Croke Park sets the standard for coexistence - An English Perspective

[GalwayBayBoy]

That amazes me! I hadn't realised there was such ready acceptance of it - especially among the GAA community. Do you not see it as patronising, big-brotherly, condescending, etc.?

It must be a generation thing - people who have grown up with it accept it. Those of us who witnessed its introduction are almost outraged by it - it feels like throwing in the towel on the whole history of our relationship with Britain, which has seen us insisting that we're equal entities.

Just to throw my tuppence worth in. Everybody I know (prod/taig/unionist/nationalist/whatever) would use the term mainland in everyday speech (not that it would come up that often), in the same way that everybody would use Derry (even the ones who would use Londonderry in a more 'formal' setting). I don't think it's anything to do with political affiliations or big brother syndrome, it's just shothand for the next lump of rock along from us. Most English people talk about the mainland when they mean continental Europe and I'm fairly sure they don't feel any sort of great inferiority complex.

It may be common in the north but certainly not in the south. It doesn't bother me unduly but it is a tad ignorant.

If he was reporting from Paris he'd hardly refer to Britain as the mainland. That said I presume it was just a slip of the tongue.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

jeez hardy,
even I wouldnt be upset by the term 'mainland'

You are joking Lynchbhoy it is one of the most annoying and loaded terms used here, along with L*****Derry!  

[Dinny Breen]

Lynchbhoy use to live on the mainland even sounds like he's from the mainland 

I hate that term myself and always pull people up on it.........

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

OirthearMhaigheo, Billy - thank God - I thought I was going mad!

I think you're right, Billy - it started being used in reference to NI vs Britain. It first appeared as 'mainland Britain' as I remember. This then gradually became 'the mainland'. As I say, it's not a political issue for me, but I can't believe that an uber-chuckie like Lynchbhoy is OK with it!   

And of course 'mainland Britain' is relevant only to Lindisfarne, Isle of Wight, the Hebrides, etc., Ireland is an island in her own right, Britain is an island in her own right, so when anyone speaks of the 'mainland' in reference to the north, and meaning Britain, they're invoking some magical property that some people have, i.e., that you can be from two islands at the one and the same time! 

[downredblack]

I thought we were all moving on ? I thought we were mature and confident of our place in the world ? One journalist uses an ill advised term and we are outraged by it . What happened to our new found maturity ? Plenty of things have gone on over the course of the last 30 yrs on both sides that people could really be outraged about but it seems we have move on .
Don't like the term myself and would never use it , right up there with L/Derry and Northern Ireland .

[GalwayBayBoy]

I thought we were all moving on ? I thought we were mature and confident of our place in the world ? One journalist uses an ill advised term and we are outraged by it . What happened to our new found maturity ? Plenty of things have gone on over the course of the last 30 yrs on both sides that people could really be outraged about but it seems we have move on .
Don't like the term myself and would never use it , right up there with L/Derry and Northern Ireland .

Don't think anyone's ouraged by it. They just find it a bit cringeworthy in this day and age.

[Hardy]

Sorry - guilty. I said I was outraged. OK - OTT. But not much. And it's not about politics at all.

[Billys Boots]

Never outraged myself, usually see it as an opportunity to point out to English people how uninformed, ignorant and jingoistic they remain.  Often very helpful in negotiations.   

[downredblack]

I think the way people react to the term mainland has something to do with a feeling of " you might of ruled us once but not anymore " ( excluding the six counties ) . I think it does have political connotations , lets face it more or less everything on this fair land is political .Even our sports .

[Fiodoir Ard Mhacha]

Just to throw my tuppence worth in. Everybody I know (prod/taig/unionist/nationalist/whatever) would use the term mainland in everyday speech (not that it would come up that often), in the same way that everybody would use Derry (even the ones who would use Londonderry in a more 'formal' setting). I don't think it's anything to do with political affiliations or big brother syndrome, it's just shothand for the next lump of rock along from us. Most English people talk about the mainland when they mean continental Europe and I'm fairly sure they don't feel any sort of great inferiority complex.

Sammy

That's simply not true that 'mainland' is used by the vast majority of people in the north.

I think I'm a reasonable man and I know of few who would refer to Britain as the 'mainland', unless they just happen to be from a particular section of the northern Protestant fraternity.

[lynchbhoy]

OirthearMhaigheo, Billy - thank God - I thought I was going mad!

I think you're right, Billy - it started being used in reference to NI vs Britain. It first appeared as 'mainland Britain' as I remember. This then gradually became 'the mainland'. As I say, it's not a political issue for me, but I can't believe that an uber-chuckie like Lynchbhoy is OK with it!   

I suppose I have just become apathetic to it
there are far worse things the media have brainwahsed yez all into accepting

the use of UK instead of england and 'med-cine' make my blood boil

londonderry doesnt, as there is no such place 

[AZOffaly]

If someone said 'mainland' to me, I'd assume it was Continental Europe to which they were referring

I'd be the same Billy. I've never heard anyone I know call Britain the 'mainland'. (Apart from a few lads from Northern Ireland). I always see imperialistic and arrogant connotations.

I consider Ireland to be a peer of Britain. As such my 'mainland' (and it's seldom used either) is Continental Europe.

[ziggysego]

Whenever I'm in London, I always tell people I'm going back to the mainland shortly. They giggle.

I don't like the term mainland, but I don't lose any sleep over it. I just put it down to ignorance (in it's truest sense) and nothing more.

As for Londonderry, I think it's somewhere near Derry.

[deiseach]

Unfortunately, the opening of Croke does indeed appear to be the thin edge of a particularly obese and much-sated wedge, but through all of this, the absolute line from which the GAA can never deviate is that NO gaelic game should have to make way in any way for a non-gaelic sport.  Compromising of the Assocation and its values must be resisted at all costs, despite the (growing) pressure from whatever angle (usual suspects here).

Many of the objections to the opening of Croke Park are legitimate, but they seem hard to measure. For example, I accept that this might be a fillip to rugby and a day may come when we regret ever letting them darken our door. But how will we know for sure that that was what caused the presumed future decline of the GAA? To quote Zhou Enlai (again) on an event much less important than maters GAA, it's too early to say. And to quote me, we might never know.

However, a definite line in the sand can be drawn at the notion that a single GAA match can be moved for other sports. It's not very likely - soccer and rugby won't need Croke Park that often - but if it does happen, we might as well sell the place to the government and become tenants.

[snatter]

Sammy,

Everybody I know (prod/taig/unionist/nationalist/whatever) would use the term mainland in everyday speech

absolute c**k. I don't know of a single Catholic / nationalist friend who would ever have used the phrase.
To do so would imply you accept Britain as some sort of motherland, with Ireland relegated to some sort of provincial outpost.
Ridiculous.