Hunger strike commemoration at a GAA ground

[Maguire01]

Pints, didn't we read a few pages back that Martin Hurson was a member of Galbally GAA? Perhaps he wasn't exceptional enough?

To be fair, many GAA members and players die and don't have clubs/grounds/commemorations in their honour on account of their contribution to the Association.
And this was clearly a political event, rather than commemorating someone's sporting achievements.

how many f**king times does it have to be said. It was a hunger strike commemoration.  Were you there?

Clearly I wasn't there. I'm not sure what difference that makes,

But surely the hunger strikes were a political event? If so, it would surely follow that a commemoration would also be a political event. It was hardly a sporting occasion.

The Hunger strikes were an event that touched most of the nationalist people of Northern Ireland. And to most of those
people it showed how much Britain cared for the people allegedly under its control. People who normally didnt care
about such things were abhorred about what happened during the Hunger Strikes. And it doesnt therefore follow that a
hunger strike commemoration is a political event. Its just what is says, a commemoration.

Maybe you should read the speeches detailed in your quote from An Phoblacht - there are numerous explicit political references.

Of course there are. It was a Commemoration for men who died on Hunger Strike. I am going to Croke
Park on Sunday. If i look & listen hard enough i will find plenty of political references there as well. It doesnt
mean its a political rally though, just an all ireland semi final.

Sunday will be about the football. I don't expect to have to listen to any politicians.

Correct and last Sunday was about the Hunger Strikers. However if You look closely around you, you will
see political references, even in the hallowed halls of Croke Park. If you want to see it, that is.

Yes, and you think that a commemoration wasn't political and I do... this is going in circles - no point in continuing down this road.

[Maguire01]

Surely it's not the recent event in Galbally that has done this though. It doesn't stop at the UC either.

No indeed. Any decisions made should cover all such events and should be applied across the whole Association. If the UC can't deal with it, it should go back to HQ.

Agree with that. And let them sort it out. coming round to my way of thinking Maguire.

Not at all. You just happen to have agreed with something I said.

[020304 Tir Eoghain]

If the UC find a problem with this, they have a major problem on their hands. A can of worms.

It is indeed.
It will probably be swept under the carpet.

You dont have much faith in the GAA then?

Firstly, the Ulster Council is not the GAA.
I think they're caught between a rock and a hard place and just think that it's regretable that they have been put in this situation at all. They're in a no win situation.

No but theyre part of it. I'm sure though they can handle these rock & hard place situations , after all that what
we vote these people into.

Surely you're not naive enough to assume that just because people are voted into a position that they will be competent in their role? That's not making any judgement on the UC by the way - just a general observation on people who are elected.

As for the UC, you'd be extremely naive to believe that they won't be under considerable political pressure when considering this issue.

You cant have it every way. If there was a problem (GAA wise) last Sunday with Galbally GFC, then its up to
the UC to sanction them. If the UC cant do it then its up to HQ to sort it out. Thats no naive, Its the way
things are supposed to work. Or are you suggesting that the UC & GAA in general are incompetent in such
things?

[020304 Tir Eoghain]

Surely it's not the recent event in Galbally that has done this though. It doesn't stop at the UC either.

No indeed. Any decisions made should cover all such events and should be applied across the whole Association. If the UC can't deal with it, it should go back to HQ.

Agree with that. And let them sort it out. coming round to my way of thinking Maguire.

Not at all. You just happen to have agreed with something I said.

Not necessarily, I agree with the way things are supposed to be.

[Maguire01]

If the UC find a problem with this, they have a major problem on their hands. A can of worms.

It is indeed.
It will probably be swept under the carpet.

You dont have much faith in the GAA then?

Firstly, the Ulster Council is not the GAA.
I think they're caught between a rock and a hard place and just think that it's regretable that they have been put in this situation at all. They're in a no win situation.

No but theyre part of it. I'm sure though they can handle these rock & hard place situations , after all that what
we vote these people into.

Surely you're not naive enough to assume that just because people are voted into a position that they will be competent in their role? That's not making any judgement on the UC by the way - just a general observation on people who are elected.

As for the UC, you'd be extremely naive to believe that they won't be under considerable political pressure when considering this issue.

