Messages

no chance big joe would take the fermanagh job? not too far to travel compared to southern teams, we're not a big ulster rival and he wouldn't undergo the media specualtion that would be involved with a team like dublin. Am i just kidding myself here?

Pietas you are a star, an incisive intellect who has gone right to the heart of what passes for irish society today. Your post would p***k the conscience of anyone capable of rational thought, unfortunately that will not include the racist hypocritical self righteous bigots whom you are addressing on this board. Save your breath,they have no insight and or beyond redemption.

Pangurban, I have to agree with 5iveTimes here. If you read my contributions you'll find my political stance comes very much from the left. In any case we live in a democratic society and people should be free to express how they feel. Immigration is an immotive issue and a political hot potato. Just because someone takes a hardline over illegal immigrants or state benefits does not make them a racist. If anything it merely indicates what a majority of the electorate feel these days. If you look at Britain, the Labour Party, a so called socialist party have moved very much to the centre if not the right when it comes to issues that have been discussed on this thread. I'm not agreeing with everything said on this thread but I wouldn't say any of they comments made today came from bigots.

Aye that's a fair comment. They've dragged the JP and Craig story line out a bit. I find it a bit depressing these days. The story lines are way too serious. Most people who watch it just want a bit of light entertainment but C4 prob feel they have to deal with such issues. The McQueen's are good craic though, especially ditzy Carmel. The perfect girlfriend, she'd never win an argument.

In fairness most couples with children who both need to work to pay the mortgage cant afford a cleaner.
Be honest there are some lazy ones out their.

Of course there are plently of lazy unemployed people happy to sit around and sponge off the state. But there is a wider issue here. I don't have statistics but I think you'll find that a lot unmarried couples on the dole have the poorest health in the country and live in the worst housing. These people come from poor socio economic backgrounds and don't have the education or motivation to get out of the rut in which they are stuck. It is a vicious cycle as their children will probably be the same.

Lazy f**kers if you ask me! how can the unmarried couple not work during these hours but a successfull couple will.

What about the unmarried mother with a couple of children. After they go to school, do you not think they have washing to do, house cleaning to do and dinners to prepare for when the children return from school? I know married couples have similar pressures in keeping a home, but at least a successful couple have 4 hands instead of 2 to do the work and could possibly hire someone to come in and help them. Unmarried mothers may not be so fortunate to have this option.

Presumably 6 Co Prods dont join or partake in GAA activities because they dont like the fact that the GAA is and has been unashamedly promoting "Irish and nothing else" games and culture.
I presume Unionist Protestants in the 6 North Eastern Counties dont like that or want to be associated with such.

I can only speak from my own experience but many of my unionist friends enjoy watching gaelic games and i've gone with them to many games. They don't play football or hurling because at school they are encouraged to play rugby or hockey so end up playing that instead. There is so much untapped protestant talent out there. As time goes on we may see development officers being allowed into protestant schools. St. Michael's College has taught rugby for a few years now and Enniskillen Rugby Club is reaping the benefits at underage with many young catholics playing, but this is also down to the success of the Ireland rugby team as well. Hopefully we can see the same happening in protestant schools.

I'd like to see malachy o'rouke given a go at it. He done some great work with st joe's, and had a good spell in tyrone club football.

If there's anyone within the county i'd give it to it'd be malachy o'rourke. A real nice fella by all accounts and I think he'd have the full support of all the players and clubs. Whoever takes it, things have to improve. One win in 53 weeks of football is a disgrace. I think we should give the McKenna cup a real rattle next year. We need experience winning again on a frequent basis. At least we're playing in an appropriate level in the NFL. No point losing every week in Div 1.

As valid as those arguments are we should be criticising the state and not the people who claim the benefits. They'd be idiots not to take everything they are entitled to. We all accept that people are entitled to benefits, some people will milk it for all it's worth. It's always been the way and always will be. No Government will ever try and seriously implement welfare reform as the so called state spongers provide vital votes come election time.

You always find at GAA matches that people bring massive golf umbrellas and sometimes it's only one person sitting underneath it. Umbrellas are just a nuisance, especially when you bring it somewhere and it doesn't rain it pisses me off the thought of carrying it and if it does lash rain you have to put it up somewhere to dry when you get home. Just not worth the hassle. I'd rather get wet.

