GAA Outreach in Action...

[Rossfan]

It seems the GAA will be only be acceptable to certain segments of Unionism if they stop being what they are and become good little unionists.

[grounded]

It seems the GAA will be only be acceptable to certain segments of Unionism if they stop being what they are and become good little unionists.

Correct. If you look at the basic aims of the GAA, it just is incompatible with what Unionism sees as acceptable.
1.2 Basic Aim
The Association is a National Organisation which has as
its basic aim the strengthening of the National Identity
in a 32 County Ireland through the preservation and
promotion of Gaelic Games and pastimes.

To be acceptable would involve a total change in the GAA's core ethos not just the window dressing exercise of renaming a few clubs/grounds. Forsake everything the GAA has stood for, in the HOPE of being more attractive to the Unionist community. Foster good relations surely but if you're hoping for an uptake of GAA CULTUR you can forget it. I suppose its an Irish thing but Why is the GAA obsessed by what other people think of it?

[Myles Na G.]

Wonder what Joe feels about loyalist flute bands which carry the names of dearly departed sectarian killers on their drums / uniforms? Wonder if he feels that's noone else's business too? Wonder if he'd feel it was noone else's business if those same bands were receiving public funding for their activities and claiming to be 'reaching out' to nationalists at the same time?

You're a twat, Joe. Sorry, but you are. If you can't see that naming grounds after members of the organisation responsible for La Mons, Shankill, Enniskillen, Teebane, Darkley, Kingsmill, etc etc etc while holding your hand out for tax payers money might be an issue, then you're a twat.

[qubdub]

Wonder what Joe feels about loyalist flute bands which carry the names of dearly departed sectarian killers on their drums / uniforms? Wonder if he feels that's noone else's business too? Wonder if he'd feel it was noone else's business if those same bands were receiving public funding for their activities and claiming to be 'reaching out' to nationalists at the same time?

You're a t**t, Joe. Sorry, but you are. If you can't see that naming grounds after members of the organisation responsible for La Mons, Shankill, Enniskillen, Teebane, Darkley, Kingsmill, etc etc etc while holding your hand out for tax payers money might be an issue, then you're a t**t.

Was Kevin Lynch a sectarian killer? McDonnell or Doherty sectarian killers?

I mean if Loyalists named their flutebands after a UVF man that died on hungerstrike then may be you'd have a point. If the GAA named clubs after individuals who actively engaged in sectarian killings then you'd have a point.

These men died on hungerstrike which was an emotive issue for the broader nationalist community, not just republicans. If you are unable to differentiate between the circumstances in which these men died (whether you agree or not with their politics) and the likes of the much eulogized Brian Robinson who randomly shot the first fenian he could find then maybe you are the twat.

[Count 10]

Wasn't there a loyalist hunger strike?.......think it lasted until lunch time

[Myles Na G.]

Wonder what Joe feels about loyalist flute bands which carry the names of dearly departed sectarian killers on their drums / uniforms? Wonder if he feels that's noone else's business too? Wonder if he'd feel it was noone else's business if those same bands were receiving public funding for their activities and claiming to be 'reaching out' to nationalists at the same time?

You're a t**t, Joe. Sorry, but you are. If you can't see that naming grounds after members of the organisation responsible for La Mons, Shankill, Enniskillen, Teebane, Darkley, Kingsmill, etc etc etc while holding your hand out for tax payers money might be an issue, then you're a t**t.

Was Kevin Lynch a sectarian killer? McDonnell or Doherty sectarian killers?

I mean if Loyalists named their flutebands after a UVF man that died on hungerstrike then may be you'd have a point. If the GAA named clubs after individuals who actively engaged in sectarian killings then you'd have a point.

These men died on hungerstrike which was an emotive issue for the broader nationalist community, not just republicans. If you are unable to differentiate between the circumstances in which these men died (whether you agree or not with their politics) and the likes of the much eulogized Brian Robinson who randomly shot the first fenian he could find then maybe you are the t**t.

