Figuring out who is catholic on the NI soccer panel

[michaelg]

NI and ROI like Celtic and Rangers alas represent two different communities.Fact of life.As long as they do not practice sectarianism in team selection and do their best to rid sectarianism from their support base that's all you can ask.

Quite right, two communities is correct, NI represents unionist colonial types and the ROI normal Irish people. I couldn't have put it better myself.

As well as a load of Brits.

[BennyCake]

Darron Gibson was the first high profile Northern born player to opt for the Republic as far as I am aware. I assume anyone born in the North could have done the same down through the years. I wonder why it took so long.

Not only that, but I wonder if any past catholic players who opted for Norn Irn werent kicking themselves thinking they could have done the same, especially when Republic were at a few tournaments in the last 30 years.

[NetNitrate]

Darron Gibson was the first high profile Northern born player to opt for the Republic as far as I am aware. I assume anyone born in the North could have done the same down through the years. I wonder why it took so long.

Not only that, but I wonder if any past catholic players who opted for Norn Irn werent kicking themselves thinking they could have done the same, especially when Republic were at a few tournaments in the last 30 years.

Alan Kernaghan was a fairly high profile switch during Jack Charlton era, born in England but grew up in Bangor and represented NI at youth.

[T Fearon]

It was not an option until fairly recent years.Besides had they done so Pat Jennings etc wouldn't have played in World Cup Finals.I think for some technical reason Kernaghan wasn't able to play for NI at senior level.

Hasn't been too many defections since Martin O'Neill took over.I think he has not really encouraged anyone to defect,given his empathy with the NI team,being a former captain of the team.

[michaelg]

Darron Gibson was the first high profile Northern born player to opt for the Republic as far as I am aware. I assume anyone born in the North could have done the same down through the years. I wonder why it took so long.

Not only that, but I wonder if any past catholic players who opted for Norn Irn werent kicking themselves thinking they could have done the same, especially when Republic were at a few tournaments in the last 30 years.

Alan Kernaghan was a fairly high profile switch during Jack Charlton era, born in England but grew up in Bangor and represented NI at youth.

Alan Kernaghan was a ballboy at Windsor Park and wanted to but was unable to play for NI as the rules were different to what they are now.

[michaelg]

Darron Gibson was the first high profile Northern born player to opt for the Republic as far as I am aware. I assume anyone born in the North could have done the same down through the years. I wonder why it took so long.

Not only that, but I wonder if any past catholic players who opted for Norn Irn werent kicking themselves thinking they could have done the same, especially when Republic were at a few tournaments in the last 30 years.

Probably because they feel that they have been supported and nurtured throughout the under age teams.  As far as I can recall, Gibson made the move because of a falling of out about attending an under age squad when he thought it may affect his chances at Man Utd.  i.e. It seemed more to do with the fact that he was a big time Charlie, rather than any big political statement.

[seafoid]

The part,which both electorates North and South agreed, that there cannot be any change in the constitutional status of NI unless a majority of its people consent to such change.Over 90% of those who voted in the south endorsed this and were encouraged to do so by a Fianna Fáil led government in Dublin.

It's hilarious to see you using this, Tony. You hop from "the south doesn't care about us" to "the south supports us" depending on the weather. You change your mind like a girl changes clothes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTHNpusq654

[Milltown Row2]

Your view point is as staunch as the dup.... Lets hope you're children don't grow up to date/marry people from different view point to you

Let's hope that my family never support colonial sectarianism.

It is a fact of life.The fact that you have alluded to has been conceded in a referendum,by a vast majority of nationalist people North and South as well.

Oh right, which part of the referendum addressed this matter?

You truly are stuck in the past, division is want you want, no different to the TUV or Our Wullie ... Here's hoping you're a dying breed and kids growing up can make sensible decisions

[armaghniac]

You truly are stuck in the past, division is want you want, no different to the TUV or Our Wullie ... Here's hoping you're a dying breed and kids growing up can make sensible decisions

Do you ever read what you write? It is sectarian and divided teams should be consigned to the past, as almost every other sport does.
This is the classic unionist distortion of things in the 6 counties, if the TUV advocate bigotry and someone else condemns bigotry then they are "two sides of the same coin" "one side is a bad as the other", when of course no reasonable person would see any symmetry whatsoever in the situation. 

It appears, sadly, that I am dying breed and that an increasing proportion of people aspire not to be full citizens in a normal country but rather second class members of the British Empire.

[T Fearon]

You are a dying breed.Most of us realise the freestate doesn't want us,they abandoned us 100 yeard ago and in 1998,there is an increasing cultural gulf between northern nationalists and the southern variety,and all citizens from the 6 counties would be third class citizens in a United Ireland

[seafoid]

You are a dying breed.Most of us realise the freestate doesn't want us,they abandoned us 100 yeard ago and in 1998,there is an increasing cultural gulf between northern nationalists and the southern variety,and all citizens from the 6 counties would be third class citizens in a United Ireland

Please discuss the cultural gulf Tony and do remember to include Man Utd and Strictly in your analysis.

[T Fearon]

Seafoid,generally Northern nationalists are more plain speaking,abstemious,retain a belief in God,less materialistic,than their southern cousins.Sadly we are increasingly a distinct and separate people.

[Rossfan]

Stop calling yereselves " nationalists" then.
Dissident non British Irish perhaps
The less materialistic bit is some laugh....
" I want a United Ireland but not if iit's going to cost me anything"
Abstemious ....an even bigger laugh.
Plain speaking ... You mean rude and aggressive.

I know you're only winding up but try a bit more subtlety for us Connacht lads.

[T Fearon]

I stand by my previous comment as well as no common contemporary history or shared identity.

[seafoid]

Seafoid,generally Northern nationalists are more plain speaking,abstemious,retain a belief in God,less materialistic,than their southern cousins.Sadly we are increasingly a distinct and separate people.

That sounds like older rural people down south bar maybe the plain speaking  .What defines Irish people for me is openness, friendliness, a sense of charity, less wound up than English people, tolerance, a certain sloppiness ...