Laois v Armagh - NFL Round 5 - Sunday 18th March

[Applesisapples]

Perhaps it's time we kicked Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal out of the Ulster Championship and held our own All (N) Ireland in casement?

I've never heard these counties at it, dont think I ever will either

But if we're going to get all partitionist then since they in the south they could't play...that comment about the AI was tongue firmly in cheek.

[fitzroyalty]

Excellent post Fuzzman.

Looking from a slightly different angle and you did touch on it, Ulster GAA is trying hard to appeal to those from Unionist backgrounds. How on earth are incidents like this going to help if they go unpunished?

Although you'd expect someone like McKeever to maybe be a bit more thick-skinned when someone slabbers at him, who's to say he didn't have an uncle or a relative shot by the BA? Given the history of Co Armagh it isn't beyond the realms of possibility.

It's all well and good telling northerners not to be so sensitive but how many people grew up in the same environment where simply being a member of the GAA could cost you your life?

[Applesisapples]

Good post from Splintered and Fuzzman. Whilst perhaps the ACB could have dealt with it more diplomatically it is no less offensive to call some one a British Bastard than it is to call Southerners freestaters. I don't think it is in any way acceptable for any player to abuse someone else in this manner. Banter beween fans is one thing. As I posted previously it all depends on context. The partitionist mindset is firmly ingrained on both sides of the border though and the DUP if they'd any sense would copper fasten the Irish indentity of nationalists up here by accepting our flags and symbols as equal to the UJ and GSTQ. That would kill any move for unity stone dead.

[sheamy]

It's more noticeable since 2002 I'd say.
Never seemed to be a problem in the early 90's when northern teams were winning all-irelands.
People were happy for them.
I blame Armagh and Tyrone personally.
Their fans were pretty belligerent it has to said and this may have been due to their relative lack of tradition and an in-built inferiority complex.

Aye, better class of northerners back then Jinxy. You're dead right sur. Personally, I blame Pat Spillane and Joe Brolly for the whole thing.

[Onlooker]

Kerry people need to get over their obsession with Northern teams, even when one of them is playing for Laois he can't hide his hatred. They should ban Sheehan for a long time and with any luck he'd head back home where he belongs.
We've had enough of his hard man act and his constant handpassing. Learn how to kick Billy.

Dont Matter, does anyone know how Billy Sheehan keeps his place on the Laois team.  Any time I see his name on a Laois selection I know that they are going nowhere.  Ye should have got rid of him years ago.

[Stevie Nicks]

There is a big point which is being overlooked here to a certain degree, 2 officials were aware of the verbal abuse during the match and decided to ignore/overlook it instead of dealing with it at the time. All we are looking is a fair crack of the whip, which by the way Armagh were not afforded on Sunday

[Jinxy]

Excellent post Fuzzman.

Looking from a slightly different angle and you did touch on it, Ulster GAA is trying hard to appeal to those from Unionist backgrounds. How on earth are incidents like this going to help if they go unpunished?

Although you'd expect someone like McKeever to maybe be a bit more thick-skinned when someone slabbers at him, who's to say he didn't have an uncle or a relative shot by the BA? Given the history of Co Armagh it isn't beyond the realms of possibility.

It's all well and good telling northerners not to be so sensitive but how many people grew up in the same environment where simply being a member of the GAA could cost you your life?

Would a unionist be offended if someone called them a British bastard?

[Dont Matter]

Kerry people need to get over their obsession with Northern teams, even when one of them is playing for Laois he can't hide his hatred. They should ban Sheehan for a long time and with any luck he'd head back home where he belongs.
We've had enough of his hard man act and his constant handpassing. Learn how to kick Billy.

Dont Matter, does anyone know how Billy Sheehan keeps his place on the Laois team.  Any time I see his name on a Laois selection I know that they are going nowhere.  Ye should have got rid of him years ago.