Kingsmill was sectarian, was it not? Prods lined up against a van, the sole Catholic identified and told to take himself off. If that isn't sectarian murder, then I don't know what is. Maybe not as random as Brian Robinson's attack, but hey, no brownie points for being better organised sectarian killers, eh? Darkley, an attack on prods in a prod church. Is that not sectarian? That's the organisation that the hunger strikers belonged to. One of the guns used at Kingsmill was linked to hunger striker  Raymond McCreesh.  The GAA should not allow itself to be linked to an organisation which committed such sectarian atrocities. It should not receive public funding while it does. Joe's an intelligent man, he should be able to see that. The fact that he can't makes him a twat.

[Rossfan]

  The GAA should not allow itself to be linked to an organisation which committed such sectarian atrocities. It should not receive public funding while it does.

Do the 70% or whatever of Nationalists who vote SF in the North  pay any taxes to contribute to those public funds.
Who in a divided polarised society should decide who or what is an acceptable body to receive public funding made up of contributions from both sides of society?
Shades of turning the clock back to 1967 Mylesín....

For thye record I think that basic aim should be amended to read  "....its basic aim the strengthening of the National Identity
in Ireland  and abroad through the preservation and promotion of Gaelic Games and pastimes

[Myles Na G.]

  The GAA should not allow itself to be linked to an organisation which committed such sectarian atrocities. It should not receive public funding while it does.

Do the 70% or whatever of Nationalists who vote SF in the North  pay any taxes to contribute to those public funds.
Who in a divided polarised society should decide who or what is an acceptable body to receive public funding made up of contributions from both sides of society?
Shades of turning the clock back to 1967 Mylesín....

For thye record I think that basic aim should be amended to read  "....its basic aim the strengthening of the National Identity
in Ireland  and abroad through the preservation and promotion of Gaelic Games and pastimes

So it's only northern Shinners' votes that count? That's a bit partitionist, is it not? Why not canvas the views of everyone on the island? I think you'd find that the great majority of people don't see the provos as heroes worthy of commemoration, least of all by an organisation which claims to have an outreach programme aimed at northern unionists.

[Rossfan]

I assumed you were talking about public finds in the 6 Cos going to the GAA??? If the Nordie Executive or Sports Department go down the road of asking the people of the 26 Cos for their views before giving out public money I'd expect there might be a lot of very upset Unionists around 
If the only way the GAA can "outreach" to unionists is by doing whatever Allister and Campbell want....... it's hardly worth their while is it?

[qubdub]

Wonder what Joe feels about loyalist flute bands which carry the names of dearly departed sectarian killers on their drums / uniforms? Wonder if he feels that's noone else's business too? Wonder if he'd feel it was noone else's business if those same bands were receiving public funding for their activities and claiming to be 'reaching out' to nationalists at the same time?

You're a t**t, Joe. Sorry, but you are. If you can't see that naming grounds after members of the organisation responsible for La Mons, Shankill, Enniskillen, Teebane, Darkley, Kingsmill, etc etc etc while holding your hand out for tax payers money might be an issue, then you're a t**t.

Was Kevin Lynch a sectarian killer? McDonnell or Doherty sectarian killers?

I mean if Loyalists named their flutebands after a UVF man that died on hungerstrike then may be you'd have a point. If the GAA named clubs after individuals who actively engaged in sectarian killings then you'd have a point.

These men died on hungerstrike which was an emotive issue for the broader nationalist community, not just republicans. If you are unable to differentiate between the circumstances in which these men died (whether you agree or not with their politics) and the likes of the much eulogized Brian Robinson who randomly shot the first fenian he could find then maybe you are the t**t.

Kingsmill was sectarian, was it not? Prods lined up against a van, the sole Catholic identified and told to take himself off. If that isn't sectarian murder, then I don't know what is. Maybe not as random as Brian Robinson's attack, but hey, no brownie points for being better organised sectarian killers, eh? Darkley, an attack on prods in a prod church. Is that not sectarian? That's the organisation that the hunger strikers belonged to. One of the guns used at Kingsmill was linked to hunger striker  Raymond McCreesh.  The GAA should not allow itself to be linked to an organisation which committed such sectarian atrocities. It should not receive public funding while it does. Joe's an intelligent man, he should be able to see that. The fact that he can't makes him a t**t.

