 

To me DJ was outstanding and lets not forget Larkin, Fitzpatrick, Brennan, Comerford and the likes are all fabulous hurlers (all as good or better than Henry) and as someone else said before, DJ never had that support around him.  DJ won many games for Kilkenny, games they never had a right to win, only for the greatness of DJ they won.  Henry never had to take such responsibility on his own.

West Belfast includes the Shankill, as you have alluded to - to suggest that Shankill's figures would be more favourable if not included as part of the West Belfast stats is disingenuous.There is no evidence of great disparity between working class Republican/Nationalist and Loyalist/Unionist areas. And don't mention the South Belfast stats as representing Sandy Row and the Village. South Belfast includes the Malone Road / Lisburn Road as well, so the figures are skewed.

As for Strabane, it's isolated in the West, so there will obviously be difficulties in attracting investment - it's not the political/religious profile that's the primary factor here.

Shankill as I said does come under west Belfast, and yes there are pockets of working class loyalists suffer the same fiat as many of our nationalist areas, but as a whole and in the overall picture there is a difference being made to where most of the investment is being pumped into.  Strabane, is close to where I also live and it is almost on the doorstep of a major city which is also economically run down.  West  Belfast is also not remote and it suffers worst in the whole country and the Shankill belongs to that constituency so it will have to suffer the same fait as the rest of that constituency.

Equality in the new Northern Ireland still to this day has a problem.

You still don't get my point about the east Belfast attempt and the reasoning behind east Belfast.  It was still an attempt to leave us out of things.  That's okay if you don't care being treated as second class, but that was the reasoning behind east Belfast.  And yes it didn't work out that way thanks to the Rugby Association it didn't hold a lot of weight.  It's the intent behind it, that is the problem.

Ballina is very remote, but Strabane isn't.

mylestheslasher, Brilliant!!!

Below is a paper from Sue Ramsey SF, states 40% unemployment of working age people in West Belfast.  This compared to the below list also show the true lengths of hiding unemployment and how figures are calculated or messaged.


http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/employment/2007mandate/press/EL04_08.htm


http://www.strabaneweekly.co.uk/articles/news/6395/11-strabane-based-jobs-for-unemployed/.htm


Taken from AnPhoblacht
I think anyone can see what are mainly nationalist areas and south Belfast takes in the village and Sandy Row.  Lagan Valley also takes in nationalist areas Poleglass and Twinbrook where their unemployment is believed to be as bad if not worse than west Belfast.  West Belfast also takes in Shankill Rd area which also suffer from being incorporated in west Belfast.

Six-County Unemployment Figures
Constituency   % of workforce
   
Belfast East    4.3%
Belfast North    4.6%
Belfast South    3.4%
Belfast West   16%
East Antrim    6.7%
East Derry    8%
Fermanagh & South Tyrone    6.6%
Foyle    10%
Lagan Valley    3.6%
Mid-Ulster    7.1%
Newry and Armagh    8%
North Antrim   5.8%
North Down    4.3%
South Antrim   4.5%
South Down    8.4%
Strangford    5.7%
Upper Bann   4.5%
West Tyrone    9.2%
   
Six Counties   6.5%

When I mentioned the travelling issue, I was highlighting how many of nationalists have to travel into unionist areas, not distance.

Yes people still vote for Adams, but there is no viable candidate to vote for either in west Belfast.  But Sue Ramsey report also highlights Adams failing of west Belfast. 

As prior to my point of inequality, it is very much evident, because things my be good for us, there are very many suffering from inequality in this state and there is no doubt about this fact.  Even though things are very much better than the 70s, 80s, there is still a very long way to go.

Regarding McGuinness and Robinson singing from the same hymn sheet, says it all.  This agreement also highlights McGuinness's acceptance of inequality.  But it really means a lot to Unionists having a veto and they also having safeguards that true democracy will never prevail in this little illegal state.  It stinks of how our county was divided under the threat of all out war from the British.  Is this democracy? 


My point was always about the attempt of leaving the GAA out of the loop, this is what the Danny Blanchflower  stadium was always about ,and fair play to the Rugby crowd they didn't bite!

