Con Houlihan RIP

[Syferus]

Maybe because he was chief of staff of an extreme paramilitary group? I'm sorry but bigot is the appropriate word for people of such extremes on both sides of the divide and they should be marginalised at every available opportunity, lest others be swayed by the insanity they espouse.

Three cheers for Con on that count.

[seanog]

Maybe because he was chief of staff of an extreme paramilitary group? I'm sorry but bigot is the appropriate word for people of such extremes on both sides of the divide and they should be marginalised at every available opportunity, lest others be swayed by the insanity they espouse.

Three cheers for Con on that count.

Oh well, there's no arguing with that then. Republicanism should be marginalised  at every opportunity and partitionist ill informed or make that pure lies should be promoted.

No matter how you see gallant men like ROB, journalists should not be applauded for pure spoofing but it is accepted in Ireland since Devela and The Irish press unfortunately.

Republicans= bad guys/killers/low lifes

Free staters/castle catholics/ right wingers/capitalists/ gombeens/bankers/chancers/sean quinn et el= always the good guys in Ireland.

Just for the record, respect Con as a sports writer and by all accounts sounded like a decent man, just can't understand why so bitter towards Irish Republicanism.

[IolarCoisCuain]

Free staters/castle catholics/ right wingers/capitalists/ gombeens/bankers/chancers/sean quinn et el

Jesus Seán Óg, you rounded up a fair few usual suspects in that sweep!

[Seamus]

I've always assumed it was for Paddy's slight contact with Ger Power which, even by today's standards, was innocuous.

I was directly behind them on the Canal. Paddy kicked/tapped Power in the ankle. not properly seen on tv. That is why the free was given.

[IolarCoisCuain]

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/patriot-games-have-always-been-a-cover-for-irish-bigotry-and-murder-1116924.html

Just read a bit of that now. I'm puzzled by this:

The self-styled PIRA were perhaps the most remarkable secret army in history -- certainly in Europe. For a start, it was hardly a secret army at all. And for a finish, they were the best fed and the best clad and the best housed and the best armed. And for good measure they had a national daily paper to give them aid and comfort.

Which national daily paper can that have been giving aid and comfort to the PIRA? It can't have been the Press - Con Houlihan famously loved the press. Does that mean it was the Times or the Indo? There were no other papers. What's going on?

[Syferus]

Maybe because he was chief of staff of an extreme paramilitary group? I'm sorry but bigot is the appropriate word for people of such extremes on both sides of the divide and they should be marginalised at every available opportunity, lest others be swayed by the insanity they espouse.

Three cheers for Con on that count.

Oh well, there's no arguing with that then. Republicanism should be marginalised  at every opportunity and partitionist ill informed or make that pure lies should be promoted.

No matter how you see gallant men like ROB, journalists should not be applauded for pure spoofing but it is accepted in Ireland since Devela and The Irish press unfortunately.

Republicans= bad guys/killers/low lifes

Free staters/castle catholics/ right wingers/capitalists/ gombeens/bankers/chancers/sean quinn et el= always the good guys in Ireland.

Just for the record, respect Con as a sports writer and by all accounts sounded like a decent man, just can't understand why so bitter towards Irish Republicanism.

The extremists don't have a monopoly on republicanism no matter however much they want to portray themselves as its flag bearers.  I don't think you realise how anachronistic and genuinely irrelevant someone like Ruairi O'Bradaigh now is. Whereas even Ian Paisley mellowed somewhat and moved nearer the centre people like O'Bradaigh were happy to assume the fringe equated some sort of better, purer form of their ideology.

Don't just assume someone is lumping it all together when they critique bigotry.

[Mike Sheehy]

Maybe because he was chief of staff of an extreme paramilitary group? I'm sorry but bigot is the appropriate word for people of such extremes on both sides of the divide and they should be marginalised at every available opportunity, lest others be swayed by the insanity they espouse.

Three cheers for Con on that count.

Oh well, there's no arguing with that then. Republicanism should be marginalised  at every opportunity and partitionist ill informed or make that pure lies should be promoted.

No matter how you see gallant men like ROB, journalists should not be applauded for pure spoofing but it is accepted in Ireland since Devela and The Irish press unfortunately.

Republicans= bad guys/killers/low lifes

Free staters/castle catholics/ right wingers/capitalists/ gombeens/bankers/chancers/sean quinn et el= always the good guys in Ireland.

Just for the record, respect Con as a sports writer and by all accounts sounded like a decent man, just can't understand why so bitter towards Irish Republicanism.

Its an RIP thread ffs 

[bannside]

They dont make them like Con anymore. Maybe Wee Wishie Fogarty is from the same mould, but he wont be as well known on a national scale -he writes for "The Kerryman". Cons subject material was so wide and varied. I enjoyed Lars recollection of meeting him - that kind of says all you need to know about him.

