Mickey Harte quizzed by PSNI after accusations of physical abuse at school?

[dublinfella]

Mickey Harte may have his critics but I see the quality of the reporting of this story as very low grade and amateur and so typical of the paper.  I think Mickey will know he will have the full support of Tyrone people and I would have thought Ulster Gaels as well on what unfortunately has the appearance of an attempt to blackguard his good name.   

I think this is what POG's was getting at. Will Tyrone and Ulster GAA people support him because they believe he is innocent, or simply because he is prominent in the GAA?

If its the former, fine. If its the latter, its the same thing as chosing to believe a priest simply because he is a priest.

[ziggysego]

Mickey Harte may have his critics but I see the quality of the reporting of this story as very low grade and amateur and so typical of the paper.  I think Mickey will know he will have the full support of Tyrone people and I would have thought Ulster Gaels as well on what unfortunately has the appearance of an attempt to blackguard his good name.   

I think this is what POG's was getting at. Will Tyrone and Ulster GAA people support him because they believe he is innocent, or simply because he is prominent in the GAA?

If its the former, fine. If its the latter, its the same thing as chosing to believe a priest simply because he is a priest.

I don't like accusing people of such a horrible and dispicable crime, until the facts are in. Whether that be Mickey Harte, Priest or anyone else for that matter. It's a horrible thing to be labelled, if untrue.

[Eddie Stobart]

I dunno what type of school all you guys went too,maybe it's more of a accepted thing up North but I was never hit by a teacher while attending school,and I went to a fairly rough school in Carlow town.
I'm talking 25 years ago as well not recently.

[dublinfella]

I don't like accusing people of such a horrible and dispicable crime, until the facts are in. Whether that be Mickey Harte, Priest or anyone else for that matter. It's a horrible thing to be labelled, if untrue.

Agreed. But one fact we know is that he was interviewed by the peelers about it. That in itself, like it or not, is newsworthy.

If the ONLY reason you believe him to be innocent is that he is the Tyrone manager, you need to sit down and have a little think to yourself. That is all.

[ziggysego]

I don't like accusing people of such a horrible and dispicable crime, until the facts are in. Whether that be Mickey Harte, Priest or anyone else for that matter. It's a horrible thing to be labelled, if untrue.

Agreed. But one fact we know is that he was interviewed by the peelers about it. That in itself, like it or not, is newsworthy.

If the ONLY reason you believe him to be innocent is that he is the Tyrone manager, you need to sit down and have a little think to yourself. That is all.

No, that's not the reason.

Several people, on the non-gaa side of the board, took great delight in a Belfast Minister being accused of the same. My stance was the same.

[Hardy]

I went to a fairly rough school in Carlow town.

That's like saying you climbed a mountain in Kildare.

Martin Clunes (host on Have I Got News For You) - "What was your school motto?"
Glenda Jackson (uncertain who is being asked) - "Are you looking at me?"
Paul Merton - "That must have been a tough school!"

[ziggysego]

I went to a fairly rough school in Carlow town.

That's like saying you climbed a mountain in Kildare.

Martin Clunes (host on Have I Got News For You) - "What was your school motto?"
Glenda Jackson (uncertain who is being asked) - "Are you looking at me?"
Paul Merton - "That must have been a tough school!"

[supersarsfields]

Mickey Harte may have his critics but I see the quality of the reporting of this story as very low grade and amateur and so typical of the paper.  I think Mickey will know he will have the full support of Tyrone people and I would have thought Ulster Gaels as well on what unfortunately has the appearance of an attempt to blackguard his good name.   

I think this is what POG's was getting at. Will Tyrone and Ulster GAA people support him because they believe he is innocent, or simply because he is prominent in the GAA?

If its the former, fine. If its the latter, its the same thing as chosing to believe a priest simply because he is a priest.

I'd say most Tyrone people and Ulster GAA people will support him until there's proof otherwise, if that ever happens.

[Eddie Stobart]

I went to a fairly rough school in Carlow town.

That's like saying you climbed a mountain in Kildare.

You don't know Carlow town very well I'd say

[Kerry Mike]

in these things people are very quick to jump in and point the finger and throw blame about, its best to see if there is any truth in this from the police investigation. 

