Hunger strike commemoration at a GAA ground

[lynchbhoy]

The Provisional IRA were the defenders of the Catholic population

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

hundreds !!

come on hardy, artistic licence only goes so far.
Yes their 'defending' was of hundreds of thousands ...
plenty were grateful for it given what was heppening to the nationalist/Irish/catholic community

[lynchbhoy]

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.

its your (and people like you) a la carte cherry picking and lack of consistency that caused all the problems in the first place.

all very well taking 'high moral ground'  ragarding people that used violence to counter violence.
Neither were right, but it was a necessity and has ended up granting a more peaceful and equal society in the north of Ireland.
easy for you when skulking below the border most of yer life.

[magpie seanie]

I think Nelson McCausland would want to do a wee bit more studying of the rule book before he starts opening his cake hole. Perhaps a weekend in Cork with Frank Murphy is part of the education this man needs.

Regardless of who organised this event (so long as it wasn't actually the GAA club) it is clear that many non Sinn Féin people would support a commemoration of the hunger strikers. I don't in any way see this as SF hijacking the GAA. All this is is a cynicaly attempt by a nasty man to link the GAA to SF - the type of talk that caused many of our members to be slaughtered in cold blood. I wouldn't be at all fond of SF but its McCausland who is at fault here. And frankly the reaction of some on here is very disappointing if not unsurprising. No other sports organisation has been targetted like ours in the troubles and the pc, doff the cap attitude from some here actually disgusts me.

[orangeman]

I think Nelson McCausland would want to do a wee bit more studying of the rule book before he starts opening his cake hole. Perhaps a weekend in Cork with Frank Murphy is part of the education this man needs.

Regardless of who organised this event (so long as it wasn't actually the GAA club) it is clear that many non Sinn Féin people would support a commemoration of the hunger strikers. I don't in any way see this as SF hijacking the GAA. All this is is a cynicaly attempt by a nasty man to link the GAA to SF - the type of talk that caused many of our members to be slaughtered in cold blood. I wouldn't be at all fond of SF but its McCausland who is at fault here. And frankly the reaction of some on here is very disappointing if not unsurprising. No other sports organisation has been targetted like ours in the troubles and the pc, doff the cap attitude from some here actually disgusts me.

Well said.

[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!!

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.

unless you are a protestant from the fountain i fail to see what relevance this has. i was talking about my life!! not some hypothetical fantasy of yours you knob!

[orangeman]

A member of a County Tyrone District Policing Partnership has defended taking part in a hunger strike rally.

Ruairí Gildernew, an independent member of Dungannon and South Tyrone DPP, was part of a colour party at the commemoration at Galbally GAA grounds.

Ulster Unionist Tom Elliott said his actions were "incompatible" with his DPP role and called on him to resign.

Mr Gildernew said he was on the DPP to represent republican views and would take part in such an event again.

"I think it is entirely a non-issue and Tom Elliott and the like of him are incensed that the republican movement can draw a crowd of 10,000 to 15,000 people into a nationalist area to commemorate the nationalist martyrs of the hunger strike and not one penny of policing resources was spent in policing this," he said.

Mr Gildernew said that he was "proud" to have been asked to represent the republican movement as part of the colour party.

Mr Elliott said that he had "overstepped the mark".

"Membership of a DPP means that you can't don a pseudo uniform and celebrate the life of terrorists. I would call upon Ruairí Gildernew to stand down from Dungannon DPP," Mr Elliott said.

DUP assembly member Arlene Foster has called on the Policing Board to investigate Mr Gildernew's presence at the event.

"That any member of a District Policing Partnership should don a paramilitary 'uniform' and take an active role in a ceremony commemorating what was the suicide of terrorists is totally unacceptable," she said.

"Ruairí Gildernew, on applying to take up his role as an independent member of Dungannon DPP, signed a declaration stating his opposition to terrorism.

"One wonders how his actions at Galbally can be consistent with such a pledge."

The rally hit the headlines last week when Culture Minister Nelson McCausland criticised the sporting body for hosting it.

SDLP deputy leader Alasdair McDonnell also called on the GAA to investigate why Sinn Fein was allowed to use its facilities to stage the commemoration rally.

[Doogie Browser]

The Policing Boards have to be representative of the community, I have no problems with Gildernew's place on the board. 
Too many nationalist areas still struggling for proper policing too - not the thread to discuss this on though.

[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.

unless you are a protestant from the fountain i fail to see what relevance this has. i was talking about my life!! not some hypothetical fantasy of yours you knob!

This is a discussion board, not a therapy session. Get over yourself.

[Evil Genius]

A member of a County Tyrone District Policing Partnership has defended taking part in a hunger strike rally.

Ruairí Gildernew, an independent member of Dungannon and South Tyrone DPP, was part of a colour party at the commemoration at Galbally GAA grounds.

You might have included the link - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8218022.stm - since we could also have seen the accompanying photograph:



And so that there can be no misunderstanding of the venue for this event, as well as its nature, here is one which tells it pretty much like it is:


And for the record, although described as an "independent" member of the DPP, Ruari Gildernew is a member of Sinn Fein, as is his sister Michelle (SF MP) and father Phelim (SF Councillor on Dungannon District Council).

