A "shared future" ? Sinn Fein Lord mayor refuses to present award to Army cadet

[Tonto]

There is a tradition within unionism to cling to anything that sets them apart as British, the Cadets, BB,GB, Scouts Junior OO etc.

When I was in the scouts i didn't realise that I was simply clinging to being british - in fact that didnt really play much into it at all.
Mostly I went hiking, played sports etc.

So you prove the rule, the point I'm making is that there isn't anything wrong with this, whatever your reasons for participating. Perhaps the scouts are not as obvious an example but BB,GB and Cadets are organised along military lines.

Actually, I was in the BB and didn't know it was "British" at all... my friends were going so I went too.  It wasn't much fun, mind you, so I left.

[Myles Na G.]

There is a tradition within unionism to cling to anything that sets them apart as British, the Cadets, BB,GB, Scouts Junior OO etc.

When I was in the scouts i didn't realise that I was simply clinging to being british - in fact that didnt really play much into it at all.
Mostly I went hiking, played sports etc.

So you prove the rule, the point I'm making is that there isn't anything wrong with this, whatever your reasons for participating. Perhaps the scouts are not as obvious an example but BB,GB and Cadets are organised along military lines.

Actually, I was in the BB and didn't know it was "British" at all... my friends were going so I went too.  It wasn't much fun, mind you, so I left.

Splitter!

[deiseach]

I think it's ridiculous. Who's to say the young girl will go on and pursue a military career anyway?

What's the difference between that and him laying a wreath for British soldiers at the cenotaph anyway?

This one is alive and dangerous!

[lynchbhoy]

Yes, thats why GAA clubhouses have never been burned out or why for years the GAA community suffered about checkpoints delaying them going to games or why GAA members were shot because they were just members of the GAA doing their community roles as GAA officer.

...there was me thinking that it was just down to loyalist/unionist sectarianism and no thought of anything in relation to 'retaliation' at all !

it makes me wonder even more what then was the motive for the b specials/ruc etc spreading broken glass around GAA pitches the nights before matches in the mid 60's?
Getting their retaliation in 5 years early perhaps?

Sorry - my point is that your point here is a bit ludicrous.

As ludicrous as the stupid actions of this sf eejit - though its getting a bit out of hand on here and god only knows what the unionist/loyalist media and dup'ers will try to do with it !

[passedit]

There is a tradition within unionism to cling to anything that sets them apart as British, the Cadets, BB,GB, Scouts Junior OO etc.

When I was in the scouts i didn't realise that I was simply clinging to being british - in fact that didnt really play much into it at all.
Mostly I went hiking, played sports etc.

So you prove the rule, the point I'm making is that there isn't anything wrong with this, whatever your reasons for participating. Perhaps the scouts are not as obvious an example but BB,GB and Cadets are organised along military lines.

Actually, I was in the BB and didn't know it was "British" at all... my friends were going so I went too.  It wasn't much fun, mind you, so I left.

Tonto, would that make you one of the Old Boys of the Brigade or one of the Boys of the Old Brigade?

Surely the BB was just the scouts with a bit of extra bible bashing thrown in?

[The Milky Bar Kid]

There's a raghead over there - go get'm tiger.

The Taliban must be shitting themselves if that's what's coming down the line

Lol. The milky bar kid for the front line!

That aint me, I swear!!! 

[nifan]

Surely the BB was just the scouts with a bit of extra bible bashing thrown in?

Aye - dont think id have stayed in the scouts if i had the bible bit to deal with - we already had sunday school to deal with

[Nally Stand]

Yes, thats why GAA clubhouses have never been burned out or why for years the GAA community suffered about checkpoints delaying them going to games or why GAA members were shot because they were just members of the GAA doing their community roles as GAA officer.

...there was me thinking that it was just down to loyalist/unionist sectarianism and no thought of anything in relation to 'retaliation' at all !

it makes me wonder even more what then was the motive for the b specials/ruc etc spreading broken glass around GAA pitches the nights before matches in the mid 60's?
Getting their retaliation in 5 years early perhaps?