Not too long ago many people on here were calling for Paul Galvins head over a classroom incident, and that made national news too. Thats the problem with top sportspeople nowadays, like it or not they are now part of the celebrity lifestyle we live and are obsessed in, and the media and the rest of us on forums like this just think that we have open season on any gossip that comes up.

I hope for Harte's sake its not true, but if there are victims here lets hope they get justice.

[ziggysego]

in these things people are very quick to jump in and point the finger and throw blame about, its best to see if there is any truth in this from the police investigation. 

Not too long ago many people on here were calling for Paul Galvins head over a classroom incident, and that made national news too. Thats the problem with top sportspeople nowadays, like it or not they are now part of the celebrity lifestyle we live and are obsessed in, and the media and the rest of us on forums like this just think that we have open season on any gossip thats come up.

I hope for Harte's sake its not true, but if there are victims here lets hope they get justice.

Sensible post KM. One I agree with 100%.

[EC Unique]

in these things people are very quick to jump in and point the finger and throw blame about, its best to see if there is any truth in this from the police investigation. 

Not too long ago many people on here were calling for Paul Galvins head over a classroom incident, and that made national news too. Thats the problem with top sportspeople nowadays, like it or not they are now part of the celebrity lifestyle we live and are obsessed in, and the media and the rest of us on forums like this just think that we have open season on any gossip thats come up.

I hope for Harte's sake its not true, but if there are victims here lets hope they get justice.

If it was a cuff behind the ear with the back of his hand them it probably is true as it would have been of most teachers at the time. Many a cuff I got and did me no harm.

And by the way KM,

its best to see if there is any truth in this from the police investigation

that would be tricky ground up here as well.

[BennyHarp]

I don't like accusing people of such a horrible and dispicable crime, until the facts are in. Whether that be Mickey Harte, Priest or anyone else for that matter. It's a horrible thing to be labelled, if untrue.

Agreed. But one fact we know is that he was interviewed by the peelers about it. That in itself, like it or not, is newsworthy.

If the ONLY reason you believe him to be innocent is that he is the Tyrone manager, you need to sit down and have a little think to yourself. That is all.

An allegation made by a student against a teacher is not news worthy - this would happen fairly regularly and it is standard practice to be questioned by police if the allegation is made to them. What you are saying is that its news worthy because it was made against a high profile GAA personality - is that fair?

Teaching unions (in England anyway) are fighting to allow teachers to remain anonymous during any investigation into allegations as it can ruin reputations and the vast majority of times they are made by student with a grudge and are unfounded. I havent read the article but i would be interested where the source iof this article is from - was it the PSNI or was it Mr McConville??

[pintsofguinness]

I don't like accusing people of such a horrible and dispicable crime, until the facts are in. Whether that be Mickey Harte, Priest or anyone else for that matter. It's a horrible thing to be labelled, if untrue.

Agreed. But one fact we know is that he was interviewed by the peelers about it. That in itself, like it or not, is newsworthy.

If the ONLY reason you believe him to be innocent is that he is the Tyrone manager, you need to sit down and have a little think to yourself. That is all.

An allegation made by a student against a teacher is not news worthy - this would happen fairly regularly and it is standard practice to be questioned by police if the allegation is made to them. What you are saying is that its news worthy because it was made against a high profile GAA personality - is that fair?

Teaching unions (in England anyway) are fighting to allow teachers to remain anonymous during any investigation into allegations as it can ruin reputations and the vast majority of times they are made by student with a grudge and are unfounded. I havent read the article but i would be interested where the source iof this article is from - was it the PSNI or was it Mr McConville??

Well he was happy enough to pose for pictures for the front page of the Irish News at his daughter's wedding a couple of days before that - of all GAA figures I don't think he can complain about media attention!

[dublinfella]

An allegation made by a student against a teacher is not news worthy - this would happen fairly regularly and it is standard practice to be questioned by police if the allegation is made to them. What you are saying is that its news worthy because it was made against a high profile GAA personality - is that fair?

Like it or not, a high profile war orphan has made an allegation of assault againt a high profile teacher in a high profile school (as a result of child abuse that happened there) is newsorthy. I think this story would have hit the media with any two of those three ingredients.