Although I dont like to agree with Fearon, I think he is right here. The Southern Government are slowly but surely having a say in the running of the North, but the Prods dont seem to have copped onto this at all. They are already paying towards the health service, now the roads and before we know it they will be running the place completely. Good to see Big Ian rubberstamping the whole thing yesterday, he may say he is only interested in the money, but he is allowing Dublin a say in the north.
I am sure Gwaytofuck & Co will have a totally different opinion on this, but as I see it Dublin are having more of a say 

An improved North is better for everyone on the Island. An improved infrastructure especially in the border counties will hopefully pave the way for the de facto creation of one economy in Ireland. A cross border health service is something that should next be considered. I know loads of friends on the border that use the NHS in the North anyway. It may also solve the problem of the Hospital in the West. If people on the Fermanagh border could use the hospitals in Sligo, Monaghan and Cavan then the problem of where to locate the new hospital could be put to bed.

[unmarried mother who rip the state off]

If we are organizing a rally can we start with one for unmarried mother who rip the state off,  people on long term unemployment for no reason and Knackers who leave the place in a heap. they are the c***ts that really piss me off.

Holy f**k tankie

them **** piss me off something fierce, don't want to work but expect cars, houses, nights out all for free!

Food and clothing for their kids and a roof over their head - p***k!

Unmarried mothers cannot be blamed for claiming the benefits that the Government has assessed that they are entitled to. They way the benefit system is set up on both sides of the border means that unmarried single mothers are financially better off when they don't work, especially when you consider the cost of child care. I've heard this myself from unmarried mothers. Looking after a couple of children and struggling to feed them when they cost of living is so high is a full time job in itself.

just heard one of them interviewed on the radio. When asked why they did not accept the flights home they were offered, he said he would rather stay in ireland. They came into the country and had 90 days to find work, they did not, so it is time they were deported. If a precident is set in this case by allowing them to stay, we will have an influx of similar cases expecting the same treatment.

Cases such as this one always pose the question whether we should ever make exceptions in any case? If we do, your right in saying that the opening of the floodgates argument is raised and everyone else in a similar position will want expect similar treatment. In any case if they are getting things thrown at them then they have to be removed as the state has an obligation to proctect anyone residing in the jurisdiction. If there is an outbreak of infectious disease sure it's everyones benefit to get this stopped before it spreads.

Lads is there no possibility of any compassion here. I appreciate that they have chosen to come here but from a humanitarian point of few we cannot allow children to be living like this? I know that in english law gypsies are now a recognised race and I assume this will apply in the law in the south if challenged. Therefore the Government has to act very carefully to avoid any allegation of racial discrimination. Yes they are illegal immigrants but they should get the same treatment as anyone else who comes under this bracket in Ireland.

I was watching a spokeman for Charles Hurst on the TV last night, saying it was a genuine mistake and put it down to human error. If this was the case then why did Trading Standards proceed with the prosecution? If Charles Hurst admitted it straight away and simply refunded the fella then surely it would never have been taken this far. Did they deny it for a long time or was it the case that Trading Standards wanted to make an example of Charles Hurst? Anyway cases like have to be good for the consumer.

Seamus Heaney is a Catholic,dont know how well that would go down in hardline loyalist areas.

I can't see Heaney being a problem, he's never being affiliated with either side. Equally a mural of John Hume and David Trimble should be welcomed in either area. 3 Nobel prize winners from a population as small as the North should be recognised, if anything their achievements could be appreciated at an international level, whereas lennon and sambo would not.

would the whole idea though not be to get away from the whole political question,would be better designing murals with no political baggae even if they did did good in my opinion.

Wayne McCullagh would be a great example,
Came from a hardline loyalist area,yet faught for the whole Island of Ireland with pride.

Joey Dunlop also makes sense.

I couldn't agree more about avoiding the political baggage. The problem is using figures that are easily identiable by the public. I like sky blue's suggestion of industrialists but would any of us recognise any of their images? If not any point in using them?