Queen Elizabeth to visit Croke Park

[brokencrossbar1]

I find it ironic that people who have voted for generations on the basis of civil war politics have the temerity to tell people who have repeated civil liberties abuses that they have to move on.

[Nally Stand]

I think what Pangurban is saying is that those most eager to have the english queen in Ireland are the same people who have ZERO tolerance for those who have every reason to feel that this visit is premature. In all the debate on this board, and elsewhere, I am sick to the back teeth of hearing such opponents of the visit being condescendingly talked down to and being described as "dinosaurs" or "knuckle draggers" or even "dissidents" and "people incapable of moving on". A bit of an honest attempt at considering why a lot of people would find such a visit hurtful would be helpful. I can't see it happening though. It will just keep going on and on with the gombeens tripping over themselves trying to look "mature" by welcoming the visit. What really galls is that there are so many people who have not the first clue what life was like with daily british army harassment and yet these people feel somehow qualified to lecture those who suffered through it, that they have to move on.

You didn't know what it was like to have to live under Fianna Fáil & the stormtroopers of the Catholic Church. (By the way not saying its the same, but plenty of lectures from those who never had to put up with them).

I'm not a Hindu!! 

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

I think what Pangurban is saying is that those most eager to have the english queen in Ireland are the same people who have ZERO tolerance for those who have every reason to feel that this visit is premature. In all the debate on this board, and elsewhere, I am sick to the back teeth of hearing such opponents of the visit being condescendingly talked down to and being described as "dinosaurs" or "knuckle draggers" or even "dissidents" and "people incapable of moving on". A bit of an honest attempt at considering why a lot of people would find such a visit hurtful would be helpful. I can't see it happening though. It will just keep going on and on with the gombeens tripping over themselves trying to look "mature" by welcoming the visit. What really galls is that there are so many people who have not the first clue what life was like with daily british army harassment and yet these people feel somehow qualified to lecture those who suffered through it, that they have to move on.

You didn't know what it was like to have to live under Fianna Fáil & the stormtroopers of the Catholic Church. (By the way not saying its the same, but plenty of lectures from those who never had to put up with them).

Yes the Catholic church tended to be an utter irrelevance in South Armagh and West Tyrone. 

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

I think what Pangurban is saying is that those most eager to have the english queen in Ireland are the same people who have ZERO tolerance for those who have every reason to feel that this visit is premature. In all the debate on this board, and elsewhere, I am sick to the back teeth of hearing such opponents of the visit being condescendingly talked down to and being described as "dinosaurs" or "knuckle draggers" or even "dissidents" and "people incapable of moving on". A bit of an honest attempt at considering why a lot of people would find such a visit hurtful would be helpful. I can't see it happening though. It will just keep going on and on with the gombeens tripping over themselves trying to look "mature" by welcoming the visit. What really galls is that there are so many people who have not the first clue what life was like with daily british army harassment and yet these people feel somehow qualified to lecture those who suffered through it, that they have to move on.

You didn't know what it was like to have to live under Fianna Fáil & the stormtroopers of the Catholic Church. (By the way not saying its the same, but plenty of lectures from those who never had to put up with them).

Yes the Catholic church tended to be an utter irrelevance in South Armagh and West Tyrone. 

Ye didn't have Dev's little vice laws or stopped having a pint in the pub on the 25'th of December  Or State sanctioned slavery.

[Lar Naparka]

Eamon your narrative is very well put and very pertinent to what happened in the north, and also reflective of the sort of life that many of us led for many years. I in no way said that you weren't in a position to comment, I was under the impression that you were in the states much long her than 10 years.  The thing is though what you say has f**k all squared to do with why members of the GAA might feel ill at ease about the Queen visiting the scene of one of the worst atrocities that was dealt out during all the conflict with Britain. I directly refer to a number of incidents out of a catalogue of incidents against members of the GAA who were identifiable by their affiliation with the GAA. We could very easily turn this into a dick measuring contest about who suffered most but I have had enough of those to be honest. I want someone to stand up for the ordinary Joes of our great organisation and say "hold on, you're boys treated us like shit because of the sport we play, I think you should say something". I listened to our former 'esteemed' president on the Last Word earlier and have to say I was sickened by his attitude and also that of Matt Cooper.  The revisionism has begun and there is f**k all we can do about it.  The history that you and I lived will not be the history that is written in the history books.