Anyhow, GAA fans who are supportive of this sort of event can bleat all they like about the organisation being "non-political" and "open to all" etc, or blame everything on the outraged reaction of the likes of Nelson McCausland.

But in my opinion, so long as factions within the GAA are entirely happy to have their organisation associated with this sort of clearly political, non-sporting activity, and Central Council fails to take effective action to prevent it, then no-one should be surprised that Irish Unionists of all shades will continue to have little or nothing to do with such an organisation. 

And whilst I have no idea whether GAA fans feel any sense of loss at their organisation's chronic failure to appeal significantly to around one million Irish people during the entire 125 years of its existence, as one of that million, I certainly feel no loss, merely cleaner.

[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.

its your (and people like you) a la carte cherry picking and lack of consistency that caused all the problems in the first place.

all very well taking 'high moral ground'  ragarding people that used violence to counter violence.
Neither were right, but it was a necessity and has ended up granting a more peaceful and equal society in the north of Ireland.
easy for you when skulking below the border most of yer life.

I remember you once lecturing me that i "assume too much". Once again you've shown your inconsistency and hypocricy (as in the case of posting the contents of a PM).

But for your information, I've lived more than two-thirds of my life north of the border.

[lynchbhoy]

trying to read into it as much as you want to as per usual.

The GAA did not organise or take part in this commemoration/event.
end of story.

if of course you mean you wont have any part of SF etc etc
then you will be one of many, but that has nothing to do with the GAA.

sf members are in the GAA. but they dont have any power or influence.
Even if they try to take over local club committees they will find there is little or nothing they can doother than be made lend a hand in local GAA admin and team organisation etc

get over it girls.
Nothing to do with GAA and no GAA rules were broken.

[lynchbhoy]

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.

its your (and people like you) a la carte cherry picking and lack of consistency that caused all the problems in the first place.

all very well taking 'high moral ground'  ragarding people that used violence to counter violence.
Neither were right, but it was a necessity and has ended up granting a more peaceful and equal society in the north of Ireland.
easy for you when skulking below the border most of yer life.

I remember you once lecturing me that i "assume too much". Once again you've shown your inconsistency and hypocricy (as in the case of posting the contents of a PM).

But for your information, I've lived more than two-thirds of my life north of the border.

am assuming nothing here, as for whatever length of time you have lived  in the north of Ireland, you still know the square root of feck all about football as well as the topic of northern travesty etc !
you prove this time and again with your ill informed comments.

[Maguire01]

The Provisional IRA were the defenders of the Catholic population

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

hundreds !!

come on hardy, artistic licence only goes so far.
Yes their 'defending' was of hundreds of thousands ...
plenty were grateful for it given what was heppening to the nationalist/Irish/catholic community

Artistic licence?
There's a post earlier in this article showing that republican paramilitaries killed 447 Catholics. In total, approximately 650 IRA victims were civilians - I don't think it really matters whether they were Catholic or Protestant.
So whether or not you agree/agreed with IRA actions, or think they were justified, it's fact that these numbers are in the hundreds.

[lynchbhoy]

The Provisional IRA were the defenders of the Catholic population

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

hundreds !!

come on hardy, artistic licence only goes so far.
Yes their 'defending' was of hundreds of thousands ...
plenty were grateful for it given what was heppening to the nationalist/Irish/catholic community

Artistic licence?
There's a post earlier in this article showing that republican paramilitaries killed 447 Catholics. In total, approximately 650 IRA victims were civilians - I don't think it really matters whether they were Catholic or Protestant.
So whether or not you agree/agreed with IRA actions, or think they were justified, it's fact that these numbers are in the hundreds.

in comparison to the hundreds of thousands saved/protected...

I'd still like to see the real stats though

anyhow, you dont do your research on the allegations you make yourself ....maybe better sit down and find out more before you spend/waste more of your life in the six counties ill informed and making dumb accusations/statements!

[Maguire01]

The Provisional IRA were the defenders of the Catholic population

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

hundreds !!

come on hardy, artistic licence only goes so far.
Yes their 'defending' was of hundreds of thousands ...
plenty were grateful for it given what was heppening to the nationalist/Irish/catholic community

Artistic licence?
There's a post earlier in this article showing that republican paramilitaries killed 447 Catholics. In total, approximately 650 IRA victims were civilians - I don't think it really matters whether they were Catholic or Protestant.
So whether or not you agree/agreed with IRA actions, or think they were justified, it's fact that these numbers are in the hundreds.

in comparison to the hundreds of thousands saved/protected...

I'd still like to see the real stats though

We weren't talking about the numbers saved. And we can only make assumptions on such numbers anyway.
But you accused a poster of using artistic licence when he referred to 'hundreds' of Catholics killed by republicans when those numbers are an accepted fact.
I'm not sure what other 'real stats' you're referring to.

anyhow, you dont do your research on the allegations you make yourself ....maybe better sit down and find out more before you spend/waste more of your life in the six counties ill informed and making dumb accusations/statements!

Okay then.