Hunger strike commemoration at a GAA ground

[Orior]

Ah FFS, now Gail Walker from the Beal Feirste telegraph is jumping on the "bash the GAA" bandwagon.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/columnists/gail-walker/gail-walker-how-gaa-scored-an-own-goal-over-sf-demonstration-14467025.html

Lots of whataboutery from Ms Walker, and sneering of the hunger strike commemoration. Whats the difference between 1690 battle commemoration and the hunger strike commemoration?

Answer is that we're not allowed to remember the hunger strike, and it must be erased from our memory, whereas 1690 must be commemorated for 3 months every year.

[Maguire01]

We've already 'had' Gail on the previous page.

[Maguire01]

Whats the difference between 1690 battle commemoration and the hunger strike commemoration?

Very little.

[Orior]

We've already 'had' Gail on the previous page.

Whoops. Well, I hope you all washed yourselves clean afterwards.

[Orior]

Whats the difference between 1690 battle commemoration and the hunger strike commemoration?

Very little.

Well, 1690 celebrates protestant supremacy over catholics.

1981 celebrates the lives of 10 people who wanted to be recognised as political prisoners and not just criminals.

[Maguire01]

Whats the difference between 1690 battle commemoration and the hunger strike commemoration?

Very little.

Well, 1690 celebrates protestant supremacy over catholics.

1981 celebrates the lives of 10 people who wanted to be recognised as political prisoners and not just criminals.

I was referring to the act of commemoration itself, rather than the subject of the commemoration:
The parading up and down the road, in fancy dress, listening to unlistenable marching band music, waving flags, reaching a field to listen to some politician on their soapbox...

[Zapatista]

Unless you are having difficulty with my describing myself as an "Irish Unionist" i.e. an Irishman who believes in the Union of (Northern) Ireland with Great Britain, I'm not sure what is contradictory about that? 

Eh? I've no difficluty with how you discribe yourself. Are you that insecure?

[020304 Tir Eoghain]

Whats the difference between 1690 battle commemoration and the hunger strike commemoration?

Very little.

Well, 1690 celebrates protestant supremacy over catholics.

1981 celebrates the lives of 10 people who wanted to be recognised as political prisoners and not just criminals.

I was referring to the act of commemoration itself, rather than the subject of the commemoration:
The parading up and down the road, in fancy dress, listening to unlistenable marching band music, waving flags, reaching a field to listen to some politician on their soapbox...

Put like that. it sounds like a church fete in some sleepy quaint little village in Devon or Cornwall....

[lynchbhoy]

It seems to me all Unioniost just write off the Hunger Strikers as terrorists whereas a lot of very anti-IRA nationalists have sympathy for them and what they did.

No doubt.

But As Gail Walker pointed out:  "Good relations cut both ways. It isn't just up to unionists to be nice to nationalists. It works the other way round too"

insofar as her pointless piece goes, lets see the long awaited unionist/loyalist action towards 'being nice' - lets see the actions getting rid of oo marches, sectarianism in ni soccer , psni intransigence and inequality etc
then we will have something 'equal'
so far there has been 'no moves' by unionists to eradicate this other than name changes and 'empty pr campaigns' stating that there are changes afoot...but in reality none forthcoming.

why should nationalists go out on a limb, after all its the unionists place to lead now by apology and actions after the apartheid regime by unionist/loyalists.

You have your views on politics, I have mine. But whether we agree or disagree, the whole point of this thread is whether GAC's should be getting involved in politics, in the manner seen at Galbally Pearses GAC.

It is my firm opinion that it is incumbent upon all sports, including eg soccer, to avoid involving themselves in partisan politics wherever possible. As such, the overwhelming majority of sports do so successfully, even in the most trying of circumstances.

Imo, the GAA stands out as an exception* however, as evidenced by events such as Galbally. Shame on them. 

* - Uniquely so?

thats just it - galbally club and the GAA did not involve themselves in anything here....no matter how much you try to imply or say they did.

their premises were used. Thats it.
I have made plenty of similar cases/precedents on here that show that bodies that let out or allow third parties to use their premises are not responsible for what goes on at them.

Why is there no public outcry when such events happen at soccer clubs such as tobermore utd.
do unionists (Irish and british  ) go similarly mad when tax payers money is abused when oo and other loyalist/unionist groups march throughout the 'summer'. Are the taxpayers responsible for the riots and violence cause by these marches (eg drumcree) ?
I'd be interested to see if unionists felt as strongly about the use of the roads and the expense to the taxpayer, plus the culpablity of the violence and 'message sent out'/re-enactment of the battle of the boyne (a violent act from times past!) of the taxpayer !
Also the taxpayers hard earned cash also going out in grants to the sectarian soccer bodies.

if people like yourself evil myles whinge about the GAA, there are worse precedents from the unionist/loyalist side of the fence.
Get your own house in order first perhaps !

[lynchbhoy]

the GAA could come out and ban events being held in their grounds by third party groups - but this would and could lead to the likes fo croke park being off limits to soccer/rugby/u2 when they all come cap in hand looking for the use of the stadium again...

Maybe they could just ban political events then?

yep. That would exclude the likes of ff, fg, labour etc from using GAA premises also.
They use these  facilities more than anyone else in the 26 counties.

