Belfast Newsletter's latest attack on the GAA

[camanchero]

if they want to play it, they will.
this will happen all in good time.
we cannot and should not force the issue.

Meh, the English could use that same mantra to eradicate racism in soccer. "A minority of dinosaurs are ruining the sport with racial abuse. We should wait until they die and there is a more tolerant society in the future. For the mean time, we'll do nothing and take no active measures against, it'll work out grand if we do nothing."

That was government policy before the civil rights marches; "the minority don't like our Protestant dominated state, however by holding out long enough they'll submit to our way of thinking and someday will come to accept our beliefs. In the meantime we should continue said policy of Protestant supremacy and unwavering loyalty to the Union."

I can see why you said that, but imo tobe honest the comparison - its not even the same continent let alone same ballpark !

we know that acceptance is seeping into the unionist/loyalist mindset.
There is nothing we can do to accelerate the change that will have much effect. we can rename all grounds and clubs, we can remove Tricolours and national anthem, but it wont change the feelings of the adult level of these people.
Why will they accept the Tricolour and national anthem at rugby but not GAA?
they dont like it but they accept it and move on.

the difference in your comparison is that nationalists/Irish/Catholics had discriminatory sectarian based rules and polices enforced upon them.
The adoption of GAA games is a lifestyle choice. unionists/loyalists dont have to play or watch them.
we have plenty of townies who are of Irish/nationalist/catholic/republican etc background who like the GAA as much as the unionists/loyalists do - there is not widespread move to try and harness these!

Finally, I know of and have played with/against plenty of 'prodestants'/non catholics in the 26 counties (and elsewhere) so it isnt that the GAA is a catholic organisation - it was played by a majority of catholics at one stage but that doesnt make it a catholic organisation. far from it.

[Eamonnca1]

How very typical of us - enforce the rules (however silly) unless, of course it would cause us inconvenience.

Putting us out of business is a bit more than "inconvenience".

[topgun]

Out of a matter of interest what religion was Sam Maguire?

[trileacman]

if they want to play it, they will.
this will happen all in good time.
we cannot and should not force the issue.

Meh, the English could use that same mantra to eradicate racism in soccer. "A minority of dinosaurs are ruining the sport with racial abuse. We should wait until they die and there is a more tolerant society in the future. For the mean time, we'll do nothing and take no active measures against, it'll work out grand if we do nothing."

That was government policy before the civil rights marches; "the minority don't like our Protestant dominated state, however by holding out long enough they'll submit to our way of thinking and someday will come to accept our beliefs. In the meantime we should continue said policy of Protestant supremacy and unwavering loyalty to the Union."

I can see why you said that, but imo tobe honest the comparison - its not even the same continent let alone same ballpark !

we know that acceptance is seeping into the unionist/loyalist mindset.

Stopped reading after this, any evidence to back up your claims?



Current affairs would clearly point otherwise. We are losing Catholic youngsters to rugby at greater numbers than protestants are "accepting" the GAA. The idea that they will soon lose the will to continue their distrust for the GAA and join the organisation en mass is preposterous.

[camanchero]

thats a bit of an ignorant reply by you if I may say, to be honest.
if you accept that protestant/loyalist/unionist kids are playing any GAA at all, that it is in their schools etc- thats proof enough that there have been a monumental change in mindset.

allied to the other massive changes in the sectairan north - eg GFA, that unionists/loyalists who once wouldnt cross the border were then suddenly happy enough to come down to work and integrate with southeners etc

It is prob irrelvant here about catholic kids going off to play rugby - a lot are, but not exclusively.
One South Derry lad I know has been courted by ulster rugby, but he wants to keep playing it but his first choice sport is Gaelic football. So its not all one way traffic and doom and gloom.
We are talking about cross pollination here not domination. There was enough of that ethos in the north for centuries and it didnt work then either!

the change of minsdet is happening but wont happen overnight.
Are you the over dramatic joan collins diva in the snickers ad?
chill out man.

[muppet]

Out of a matter of interest what religion was Sam Maguire?

Rebelant.

[Eamonnca1]

thats a bit of an ignorant reply by you if I may say, to be honest.
if you accept that protestant/loyalist/unionist kids are playing any GAA at all, that it is in their schools etc- thats proof enough that there have been a monumental change in mindset.

allied to the other massive changes in the sectairan north - eg GFA, that unionists/loyalists who once wouldnt cross the border were then suddenly happy enough to come down to work and integrate with southeners etc

It is prob irrelvant here about catholic kids going off to play rugby - a lot are, but not exclusively.
One South Derry lad I know has been courted by ulster rugby, but he wants to keep playing it but his first choice sport is Gaelic football. So its not all one way traffic and doom and gloom.
We are talking about cross pollination here not domination. There was enough of that ethos in the north for centuries and it didnt work then either!

the change of minsdet is happening but wont happen overnight.
Are you the over dramatic joan collins diva in the snickers ad?
chill out man.

Hear hear.  For all the headline-grabbing flag protest bigots, there's plenty of work going on behind the scenes with the likes of the CuChullain initiative that has catholic and protestant children playing together on hurling teams. Basil McCrea and Trevor Ringland are voices of reason in unionism that would have been burned at the stake as heretics not so long ago, and the electoral progress of the Alliance Party speaks for itself.