GAA Outreach in Action...

[Trout]

We don't throw the money in the bin when they give us it

We pay our taxes so why the f**k should we bin it?

And the Ministry of Defence are thankful of it.

[lawnseed]

Evil Genius is having a good snigger, he starts this, this sits back whilst GAA MEN argue about it !

If there is/was a Billy Wright memorial soccer tournament, you can be sure the BBC website wont have a story on it.

if there was a billy king rat memorial soccer tournament the bbc would televise it! why would anyone care what portadown club do inside their own grounds? they're not a government organisation.
  yet again the bbc throw a grenade into the gaa then walk away.. will fat nolan return to the story? NO! you bet you ass he wont. we had the exact same thing with the prod fermanagh hurler (i cant think of his name) he ran to the papers to complain that he was a victim of sectarian abuse. the bbc in the shape of dunsieth (gaa hater) ran the story for a week. we had all the "IRA at play" crew queued up on the phones blah blah.. that guy had his problem solved in minutes at club level and ended up sitting beside the president of our association at an all ireland final. the bbc never returned to the story to inform the listeners of the outcome. the bbc always do something like this at this time of the year just the same time when their lack of proper coverage of the championship comes under scrutiny. ie last week we had BMX biking instead of fermanagh v down.
  its easy to forget that linfield fc were selling UVF Cd's and various paramilitary trappings in their shop at Windsor park at the same time the fans were slagging off Neil Lennon for being playing for Celtic/being catholic/ what ever else they could think of.. the home of norn iron soccer.. "we want catholics to support our wee country"
why doesn't EG contact the bbc to enquire as to the outcome of this complaint. they wouldn't know what he was talking about is the simple answer. this is a throw away story the woman wont go on air and doesn't want to be named and wont go to her club rep so she should shut her mouth. shes another one of the growing number of eejits who think that clubs exist to make sure their kids get football but don't want to get involved and criticise those who give up their free time to offer their kids sport. nobody can change the gaa from without. if you want to change it you must do it from within.

[orangeman]

Any of you lads heading to this gig ? Free tickets - the grub is bound to be good if nothing else. The GAA are bound to get a good few tickets.


Stormont to host Diamond Jubilee party for 10,000Ten thousand people are to be invited to a huge Diamond Jubilee party when the Queen visits Belfast.

The event will be held in the grounds of Parliament Buildings, Stormont, on 27 June, the Northern Ireland Office has announced.

Representatives from youth organisations, the emergency services, government departments, local councils, health trusts, ex-service associations as well as education and library boards are also being invited. It would nice to be there to see Marty and Lizzy exchange pleasantries in another ground breaking move.

Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, including the First Minister Peter Robinson and the Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, are also expected to be at Stormont as well that day.

There is intense speculation that Mr McGuinness, the Sinn Fein MP and former IRA commander in Londonderry, will shake hands with the Queen.

Details on how the 10,000 free tickets are to be distributed to the public will be released soon.

The Queen is due to arrive in Northern Ireland on 26 June with plans to visit Co Fermanagh.

[Applesisapples]

Ok then, the general consensus is that we continue to have tournaments remembering freedom fighters and never worry what others think? Those who'd complain about these things would normally complain about anything the GAA would do anyway.

By doing this though I think we will never be able to include everybody on the island into GAA. That probably sits better with most

Milltown, the point is that the GAA carries a lot more political baggage than that tournament in Galbally.

While we continue to play Amhran na bhFiann, fly a tricolour, have clubs and grounds named after republicans, we are never going to be all inclusive. People are kidding themselves that we will suddenly become all inclusive if we stop honouring any more republicans but retain the memory of the ones we already honour.

Where is all this clamour coming from to make the GAA non Irish and all-inclusive? Surely the whole rasion d'etre of the GAA is about promoting an Irish cultural and sporting identity, albeit one that is non party political. You can't seperate the GAA from an Irish identity and it is the one organisation that gave northern nationalists a sense of their Irishness from the dark days of partition, gerrymandering and discrimination through to the present. We still live in a society that doesn't quite believe in parity of esteem, look at Craigavon Borough Council, and one that promotes British idenity and culture at every cahnce, the various jubilees, weddings, orange marches, flags on state buildings etc...The GAA ground is one of the few places you can go as a nationalist and sing your national anthem and respect the flag you hold dear, official NI doesn't give you any recognition. So why would we take this part of our identity and culture away? We are forced to grit our teeth and suck it up in the face of all this British celebration. I am all for attracting Protestants to our games but not at the expense of our own identity.