[zoyler]

I've been away for a while and missed the start of this but still want to throw in my twopwnce worth.
Lynchboy,  You oversell your argument when you state that political parties in the south use GAA buildings  - they do not - that is the whole point!! The GAA has made sure that this does not happen down here because the are only too wellaware of the dangers in allowing it.
As a republican who does not and never has supported the 'armed struggle' - ie terrorism I am ashamed that fellow northern GAA men have allowed this to happen but am also well aware that the more sensible and cautios Galbally members who did not agree with this would have needed foolhardy levels of courage to have publicly opposed it.
Croke Park must now make a stand on behalf of us non Sinn Fein supporting members and make it clear that any club who allow their facilities to be used  in this manner in the future will bw suspended.
Please no more of this nonsense about it being a 'community event' - it was a Sinn Fein event full stop.  If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck its a duck!
Are we surprised at Sinn Fein behaviour in revisiting the Casemant Park strategy- hardly - a fascist organisation behaves like a fascist is expected to, even down to wearing the uniforms!

[Donagh]

You oversell your argument when you state that political parties in the south use GAA buildings  - they do not - that is the whole point!! The GAA has made sure that this does not happen down here because the are only too wellaware of the dangers in allowing it.

Rubbish, it does happen and in breach of GAA rules. Google it to see.

As a republican who does not and never has supported the 'armed struggle' - ie terrorism

You are entitled to your views but this one irrelevant and objectionable.

I am ashamed that fellow northern GAA men have allowed this to happen but am also well aware that the more sensible and cautios Galbally members who did not agree with this would have needed foolhardy levels of courage to have publicly opposed it.

More rubbish. The GAA in the north is as democratic as anywhere else and your insinuation that pressure would be put on anyone objecting is completely without foundation.

Croke Park must now make a stand on behalf of us non Sinn Fein supporting members and make it clear that any club who allow their facilities to be used  in this manner in the future will bw suspended.

Considering that no rules were breached, under what procedure would you have them suspended?

Please no more of this nonsense about it being a 'community event' - it was a Sinn Fein event full stop.  If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck its a duck!

Produce your evidence Donald.

Are we surprised at Sinn Fein behaviour in revisiting the Casemant Park strategy- hardly - a fascist organisation behaves like a fascist is expected to, even down to wearing the uniforms!

Enough said. It's quite obvious that you are the one who is allowing your political views to cloud this issue.

[lynchbhoy]

I've been away for a while and missed the start of this but still want to throw in my twopwnce worth.
Lynchboy,  You oversell your argument when you state that political parties in the south use GAA buildings  - they do not - that is the whole point!! The GAA has made sure that this does not happen down here because the are only too wellaware of the dangers in allowing it.
As a republican who does not and never has supported the 'armed struggle' - ie terrorism I am ashamed that fellow northern GAA men have allowed this to happen but am also well aware that the more sensible and cautios Galbally members who did not agree with this would have needed foolhardy levels of courage to have publicly opposed it.
Croke Park must now make a stand on behalf of us non Sinn Fein supporting members and make it clear that any club who allow their facilities to be used  in this manner in the future will bw suspended.
Please no more of this nonsense about it being a 'community event' - it was a Sinn Fein event full stop.  If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck its a duck!
Are we surprised at Sinn Fein behaviour in revisiting the Casemant Park strategy- hardly - a fascist organisation behaves like a fascist is expected to, even down to wearing the uniforms!

it prob was, but it was most def not a GAA event.
I also know of GAA gounds that are used in county clare and tipp by FF/FG etc - I am sure these are not isolated.

[Maguire01]

I am ashamed that fellow northern GAA men have allowed this to happen but am also well aware that the more sensible and cautios Galbally members who did not agree with this would have needed foolhardy levels of courage to have publicly opposed it.

More rubbish. The GAA in the north is as democratic as anywhere else and your insinuation that pressure would be put on anyone objecting is completely without foundation. 

Many posters on this thread (including some that wouldn't be the most moderate of sorts) have agreed that there would be fear in standing up and opposing something like this. You probably wouldn't see it from your position, but that doesn't mean it isn't the case.

I was jumped on by numerous posters for having the audacity to question the appropriateness of this event - and that's as anonymous poster on an internet message board. Do you really think that any normal club member with objections would stand up and publically oppose an event like this?

And the issue here isn't really about whether or not the GAA is democratic - it's about the pressure placed on the GAA by third parties.

Croke Park must now make a stand on behalf of us non Sinn Fein supporting members and make it clear that any club who allow their facilities to be used  in this manner in the future will bw suspended.

Considering that no rules were breached, under what procedure would you have them suspended?

It's your opinion that no rules were breached. Many people consider this to have been a party political event - i.e. a Sinn Fein event. As such, would it not be a breach of the rules?

[Maguire01]

For those who don't think Rule 7a has been breached, what about the following:

CONTROL OF ASSOCIATION PROPERTY
Uses of Property
44(a)
All property including grounds, Club Houses, Halls, Dressing Rooms and Handball Alleys owned or controlled by units of the Association shall be used only for the purpose of or in connection with the playing of the Games controlled by the Association, and for such other purposes not in conflict with the Aims and Objects of the Association, that may be sanctioned from time to time by the Central Council.

Therefore, as rule 7 refers to the GAA being 'Non-Party Political/Non-Sectarian' (surely an objective of the Association), was this use of the grounds not in breach of Rule 44?