Hunger strike commemoration at a GAA ground

[Zapatista]

Furthermore, some crimes are more serious than others.

But thats not balck and white either.

You know and son of sam knows that the convictions as criminals handed down by the Brits on the prisoners was far from balck and white.

[Maguire01]

Furthermore, some crimes are more serious than others.

But thats not balck and white either.

You know and son of sam knows that the convictions as criminals handed down by the Brits on the prisoners was far from balck and white.

Yes, I understand that. My point is exactly that - there's a loy of grey.
But that doesn't alter the fact that plenty of people convicted for republican activities were guilty as charged and opinions on whether such people were terrorists or heroes or terrorists will generally be determined by their wider political opinion.

And how many people in a civilised democracy are convicted as criminals for stealing a banana for a starving child?

[pintsofguinness]

Ulster Council GAA statement..

Following recent reports of events at Galbally GAA Club, County Tyrone, the Central Council of the GAA have asked the Ulster Council GAA to establish the facts of the occurrences and the involvement of the Association in these events, if any. This process, the Council have already set in train and will issue a full statement of our findings in due course. The Ulster Council have had no direct or indirect involvement in this affair to date.

The GAA is a non party political organisation that is protective of its Rules and Constitution. The Association at County, Provincial and Central level were not aware of the events at Galbally GAA Club until after the events had taken place. The Ulster Council GAA are working to establish the exact circumstances surrounding these events that took place at Cappagh, Co. Tyrone on Sunday 16th August.
The GAA has clear policies in relation to the use of its property for non-sporting events detailed in our Rules which outlines the role of Central Council in respect to the control of property owned or controlled by a constituent unit of the GAA. The Association is a non party political and anti sectarian organisation whose position has been determined democratically by GAA Congress.
blah, blah...

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.

What? Why is a GAA club mentioning a republican commemeration in their notes?

[Zapatista]

And how many people in a civilised democracy are convicted as criminals for stealing a banana for a starving child?

I don't know but I know there have been many convicted and imprisoned for doing less.

[DuffleKing]

Looks like today had been designated "I'm a better irish man than you" day. peacetime provos indeed.

those of you talking about mccausland, who did what in the troubles, your da and all of the rest of the smoke screens are entirely missing the point.

surely we all want the gaa to be an inclusive and welcoming sporting organzation? this sort of carry on in gaa clubs makes members of our clubs uncomfortable at best and paints the whole association in an entirely bad light.

[dec]

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.

From the Sutton database
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/sutton/crosstabs.html

Organisation            Catholic   Protestant   nfNI   Totals
British Security          303          43         17     363
Republican Paramilitary   447         981        629    2057
Loyalist Paramilitary     728         234         57    1019
not known                  42          30         10      82
Irish Security              1           0          4       5
TOTALS                   1521        1288        717    3526

[Frank Casey]

Lads - could we have a good friday agreement on this one?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

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.

Hallelujah, so you concede: the IRA were not sectarian. Religion didn't matter, it was the uniform. And the IRA were not about defending Catholics, it was about defending Republicans and Nationalists. D'oh!

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

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?

Perhaps if you'd any experience of living through it I could take that seriously. From your Meath and Cork redoubts you have no real idea, have you?

And this is what fcuks me off Hardy, the likes of yourself retrospectively pontificating about isolated incidents in a conflict you've no real idea about; a conflict you might have been arsed enough about to be superficially concerned about from afar, but not concerned enough to actually do anything. If any of us nordies actually felt that we had some protection from the IRA, there's nothing you can say or do now to disabuse us of that notion, except to piss us off big-time. You're entitled to do that, of course, but we're not entitled to take that crap without sharp rebuke.

[Myles Na G.]

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.

Hallelujah, so you concede: the IRA were not sectarian. Religion didn't matter, it was the uniform. And the IRA were not about defending Catholics, it was about defending Republicans and Nationalists. D'oh!

How sad! You rejoice because the evidence seems to suggest that the IRA were prepared to kill Catholics just as easily as they killed prods. You think that makes them all liberal and tolerant? As for the uniform - most of the IRA 's victims weren't wearing one. What uniform were the victims of Bloody Friday wearing? Birmingham? Guildford? Enniskillen? La Mons? Darkley? Don't make me laugh! Those stats should be carefully examined by everyone on this thread, but particularly the young - those too young to remember the troubles first hand, and who are now fed the lie that the IRA  were noble defenders / freedom fighters. They were the mirror image of the UDA / UVF- nothing more, nothing less.

[Maguire01]

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.

Hallelujah, so you concede: the IRA were not sectarian. Religion didn't matter, it was the uniform. And the IRA were not about defending Catholics, it was about defending Republicans and Nationalists. D'oh!

Well that would be the case if "sectarianism" was an exclusively religious term. But it also relates to political groupings.

[ardmhachaabu]

Rightly or wrongly there would be those who would see the playing of the  English Anthem at Croke Park as more offensive than a hungerstrike commemoration at Pearse Park, and Im sure the opposite applies.  Each to their own is probably the best way forward.   

Ummm no, what would be better would be the GAA sticking to their own rules, without exception.

[Maguire01]

Rightly or wrongly there would be those who would see the playing of the  English Anthem at Croke Park as more offensive than a hungerstrike commemoration at Pearse Park, and Im sure the opposite applies.  Each to their own is probably the best way forward.   

Ummm no, what would be better would be the GAA sticking to their own rules, without exception.

Indeed. And 'each to their own' wouldn't really be consistent with the idea of a Gaelic Athletic Association.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

How sad! You rejoice because the evidence seems to suggest that the IRA were prepared to kill Catholics just as easily as they killed prods. You think that makes them all liberal and tolerant? As for the uniform - most of the IRA 's victims weren't wearing one. What uniform were the victims of Bloody Friday wearing? Birmingham? Guildford? Enniskillen? La Mons? Darkley? Don't make me laugh! Those stats should be carefully examined by everyone on this thread, but particularly the young - those too young to remember the troubles first hand, and who are now fed the lie that the IRA  were noble defenders / freedom fighters. They were the mirror image of the UDA / UVF- nothing more, nothing less.

I'm not rejoicing at anything, just relieved that you, Lord Lickspittle of Limp-Wristed Lane, finally seem to have grasped something, without your political masters having given you permission. There were mistakes in that war, of course there were; tell about one war where there weren't mistakes. That you have to mention Darkley shows just how devoid and desperate of reason you actually are. Do you actually know who was involved in that shameful incident?

That you equate the UDA and UVF with the IRA shows just how jaundiced you are -- when did the IRA ever perpetrate a Greysteel or Seán Grahams?

You've pathetically attempted to change the subject from your assertion about Catholic victims of the IRA, but since that backfired on you, you now attempt to change the subject. Pathetic.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

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.

Hallelujah, so you concede: the IRA were not sectarian. Religion didn't matter, it was the uniform. And the IRA were not about defending Catholics, it was about defending Republicans and Nationalists. D'oh!

Well that would be the case if "sectarianism" was an exclusively religious term. But it also relates to political groupings.

Indeed. The RUC, UDR and British Army were/are not political groupings. Or, by your rationale, has every war ever fought been sectarian?

And ask for this thread to be moved to the General Discussion board please, it's fecking political, not sporting.