You're dead right. The revisionism is going on- at it has been since the beginning of history and will be until the end of mankind. History has always been written by the winners and we in Ireland never looked like being winners when British/English/Norman/Saxon interests clashed with ours.
BTW; the Irish Establishment since the beginning of independence has been careful to push their own tainted vision of Irish history from a very narrow nationalist, Catholic viewpoint where every inefficiency on their part could be blamed on our perfidious neighbours but that's another rstory.

I don't see any change in this when HM sets one's foot on Free State soil.
I sometimes pity the poor woman; she's like a mannequin operated by remote control. She's coming because her advisors deem it is Britain's best interests to do so.
She is also going to visit Croke Park. Now, I don't need to be a West Brit to see huge significance in this. She is not coming to offer an apology to anyone or any thing- the GAA included. HM doesn't do apologies.
But she is hardly coming for the view or to hear the Artane Boys' Band. I feel that it is eminently reasonable to wait and hear what she has to say before rushing to conclusions. You or I may have good reason to feel upset at her visit but I don't think she will be bothered by what we may have to say. Do you?
I also know that large sections of the British people view the GAA, not as a "great organisation" but rather as a sectarian, bigoted ultra nationalist movement that is fundamentalist too the core.  (You can throw loads more adjectives in as well.)
I suppose a great number of your Unionist neighbours share that view but I feel things are improving in that regard. Any change is better than remaining in the trenches of the past and continuing to hurl insults across the divide.
I don't expect dramatic developments to arise out of her visit but I do expect her to refer in some oblique way to refer to the events of that Bloody Sunday in the stadium she is visiting.
I mean that every move she makes and every sentence she spakes will have been choreographed to the minutest degree and will have been discussed through diplomatic channels. I expect Enda & Co. will be fully aware of what is going to happen and the same goes for the GAA hierarchy. IMO, she can't make things any worse by her visit and she can make things better. Wrongs and injustices of the past are only felt by the losers. I imagine HM and her controllers don't give a damn either way whether we like what she has to say or not.

[Pangurban]

If petty vice laws and closure of the Pubs on the Lords Birthday is all MGHU can find to complain about, then maybe Dev was not too bad. Certainly not in the same league as Gadaffi. For Gods sake catch a grip Man, and stop crying into your English Beer. You used to be one of the sensible posters here, i rarely agreed with you, but at least you were rational,consistent and coherent, and occasionally hit the target

[Nally Stand]

I think what Pangurban is saying is that those most eager to have the english queen in Ireland are the same people who have ZERO tolerance for those who have every reason to feel that this visit is premature. In all the debate on this board, and elsewhere, I am sick to the back teeth of hearing such opponents of the visit being condescendingly talked down to and being described as "dinosaurs" or "knuckle draggers" or even "dissidents" and "people incapable of moving on". A bit of an honest attempt at considering why a lot of people would find such a visit hurtful would be helpful. I can't see it happening though. It will just keep going on and on with the gombeens tripping over themselves trying to look "mature" by welcoming the visit. What really galls is that there are so many people who have not the first clue what life was like with daily british army harassment and yet these people feel somehow qualified to lecture those who suffered through it, that they have to move on.

You didn't know what it was like to have to live under Fianna Fáil & the stormtroopers of the Catholic Church. (By the way not saying its the same, but plenty of lectures from those who never had to put up with them).

Yes the Catholic church tended to be an utter irrelevance in South Armagh and West Tyrone. 

Ye didn't have Dev's little vice laws or stopped having a pint in the pub on the 25'th of December  Or State sanctioned slavery.

God help you then. The worst we had was pub patrons gunned down. Or state sponsored murder!! (Often both together) 

[pintsofguinness]

On a side issue, maybe it has been discussed previous, but the queens money has been used by many clubs in the north and a massive amount will now be used to redevelop Casement. Is it right that her money is welcomed but she isn't - Discuss.