[orangeman]

Ok then, the general consensus is that we continue to have tournaments remembering freedom fighters and never worry what others think? Those who'd complain about these things would normally complain about anything the GAA would do anyway.

By doing this though I think we will never be able to include everybody on the island into GAA. That probably sits better with most

Milltown, the point is that the GAA carries a lot more political baggage than that tournament in Galbally.

While we continue to play Amhran na bhFiann, fly a tricolour, have clubs and grounds named after republicans, we are never going to be all inclusive. People are kidding themselves that we will suddenly become all inclusive if we stop honouring any more republicans but retain the memory of the ones we already honour.

Where is all this clamour coming from to make the GAA non Irish and all-inclusive? Surely the whole rasion d'etre of the GAA is about promoting an Irish cultural and sporting identity, albeit one that is non party political. You can't seperate the GAA from an Irish identity and it is the one organisation that gave northern nationalists a sense of their Irishness from the dark days of partition, gerrymandering and discrimination through to the present. We still live in a society that doesn't quite believe in parity of esteem, look at Craigavon Borough Council, and one that promotes British idenity and culture at every cahnce, the various jubilees, weddings, orange marches, flags on state buildings etc...The GAA ground is one of the few places you can go as a nationalist and sing your national anthem and respect the flag you hold dear, official NI doesn't give you any recognition. So why would we take this part of our identity and culture away? We are forced to grit our teeth and suck it up in the face of all this British celebration. I am all for attracting Protestants to our games but not at the expense of our own identity.

Where do you think it's emanating from ?.

Ulster council seem to be doing a great job at pushing boundaries and breaking new ground. But who's behind those efforts ?.

[Applesisapples]

What I really meant there, was I hear no such clamour from within the GAA, infact I don't really hear it at all.

[orangeman]

What I really meant there, was I hear no such clamour from within the GAA, infact I don't really hear it at all.

I think there's not a clamour for change but Ulster council are definitely breaking new ground and trying to make progress with Unionists.

[Hardy]

I thought our former president, Nicky Brennan instituted a programme of reaching out to "Protestants" as I distinctly remember he put it. Does anyone know how that went?

[Milltown Row2]

Ok then, the general consensus is that we continue to have tournaments remembering freedom fighters and never worry what others think? Those who'd complain about these things would normally complain about anything the GAA would do anyway.

By doing this though I think we will never be able to include everybody on the island into GAA. That probably sits better with most

Milltown, the point is that the GAA carries a lot more political baggage than that tournament in Galbally.

While we continue to play Amhran na bhFiann, fly a tricolour, have clubs and grounds named after republicans, we are never going to be all inclusive. People are kidding themselves that we will suddenly become all inclusive if we stop honouring any more republicans but retain the memory of the ones we already honour.

Where is all this clamour coming from to make the GAA non Irish and all-inclusive? Surely the whole rasion d'etre of the GAA is about promoting an Irish cultural and sporting identity, albeit one that is non party political. You can't seperate the GAA from an Irish identity and it is the one organisation that gave northern nationalists a sense of their Irishness from the dark days of partition, gerrymandering and discrimination through to the present. We still live in a society that doesn't quite believe in parity of esteem, look at Craigavon Borough Council, and one that promotes British idenity and culture at every cahnce, the various jubilees, weddings, orange marches, flags on state buildings etc...The GAA ground is one of the few places you can go as a nationalist and sing your national anthem and respect the flag you hold dear, official NI doesn't give you any recognition. So why would we take this part of our identity and culture away? We are forced to grit our teeth and suck it up in the face of all this British celebration. I am all for attracting Protestants to our games but not at the expense of our own identity.

Are we not setting up GAA clubs in England, America, Austrialia and beyond? Even Amsterdam have it going on!!

[dillinger]

My-self as an Unionist/Protestant G.A.A. fan will not see this as a slap in the face. I know this is only to do with one club and not the G.A.A. in general. Others will see it as a slap in the face and a move by that club that was probably intended to be as such.

[Applesisapples]

My-self as an Unionist/Protestant G.A.A. fan will not see this as a slap in the face. I know this is only to do with one club and not the G.A.A. in general. Others will see it as a slap in the face and a move by that club that was probably intended to be as such.

It is one thing to name tournaments/clubs after a local "hero" as such, but putting a picture on a medal is stretching it. That said I always feel putting an image of any deceased person aon a medal, memorila, headstone or whatever is in bad taste.