You cant have it every way. If there was a problem (GAA wise) last Sunday with Galbally GFC, then its up to
the UC to sanction them. If the UC cant do it then its up to HQ to sort it out. Thats no naive, Its the way
things are supposed to work. Or are you suggesting that the UC & GAA in general are incompetent in such
things?

I'm not suggesting that at all.
I'm simply saying that it's not an easy decision.

[Maguire01]

Surely it's not the recent event in Galbally that has done this though. It doesn't stop at the UC either.

No indeed. Any decisions made should cover all such events and should be applied across the whole Association. If the UC can't deal with it, it should go back to HQ.

Agree with that. And let them sort it out. coming round to my way of thinking Maguire.

Not at all. You just happen to have agreed with something I said.

Not necessarily, I agree with the way things are supposed to be.

So you'll also acknowledge that it's not a case of me 'coming around to your way of thinking'.
Simply some common ground. 

[020304 Tir Eoghain]

If the UC find a problem with this, they have a major problem on their hands. A can of worms.

It is indeed.
It will probably be swept under the carpet.

You dont have much faith in the GAA then?

Firstly, the Ulster Council is not the GAA.
I think they're caught between a rock and a hard place and just think that it's regretable that they have been put in this situation at all. They're in a no win situation.

No but theyre part of it. I'm sure though they can handle these rock & hard place situations , after all that what
we vote these people into.

Surely you're not naive enough to assume that just because people are voted into a position that they will be competent in their role? That's not making any judgement on the UC by the way - just a general observation on people who are elected.

As for the UC, you'd be extremely naive to believe that they won't be under considerable political pressure when considering this issue.

You cant have it every way. If there was a problem (GAA wise) last Sunday with Galbally GFC, then its up to
the UC to sanction them. If the UC cant do it then its up to HQ to sort it out. Thats no naive, Its the way
things are supposed to work. Or are you suggesting that the UC & GAA in general are incompetent in such
things?

I'm not suggesting that at all.
I'm simply saying that it's not an easy decision.

Not saying it is but when i put a club member forward to the county executive, and he is in turn put forward
by the county to the UC, then i expect them to make decisions, however hard those decisions may be.

[020304 Tir Eoghain]

Surely it's not the recent event in Galbally that has done this though. It doesn't stop at the UC either.

No indeed. Any decisions made should cover all such events and should be applied across the whole Association. If the UC can't deal with it, it should go back to HQ.

Agree with that. And let them sort it out. coming round to my way of thinking Maguire.

Not at all. You just happen to have agreed with something I said.

Not necessarily, I agree with the way things are supposed to be.

So you'll also acknowledge that it's not a case of me 'coming around to your way of thinking'.
Simply some common ground. 

Lets just agree to disagree.

[Mike Sheehy]

Lets just agree to disagree.

No....just agree to shut up. 23 pages of politics in the GAA section....you nordies are a tiresome bunch.

[Myles Na G.]

I'm not rejoicing at anything, just relieved that you, Lord Lickspittle of Limp-Wristed Lane, finally seem to have grasped something, without your political masters having given you permission. There were mistakes in that war, of course there were; tell about one war where there weren't mistakes. That you have to mention Darkley shows just how devoid and desperate of reason you actually are. Do you actually know who was involved in that shameful incident?

That you equate the UDA and UVF with the IRA shows just how jaundiced you are -- when did the IRA ever perpetrate a Greysteel or Seán Grahams?
You've pathetically attempted to change the subject from your assertion about Catholic victims of the IRA, but since that backfired on you, you now attempt to change the subject. Pathetic.

You've forgotten Kingsmill, obviously. A republican with a selective memory -quelle surprise. Your attempt to justify or explain away the killings of the IRA and other republican groupings is nauseating.

[Mike Sheehy]

Lets just agree to disagree.

No....just agree to shut up. 23 pages of politics in the GAA section....you nordies are a tiresome bunch.

At last, the voice of reason.

I aim to please.

[Hardy]

Hardy would have informants fraternising freely with operatives it would seem, which would be great for a few drunken nights, but would be totally useless as an effective way of prosecuting that war.