Articles 2 and 3, as I have been saying always subservient within all negotiations and always in the back foot.  Look at the many years of pleading and begging both Martin and Gerry had been doing to get into Stormont and Trimble swiping them away like flies.  They gave me the impression and many other people I've even heard mention their disgust at their pleading.  Northern Ireland Act was taken off the table and from the GFA comes the St Andrew's which entrenches the Unionist veto even more.  Read sections 8 and 9 and it goes on to enforce that only the largest political party from the largest denomination can take the position of First Minister.  Basically it will not mater if there is a nationalist party topping the poles.  It will be a very, very long time before nationalists are in position to even take First Minister. 

As regarding GFA, was sold as if we didn't go along with it, we'll be back to the bad old days.  We were also told it is the only way forward, so we had to accept that Unionists hold the cards for the sake of peace.  We voted for peace, because we were told there was no other way.  But this doesn't make a wrong right.

The Danny Blanchflower Stadium in east Belfast was a proposal to replace the Maze stadium, so the GAA were going to lose out.  Where the money comes from doesn't make it right either.  Remember they use our facilities. On another slightly related point, my son would love to play rugby, he'd approached 4 clubs to join and once he gave his name and address he received no promised communication from any of these clubs.

As regards to your what year am I living in.  All the stats point to places like Strabane, Derry, Clonoe west Belfast and many such nationalist areas, lag a long way behind areas of east Belfast, south Belfast, east cost of Antrim, Carrickfergus, Larne, Malusk Ballymena and north Down. Granted many nationalists are getting very well paid quality jobs, most of whom are travelling to Unionist areas.  There is no resemblance to the 1960, 70s or 80s.  I have friends who live in west of Belfast and they would tell you 20 or more years Adams has been elected in their area, he has done nothing to attract employment for that area.  One told me about a certain newspaperman in the Andersonstown news hitting out at the lack of work being put in by SF and Adams for the people of that area.  This guy was visited by SF and Adams and made to print a retraction and an apology the following week.

[equality]

As I said, what's the point!  Even SF and SDLP acknowledge equality is a long way off.  I'll add that both SF and SDLP went on a ticket of anti secondary illegal water charges.  Remember, we already pay for water in our rates!  But now Conor Murphy of the SF is paying a company many tens of thousands of Queen's shillings to how best go about implementing these illegal charges on the people.  How does equality to be delivered with such weak leadership.  We still live in a loyalist controlled state whether we like it or not.

Bulls_it shaneo, if your going to make statements like that at least have hard evidence to back them up, i'll give you some examples of why we are not loyalist controlled;

Minister for education: Catriona Ruane (sinn fein)
Minister for regional development: Conor Murphy (sinn fein)
Minister for agriculture: Michelle Gildernue (sinn fein)
Minister for social development: Margaret Ritchie (sdlp)
Deputy first minister: Martin McGuinness (sinn fein)

This would hardly be classed as a loyalist controlled state!

Gerry Kelly junior minister in OFMDFM also.

Wasn't sure of them all doogie & that's why I said 'some examples'

No worries, just glad to highlight that nationalists do have a voice in the 6 counties now finally and have a say in decision making locally after years of discrimination and unionist dominance  .

Sorry to hear I'm branded sectarian, I'm not!
My point on the water charges and the Irish language money being re-routed, is just examples of what I think is still wrong in our society.
Remember I'm not wrong to highlight the fact that our so called politicians who I once voted for proclaimed many, many things to us Nationalists. They have danced to the Unionist and British Tune.  SF are simply carrying out the orders of the British Government, not the wishes of us everyday Nationalists. This is why the water charges are coming in, not a second thought to the working class people who are going to face hardship on this issue.

