Messages

You said unionists are immoral.

I said that the project to make Ireland a colony of Britain was an immoral enterprise, so you could interpret that as saying that unionism is immoral. Which doesn't say anything about other aspects of the lives of unionists. That said, there is a bible bashing faction in unionism and I believe that these are hypocritical in many respects on this matter.

I am making a subtle distinction here. Unionists can reasonably argue that conditions do not exist presently for ending the union, and so support its continuation. All parties from SF in, who support the GFA support the union continuing at present. But morality requires working to build common ground rather than continuing to foster division to keep the union going.

Only 14 empty seats for the football final - the attendance was 82,286 incredible

So I take it that tickets were in short supply and that not all "real" fans actually got in?

The season ticket is not a bad deal, even for Armagh people it was worth it to have a ticket for the Tyrone championship game. There is a reasonable prospect of an all ticket game next year, depending on the draw and the venue.

I can only conclude that your view on unionists is that they are scum.

Don't put words in my mouth.

A strong sense of continuity and community is generally a good thing. But you have to reflect on the legacy that the past is providing you. Unionism has yet to do this, in part because of the focus has been on opposition to campaign of violence and the crassness of some nationalists. 

I can live with the British Isles, as something like the Irish Sea, which is geographic without political implications. However as always this is misused to imply that people outside Britain are British, which is offensive bollix.

Your question infers that nationalists have a right to be anti-British and that unionists should just suck it up and carry some sort of guilt that needs to be paid for, on behalf of people who they weren't born to witness. 

Northern Ireland is a sectarian entity and the result of colonisation. Any moral person has an obligation to oppose that and if you benefit from it then you should indeed feel guilty. It never ceases to amaze that while say Germans are not at all proud of having beaten up their neighbours in the past, British people feel no shame whatsoever, but celebrate their conquests. 

NI at present  is inherently sectarian. Unionists continually justify all sorts of sectarian ways of doing things on the basis that they are "traditional" and allege that those who want change to ensure some balance are sectarian. So an Orange march in a nationalist town is OK, and proposing that it end is "sectarian", but a proposal for a similar nationalist march in a unionist town would also be "sectarian". Pure Hypocracy.

Anyway, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005 - you could look at any of those years and say 'if this or if that...'

And you can add 2000 to that list, when we took the eventual AI champions to extra time in a replay. We may have had a little bit of luck in 2002, but with any luck we might have won in 2000 instead of Kerry.

JK clearly benefitted from the good work previously, and the arrival of Ronan Clarke in the team give them that little bit extra in the forward division. But Armagh did keep in contention from 2002-2005, Galway the champs in 2001 didn't and Dublin who we beat by point in 2002 didn't push on either. 2004 is the one that really got away.

You are as likely to have a problem with the airline as the immigration people. Outside the EU a passport within 6 months would generally not be acceptable and airlines may have this requirement.

Flying through Toronto you generally go through Canadian immigration and then a Shannon style US immigration setup. This is stupid of course, people travelling on to the US should only have to do the US bit, but they aren't setup to do this. This can take time, the last time I was there it was total chaos at the US immigration. But when you arrive at SFO you should be good to go. 

Ladbrokes
All Ireland football 2010


Kerry      9/4
Cork      11/4
Tyrone   10/3
Dublin   9/1
Galway   16/1
Mayo      20/1
Armagh   25/1
Kildare   25/1
Derry      28/1
Donegal   33/1
Meath   40/1
Monaghan   40/1
Down   66/1
Laois      100/1
Limerick   100/1
Wexford   100/1
Antrim   200/1
Cavan   200/1
Fermanagh   200/1
Offaly      200/1
Sligo      200/1
Tipperary   200/1
Westmeath   200/1
Wicklow   200/1
Leitrim   500/1
Longford   500/1
Louth   500/1
Roscommon   500/1
Carlow   1000/1
Clare      1000/1
Waterford   1000/1
London   2000/1
New York   2000/1

It's not about majorities anymore.  Nationalists have been succesful in ensuring that 

The principle of the GFA is that the status of NI is determined by the majority living there, not by people living in Ireland generally.
The status of Derry should be decided by the majority living there, not by people living in Antrim.

Given the earlier point about London being named after the Celtic god Lugh could you call it Doire na Lu or something like that.

Having dual names is well and good, but maps, roadsigns etc should reflect the preference of the majority in the city.

I don't think appointing a player as manager is ideal. It is fine for Geezer going to Kildare where he knows few of the players, but O'Rourke is coming from the squad.

That was actually Galway.

Now now TAM, Mr Huaire will be on pointing out that he means ULSTER.

I think a 100% record would indeed prove that Down are the most sucessful Ulster county.

Yes. Down were indeed the county of the decade in the 1960s.

Jesus wept, get your head out of your own arse

Charming response to a reasonable answer to your question. What do you expect?

The only record they have is the number of losses in an All Ireland Final, not a record anyone would be proud of.

This record we do not hold. Try Mayo.