Sorry - my point is that your point here is a bit ludicrous.

As ludicrous as the stupid actions of this sf eejit - though its getting a bit out of hand on here and god only knows what the unionist/loyalist media and dup'ers will try to do with it !

In terms of recent arsons on GAA clubrooms, (note I was referring to recent ones), the motivation was most certainly retaliation (obviously there was naked sectarianism there too which is hardly shocking news), but this sectarianism only facilitated the retaliatons. If you don't believe me, read about the activities of the 'Orange Volunteers' on wiki. They openly stated retaliation as their motivation.

[Trout]

Lord Mayor (how republican is that?) Niall Donnelly was not representing the Short Strand, he is supposed to be representing all the people of Belfast, as he said he would when he took up the role. If he feels he can't, and it is obvious he can't, he should step down.

[muppet]

Lord Mayor (how republican is that?) Niall Donnelly was not representing the Short Strand, he is supposed to be representing all the people of Belfast, as he said he would when he took up the role. If he feels he can't, and it is obvious he can't, he should step down.

If he was a Fine Gael Councillor, say in Naas, refusing to represent part of his constituency he would be rightly hounded out of his job.

[trileacman]

Don't see what the GAA has to do with this. SF weasel words trying to manipulate the situation, me thinks.

The long and short of this is this, if any of us were up on that stage (having accepted the British role of Lord Mayor of Belfast) would we have seen a 14 year old army cadet and thought "can't be seen giving this f**king bitch an award?".

[Nally Stand]

Don't see what the GAA has to do with this. SF weasel words trying to manipulate the situation, me thinks.

The long and short of this is this, if any of us were up on that stage (having accepted the British role of Lord Mayor of Belfast) would we have seen a 14 year old army cadet and thought "can't be seen giving this f**king bitch an award?".

Bingo brought the GAA into it when he drew a parallel between the British Army Cadets and U14 Camogie players. So nope, it wasn't a SFer trying to manipulate it. Woopsie.

[Tony Baloney]

Don't see what the GAA has to do with this. SF weasel words trying to manipulate the situation, me thinks.

The long and short of this is this, if any of us were up on that stage (having accepted the British role of Lord Mayor of Belfast) would we have seen a 14 year old army cadet and thought "can't be seen giving this f**king bitch an award?".

No.

If he was taking an idealogical stand as an Irish Republican he would/should have refused the Duke of Edinburgh gig in its entirety (wiki will tell you that he is the ceremonial head of umpteen armed forces including the Army Cadets). To focus on one wee girl wearing a uniform has made him look like a dick.

[Nally Stand]

If he was taking an idealogical stand as an Irish Republican he would/should have refused the Duke of Edinburgh gig in its entirety

In which case, you would still be on gaaboard venting your disgust at him for doing so.

[Evil Genius]

There's a raghead over there - go get'm tiger.

Yeh, I mean to say, it's not as if Republicans would ever engage in that sort of activity, would they?



"Children have appeared dressed up as republican paramilitaries and brandishing replica guns in a south Armagh community centre which has received hundreds of thousands of pounds in EU funds.
The children, some of primary school age, were photographed at the Ti Chulainn cultural centre in Mullaghbawn.
They were wearing balaclavas, combat jackets and trousers, dark glasses and berets, and brandishing replica weapons including AK47s and Armalites.
A complaint has been made to the Children's Commissioner Patricia Lewsley. The PSNI will also be asked to investigate.
Despite several telephone calls and written questions submitted by the Belfast Telegraph, no-one from the Ti Chulainn centre would comment on the matter.
The photographs were posted on a social networking website by a Lurgan Sinn Fein member."

Hmmm. A "Lurgan Sinn Fein Member"...

If only we had some way of contacting him/her, to find out some more of what he/she was really thinking, eh Donagh Ulick?