Hunger strike commemoration at a GAA ground

[talktothehand]

all wars are dirty and should be avoided. unfortunately in 1969 we didn't really have much choice. come to coleraine and see how equal this society is and how wearing a gaelic top can put the lives of you and your families at risk. these are the facts of the situation here. we are supposed to be in a peaceful society yet we have people on here agreeing with nelson mccausland ffs!! the man is the foulest of the foul and people who stoop to try and placate these people are living in a dream world. come up here for a look around sometime!!

[Maguire01]

But therein lies the problem Maguire!  The GAA is made up of a populace of opinion.  I and many other GAA men and women think that a GAA ground is a good place to hold these events, for a start, in rural communities its quite often the only appropriate venue, or should I say the only possible venue and also, many of these men who died were very active members of the GAA.  Just because you feel it shouldn't be held there does not and should not take precedence over those who do.

And surely as such my opinion is every bit as valid. You think it was an appropriate, location; I don't. Maybe it could have been held in the local Church, but no doubt many people wouldn't find that appropriate, and understandably so.

[Maguire01]

I also don't know why Sinn Fein is constantly being mentioned in this.

It should be pretty obvious. It was a SF event, was it not?

[talktothehand]

But therein lies the problem Maguire!  The GAA is made up of a populace of opinion.  I and many other GAA men and women think that a GAA ground is a good place to hold these events, for a start, in rural communities its quite often the only appropriate venue, or should I say the only possible venue and also, many of these men who died were very active members of the GAA.  Just because you feel it shouldn't be held there does not and should not take precedence over those who do.

And surely as such my opinion is every bit as valid. You think it was an appropriate, location; I don't. Maybe it could have been held in the local Church, but no doubt many people wouldn't find that appropriate, and understandably so.

the same local churches who wouldn't let dead republicans be buried with the flag of their country??

[Maguire01]

Surprised this hasn't been posted already...

why were you surprised this had not already been posted?
surely the blighted views of Nelson McCausland merit no mention on a GAA forum?

It's a GAA discussion board - for discussing GAA and GAA related issues. Regardless of the fact that McCausland is clearly a bigot with an undisguised hate for the Association, it's still a valid topic for discussion. And as you've joined in, you must agree.

It's a shame yet again that some people have felt it appropriate to use a GAA ground for such activities. And all it does is give the DUP another stick to beat the Association with.

why is it a shame?
and for who?
surely this is a decision for the people of Galbally, and the GAA community in County Tyrone to decide upon.
how does it affect you what the club facilities in Galbally are used for?

I've clearly said why I think it's a shame. And such things can come to have a wider impact; the club is part of an Association.

[Maguire01]

FFS.... is this all to appease Nelson McCausland and his cohorts who would close every GAA ground in the country if they could? It  would be scapegoating of the worst kind if Galbally are punished as loads of clubs hold tournaments to IRA volunteers etc. Also a lot of clubs in Tyrone mentioned the Galbally commemoration in their club notes... should they all be punished as well? If Galbally get punished Tyrone clubs should make some form of protest action.

have to agree with you there fox

good point well made...
...at least someone on this topic can argue a point.

You have to love this idea that the only people who can argue or debate a point are those who agree with you. 

[Hardy]

Hardy would have informants fraternising freely with operatives it would seem, which would be great for a few drunken nights, but would be totally useless as an effective way of prosecuting that war.

So let's not beat about the bush - does that mean the murder of Jean McConville was justified?

And whether it sits comfortably with yourself and Hardy or not, the reality is that for that particular period, PIRA gave psychological succour to a good percentage of Republicans and Nationalists in a statelet that was severely inimical towards them.

That must be why they voted for them in such huge numbers. (I'll take the ritual denials of equivalence between the Armalite and Ballot Box wings as read).