This has been done to death but....

As Joe Brolly clearly stated, Kevin Lynch hurled for both Derry and Dungiven with distinction.

Their decision to rename their club reflects the sentiment held in Dungiven at that time that a former and well decorated player such as KL was worthy of commemoration. Given the exceptional circumstances of his death, and that of the other hungerstrikers, I don't see anything untoward with ONE out of thousands of GAA clubs being re-named after a hungerstriker given the links he had with that club.

As for your examples of Darkley and Kingsmill; yes they were abhorrent sectarian crimes. Are they being glorified? NO. It's the exact same as me saying the laying of a wreath at a British Army war memorial is somehow glorifying Bloody Sunday or The Ballymurphy Massacre. Should wreath laying be discontinued because of the hurt, pain and killings inflicted on Nationalists by the British Army? What do you think?

[armaghniac]

The GAA should not allow itself to be linked to an organisation which committed such sectarian atrocities. It should not receive public funding while it does.

There are significant public funds being paid out in pensions and salaries to people linked to organisation which committed atrocities. Are you advocating that these also be discontinued. This could be helpful in balancing public expenditure.

[Myles Na G.]

Wonder what Joe feels about loyalist flute bands which carry the names of dearly departed sectarian killers on their drums / uniforms? Wonder if he feels that's noone else's business too? Wonder if he'd feel it was noone else's business if those same bands were receiving public funding for their activities and claiming to be 'reaching out' to nationalists at the same time?

You're a t**t, Joe. Sorry, but you are. If you can't see that naming grounds after members of the organisation responsible for La Mons, Shankill, Enniskillen, Teebane, Darkley, Kingsmill, etc etc etc while holding your hand out for tax payers money might be an issue, then you're a t**t.

Was Kevin Lynch a sectarian killer? McDonnell or Doherty sectarian killers?

I mean if Loyalists named their flutebands after a UVF man that died on hungerstrike then may be you'd have a point. If the GAA named clubs after individuals who actively engaged in sectarian killings then you'd have a point.

These men died on hungerstrike which was an emotive issue for the broader nationalist community, not just republicans. If you are unable to differentiate between the circumstances in which these men died (whether you agree or not with their politics) and the likes of the much eulogized Brian Robinson who randomly shot the first fenian he could find then maybe you are the t**t.

Kingsmill was sectarian, was it not? Prods lined up against a van, the sole Catholic identified and told to take himself off. If that isn't sectarian murder, then I don't know what is. Maybe not as random as Brian Robinson's attack, but hey, no brownie points for being better organised sectarian killers, eh? Darkley, an attack on prods in a prod church. Is that not sectarian? That's the organisation that the hunger strikers belonged to. One of the guns used at Kingsmill was linked to hunger striker  Raymond McCreesh.  The GAA should not allow itself to be linked to an organisation which committed such sectarian atrocities. It should not receive public funding while it does. Joe's an intelligent man, he should be able to see that. The fact that he can't makes him a t**t.

This has been done to death but....

As Joe Brolly clearly stated, Kevin Lynch hurled for both Derry and Dungiven with distinction.

Their decision to rename their club reflects the sentiment held in Dungiven at that time that a former and well decorated player such as KL was worthy of commemoration. Given the exceptional circumstances of his death, and that of the other hungerstrikers, I don't see anything untoward with ONE out of thousands of GAA clubs being re-named after a hungerstriker given the links he had with that club.

As for your examples of Darkley and Kingsmill; yes they were abhorrent sectarian crimes. Are they being glorified? NO. It's the exact same as me saying the laying of a wreath at a British Army war memorial is somehow glorifying Bloody Sunday or The Ballymurphy Massacre. Should wreath laying be discontinued because of the hurt, pain and killings inflicted on Nationalists by the British Army? What do you think?

