Partitionist abuse - The poison of the meeja?

[muppet]

Some people. But not many. I don't believe for a minute that Hume or Heaney would have had a reception similar to McGuinness. In my opinion, either of them would probably have won comfortably.

After which they would be condemned as 'West Brits'.

[haranguerer]

Anyway....

Read Breheny today - he claims that during the troubles, there would have been regular stories of southern players being called 'fenians' by northern players. I'm gonna stick my neck out (not far though cos it isnt necessary) and say this is absolute total and utter bollocks. Has anyone ever heard of this happening??? He really should have thought up his lies better - it makes absolutely no sense!!!

[Onlooker]

I would have to agree with you haranguerer.   Even by Breheny's standards this is a completely unbelieveable statement.  It just does not make any sense.  What is trying to prove.

[Leo]

Anyway....

Read Breheny today - he claims that during the troubles, there would have been regular stories of southern players being called 'fenians' by northern players. I'm gonna stick my neck out (not far though cos it isnt necessary) and say this is absolute total and utter bollocks. Has anyone ever heard of this happening??? He really should have thought up his lies better - it makes absolutely no sense!!!

I know for sure that there were very many players on 6-county teams in the late 70's and early 80's who would wind up their southern opponents with politically abusive tauntsof "freestater", "mexican", "traitor", "desserter" and the like - these are the milder versions and they would be accompanied with the f or b adjectice for effect ... Not nice but all "part of the game" then and now.

[sheamy]

Anyway....

Read Breheny today - he claims that during the troubles, there would have been regular stories of southern players being called 'fenians' by northern players. I'm gonna stick my neck out (not far though cos it isnt necessary) and say this is absolute total and utter bollocks. Has anyone ever heard of this happening??? He really should have thought up his lies better - it makes absolutely no sense!!!

Class! What an absolute incompetent bollix Martin Breheny is.

[Lar Naparka]

Anyway....

Read Breheny today - he claims that during the troubles, there would have been regular stories of southern players being called 'fenians' by northern players. I'm gonna stick my neck out (not far though cos it isnt necessary) and say this is absolute total and utter bollocks. Has anyone ever heard of this happening??? He really should have thought up his lies better - it makes absolutely no sense!!!

I'm curious here.
How come you're so definite that no northern players ever used the term 'fenians' or were not in any way aggressive towards their southern counterparts?

The Troubles lasted a long time and there were hundreds of northern players involved in games with their southern counterparts during that period.

I can't say anything about players but I can say plenty about elements of their fans.
Anyone old enough to remember the late Tom Kennedy, who owned Kennedy's in Drumcondra, will recall that Tom used to stand outside the bar door after games in Croker were over and he vetted each and every one he let in.
He didn't do this after every single match but he told me that during the 70s and 80s he was always wary whenever teams from the north were involved.
Tom reckoned that invariably a number of fans were hostile towards everyone they met from the south.
Apparently their gripe was that southerners were not giving them enough support in the conflict back at home.
I used to drink in Kennedy's in those times and I saw and heard some of those beauts in action and the same could be said for Fagan's and the Cat and other pubs in the area. I've no problem with saying that those hard chaws were always in a minority but there were enough of them throughout that period to cause trouble for all around them.

[AQMP]

Anyway....

Read Breheny today - he claims that during the troubles, there would have been regular stories of southern players being called 'fenians' by northern players. I'm gonna stick my neck out (not far though cos it isnt necessary) and say this is absolute total and utter bollocks. Has anyone ever heard of this happening??? He really should have thought up his lies better - it makes absolutely no sense!!!

I'm curious here.
How come you're so definite that no northern players ever used the term 'fenians' or were not in any way aggressive towards their southern counterparts?

Maybe because they had bad experiences of being called Fenians themselves?  I have to admit, having played in the 70s and 80s (though nowhere near inter-county level) this is a new one on me.  I smell a bit of desperation.

[Applesisapples]

Anyway....

Read Breheny today - he claims that during the troubles, there would have been regular stories of southern players being called 'fenians' by northern players. I'm gonna stick my neck out (not far though cos it isnt necessary) and say this is absolute total and utter bollocks. Has anyone ever heard of this happening??? He really should have thought up his lies better - it makes absolutely no sense!!!

Sure we are all fenians up here in the GAA!

[AZOffaly]

Anyway....

Read Breheny today - he claims that during the troubles, there would have been regular stories of southern players being called 'fenians' by northern players. I'm gonna stick my neck out (not far though cos it isnt necessary) and say this is absolute total and utter bollocks. Has anyone ever heard of this happening??? He really should have thought up his lies better - it makes absolutely no sense!!!

I know for sure that there were very many players on 6-county teams in the late 70's and early 80's who would wind up their southern opponents with politically abusive tauntsof "freestater", "mexican", "traitor", "desserter" and the like - these are the milder versions and they would be accompanied with the f or b adjectice for effect ... Not nice but all "part of the game" then and now.

