Joe Brolly: How I faced down IRA man who branded me a traitor

[AZOffaly]

Where does the link say it was done because the name "might offend female customers at the canteen"?

Fair enough - that specific part is not mentioned.

Actually it says it was changed because some lads were making crude remarks. So it wasn't for a PC reason, which makes it a bit irrelevant to Joe's argument about appeasement.

[stew]

Most interesting part of that article was the advert you accidentally pasted along with it. Its pity this fictional character Brolloy "faced down" didn't exist or he might really have to face him down. What a hero brolley is.

I think people are missing the point regarding tricolour and flag. Its not about pandering to hardline who will never want anything to do with the gaa. Its about opening it up to the normal everyday protestants in the north who may feel intimidated by symbols that in the north have a long history and recognition with the troubles. If we are trying to build a tolerant society in the north then we should be leading by example and sharing the gaa which has wrongly had a political stigma attached by hardline unionists!

I suspect brolly agrees with this given the club he played for in Belfast but of course he wayed up which view would get a better reaction!

I tidied it up there lol

The GAA is already a very tolerant organisation that's open to all but it shouldn't forget its roots nor dilute itself for anyone else, if it does it slowly becomes something else.

Its not open to all in the North. To say anything else shows a complete lack of understanding for your neighbour. You may be from somewhere that there is still a deep divide but out side those hotspots people are trying to move on. GAA will never lose its Irish identity. I just think in Ulster it should use its influence and power to help move things out of the dark ages. Whether you like it or not, just like the union jack the flag and anthem of Ireland are synonymous with the dark days. If you are truly tolerant and progressive you remove things in sport which intimidate or scare those you have to share the country with!

It is open to all in the north, the problem is that too many in the north dont want anything to do with the GAA due to it's ties to a United Ireland, well that and the fact the loyalist Politicans fed the a libe of bullshit to the fact that the GAA was a breeding ground for the Ra.

[Orior]

Unionists also like to draw parallels between the Orange Order and the GAA.

Has the OO been asked to make their festivities more welcoming to Catholics/Nationalists?

[deiseach]

I've come to enjoy the whole GAA = Orange Order thing. If they are the poster children for the respective cultures, then it's time to chalk this particular war as a win for us over themmuns.

[red hander]

'The British mainland'... where's that?

[JoG2]

'The British mainland'... where's that?

- 'where's Londonderry?'
- 'up the Londonderry road'

[balladmaker]

I got a great insight into the mind of Phil Coulter from that article, imagine presenting each member of a football team with a framed, signed photo of yourself ...  shows how much Mr. Coulter thinks of himself, inflated ego comes to mind.

[MoChara]

Most interesting part of that article was the advert you accidentally pasted along with it. Its pity this fictional character Brolloy "faced down" didn't exist or he might really have to face him down. What a hero brolley is.

I think people are missing the point regarding tricolour and flag. Its not about pandering to hardline who will never want anything to do with the gaa. Its about opening it up to the normal everyday protestants in the north who may feel intimidated by symbols that in the north have a long history and recognition with the troubles. If we are trying to build a tolerant society in the north then we should be leading by example and sharing the gaa which has wrongly had a political stigma attached by hardline unionists!

I suspect brolly agrees with this given the club he played for in Belfast but of course he wayed up which view would get a better reaction!

I tidied it up there lol

The GAA is already a very tolerant organisation that's open to all but it shouldn't forget its roots nor dilute itself for anyone else, if it does it slowly becomes something else.

Its not open to all in the North. To say anything else shows a complete lack of understanding for your neighbour. You may be from somewhere that there is still a deep divide but out side those hotspots people are trying to move on. GAA will never lose its Irish identity. I just think in Ulster it should use its influence and power to help move things out of the dark ages. Whether you like it or not, just like the union jack the flag and anthem of Ireland are synonymous with the dark days. If you are truly tolerant and progressive you remove things in sport which intimidate or scare those you have to share the country with!