The decision to name the club after Kevin Lynch has nothing to do with his talent as a hurler. There must be countless players down through the decades who have served their club and county longer and with more distinction - why not honour them? Lynch was singled out because of his activities off the pitch and therein lies the problem: some people within the GAA think that a member of the provisional IRA is a suitable person to commemorate. The vast majority of people throughout the 32 counties view that organisation as  a bunch of murderers, on the same level as the UDA or UVF, rather than on the same level as the British Army, which is the comparison republicans (and only republicans) like to make.

[qubdub]

Wonder what Joe feels about loyalist flute bands which carry the names of dearly departed sectarian killers on their drums / uniforms? Wonder if he feels that's noone else's business too? Wonder if he'd feel it was noone else's business if those same bands were receiving public funding for their activities and claiming to be 'reaching out' to nationalists at the same time?

You're a t**t, Joe. Sorry, but you are. If you can't see that naming grounds after members of the organisation responsible for La Mons, Shankill, Enniskillen, Teebane, Darkley, Kingsmill, etc etc etc while holding your hand out for tax payers money might be an issue, then you're a t**t.

Was Kevin Lynch a sectarian killer? McDonnell or Doherty sectarian killers?

I mean if Loyalists named their flutebands after a UVF man that died on hungerstrike then may be you'd have a point. If the GAA named clubs after individuals who actively engaged in sectarian killings then you'd have a point.

These men died on hungerstrike which was an emotive issue for the broader nationalist community, not just republicans. If you are unable to differentiate between the circumstances in which these men died (whether you agree or not with their politics) and the likes of the much eulogized Brian Robinson who randomly shot the first fenian he could find then maybe you are the t**t.

Kingsmill was sectarian, was it not? Prods lined up against a van, the sole Catholic identified and told to take himself off. If that isn't sectarian murder, then I don't know what is. Maybe not as random as Brian Robinson's attack, but hey, no brownie points for being better organised sectarian killers, eh? Darkley, an attack on prods in a prod church. Is that not sectarian? That's the organisation that the hunger strikers belonged to. One of the guns used at Kingsmill was linked to hunger striker  Raymond McCreesh.  The GAA should not allow itself to be linked to an organisation which committed such sectarian atrocities. It should not receive public funding while it does. Joe's an intelligent man, he should be able to see that. The fact that he can't makes him a t**t.

This has been done to death but....

As Joe Brolly clearly stated, Kevin Lynch hurled for both Derry and Dungiven with distinction.

Their decision to rename their club reflects the sentiment held in Dungiven at that time that a former and well decorated player such as KL was worthy of commemoration. Given the exceptional circumstances of his death, and that of the other hungerstrikers, I don't see anything untoward with ONE out of thousands of GAA clubs being re-named after a hungerstriker given the links he had with that club.

As for your examples of Darkley and Kingsmill; yes they were abhorrent sectarian crimes. Are they being glorified? NO. It's the exact same as me saying the laying of a wreath at a British Army war memorial is somehow glorifying Bloody Sunday or The Ballymurphy Massacre. Should wreath laying be discontinued because of the hurt, pain and killings inflicted on Nationalists by the British Army? What do you think?

The decision to name the club after Kevin Lynch has nothing to do with his talent as a hurler. There must be countless players down through the decades who have served their club and county longer and with more distinction - why not honour them? Lynch was singled out because of his activities off the pitch and therein lies the problem: some people within the GAA think that a member of the provisional IRA is a suitable person to commemorate. The vast majority of people throughout the 32 counties view that organisation as  a bunch of murderers, on the same level as the UDA or UVF, rather than on the same level as the British Army, which is the comparison republicans (and only republicans) like to make.

I literally do not know what else to say.

The club is named so because he was a former member who died on hungerstrike. That is why it is named so.

They don't commemorate him because of the actions of the organisation with which he was a member. The sentiment isn't to celebrate INLA violence or killings. Kevin Lynch was never convicted of killing anyone. He was a local who died on hungerstrike. It is literally as simple as that. If you are saying that KL HC is named so simply because he was an INLA member then why aren't there clubs named after other PIRA/INLA members in Belfast, South Armagh, East Tyrone, South Derry etc.?