That's it. Methinks Martin is confusing his insults. I've heard freestater. Never Mexican, Traitor or Desserter. But sure we both knew it was only slagging. If a lad from Antrim called me a Fenian I'd assume he liked me

[Nally Stand]

Some people. But not many. I don't believe for a minute that Hume or Heaney would have had a reception similar to McGuinness. In my opinion, either of them would probably have won comfortably.

After which they would be condemned as 'West Brits'.

Why would someone be called a west-brit for being from Derry and winning the Presidency?

[AQMP]

Anyway....

Read Breheny today - he claims that during the troubles, there would have been regular stories of southern players being called 'fenians' by northern players. I'm gonna stick my neck out (not far though cos it isnt necessary) and say this is absolute total and utter bollocks. Has anyone ever heard of this happening??? He really should have thought up his lies better - it makes absolutely no sense!!!

I know for sure that there were very many players on 6-county teams in the late 70's and early 80's who would wind up their southern opponents with politically abusive tauntsof "freestater", "mexican", "traitor", "desserter" and the like - these are the milder versions and they would be accompanied with the f or b adjectice for effect ... Not nice but all "part of the game" then and now.

That's it. Methinks Martin is confusing his insults. I've heard freestater. Never Mexican, Traitor or Desserter. But sure we both knew it was only slagging. If a lad from Antrim called me a Fenian I'd assume he liked me

As we are, for the most part, emotionally buttoned up in the far North East, it is the equivalent of "Darling" elsewhere in the country.  If he added the word bastard or cnut it would probaly mean he wanted to kiss you.

[Lar Naparka]

Anyway....

Read Breheny today - he claims that during the troubles, there would have been regular stories of southern players being called 'fenians' by northern players. I'm gonna stick my neck out (not far though cos it isnt necessary) and say this is absolute total and utter bollocks. Has anyone ever heard of this happening??? He really should have thought up his lies better - it makes absolutely no sense!!!

I know for sure that there were very many players on 6-county teams in the late 70's and early 80's who would wind up their southern opponents with politically abusive tauntsof "freestater", "mexican", "traitor", "desserter" and the like - these are the milder versions and they would be accompanied with the f or b adjectice for effect ... Not nice but all "part of the game" then and now.

That's it. Methinks Martin is confusing his insults. I've heard freestater. Never Mexican, Traitor or Desserter. But sure we both knew it was only slagging. If a lad from Antrim called me a Fenian I'd assume he liked me

Same as that.
I swapped a fair few terms of affection with some of my fellow Gaels from the Wee Six alright but no one ever called me a fenian or any of the others you mentioned.

As well as that, the tulips I was dealing with were almost always pissed out of their minds. I just couldn't imagine a player out on the field coming out with the term, 'fenian.'
'Twould be a case of pot calling kettle black.

[Bord na Mona man]

Hurlers from around Johnstown in Kilkenny get called Fenians the whole time.

[haranguerer]

Anyway....

Read Breheny today - he claims that during the troubles, there would have been regular stories of southern players being called 'fenians' by northern players. I'm gonna stick my neck out (not far though cos it isnt necessary) and say this is absolute total and utter bollocks. Has anyone ever heard of this happening??? He really should have thought up his lies better - it makes absolutely no sense!!!

I’m curious here.
How come you’re so definite that no northern players ever used the term ‘fenians’ or were not in any way aggressive towards their southern counterparts?

Tom reckoned that invariably a number of fans were hostile towards everyone they met from the south.
Apparently their gripe was that southerners were not giving them enough support in the conflict back at home.

You've pretty much answered your question yourself with your anecdote. Thats the gripe, so they're hardly gonna have been calling them fenians - any insults would tend to be the opposite of this! As to not being aggressive, I didnt say that, I'd be amazed if they hadn't been frankly! Breheny didnt get mixed up either, dont give him the credit. He told a lie, and because hes thick it was an obvious one.

Another point, notherners being called orange b**tards etc, isnt the equivalent of southerners being called freestaters/traitors etc, as it seems to be equated to here. Its much worse. I know thats just going to sound like sour grapes or something to our southern brethren, but the fact is, when we're called orange/british b**tards, thats calling us by names associated with the other side of the conflict. Everyones went through a lot of shit either directly or indirectly to earn the right not to be British if they choose. That they should have went through that, but then have it thrown back in their face by their fellow Irishmen, is what particularly galls. Whereas the freestater thing, while not being particularly conciliatory,.is...well.........true... 

[Evil Genius]

Anyway....

Read Breheny today - he claims that during the troubles, there would have been regular stories of southern players being called 'fenians' by northern players. I'm gonna stick my neck out (not far though cos it isnt necessary) and say this is absolute total and utter bollocks. Has anyone ever heard of this happening??? He really should have thought up his lies better - it makes absolutely no sense!!!

Perhaps the northern players dishing out the insults were Prods*? That would make sense...

P.S. Leaving to one side the internecine GAA feuding, I must say, I find this whole thread enormously amusing   


* - Like Sam Maguire