There is no deep divide where I'm from but your argument would make more sense if I was and had a sort of siege mentality, I would welcome anyone into the GAA and so would any GAA person I know.

I think the only true way to move on would be to get rid of the fears rather than try to placate the unreasonable (a la Tom Elliot) by removing the symbols of fear, because that's all flags an anthems are is symbols open to interpretation.

[redhandefender]

Most interesting part of that article was the advert you accidentally pasted along with it. Its pity this fictional character Brolloy "faced down" didn't exist or he might really have to face him down. What a hero brolley is.

I think people are missing the point regarding tricolour and flag. Its not about pandering to hardline who will never want anything to do with the gaa. Its about opening it up to the normal everyday protestants in the north who may feel intimidated by symbols that in the north have a long history and recognition with the troubles. If we are trying to build a tolerant society in the north then we should be leading by example and sharing the gaa which has wrongly had a political stigma attached by hardline unionists!

I suspect brolly agrees with this given the club he played for in Belfast but of course he wayed up which view would get a better reaction!

I tidied it up there lol

The GAA is already a very tolerant organisation that's open to all but it shouldn't forget its roots nor dilute itself for anyone else, if it does it slowly becomes something else.

Its not open to all in the North. To say anything else shows a complete lack of understanding for your neighbour. You may be from somewhere that there is still a deep divide but out side those hotspots people are trying to move on. GAA will never lose its Irish identity. I just think in Ulster it should use its influence and power to help move things out of the dark ages. Whether you like it or not, just like the union jack the flag and anthem of Ireland are synonymous with the dark days. If you are truly tolerant and progressive you remove things in sport which intimidate or scare those you have to share the country with!

There is no deep divide where I'm from but your argument would make more sense if I was and had a sort of siege mentality, I would welcome anyone into the GAA and so would any GAA person I know.

I think the only true way to move on would be to get rid of the fears rather than try to placate the unreasonable (a la Tom Elliot) by removing the symbols of fear, because that's all flags an anthems are is symbols open to interpretation.

Remove the fear, I think that's going to be tricky after a few hundred years and 2 entrenched communities. The only way to remove the fear is remove the symbols and show that you are willing to open up forgive and forget. The argument "have the orange order opened up the 12th for us" is ridiculous.

You are comparing a celebration of the defeat of Catholicism to sport? The GAA is nothing like the OO! They take their symbols and try and ram them down peoples throats purely because they are afraid now that they are being marginalised in modern n Ireland. Which they are.

Most normal protestants want nothing to do with it and no catholic in their right mind would because its all about confrontation and dragging us back. The GAA is the opposite, or should be but imo they do not do enough.

Once again, removing the flags etc is not placating tom Elliot and co. They will never want to be part of the gaa but use the flag and anthem as a tool to tell their communities to stay away, we are trying to take over. Take that away and what do they have? You are actually doing them a favour by holding on to them. I dobn't need a flag or anthem at a game to show where I am from or feel more irish

[imtommygunn]

You take that away and they will just want more taken away.

The flags and anthems go then you'll have the people the grounds are named after.

[MoChara]

Most interesting part of that article was the advert you accidentally pasted along with it. Its pity this fictional character Brolloy "faced down" didn't exist or he might really have to face him down. What a hero brolley is.

I think people are missing the point regarding tricolour and flag. Its not about pandering to hardline who will never want anything to do with the gaa. Its about opening it up to the normal everyday protestants in the north who may feel intimidated by symbols that in the north have a long history and recognition with the troubles. If we are trying to build a tolerant society in the north then we should be leading by example and sharing the gaa which has wrongly had a political stigma attached by hardline unionists!

I suspect brolly agrees with this given the club he played for in Belfast but of course he wayed up which view would get a better reaction!

