when gstq is played in croke park remember aidan mc anespie

[Ethan Edwards]

F@@k the song, lets just beat the bastards grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Mourne Rover]

The profiles sections indicates that True Ulster Gael only joined the board last night but has already posted 39 times on themes such as murders by British soldiers, bringing back the GAA's ban on the police and diving by Tyrone players. Is someone trying to wind up us up, or does TUG need to lie down in a darkened room for a while ?

[thefont]

reading this and being exposed to the sickening media coverage on this subject I've lost all interest for this game. The one thing this shows is the sheer scale of division in the nationalist communities north and south. In the south there is a huge disparity between the media consensus on nationalism - i.e. the IRA is 'evil' and was set up to kill innocent people and steal money, that 'we' need to get over Britain; and the actual consensus of the population which I think is a staunchly republican as ever, as was demonstrated by  the success of the recent 1916 commemoration despite the all out media assault. And there seems to be huge suspicion and a lack of camaraderie between north and southern Irish people always bubbling under which is really tragic. I can't figure where the huge self-hatred in the media comes from and I don't buy the British papers angle...whatever it's dispiriting to find such a huge body of journalism that it so wantonly derivative in terms of its subject and pessimistic towards the nationalist legacy and it just keeps self perpetuating waiting for the next British controversy to roll into town. It seems to me that this on-going self-critique ignores the obvious answers behind our division, which is/was the despicable, sectarian, racist behavior by the British and the Unionist community towards Irish people. Why can't we just admit this to ourselves that its not our fault things are the way they are? I think its largely because many of us have friends and colleagues from a British / Unionist background and its a very difficult subject to broach with them, actually its impossible. So we would like to just forget it but these controversies just keep re-appearing, and the problem of the Unionist ideology which plainly has no basis in reality in a modern context also forces us into corners. So we seem to turn our frustration into self hatred....the IRA, 1916, the hunger strikers, the GAA, the Irish language, the wind that shakes the Barley, etc, etc and we ignore the real cause of conflict. I think we need to 'get over' our own self hatred and say to our friends in the North and Britain sorry but its your fault...we've made a massive effort at reconciliation any way you look at it, and the GAA's magnanimity in allowing England and GSTQ is just another example of our maturity in this respect...we are perfectly entitled to say we don't like it but we will be the gracious host we always are when english teams come to town. Its times like this you just wonder will we ever be able to pull it together, we've so much going for us besides...its a real downer. 

[thebandit]

True Ulster Gael is hardly Micheal Greenan?! 

[Evil Genius]

reading this and being exposed to the sickening media coverage on this subject I've lost all interest for this game. . .

Then maybe you should be in the "Non-GAA Discussion". Indeed, why don't you start a thread there? Let me see, you could title it "Whataboutery & Mopery".

But don't worry about actually having to type out a long post in the manner of your present example. A simple "Themmuns" will suffice for us to get your drift...

[cavan4ever]

True Ulster Gael is hardly Micheal Greenan?! 

[reddgnhand]

Correct me if i'm wrong but is "Land of hope and glory" Not the proper english national anthem and the english flag is the Georges cross not the union jack? 

[behind the wire]

i think you may be right reddgnhand but in that case the anthem for northern ireland should be danny boy. nigel dodds was pleased to tell us on lets talk last night that 'our' national anthem is god save the queen. he wasnt a bit pleased when a lad in the audience told him that 'the road to nowhere' by talking heads would be more appropriate.

as gaa members we should never be allowed to forget aidan mcanespie, or gerry devlin, or sean farmer and colm scullion. they paid the ultimate price for being members of irelands greatest sporting organisation. but i dont think it has got anything to do with the english national anthem being played in croke park. i was against the opening up of croke park for a number of reasons, the anthem issue being one of them, but majority rules and a majority of our members voted to open up the stadium. i respect this decision and will therefore respect the national anthem of any team coming to play there. respect should be shown to all national anthems. showing disrespect to a national anthem is something we should leave to english soccer players and supporters, ie gazza a few years back.