There was also a plan not that long back, Unionist politicians were going to build a stadium for Rugby and Soccer (Gaelic Games Not to be included!) in East Belfast area.  Lets also remember all the talk had been about a stadium that all codes could use the future stadium.
Our great politicians also kept mum and the idea was abandoned thanks to Unionists involved in Rugby Code (fair play to them)

We have to also remember that there is a Unionist Veto, this is sectarian!  Our Nationalist politicians Okayed this, they threw articles 2-3 into the bin, and the Northern Ireland Act remains.  SF gave MI5 the okay to have a free hand in Northern Ireland, undermining the good work that the SDLP was doing to have checks put in place.  SF told everyone that MI5 will have no part in community policing, did they ever have an interest in community policing.  This very nasty organisation is a political policing and black ops organisation and it have been made clear that this organisation were recruiting from the ranks of the old RUC that are not happy with the PSNI. (Why did SF undermine the SDLP in this way, very strange)

We also have to look around to see were all the main work in this illegal state, it isn't in many of our Nationalist areas.   But in strong Unionist areas we'll see many great international companies with well paid jobs while we have shop, hospital and taxi driver jobs with very low under breadline wages.  
Before I'm also accused, I'm not a RSF, INLA, IRSP, 32CSM, RIRA, CIRA or any such group supporter.  I don't believe in WAR either.  I'm an Irish Republican and I'll not apologies to anyone for that either.  I'm also sorry that I had to write this to explain myself because some people want to see something that was never there just to try to win an argument

I'm also sorry to see so many blindly following names, certain people who have come from a certain organisation.  But we fail to see their failings to the Nationalist community.  These politicians do not want to rock the very comfortable boat they are now in, because, too many follow them like sheep.  But this is also due to the diet of spin and propaganda we are fed.    

[equality]

As I said, what's the point!  Even SF and SDLP acknowledge equality is a long way off.  I'll add that both SF and SDLP went on a ticket of anti secondary illegal water charges.  Remember, we already pay for water in our rates!  But now Conor Murphy of the SF is paying a company many tens of thousands of Queen's shillings to how best go about implementing these illegal charges on the people.  How does equality to be delivered with such weak leadership.  We still live in a loyalist controlled state whether we like it or not.

[in reality we are still second class!]

I think the mind set of loyalist elitism will always shine through when it is all boiled down.  I doubt there would be the same outcry if there was the wearing of Soccer, Rugby or Hockey shirts.
You'll also see the same comparison between the Poppy and Easter Lilly.
We must be reminded of our place in this society and that is in reality we are still second class!

Are we fcuk second class, don't ever let anyone tell you or even think yourself for one minute that the nationalist community are second class & if people like yourself believe this & post it on an internet forum then the biggots from the loyalist community will be very glad to hear it.

Maybe we can bury our heads in the sand.  But the reality is out Nationalist politicians jump to the Queen's Shilling.  Money earmarked for the Irish Language redirected to an non-existant  Ulster Scottish and our Irish Language champions kept as quiet as mice.  I could go on all night of many such incidents, but what's the point!

I think the mind set of loyalist elitism will always shine through when it is all boiled down.  I doubt there would be the same outcry if there was the wearing of Soccer, Rugby or Hockey shirts.
You'll also see the same comparison between the Poppy and Easter Lilly.
We must be reminded of our place in this society and that is in reality we are still second class!

Looks like Tyrone have lost all three S O'Neills for this match. One might be unfortunate and two careless, but three is funny.

This S O'Neill will be available, but I doubt Mr Harte will play an old fart like me

Shane

Nice one!

There's one guy I remember playing in Antrim Hurling and he was the best I seen at the time. 
I was at Queen's at the time and would have attended many of the games played in Belfast during my four years there.  This guy played for St Paul's and he was in mid field for them, he was also very young at the time, for sure, still minor.

I seen him a couple of times, once against St John's and he scored something like nine to ten points and was being lined by Mick Carling and Cut Cunningham at the same time, but they couldn't come even close to stopping him.  Both these St John's guys were both very highly respected Antrim county hurlers.  The other time I seen him play was against Sarsfield's and he took them apart also.  I never seen him play again over the years and I'd asked about him at one of the St Paul's games and I was told he moved down south.

I remember his name was Marshall, I don't know if this was his first name or surname.  Over the four years in Belfast I watched many, senior hurling games, teams from the city and north of the county Antrim and Down  and he was the most impressive hurler I remember, very skilful, very fast, he made everything look very easy indeed.

Shane