I tidied it up there lol

The GAA is already a very tolerant organisation that's open to all but it shouldn't forget its roots nor dilute itself for anyone else, if it does it slowly becomes something else.

Its not open to all in the North. To say anything else shows a complete lack of understanding for your neighbour. You may be from somewhere that there is still a deep divide but out side those hotspots people are trying to move on. GAA will never lose its Irish identity. I just think in Ulster it should use its influence and power to help move things out of the dark ages. Whether you like it or not, just like the union jack the flag and anthem of Ireland are synonymous with the dark days. If you are truly tolerant and progressive you remove things in sport which intimidate or scare those you have to share the country with!

There is no deep divide where I'm from but your argument would make more sense if I was and had a sort of siege mentality, I would welcome anyone into the GAA and so would any GAA person I know.

I think the only true way to move on would be to get rid of the fears rather than try to placate the unreasonable (a la Tom Elliot) by removing the symbols of fear, because that's all flags an anthems are is symbols open to interpretation.

Remove the fear, I think that's going to be tricky after a few hundred years and 2 entrenched communities. The only way to remove the fear is remove the symbols and show that you are willing to open up forgive and forget. The argument "have the orange order opened up the 12th for us" is ridiculous.

You are comparing a celebration of the defeat of Catholicism to sport? The GAA is nothing like the OO! They take their symbols and try and ram them down peoples throats purely because they are afraid now that they are being marginalised in modern n Ireland. Which they are.

Most normal protestants want nothing to do with it and no catholic in their right mind would because its all about confrontation and dragging us back. The GAA is the opposite, or should be but imo they do not do enough.

Once again, removing the flags etc is not placating tom Elliot and co. They will never want to be part of the gaa but use the flag and anthem as a tool to tell their communities to stay away, we are trying to take over. Take that away and what do they have? You are actually doing them a favour by holding on to them. I dobn't need a flag or anthem at a game to show where I am from or feel more irish

I never mentioned the OO it by its nature is a sectarian organisation based of religious persecution and superiority of the neighbour. So I agree comparing the 12th to the GAA is deeply flawed.

The GAA was first founded to promote Gaelic life and culture through its sports languages and other activities I don't see why when the GAA is already accepting of all that they should have to change what they were founded for.

[Franko]

You take that away and they will just want more taken away.

The flags and anthems go then you'll have the people the grounds are named after.

This is it.  Mark my words, it wont be long before Burns and the likes are arguing that the names of hundreds of grounds, stands, trophies, competitions and clubs are changed because they commemorate people who the British branded terrorists.  Every argument I've seen for the removal of the flag and anthem could be applied to these cases.

[longballin]

You take that away and they will just want more taken away.

The flags and anthems go then you'll have the people the grounds are named after.

This is it.  Mark my words, it wont be long before Burns and the likes are arguing that the names of hundreds of grounds, stands, trophies, competitions and clubs are changed because they commemorate people who the British branded terrorists.  Every argument I've seen for the removal of the flag and anthem could be applied to these cases.

You're right Franko and they'll want us to sing Irelands Call at the All Ireland final. Bag of balls!

[general_lee]

You take that away and they will just want more taken away.

The flags and anthems go then you'll have the people the grounds are named after.

There are literally three things they can really ask the GAA to change. Anthem, flag and naming of clubs grounds/compititions. The latter I would imagine there are maybe a dozen or so "offensive" examples, confined to Ulster. Is it really so much for some people to even consider the merits of this? Ultimately it's for the people of those clubs to decide but try seeing it from a unionist perspective.

[foxcommander]

There are literally three things they can really ask the GAA to change. Anthem, flag and naming of clubs grounds/compititions. The latter I would imagine there are maybe a dozen or so "offensive" examples, confined to Ulster. Is it really so much for some people to even consider the merits of this? Ultimately it's for the people of those clubs to decide but try seeing it from a unionist perspective.

You mean airbrush history?

Why are people so worried about reaching out to unionists? Don't need them.