Hunger strike commemoration at a GAA ground

[Maguire01]

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

I'm assuming the mods have ignored your request then?

The 'general discussion' part of the board falls under "Non GAA Discussion". Whilst there's a political element to this discussion, it's clearly relevant to GAA.

As i've said, I won't get excited if it's moved, but i'm not going to do it.

[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.

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

The RUC, UDR and British Army aren't polictical? Really?

[sandwiches_in_the_boot]

Sorry I must have clicked the wrong link and wandered into Slugger O'Toole by mistake...

The whole issue of commemoration is an emotive one. We should have the freedom to express or commemorate who we want to, the problem lies in that some expressions of belief will offend others. But this should not be a discussion of how offensive republican commemorations are, instead should they be held on GAA grounds?

My problem is not so much that this was a hunger strike event, rather it was a Sinn Fein event. Why should one political party be allowed the utilise the resources of the GAA for its own ends. SF continually use the deaths of those ten men for its own political ends. In particular OSF, who last week where knocking on doors asking for sponsorship for "A weekend of activities...". Its difficult to say no without being labelled in some areas. I'd be happier giving money for a real charity rather than pay for god knows what for the youth wing of one of the richest political parties in Ireland.

[redhandluke]

2 points worth noting:
considering McCausland did not know who the current AI champions were, I find it quite extraordinary that he knew that such an event was taking place with no Live/TV coverage in the heart of Tyrone.

Also, if the event should not have taken place at a GAA/community arena, where does McCausland suggest it should have taken place instead?   

[DuffleKing]

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.

FFS - are having a laugh with that bull shit?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

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

I'm assuming the mods have ignored your request then?

It would seem so. An agreeable bunch, didn't have the decency to inform me of such. They want a playground for your like on this board apparently.

The 'general discussion' part of the board falls under "Non GAA Discussion". Whilst there's a political element to this discussion, it's clearly relevant to GAA.

It seems you don't have the intelligence to distinguish: you have a political axe to grind, which happens to involve the GAA. How you equate that to the football discussion board only you can discern.

[DennistheMenace]

The topic could be posted legitimately in either section but in the grand scale of things it is irrelevant.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

FFS - are having a laugh with that bull shit?

Says the genius who came out with this classic:

... particularly at a time when we're inching closer to a more entwined community makes no sense in either a sporting or political sense.

Been in Rasharkin lately?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

The RUC, UDR and British Army aren't polictical? Really?

OK Maguire, answer my question then: has every war been sectarian?

And this one: Big fan of Bomber Harris are you?

[DuffleKing]

That misty eyed wounded lamb act is frankly embarrassing.

catch yourself on

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

That misty eyed wounded lamb act is frankly embarrassing.

catch yourself on

Is that the best you can do?

[020304 Tir Eoghain]

 SPIRIT OF FREEDOM SHOWING STRONG

MASSIVE TRIBUTE TO HUNGER STRIKERS IN REPUBLICAN TYRONE

The success of Sunday's National Hunger Strike Commemoration in Galbally, County Tyrone was down to months of hard work by the organisers. Republicans from across the country turned out in their thousands, on Sunday 16 August, to remember the sacrifice of the ten H Block Hunger Strikers as well as Mayomen Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg who died while imprisoned in England during the 1970s and the 12 other republicans who died on prison fasts in the 20th century.

Sunday's march, the culmination of a weekend of events organised to mark the 28th anniversary of the H Block fast, saw as many as 10,000 people join with representatives of the families of the 1981 Hunger Strikers as they marched through Galbally, the birthplace of Martin Hurson, to a rally at Piarsaigh an Ghallbhaile GAA grounds.

The many banners that were carried along the three mile route were a colourful display of solidarity and a geographical pointer to the fact that people had travelled the length and breadth of Ireland to attend the march. From Tyrone there were banners from Brantry, Eglish, Kileeshill, Loughmacrory and Killyclogher. Then there were banners from Wexford, Dublin and Monaghan. Republican flute bands travelled from Dungiven, Belfast, Strabane, Armagh, Antrim and they all beat out their defiance, to the delight of the crowds. The bands from Scotland were a welcome addition. They are proud republicans who still face the rigours of sectarianism and racism in Scotland as they play their part in the struggle for a united Ireland.