[Maguire01]

Hmmmm ... tell that to Jean McConville's family. Or to the families of the hundreds of other Catholics they murdered and "disappeared". Some defending.

ah yes, the "hundreds"...
...hard to beat a concrete argument/statistic like that.
well done.

This isn't really the place for this debate, but of the (approximately) 1,800 people killed by the IRA, it is generally accepted that about 650 were civilians. The IRA apologised for these deaths in 2002.

[Maguire01]

aw come on
where in that piece does it say that GAA people are making or endorsing what anyone from sf says ?
THAT would be breaking the rules.

Unless something political eminates from GAA mouths or on behalf of the GAA or that GAA people in their capacity as GAA representatives endorse what political stuff has been said, then there still as yet and to my knowledge has never been, a breaking of the rules.

The endorsement is implied by allowing the use of the grounds for this event. Do you think the club would have rented out the grounds for a loyalist commemoration? You don't have to explicitly state your endorsement in words to have demonstrated it.

If Windsor Park was opened for a loyalist commemoration, would you not agree that that would imply the IFA's or Linfield's endorsement of the loyalist cause?

[Myles Na G.]

Hmmmm ... tell that to Jean McConville's family. Or to the families of the hundreds of other Catholics they murdered and "disappeared". Some defending.

ah yes, the "hundreds"...
...hard to beat a concrete argument/statistic like that.
well done.

The IRA were responsible for the death of more Catholics than the RUC and the British Army combined. Fact. As your man said, some defending.

[Zapatista]

OK I might be out here on my own about this one, but where these people not convicted terrorists? Alot of people consider terrorism a form of criminality. So you could say that criminals should not have special status!

Well said. And a starving man that steals a banana from a banana farm to feed his starving child is nothing more than a thief.

[Myles Na G.]

all wars are dirty and should be avoided. unfortunately in 1969 we didn't really have much choice. come to coleraine and see how equal this society is and how wearing a gaelic top can put the lives of you and your families at risk. these are the facts of the situation here. we are supposed to be in a peaceful society yet we have people on here agreeing with nelson mccausland ffs!! the man is the foulest of the foul and people who stoop to try and placate these people are living in a dream world. come up here for a look around sometime!!

Or travel round the coast a bit to Derry, put a Rangers top on and try walking round the town centre on a Friday night. See how far you get. Then when you get out of Altnagelvin, have a chat with the residents of the Fountain. You'll find you have a lot in common.
Not all the sectarian bigots are prods, and not all the victiims are Catholics.

[Maguire01]

OK I might be out here on my own about this one, but where these people not convicted terrorists? Alot of people consider terrorism a form of criminality. So you could say that criminals should not have special status!

Well said. And a starving man that steals a banana from a banana farm to feed his starving child is nothing more than a thief.

Regardless of your political persuasion and your view on whether members of paramilitary organisations were terrorists or heroes, that's a ridiculous comparison and has no credibility.

[Zapatista]

OK I might be out here on my own about this one, but where these people not convicted terrorists? Alot of people consider terrorism a form of criminality. So you could say that criminals should not have special status!

Well said. And a starving man that steals a banana from a banana farm to feed his starving child is nothing more than a thief.

Regardless of your political persuasion and your view on whether members of paramilitary organisations were terrorists or heroes, that's a ridiculous comparison and has no credibility.

Why? Is criminality not black and white? Theft is a crime as is terrorism. Criminals the lot of them!

[Maguire01]

OK I might be out here on my own about this one, but where these people not convicted terrorists? Alot of people consider terrorism a form of criminality. So you could say that criminals should not have special status!

Well said. And a starving man that steals a banana from a banana farm to feed his starving child is nothing more than a thief.

Regardless of your political persuasion and your view on whether members of paramilitary organisations were terrorists or heroes, that's a ridiculous comparison and has no credibility.

Why? Is criminality not black and white? Theft is a crime as is terrorism. Criminals the lot of them!

Criminality is clearly not black and white - that's my point. Furthermore, some crimes are more serious than others.