[Mike Sheehy]

as gaa members we should never be allowed to forget aidan mcanespie, or gerry devlin, or sean farmer and colm scullion

Agreed..but does it take a monumental event like England playing in Croke park and gstq being played in order for people to "remember" these men ? What are the standards/requirements here ? I wonder when was the last time TUG,and others like him, "remembered" Sean Farmer and how did he personally respect his memory ? Did he say a quiet prayer, vistit his grave ...etc ?

Talk is cheap and it seems that it seems to cheaper everytime an event like this comes along. Maybe TUG is genuine and really wants Aidan McAnespie to be remembered at this time..thats fair enough. Somehow I doubt it though..my guess is that he just wants to stir up emotions close to the game.

[ONeill]

Maybe if we close our eyes and pretend they're singing about Freddie Mercury's group, it'll be easier to digest.

[pintsofguinness]

Just as a point of information that article was by Eilish McAnespie and not TUG.

I'd just like to point out that this happened almost 20 years ago and things have moved on a lot, and for the better.
This kind of bitterness can only lead to a deeper divide. Some people choose to go down this road and others such as the likes of Gordon Wilson choose to move on and try to ensure that more families dont end up having the hurt enflicted on them from either side.
People that like to live in the past should be left in the past

Mayo4sam would you ever go away and take your head out of your arse and not come out with such patronising oul shite. 
It's easier to jump on your high horse when you're in mayo.  What have you experienced of British rule in Ireland?  Maybe if you knew someone that was murdered by them you wouldn't be so keen to preach about "moving on".  And to say that people "choose" not to just shows what you know.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

reading this and being exposed to the sickening media coverage on this subject I've lost all interest for this game. . .

Then maybe you should be in the "Non-GAA Discussion". Indeed, why don't you start a thread there? Let me see, you could title it "Whataboutery & Mopery".

But don't worry about actually having to type out a long post in the manner of your present example. A simple "Themmuns" will suffice for us to get your drift...

EG is that your honest answer to this persons post, please, the mope/themuns excuse is thrown out on this board all the time. I'm not arguing the rights or wrongs but this poster deserves a decent retort for his post!

[paddypastit]

pint - you are 100% right that none of us that have lived all our lives in the 26 southern counties of Ireland can truly appreciate, or even imagine, what 'British rule in Ireland' is like... but the GAA is a 32 county organisation and we are perfectly entitled to express the view that the majority should not be providing for the minority no matter how extreme their position. Unfortunately in my experience many in the six countiues, not just here but in many situations over the last 25 odd years, seem to think that the extremes of the political situation are a justification that the rest of us should be led by. I appreciate not everybody thinks or acts liike that but there are many who do, and I've seen it from club grounds around Fermanagh playing challenge games in the mid 80s through to hearing it in the stands in Croke Park in recent summers - moreso in the latter sadly .

[pintsofguinness]

I have no problem with anyone expressing their view paddy but sitting in Mayo and preaching about people "moving on" and accusing people of choosing not to move on is as patronising as it gets.  I wonder would Mayo4sam go to one of his own neighbours who have lost someone belonging to them, in any circumstance, and tell them to move on! I doubt it.

[stephenite]

I have no problem with anyone expressing their view paddy but sitting in Mayo and preaching about people "moving on" and accusing people of choosing not to move on is as patronising as it gets.  I wonder would Mayo4sam go to one of his own neighbours who have lost someone belonging to them, in any circumstance, and tell them to move on! I doubt it.

You've an awful habit of presuming that everone/anyone who has an opinion on anything related to the troubles, who's from the Republic has no experience of what has gone on, you've accused me of the same thing a few years back and I had to point out family history and the amount of time spent in the North growing up.

You've no idea of what M4S's experiences of the troubles are, I think you'll find he has more than you think, but he can explain that for himself if he so chooses.

'Tis a small wee island POG, you shouldn't be so quick to assume some have no experience of British rule based on their handle.