My opinion is that it isn't her money but thats been very simplistic.

f**k me, another stupid comment. The queen's money? You've some clue. 

I think what Pangurban is saying is that those most eager to have the english queen in Ireland are the same people who have ZERO tolerance for those who have every reason to feel that this visit is premature. In all the debate on this board, and elsewhere, I am sick to the back teeth of hearing such opponents of the visit being condescendingly talked down to and being described as "dinosaurs" or "knuckle draggers" or even "dissidents" and "people incapable of moving on". A bit of an honest attempt at considering why a lot of people would find such a visit hurtful would be helpful. I can't see it happening though. It will just keep going on and on with the gombeens tripping over themselves trying to look "mature" by welcoming the visit. What really galls is that there are so many people who have not the first clue what life was like with daily british army harassment and yet these people feel somehow qualified to lecture those who suffered through it, that they have to move on.

You didn't know what it was like to have to live under Fianna Fáil & the stormtroopers of the Catholic Church. (By the way not saying its the same, but plenty of lectures from those who never had to put up with them).

Yes the Catholic church tended to be an utter irrelevance in South Armagh and West Tyrone. 

Ye didn't have Dev's little vice laws or stopped having a pint in the pub on the 25'th of December  Or State sanctioned slavery.

another indication you don't have a notion.

[Maguire01]

Whilst this is clearly a sensitive subject, is it not likely that she's going there to mark or apologise for what happened there? It would be interesting to know who initiated this, but i'd doubt the Irish diplomats were forcing the visit.

As for the general opposition, primarily coming from the SF side of the house, how does this opposition fit in with the whole 'Unionist outreach' agenda? Is such opposition not perhaps counter-productive to the principal aims of the republican agenda?

[armaghniac]

It would be interesting to know who initiated this, but i'd doubt the Irish diplomats were forcing the visit.

I have no regard for the office of Monarch and if asked I wouldn't have proposed this visit at this time, but I have some regard for QEII herself, who attempts a responsible approach to things. It might well be possible that Liz herself thinks that she can contribute to things and wants to do so before she gets too old and one of the other plonkers in her family gets the job. She has been chatting to Mary MacAleese, someone not partitionist nor unaware of NI affairs, who also thinks this visit is helpful. While many people will see it differently, the visit to Croke Pk is not an insult to this GAA people who suffered at the hands of her troops and her admirers, it is intended an acknowledgement of these people.

[Keyser soze]

I'm appalled that the GAA have issued this invitation. Since when did Croke park become a political football? They surely [i hope] didn't come up with the idea to invite QE2 on their own initiative, it must have been a the behest of the government. I was under the impression that all GAA grounds and premises were restricted from use for political purposes, cannot remember off-hand the number of the regulation, i'm sure some anorak  here will put it up.

I'm shocked and disappointed that other gaels and/or irishmen are on here vehemently defending this invitation. It makes me feel so disconnected with an association that i've grown up in, now i don't understand what it's supposed to stand for anymore. I manage my club team, it makes me feel like jacking it in. I don't think i'll ever be able to go to CP again if this visit goes ahead.

[Maguire01]

It makes me feel so disconnected with an association that i've grown up in, now i don't understand what it's supposed to stand for anymore. I manage my club team, it makes me feel like jacking it in. I don't think i'll ever be able to go to CP again if this visit goes ahead.

The drama. 

[Rossfan]

Aww for fcuk sake Keyser ..... you and other extremists aren't some sort of guardians of a "pure GAA" .
Get on with your life ladeen and don't be worrying about what foreign dignitaries visit Croke Park.

[Nally Stand]

Abuse directed at anyone opposed to the visit with perfectly acceptable reasons, almost all of which have so far been used on gaaboard threads already (so far):

"slow"
"extremists"
"dissidents"
"dinosaurs"
"unable to move on"
"immature"
"wound up nordies"
"fundamentalists"
"brit haters"

[Maguire01]

"slow" for not understanding the context in which the word "slow" was used.