The lines of former POWs came from all over Ireland, bringing their own memories of the prison struggle. The former H Block prisoners reminisced about Bobby, Francie, Ray McCreesh, Patsy, Big Joe, Hurson Boy, Big Doc, Kevin 'Barabbas' Lynch, Big Tom and Red Mick.

[pintsofguinness]

SPIRIT OF FREEDOM SHOWING STRONG

MASSIVE TRIBUTE TO HUNGER STRIKERS IN REPUBLICAN TYRONE

The success of Sunday's National Hunger Strike Commemoration in Galbally, County Tyrone was down to months of hard work by the organisers. Republicans from across the country turned out in their thousands, on Sunday 16 August, to remember the sacrifice of the ten H Block Hunger Strikers as well as Mayomen Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg who died while imprisoned in England during the 1970s and the 12 other republicans who died on prison fasts in the 20th century.

Sunday's march, the culmination of a weekend of events organised to mark the 28th anniversary of the H Block fast, saw as many as 10,000 people join with representatives of the families of the 1981 Hunger Strikers as they marched through Galbally, the birthplace of Martin Hurson, to a rally at Piarsaigh an Ghallbhaile GAA grounds.

The many banners that were carried along the three mile route were a colourful display of solidarity and a geographical pointer to the fact that people had travelled the length and breadth of Ireland to attend the march. From Tyrone there were banners from Brantry, Eglish, Kileeshill, Loughmacrory and Killyclogher. Then there were banners from Wexford, Dublin and Monaghan. Republican flute bands travelled from Dungiven, Belfast, Strabane, Armagh, Antrim and they all beat out their defiance, to the delight of the crowds. The bands from Scotland were a welcome addition. They are proud republicans who still face the rigours of sectarianism and racism in Scotland as they play their part in the struggle for a united Ireland.

The lines of former POWs came from all over Ireland, bringing their own memories of the prison struggle. The former H Block prisoners reminisced about Bobby, Francie, Ray McCreesh, Patsy, Big Joe, Hurson Boy, Big Doc, Kevin 'Barabbas' Lynch, Big Tom and Red Mick.

What's that got to do with what we're talking about?

[Maguire01]

From the photos i've seen, those numbers are as exaggerated as some of the reported attendances at the Tall Ships.

And as PoG has said, none of that is really relevant to what is being discussed.

[020304 Tir Eoghain]

SPIRIT OF FREEDOM SHOWING STRONG

MASSIVE TRIBUTE TO HUNGER STRIKERS IN REPUBLICAN TYRONE

The success of Sunday's National Hunger Strike Commemoration in Galbally, County Tyrone was down to months of hard work by the organisers. Republicans from across the country turned out in their thousands, on Sunday 16 August, to remember the sacrifice of the ten H Block Hunger Strikers as well as Mayomen Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg who died while imprisoned in England during the 1970s and the 12 other republicans who died on prison fasts in the 20th century.

Sunday's march, the culmination of a weekend of events organised to mark the 28th anniversary of the H Block fast, saw as many as 10,000 people join with representatives of the families of the 1981 Hunger Strikers as they marched through Galbally, the birthplace of Martin Hurson, to a rally at Piarsaigh an Ghallbhaile GAA grounds.

The many banners that were carried along the three mile route were a colourful display of solidarity and a geographical pointer to the fact that people had travelled the length and breadth of Ireland to attend the march. From Tyrone there were banners from Brantry, Eglish, Kileeshill, Loughmacrory and Killyclogher. Then there were banners from Wexford, Dublin and Monaghan. Republican flute bands travelled from Dungiven, Belfast, Strabane, Armagh, Antrim and they all beat out their defiance, to the delight of the crowds. The bands from Scotland were a welcome addition. They are proud republicans who still face the rigours of sectarianism and racism in Scotland as they play their part in the struggle for a united Ireland.

The lines of former POWs came from all over Ireland, bringing their own memories of the prison struggle. The former H Block prisoners reminisced about Bobby, Francie, Ray McCreesh, Patsy, Big Joe, Hurson Boy, Big Doc, Kevin 'Barabbas' Lynch, Big Tom and Red Mick.

What's that got to do with what we're talking about?

Maybe to show that it was a Hunger Strike commemoration, supported from all over the country and not a Sinn Fein rally as has been suggested by some?