Jarlath Burns Views on the Politics of the Maze Stadium

[SammyG]

There you go again sammy, mountain out of a molehill, jarlath never said the GAA and the shinners were doing deals. 

He said that he believed that the GAA and SF were doing deals.

Unsaid unwritten agreements.  Funny deals. 
Even if you stretch out what he's saying as far as it'll go to suit your agenda have you noticed that not one person here agrees with him?

What agenda, I repeat for the umpteenth time, I have made no comment other than to post what JB said.

As far as people agreeing or disagreeing, hardly anybody has commented on what he said, instead they've gone for the 'shoot the messenger' approach. Nobody has explained why a respected GAA head would just make up a (potentially) damaging story, on live tv?

[pintsofguinness]

Your agenda to prove that the gaa and sinn fein are all one or some shite. 
You've made several posts on this thread and you only quoted jarlath in one, the rest are you implying that sinn fein and the gaa are making deals.

He didn't make up any story, he expressed a personal belief, which he's entitled to do, that doesn't mean he's right. 

[deiseach]

Nobody has explained why a respected GAA head would just make up a (potentially) damaging story, on live tv?

Jarlath is ill-informed. As snatter points out, the GAA was on the record in its interest in a multi-sports stadium as long ago as 1995. And are we meant to believe that this "unwritten, unsaid agreement" would survive the countless changes in GAA personnel that take place over any twelve year period?

[stew]

I don't think there is anyone laying into sammy for asking the question, more for making a mountain out of molehill.

How have I made a mountian out of a molehill? I haven't made any comment other than quoting what JB said. It just seemed a very strange thing for a respected GAA head to be saying on a TV programme.

To put the but on the other foot. Can you imagine if Gerry Armstrong had made a statement that the IFA were doing deals with the DUP? Do you think that some questions might have been asked, on this board?

Take a redner sammy, you cannot in all good faith compare the dup and the shinners!

WTF are you on about? Where have I compared the DUP to SF? I presume you've been on the beer this afternoon. 

You drew a parallel between the IFA/DUP and the shinners and the GAA. How can you do that, the IFA lease out their clubhouses out to known loyalist gangsters and the dup are the most hateful cult in the history of the country. To tar the GAA and the shinners with the same brush as those other two entities tells me you have lost your mind.

Ps, i am not on the beer, havent had one in months.

[ziggysego]

Ps, i am not on the beer, havent had one in months.

What about two?

[Deal_Me_In]

Just wandering what the GAA heads on here (especially the Southern ones) think of the idea of the Ulster GAA doing deals with SF, for purely political rather than sporting reasons. Or was Jarlath talking bollix?

Sammy i presume as you have stated that you have "NO AGENDA" that you meant to include supposedly (according to JB) as no facts are available, purely speculation.

As for my own opinion on this, i think that if the GAA are being offered a free 40,000+ stadium they are not going to be concerned what political motivations are behind it from either side, but that the heads of the GAA are going to do whats best for the GAA.

Nobody has explained why a respected GAA head would just make up a (potentially) damaging story, on live tv?

I did not see when JB made his comments, but as he is a pundit for the BBC I presume he was asked his opinion on the issue and he gave it as he sees it.

[Jim_Murphy_74]

Sorry to start a new thread but I though this deserved a wider audience (if admin doesn't agree then feel free to close it).

Jarlath Burns was interviewed on the BBC Politics Show at the weekend and said

"I suppose from a GAA perspective, a lot of GAA people are puzzled at the approach the Ulster Council have taken because of the amount of great stadiums we have already - do we need another one at the Maze?

"But, my own belief in it is that there was a sort of an unwritten, unsaid agreement between Sinn Fein and the GAA where the republicans said they would allow the GAA to make up its own mind without interference on Rule 21 and Rule 42, and allow them to reflect on that IF the GAA, as a sort of a quid-pro-quo, would be supportive of the Maze Stadium because, of course, it is part of the project which includes H3 and the prison hospital which was of deep emotional significance to republicans".


Just wandering what the GAA heads on here (especially the Southern ones) think of the idea of the Ulster GAA doing deals with SF, for purely political rather than sporting reasons. Or was Jarlath talking bollix?

SammyG,

A couple of points:

Jarlath is entitled to his view but certainly this seems idle speculation on his part.