Enjoyed the history of the Irish hare too. I once had a greyhound who was leading/favourite for the Derby trial stake at Cons former town, Castleisland. It was a good trek down from the North and the meet was interrupted by snow. I spent the cancelled day between in Kirbys Brogue Inn and met up for not the first time with Wishie Fogarty. Well worth checking him out too. You would be in Wishies company, with some of his cohorts around Tralee, and they would regaling each other for hours, in a normal everyday way I dont see in other counties. 

Like John B for instance, Kerrymen must be the masters at not telling, but painting a story in a magical/lyrical way. Must be a bardic tradition passed on, because I know a couple of Kerrymen now living up here in Co Antrim and they have exactly the same characteristics.

[Lar Naparka]

Maybe because he was chief of staff of an extreme paramilitary group? I'm sorry but bigot is the appropriate word for people of such extremes on both sides of the divide and they should be marginalised at every available opportunity, lest others be swayed by the insanity they espouse.

Three cheers for Con on that count.

Oh well, there's no arguing with that then. Republicanism should be marginalised  at every opportunity and partitionist ill informed or make that pure lies should be promoted.

No matter how you see gallant men like ROB, journalists should not be applauded for pure spoofing but it is accepted in Ireland since Devela and The Irish press unfortunately.

Republicans= bad guys/killers/low lifes

Free staters/castle catholics/ right wingers/capitalists/ gombeens/bankers/chancers/sean quinn et el= always the good guys in Ireland.

Just for the record, respect Con as a sports writer and by all accounts sounded like a decent man, just can't understand why so bitter towards Irish Republicanism.

Jaysus, seanog, you went on a mighty solo run there!
If the creation of straw man fallacies were an Olympic discipline, you'd be over in London right now.
If you are being serious and I'm not altogether sure you are, why not start a thread of your own and leave this one to those who want to mark Con's passing?

[seanog]

No bother, apologies for being insensitive and derailing the thread.

[johnpower]

Well done

[Lar Naparka]

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/patriot-games-have-always-been-a-cover-for-irish-bigotry-and-murder-1116924.html

Just read a bit of that now. I'm puzzled by this:

The self-styled PIRA were perhaps the most remarkable secret army in history -- certainly in Europe. For a start, it was hardly a secret army at all. And for a finish, they were the best fed and the best clad and the best housed and the best armed. And for good measure they had a national daily paper to give them aid and comfort.

Which national daily paper can that have been giving aid and comfort to the PIRA? It can't have been the Press - Con Houlihan famously loved the press. Does that mean it was the Times or the Indo? There were no other papers. What's going on?

I think it was the Irish Press, Iolar.
Tim Pat Coogan, the senior editor at the time was regarded by many as a closet Provo supporter. I don't think Tim Pat could be accused of giving comfort and aid to the PIRA but I don't really know if he did or not. Certainly, his paper didn't go to the same lengths as the other two dailies did when it came to condemning Provo outrages.
Con certainly seems to have enjoyed his time with the Press but I imagine he was referring to the evening paper.

[IolarCoisCuain]

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/patriot-games-have-always-been-a-cover-for-irish-bigotry-and-murder-1116924.html

Just read a bit of that now. I'm puzzled by this:

The self-styled PIRA were perhaps the most remarkable secret army in history -- certainly in Europe. For a start, it was hardly a secret army at all. And for a finish, they were the best fed and the best clad and the best housed and the best armed. And for good measure they had a national daily paper to give them aid and comfort.

Which national daily paper can that have been giving aid and comfort to the PIRA? It can't have been the Press - Con Houlihan famously loved the press. Does that mean it was the Times or the Indo? There were no other papers. What's going on?

I think it was the Irish Press, Iolar.
Tim Pat Coogan, the senior editor at the time was regarded by many as a closet Provo supporter. I don't think Tim Pat could be accused of giving comfort and aid to the PIRA but I don't really know if he did or not. Certainly, his paper didn't go to the same lengths as the other two dailies did when it came to condemning Provo outrages.
Con certainly seems to have enjoyed his time with the Press but I imagine he was referring to the evening paper.

Seán Óg has graciously taken this discussion off the table Lar so I'll take his lead and let sleeping dogs lie. Sometimes the best thing to do with the past is just draw a line under it and move on.

[All of a Sludden]

Waiting For Houlihan, on RTE1 now

[5 Sams]

To paraphrase a former Taoiseach: "In the fullness of time, the greatness of Con Houlihan will be recorded"..

RIP Con. We will never forget you. Anybody wondering what the fuss is about should read "Windfalls", the collection of Press articles.

Got an oul battered copy for a couple of quid off the interweb a few years ago. Just finished it for the 2nd time this evening. Mighty, mighty stuff.