And yes you're correct, on occasion Republicans do like draw comparisons with the British Army; because some Unionists like yourself tend to forget that the role the British Army played here i.e. killing Nationalists, or helping Loyalists kill Nationalists.

[stibhan]

You're a t**t, Joe. Sorry, but you are. If you can't see that naming grounds after members of the organisation responsible for La Mons, Shankill, Enniskillen, Teebane, Darkley, Kingsmill, etc etc etc while holding your hand out for tax payers money might be an issue, then you're a t**t.

Was the INLA responsible for all of these?

[stibhan]

Wonder what Joe feels about loyalist flute bands which carry the names of dearly departed sectarian killers on their drums / uniforms? Wonder if he feels that's noone else's business too? Wonder if he'd feel it was noone else's business if those same bands were receiving public funding for their activities and claiming to be 'reaching out' to nationalists at the same time?

You're a t**t, Joe. Sorry, but you are. If you can't see that naming grounds after members of the organisation responsible for La Mons, Shankill, Enniskillen, Teebane, Darkley, Kingsmill, etc etc etc while holding your hand out for tax payers money might be an issue, then you're a t**t.

Was Kevin Lynch a sectarian killer? McDonnell or Doherty sectarian killers?

I mean if Loyalists named their flutebands after a UVF man that died on hungerstrike then may be you'd have a point. If the GAA named clubs after individuals who actively engaged in sectarian killings then you'd have a point.

These men died on hungerstrike which was an emotive issue for the broader nationalist community, not just republicans. If you are unable to differentiate between the circumstances in which these men died (whether you agree or not with their politics) and the likes of the much eulogized Brian Robinson who randomly shot the first fenian he could find then maybe you are the t**t.

Kingsmill was sectarian, was it not? Prods lined up against a van, the sole Catholic identified and told to take himself off. If that isn't sectarian murder, then I don't know what is. Maybe not as random as Brian Robinson's attack, but hey, no brownie points for being better organised sectarian killers, eh? Darkley, an attack on prods in a prod church. Is that not sectarian? That's the organisation that the hunger strikers belonged to. One of the guns used at Kingsmill was linked to hunger striker  Raymond McCreesh.  The GAA should not allow itself to be linked to an organisation which committed such sectarian atrocities. It should not receive public funding while it does. Joe's an intelligent man, he should be able to see that. The fact that he can't makes him a t**t.

This has been done to death but....

As Joe Brolly clearly stated, Kevin Lynch hurled for both Derry and Dungiven with distinction.

Their decision to rename their club reflects the sentiment held in Dungiven at that time that a former and well decorated player such as KL was worthy of commemoration. Given the exceptional circumstances of his death, and that of the other hungerstrikers, I don't see anything untoward with ONE out of thousands of GAA clubs being re-named after a hungerstriker given the links he had with that club.

As for your examples of Darkley and Kingsmill; yes they were abhorrent sectarian crimes. Are they being glorified? NO. It's the exact same as me saying the laying of a wreath at a British Army war memorial is somehow glorifying Bloody Sunday or The Ballymurphy Massacre. Should wreath laying be discontinued because of the hurt, pain and killings inflicted on Nationalists by the British Army? What do you think?

The decision to name the club after Kevin Lynch has nothing to do with his talent as a hurler. There must be countless players down through the decades who have served their club and county longer and with more distinction - why not honour them? Lynch was singled out because of his activities off the pitch and therein lies the problem: some people within the GAA think that a member of the provisional IRA is a suitable person to commemorate. The vast majority of people throughout the 32 counties view that organisation as  a bunch of murderers, on the same level as the UDA or UVF, rather than on the same level as the British Army, which is the comparison republicans (and only republicans) like to make.

You are an absolute idiot. He wasn't a member of the IRA, he was a member of the INLA. If you're going to get all high and mighty about something then why not actually research it properly beforehand.

What the people of the 32 counties feel about the IRA or INLA is completely and utterly secondary to what the members of Kevin Lynch's want their club to be named.