Here's my idle speculation based on talking to delegates at annual conventions.  The Ulster Council were against getting involved in the Maze.  They have invested in Breffni, Clones, Casement and other grounds.  They have county board screaming out for games at their grounds.  The GAA central council have told them to back the Maze.  Both Sean Kelly and Nickey Brennan have made statements on their support.  The GAA wants to be seen to be involved in a cross-community activity.  Once pushed to get involved the Ulster Council have driven a hard bargain in getting what they want.  I say fair-play.

At the end of the day my speculation is as likely as Jarlath's but not fit some people's prejudices. 

/Jim.

[Star Spangler]

Jarlath Burns

a sort of an unwritten, unsaid agreement

Is that a real agreement?  Was it by telepathy?

[SammyG]

Sorry to start a new thread but I though this deserved a wider audience (if admin doesn't agree then feel free to close it).

Jarlath Burns was interviewed on the BBC Politics Show at the weekend and said

"I suppose from a GAA perspective, a lot of GAA people are puzzled at the approach the Ulster Council have taken because of the amount of great stadiums we have already - do we need another one at the Maze?

"But, my own belief in it is that there was a sort of an unwritten, unsaid agreement between Sinn Fein and the GAA where the republicans said they would allow the GAA to make up its own mind without interference on Rule 21 and Rule 42, and allow them to reflect on that IF the GAA, as a sort of a quid-pro-quo, would be supportive of the Maze Stadium because, of course, it is part of the project which includes H3 and the prison hospital which was of deep emotional significance to republicans".


Just wandering what the GAA heads on here (especially the Southern ones) think of the idea of the Ulster GAA doing deals with SF, for purely political rather than sporting reasons. Or was Jarlath talking bollix?

SammyG,

A couple of points:

Jarlath is entitled to his view but certainly this seems idle speculation on his part.

Here's my idle speculation based on talking to delegates at annual conventions.  The Ulster Council were against getting involved in the Maze.  They have invested in Breffni, Clones, Casement and other grounds.  They have county board screaming out for games at their grounds.  The GAA central council have told them to back the Maze.  Both Sean Kelly and Nickey Brennan have made statements on their support.  The GAA wants to be seen to be involved in a cross-community activity.  Once pushed to get involved the Ulster Council have driven a hard bargain in getting what they want.  I say fair-play.

At the end of the day my speculation is as likely as Jarlath's but not fit some people's prejudices. 

/Jim.

To be honest, as an outsider looking in, my view would be very similar to yours. The Ulster GAA don't want or need the Maze but if they're being offered it then they'll take what they can get and fcuk everybody else. NOTE before anybody starts that is meant as a compliment not a criticism, I wish the IFA had the balls to achieve half what the GAA have.

I just can't understand what JB was trying to achieve with his comments. I can't see any mileage for him in pissing of the GAA, so why not just either toe the party line or even say nothing.

[Fishead_Sam]

Sammy Jarlath Burns thinks the the GAA is a 10 County Republic (Ulsters 9 + Kerry) so I wouldn't heed much of what he thinks, just in case that was a sporting reference not a political one.

The GAA is not Sein Fein or the IRA or anything of the sort, doh Blueshirt speaking here.

You just want us to be bigots, sorry to dissapoint.

[balladmaker]

I don't know where Jarlath gets the time from to be involved in as much as he reportedly is....his own day job, the different GAA committees, the BBC, his newspaper column, now this new committee...he must never be at home!

[stiffler]

I don't know where Jarlath gets the time from to be involved in as much as he reportedly is....his own day job, the different GAA committees, the BBC, his newspaper column, now this new committee...he must never be at home!

Is he not a teacher? then he would have the summer months available for other work.

[Donagh]

Is he not a teacher? then he would have the summer months available for other work.

He teaches in the Donegal Gaeltacht during the summer.

[deiseach]

Is that a real agreement?  Was it by telepathy?

[pintsofguinness]

I don't know where Jarlath gets the time from to be involved in as much as he reportedly is....his own day job, the different GAA committees, the BBC, his newspaper column, now this new committee...he must never be at home!

He also manages Silverbridge's u10s and, overall, he's heavily involved in youth development within the club.  He's the club's county board delegate. He captained the B team to the league and championship double last year and, as usual, he'll line out for them in the south armagh b championship final in a few weeks. 
I don't know where he gets the time!