[Maguire01]

this is a throw away story the woman wont go on air and doesn't want to be named and wont go to her club rep so she should shut her mouth. shes another one of the growing number of eejits who think that clubs exist to make sure their kids get football but don't want to get involved and criticise those who give up their free time to offer their kids sport. nobody can change the gaa from without. if you want to change it you must do it from within.

Maybe the woman wouldn't feel comfortable about raising this issue directly with the club? Maybe she doesn't think she'd get a good reaction.

[Maguire01]

If Pat Sheehan from our club died tomorrow (hope he's not reading this, he'll hit me a slap) A great clubman who has played (when not in jail) for the club many years and taken teams within the club, MLA for West Belfast and a hunger striker who was days away from dying, if they wanted to honour his name for a competition then that would be grand, as it would be based on his service to the club. No one is really going to argue about that, it won't be based on his involvement for the IRA. The Galbally tournament is also doing this for a past playing member.

But outsiders will look in and decide that it's been done to commemorate his involvement in the RA. Pat will be the first to admit that there are far more worthy members of our club with 70 years involvement at all levels more worthy of tournaments to be named after them.

Hard for people to tell whether that is the case a lot of the time though. Who knows what the motivations might be for 'recognising' a past club member - a club doesn't exist in a vacuum and it's understandable that the politics of its members might influence a club's decisions on some matters. It's easier to point to the 'service to the club' when it is clear that there was some 'exceptional' service worthy of special recognition - it is my understanding that Kevin Lynch, for example, was an exceptional talent in his club and represented it at a high level. It's very conceivable that he could have been recognised as he has been if he had died of natural causes, or in an accident, for example. I don't know McCaughey's contribution to his club, so it's not clear to me on what basis he is recognised.

[Myles Na G.]

If Pat Sheehan from our club died tomorrow (hope he's not reading this, he'll hit me a slap) A great clubman who has played (when not in jail) for the club many years and taken teams within the club, MLA for West Belfast and a hunger striker who was days away from dying, if they wanted to honour his name for a competition then that would be grand, as it would be based on his service to the club. No one is really going to argue about that, it won't be based on his involvement for the IRA. The Galbally tournament is also doing this for a past playing member.

But outsiders will look in and decide that it's been done to commemorate his involvement in the RA. Pat will be the first to admit that there are far more worthy members of our club with 70 years involvement at all levels more worthy of tournaments to be named after them.

Hard for people to tell whether that is the case a lot of the time though. Who knows what the motivations might be for 'recognising' a past club member - a club doesn't exist in a vacuum and it's understandable that the politics of its members might influence a club's decisions on some matters. It's easier to point to the 'service to the club' when it is clear that there was some 'exceptional' service worthy of special recognition - it is my understanding that Kevin Lynch, for example, was an exceptional talent in his club and represented it at a high level. It's very conceivable that he could have been recognised as he has been if he had died of natural causes, or in an accident, for example. I don't know McCaughey's contribution to his club, so it's not clear to me on what basis he is recognised.

If someone was a great club member, but then was convicted of (say) child abuse, would a club go ahead and name a competition / ground / club after him? Stick his photo on medals?

[eddie d]

If Pat Sheehan from our club died tomorrow (hope he's not reading this, he'll hit me a slap) A great clubman who has played (when not in jail) for the club many years and taken teams within the club, MLA for West Belfast and a hunger striker who was days away from dying, if they wanted to honour his name for a competition then that would be grand, as it would be based on his service to the club. No one is really going to argue about that, it won't be based on his involvement for the IRA. The Galbally tournament is also doing this for a past playing member.

But outsiders will look in and decide that it's been done to commemorate his involvement in the RA. Pat will be the first to admit that there are far more worthy members of our club with 70 years involvement at all levels more worthy of tournaments to be named after them.

Hard for people to tell whether that is the case a lot of the time though. Who knows what the motivations might be for 'recognising' a past club member - a club doesn't exist in a vacuum and it's understandable that the politics of its members might influence a club's decisions on some matters. It's easier to point to the 'service to the club' when it is clear that there was some 'exceptional' service worthy of special recognition - it is my understanding that Kevin Lynch, for example, was an exceptional talent in his club and represented it at a high level. It's very conceivable that he could have been recognised as he has been if he had died of natural causes, or in an accident, for example. I don't know McCaughey's contribution to his club, so it's not clear to me on what basis he is recognised.

If someone was a great club member, but then was convicted of (say) child abuse, would a club go ahead and name a competition / ground / club after him? Stick his photo on medals?

hardly.