Benny throws open the gates of Rome to Anglicans

[Evil Genius]

Does that mean that the converts in the Norn Iron will vote for a United Ireland now? How does that leave the ratio?!

Do you think there will be many of those?

I mean, should Benedict be instructing the Housekeeper to order an extra quarter of ham for the sandwiches each week?

[Evil Genius]

As for EG's tiresome allegation that I was once a supporter of the North of Ireland's soccer team, I will repeat again. I attended my first international  game involving the team that represents all of Ireland, way back in 1977 at Lansdowne Road (playing that day were the likes of Giles, Brady, O'Leary, Heighway, Platini,Rochteau, Janvion). This was long before the successful era of qualification for major finals. While I don't deny that I attended IFA games at Windsor Park (and thus helped minutely to transform the monocultural attendance that pertains to this day), I never ever had any sense that this team was playing for me or represented me, or even aspired to do so.

I attended my first ROI match* at Lansdowne (i.e. one which didn't involve NI) in 1980 (playing that day was a certain Diego Armando Maradona, btw). I continued to watch NI games regularly afterwards, however, the point being that the Argentina game was on a date when NI had no game.

Whereas you seem to have attended a fair few NI games at Windsor. On the basis that they surely cannot ALL have been when ROI were either not playing, or playing away, what sort of a "dyed-in-the-wool" ROI fan does that make you? 

Or were the NI tickets freebies? 

* - Btw, I went to Dublin in the company of a Catholic from Tyrone who was, and still is, an NI fan. He was able to explain to me the significance of all the statues and pictures on the walls of the Guesthouse we stayed in!

[dec]

I attended my first international  game involving the team that represents all of Ireland, way back in 1977 at Lansdowne Road

Almost 10 years after you first watched Northern Ireland playing at Windsor Park in 1967. Your trip to Windsor also predated your first Armagh championship game by quite a few years (that was 1976 if I recall correctly from some previous thread).

[The Iceman]

Basic truths are as follows:

Salavation is possible only via the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church.

All Roman Catholic doctrine is true and unchallengable. This includes transubstantiation, power of priests to grant absolution, worship of the Blessed Virgin Mary etc.

The Pope is the supreme authority on earth, and is infallible on all matters theological.

You may check your sources Tony as you are very wide of the mark on most of your statements......

[Maguire01]

Basic truths are as follows:

Salavation is possible only via the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church.

All Roman Catholic doctrine is true and unchallengable. This includes transubstantiation, power of priests to grant absolution, worship of the Blessed Virgin Mary etc.

The Pope is the supreme authority on earth, and is infallible on all matters theological.

You'd want to watch yourself on here - referring to Roman Catholics - some of your allies will be having a fit!

As for the above, i'm sure a significant number of current 'Roman' Catholics don't even buy into all of it. Any converting Protestants would be in good company.