Tricolour ban for Irish gymnasts

[MW]

Could you name a more appropriate flag and anthem?

Well something kind of all-Irelandy rather than belonging to the RoI would be a good idea.

Four Provinces flag for example and something like Ireland's Call, perhaps.

Alternatively, they could have some sort of representation of both states on the island.

OR

Unionists who have nothing better to do than whinge over a flag and anthem get over themselves..and maybe for once be accommodating and tolerant.

Lemme get this straight...

"Being accommodating and tolerant" is using the RoI's flag and national anthem for all-Ireland teams? "Being accommodating and tolerant" is a 100%/0% "accomodation" by one 'side' and their other lot keeping their heads down and shutting up about it? Interesting.

I knew the very notion of it would be lost on some....This organisation themselves have stated they are disappointed with the objections, so based on that its safe to assume their members feel comfortable with the tri-colour and anthem. Why a Unionist politician then feels the need to object to this based on an argument of "promoting good relations" is beyond me. Surely good relations would be letting it go.

You think that because the leadership of a Dublin-based all-Ireland association* adopts the RoI flag and anthem for its team, this mean it's "safe to assume [all?] their members feel comfortable"? Really?

*not specifically talking about gymnastics here as it may not actually be all-Ireland

[Roger]

you'll see loads and loads of posters who havent the slighest interest in anything but sport, who never show their faces over here and have no interest in the world in politics.

Oh right.  Thats big of them 

Roger, at this point, you should beat a hasty retreat and nevermore show your face.

If you stop and think for 30 seconds, you should be able to see why and if you can't... then I despair for you.

So if someone doesn't agree, he gets abused. When that doesn't work, he get's shown the door 

[MW]

Anyhoo, it seems like Northern Ireland has its own structures in relation to gymnsatics (it's a little unclear to me), if it's an RoI association using its own symbols then I wouldn't personally have any problems with them being used.

If that is the case (and it appears to be), then this is a case of the Tricolour being unacceptable even in it's appropriate place.

I have always acknowledged unionist arguments where they believe the Tricolour is being used to represent them (rugby discussions etc..). 

However opposition to the Tricolour purely for the Tricolour's sake is and can only be described as bigotry (regardless of how over-used the term is in these parts).

I don't think any objection should be raised to an RoI team/association using its flag and anthem (Councils' equality policies, I'm not too familiar with)

On the all-Ireland/RoI association thing, there's an Irish Gymnastics Association (http://www.irishgymnastics.ie/) and a Gymnastics Northern Ireland (http://www.northernirelandgymnastics.org/clubs2.htm), so probably safe to assume the IGA is the RoI association. Mind you, it seems to do that have-youtr-cake-and-eat-it thing of purporting to be all-Ireland.

[ardmhachaabu]

you'll see loads and loads of posters who havent the slighest interest in anything but sport, who never show their faces over here and have no interest in the world in politics.

Oh right.  Thats big of them 

Roger, at this point, you should beat a hasty retreat and nevermore show your face.

If you stop and think for 30 seconds, you should be able to see why and if you can't... then I despair for you.

So if someone doesn't agree, he gets abused. When that doesn't work, he get's shown the door 

Not what I said Roger, not what I said.  If you can't see you are putting your foot in it, who am I to tell you, eh?

[Roger]

no way, he should stay and read other opinions, some of it is bound to sink in.

Agree.

I have only corrected inaccuracies on this thread. On others the same, when I have then been asked my opinion. I have given my opinion when I considered it was being genuinely sought.

the fact that 5 of the 6 million people on this island have no problem with the tricolour hanging over any building in ireland may well be news to him.

It's not.  But it is irrelevant in Northern Ireland.   

probably 3 of the 6 million couldnt care if the union flag flew over cork

One million of them probably are from Northern Ireland

the queen extended her 3 day visit to derry for 6 months

I wouldn't advise anyone to do that.

but roger and plenty others are part of the bitter minority who will take offence at every opportunity

Have you noticed the amount of bitterness and bigotry on this board from non-unionists? There are loads of these jolly craicsters can't be civil to people who disagree with them.

[saffron sam2]

Could you name a more appropriate flag and anthem?

Well something kind of all-Irelandy rather than belonging to the RoI would be a good idea.

Four Provinces flag for example and something like Ireland's Call, perhaps.

Alternatively, they could have some sort of representation of both states on the island.

OR

Unionists who have nothing better to do than whinge over a flag and anthem get over themselves..and maybe for once be accommodating and tolerant.

Lemme get this straight...

"Being accommodating and tolerant" is using the RoI's flag and national anthem for all-Ireland teams? "Being accommodating and tolerant" is a 100%/0% "accomodation" by one 'side' and their other lot keeping their heads down and shutting up about it? Interesting.

I knew the very notion of it would be lost on some....This organisation themselves have stated they are disappointed with the objections, so based on that its safe to assume their members feel comfortable with the tri-colour and anthem. Why a Unionist politician then feels the need to object to this based on an argument of "promoting good relations" is beyond me. Surely good relations would be letting it go.

You think that because the leadership of a Dublin-based all-Ireland association* adopts the RoI flag and anthem for its team, this mean it's "safe to assume [all?] their members feel comfortable"? Really?

*not specifically talking about gymnastics here as it may not actually be all-Ireland

It certainly is. Big Roger told me.

The [insert whatever sporting body you want here, obviously] is a democracy and regardless of how many people are in it, it has one code. 

[Maguire01]

And Maguire whether you think its a distraction or not ye never won an All Ireland and i'm sure the bould
Banty wouldnt consider it a mere distraction.

Happy to discuss football to death in the right place.
But using Monaghan's lack of an All Ireland to distract from the discussion in hand was a bit pointless and irrelevant.

Good to see you acknowledged you were wrong on the 'sectarian' thing however. 

[Roger]

It certainly is. Big Roger told me.

No I didn't.  I have provided no opinion on this flag issue or the gymnasts and their organisation.  If you read the thread you will see all I have actually said is that the equality law in Northern Ireland as a result of the GFA prevents  the Republic's tricolour being flown on publicly owned premises.  This includes council premises and facilities. For some reason this fuels irrelevant rants calling me bigotted/sectarian/toe rag/ignoramous/blinkered/bitter/ etc etc etc for doing so. 

[DennistheMenace]

Personally I don't see the real issue here, how can you expect the tri-colour to be flown on a council building especially with the perceived connotations surrounding it from some quarters in N.Ireland. The fact the competition is taking place in a nationalist area is irrelevant.