So let's not beat about the bush - does that mean the murder of Jean McConville was justified?

Perhaps if you'd any experience of living through it I could take that seriously. From your Meath and Cork redoubts you have no real idea, have you?

And this is what fcuks me off Hardy, the likes of yourself retrospectively pontificating about isolated incidents in a conflict you've no real idea about; a conflict you might have been arsed enough about to be superficially concerned about from afar, but not concerned enough to actually do anything. If any of us nordies actually felt that we had some protection from the IRA, there's nothing you can say or do now to disabuse us of that notion, except to piss us off big-time. You're entitled to do that, of course, but we're not entitled to take that crap without sharp rebuke.

Sorry, Fear. You're an intelligent and entertaining poster, but you seem to have lost the run of yourself in response to a simple question and I can't let the above pass.

My opinion is of less value than yours because of where I live? What's the point of discussion if you automatically win any argument because of your location? Are you not embarrassed to get into the ring with that kind of horseshoe in your glove?

And I note that I'm "pontificating". You, of course, are the soul of reason.

And don't be making any assumptions about how concerned I was or about what I did. I could just as easily ask what did YOU do, but I won't.

I asked a simple (but hard) question. Now that you've got the bluster and obfuscation out of the way, the question stands.

On the subject of the thread, I haven't an opinion on the rights or wrongs of the issue because it's not clear who organised what and whether or not rules were broken. On the surface, it looks like just another example of what is seen by many as an organised attempt at infiltration of the GAA in the North and hijacking of its place in the community by SF, that's causing some concern in GAA circles down here (and, I think, up there as well). But I'm happy to await the outcome of the GAA investigation

However, I find the abuse Maguire got for raising it to be disgusting, but revealing. Of course it's a legitimate subject for discussion on a GAA board. As somebody mentioned, the abuse illustrates what would confront any club member who tried to argue against the wishes of the vociferous cabal who will tolerate no vision of the GAA other than their own. These people seem determined to undermine the GAA's position as a broadly-based community organization. They take advantage of the commitment of all other members to leave their politics outside the door and take every opportunity to try to turn the GAA into some kind of propaganda machine for a particular political ideology.

[ardmhachaabu]

On the subject of the thread, I haven't an opinion on the rights or wrongs of the issue because it's not clear who organised what and whether or not rules were broken. On the surface, it looks like just another example of what is seen by many as an organised attempt at infiltration of the GAA in the North and hijacking of its place in the community by SF, that's causing some concern in GAA circles down here (and, I think, up there as well). But I'm happy to await the outcome of the GAA investigation

However, I find the abuse Maguire got for raising it to be disgusting, but revealing. Of course it's a legitimate subject for discussion on a GAA board. As somebody mentioned, the abuse illustrates what would confront any club member who tried to argue against the wishes of the vociferous cabal who will tolerate no vision of the GAA other than their own. These people seem determined to undermine the GAA's position as a broadly-based community organization. They take advantage of the commitment of all other members to leave their politics outside the door and take every opportunity to try to turn the GAA into some kind of propaganda machine for a particular political ideology.

Hardy, for someone who doesn't live in the north I think you have got it spot on

[pintsofguinness]

On the subject of the thread, I haven't an opinion on the rights or wrongs of the issue because it's not clear who organised what and whether or not rules were broken. On the surface, it looks like just another example of what is seen by many as an organised attempt at infiltration of the GAA in the North and hijacking of its place in the community by SF, that's causing some concern in GAA circles down here (and, I think, up there as well). But I'm happy to await the outcome of the GAA investigation

However, I find the abuse Maguire got for raising it to be disgusting, but revealing. Of course it's a legitimate subject for discussion on a GAA board. As somebody mentioned, the abuse illustrates what would confront any club member who tried to argue against the wishes of the vociferous cabal who will tolerate no vision of the GAA other than their own. These people seem determined to undermine the GAA's position as a broadly-based community organization. They take advantage of the commitment of all other members to leave their politics outside the door and take every opportunity to try to turn the GAA into some kind of propaganda machine for a particular political ideology.

Spot on and 100% correct.

[DuffleKing]

I'll third that hardy.