Tesco response to St Comgalls GAA discrimination

[David McKeown]

I have a bit of a vested interest in this as the under 11 team I coach are due to fundraise in this Tesco branch in a few weeks.  That said I do now think its disgraceful that we wont be allowed to wear our club tracksuits in order to fundraise.  All teams should be entitled to wear their club colours with pride in this regard and it is disgraceful pandering form tesco

[Maguire01]

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)

That proposal was private - i.e. not publically funded. Unionist politicians were building nothing. And gaels didn't want a stadium in East Belfast anyway.

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. 

Our politicians threw articles 2 and 3 nowhere. The overwhelming majority of people both in the North and in the Republic voted that these would be removed as part of the GFA.

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.   

What year (or decade) are you living in? You may find one or two exceptions, but in the main, Nationalists are far from second class citizens in the job market. If anything those from a Nationalist background are better educated and in better jobs. Compare Loyalist and Republican working class areas and see what you'll find.

[shaneo]

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.

[Maguire01]

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. 

What does it matter who is 'First Minister'? OFMDFM is a joint office. McGuinness and Robinson have a different position in name only.

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.

The GAA put forward its proposal for Casement. The GAA were not losing out to anything. And of course it's important where the money comes from! If it's a private developer, they can do what they want - they don't have to accommodate any sport. That's like saying a developer who wants to build a shopping centre has to accommodate TopShop.
And who uses our facilities? What facilities are you talking about?

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. 

Have you got any of these stats? I'd be interested to see comparisons between the Falls Road and the Village, or Sandy Row and Strabane.

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. 

And yet the same people continue to vote him in for 20 years? That's democracy for you.

[Tony Baloney]

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. 

What does it matter who is 'First Minister'? OFMDFM is a joint office. McGuinness and Robinson have a different position in name only.

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.

The GAA put forward its proposal for Casement. The GAA were not losing out to anything. And of course it's important where the money comes from! If it's a private developer, they can do what they want - they don't have to accommodate any sport. That's like saying a developer who wants to build a shopping centre has to accommodate TopShop.
And who uses our facilities? What facilities are you talking about?

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. 

Have you got any of these stats? I'd be interested to see comparisons between the Falls Road and the Village, or Sandy Row and Strabane.

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. 

And yet the same people continue to vote him in for 20 years? That's democracy for you.

You are right, it's a sick world we live in when people have to travel to their place of work. My wife's friend travels a couple of hours each way to her work in London. Those pesky Unionists did for her too! And what about all those people crossing the border from Mexico to work in the fields of southern USA?   

[shaneo]

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!

[Maguire01]

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.

[Maguire01]

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!

Who cares? Really - who cares? No one in the GAA wanted to be a part of a stadium in East Belfast. It was a proposal put forward, backed with private money, with no obligation to include any sports.
At the same time, the GAA was putting forward its proposals for Casement - by your logic, that was the GAA trying to keep soccer and rugby out of the loop.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

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.

Did it ever occur to you that Strabane was isolated as part of a deliberate strategy to render it very unattractive for investment. If not, perhaps you can explain to me why just about every piece of infrastructure in the area was either pulled up (the railway), left to fall into disrepair, or left without upgrading for increasing motor traffic, for example (and why it's only now that that the Ballygawley - Omagh - Strabane - Derry carriageway is actually being properly invested in). Just because it's on the west of the six counties does not mean that it's an "obvious" given that it won't attract investment, otherwise places like Strasbourg in France, or Bristol in England would be lost causes.

f you think that the political/religious profile played no part in the underinvestment over the decades, you really haven't a notion.

[stephenite]

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.

Did it ever occur to you that Strabane was isolated as part of a deliberate strategy to render it very unattractive for investment. If not, perhaps you can explain to me why just about every piece of infrastructure in the area was either pulled up (the railway), left to fall into disrepair, or left without upgrading for increasing motor traffic

f**k sake - that could be Ballina you're talking about

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

f**k sake - that could be Ballina you're talking about

Yeah, but it's wholly understandable in that case 

[mylestheslasher]

I was just wondering if the KKK were protest vigorously against black people collecting will Tesco ask black people to cover up?

[shaneo]

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!!!

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Ballina is very remote, but Strabane isn't.

And Ballina still has a feckin' railway! 

[mountainboii]

People might get better fiats now they're taking over GM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8032213.stm