Most people in Laois are of the same opinion, he doesn't offer much. Apparently he's a very good trainer, works very hard but I think he will be droped once a few injuries clear up.
The bad thing for us is there is not much better than him making themselves availbale this year.

[brokencrossbar1]

Its a f**king joke and if it had been anybody bar McKeever I could have seen past it.  Sledging goes on in sport world wide, and to be frankly honest I think the whole thing is a joke.  The world is creating f**king namby pamby ginnits who stick the chest out at one minute and then cower the next.  McKeever if he had any sense would have bided his time and buried thon nhemancy through the wire and at least of he got a red card he would have deserved it.  Now he looks like a cry baby who will get dogs abuse for running to the press.  Ginnits the lot of them.

[sheamy]

There is a big point which is being overlooked here to a certain degree, 2 officials were aware of the verbal abuse during the match and decided to ignore/overlook it instead of dealing with it at the time. All we are looking is a fair crack of the whip, which by the way Armagh were not afforded on Sunday

Armagh gave the world Padraig Hughes. It's called Karma.

[Applesisapples]

Excellent post Fuzzman.

Looking from a slightly different angle and you did touch on it, Ulster GAA is trying hard to appeal to those from Unionist backgrounds. How on earth are incidents like this going to help if they go unpunished?

Although you'd expect someone like McKeever to maybe be a bit more thick-skinned when someone slabbers at him, who's to say he didn't have an uncle or a relative shot by the BA? Given the history of Co Armagh it isn't beyond the realms of possibility.

It's all well and good telling northerners not to be so sensitive but how many people grew up in the same environment where simply being a member of the GAA could cost you your life?

Would a unionist be offended if someone called them a British b**tard?

I would imagine so as it would still be a racist comment a bit like Irish Bastard again depends on context.

[fitzroyalty]

Excellent post Fuzzman.

Looking from a slightly different angle and you did touch on it, Ulster GAA is trying hard to appeal to those from Unionist backgrounds. How on earth are incidents like this going to help if they go unpunished?

Although you'd expect someone like McKeever to maybe be a bit more thick-skinned when someone slabbers at him, who's to say he didn't have an uncle or a relative shot by the BA? Given the history of Co Armagh it isn't beyond the realms of possibility.

It's all well and good telling northerners not to be so sensitive but how many people grew up in the same environment where simply being a member of the GAA could cost you your life?

Would a unionist be offended if someone called them a British b**tard?

Right so if I bring a fella from Lurgn rugby club down to training tonight and someone calls him a British bastard. How do you think he'll react? Bear in mind the rugby club is on the edge of a Loyalist estate.

[Ulick]

I'll be expecting lots of righteous indignation from the press this weekend 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6937926.stm

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n17/fintan-otoole/diary

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/protestant-gaa-star-hounded-out-by-vile-taunts-1049377.html

[brokencrossbar1]

Also I think it is very irresponsible to be bandying words like Sectarian or racist about in respect of what was said here.  These are 2 very serious issues and the misuse of the words dilutes what is the real issue.  Sectarianism is bigotry, discrimination or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion, class, regional or factions of a political movement.  Ciaran McKeever was not abused because of any of these issues.  Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination.  These comments were not this either.  They do amounty to a form of xenophbia but this is not a crime nor associated to a crime.  Throwing these comments out like this willy nilly are dangerous and unhelpful to people who really are suffering racist or sectarian abuse.

[Ulick]

Also I think it is very irresponsible to be bandying words like Sectarian or racist about in respect of what was said here.  These are 2 very serious issues and the misuse of the words dilutes what is the real issue.  Sectarianism is bigotry, discrimination or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion, class, regional or factions of a political movement.  Ciaran McKeever was not abused because of any of these issues.  Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination.  These comments were not this either.  They do amounty to a form of xenophbia but this is not a crime nor associated to a crime.  Throwing these comments out like this willy nilly are dangerous and unhelpful to people who really are suffering racist or sectarian abuse.

How do you figure that? What was different about the abuse McKeever recieved and that doled out to Darren Graham?