Peter Robinson attends te McKenna Cup Final

[Magicsponge]

The Sinn Fein Culture Minister was there on Saturday night too. She comes across as more interested in Glasgow Celtic than her own parish club (Patrick Pearses in Northern Belfast).

Maybe thats why the kids put on a wee soccer display for her and Peter and Marty at half time.

PS. I going to start using the term Northern Belfast to please the poor downtrodden unionists.

PPS. If I'd been in charge of the grounds on Saturday night I would have had the soccer playing kids frog marched out of the ground.

Was it actually a soccer match or was it just them not using their hands?

I remember just before Croke Park had its first soccer game, they had a half time gaelic match during a game(can't mind which one, may have been all ireland club final) and they played with a bunch of kids from other countries, none of them knew how to play so they just played soccer for the most part

[LeoMc]

I don't think Billy Wright or Padraig Pearse compare in any way

I don't think the issue was with clubs named after previous generations of republicans such as Pearse (although it would probably be raised at some point) but more towards clubs named after more recent republicans, such as Kevin Lynches in Dungiven for example.  You can make the connection with the likes of Kevin Lynch and Billy Wright as they were both part of the most recent Republican/Loyalist epsiode and you can therefore make the comparison that if there was a local soccer club, for example, called Billy Wright FC that it wouldn't exactly be the most welcoming club for Catholics.

At the same time I wouldn't fancy heading into Dungiven and trying to persuade a name change from Kevin Lynches to a suitable alternative, I'll leave that to Jim Allister.  They'd welcome him with open arms...

I don't think there are any other clubs named after more recent (since 1916) Republicans.

[dec]

I don't think Billy Wright or Padraig Pearse compare in any way

I don't think the issue was with clubs named after previous generations of republicans such as Pearse (although it would probably be raised at some point) but more towards clubs named after more recent republicans, such as Kevin Lynches in Dungiven for example.  You can make the connection with the likes of Kevin Lynch and Billy Wright as they were both part of the most recent Republican/Loyalist epsiode and you can therefore make the comparison that if there was a local soccer club, for example, called Billy Wright FC that it wouldn't exactly be the most welcoming club for Catholics.

At the same time I wouldn't fancy heading into Dungiven and trying to persuade a name change from Kevin Lynches to a suitable alternative, I'll leave that to Jim Allister.  They'd welcome him with open arms...

I don't think there are any other clubs named after more recent (since 1916) Republicans.

Clady Sean South http://www.armagh-gaa.com/Clubs/Clady-Sean-South.aspx

[theticklemister]

Ye have Sean Dolans in Derry coty. He was a great gael. Played trad music, was a POW, and did great things for the GAA in Derry City. He died in 1941.

A lot of clubs are old so they would have taken their names long before the recent war in the north, hence a lot from 1798 and 1916. To compensate there are a lot of triphies named after Republican Volunteers such as the Intermediate cship in Derry (Sheridan, Lee and Bateson) and the Martin McCaughey u 12 tournament in Galbally, East Tyrone

[Orior]

The Sinn Fein Culture Minister was there on Saturday night too. She comes across as more interested in Glasgow Celtic than her own parish club (Patrick Pearses in Northern Belfast).

Maybe thats why the kids put on a wee soccer display for her and Peter and Marty at half time.

PS. I going to start using the term Northern Belfast to please the poor downtrodden unionists.

PPS. If I'd been in charge of the grounds on Saturday night I would have had the soccer playing kids frog marched out of the ground.

How do you work that out?

From her tweeting

[screenmachine]

There's not actually that many to be honest but it only takes one club/competition named in this way and it is used to tarnish the whole association from some Unionist politicians.  As was mentioned on the radio this morning, someone should take Jim Allister and show him the great work done by the GAA in local communities rather than him sit there and complain about the choice of name for perhaps 0.01% of GAA clubs throughout Ireland.

Unionists comparing the GAA to the Orange Order is lunacy.  The GAA invites members of the other communities to games in an approach to reach out to the Protestant community while the Orange Order threatened disciplinary action against two high profile members when they attended the funeral of Michaela Harte. 

[Hardy]

It's way beyond time for the GAA to react publicly to this repeated drawing of an equivalence between the GAA and the Orange Order. It's bad enough when others do it, but when GAA members are doing it I despair. What, exactly is the perceived point of equivalence?

I don't see anyone comparing us to the Ku Klux Klan or the Afrikaner Broederbond or the BNP. Nor do I see people pointing out equivalences between the OO and the NCAA or the Amateur Boxing Association. The whole thing puzzles me and annoys me. I don't like our sports organisation being compared to a sectarian gang of knuckle-dragging troglodytes.

[playwiththewind1st]

Hope Iris was with him, otherwise god knows what she might have been getting up to.

She didn't attend as there was no minor game on

Somebody should have told her Tyrone are trying to break in some youth in the panel. That would have got her juices flowing

For god's sake man, I'm just after my tea - that's a disgusting thought lol. Anyhow, judging by her ould bake, she probably dried up long ago, youth vote or not.

[GAA_Talk]

It's way beyond time for the GAA to react publicly to this repeated drawing of an equivalence between the GAA and the Orange Order. It's bad enough when others do it, but when GAA members are doing it I despair. What, exactly is the perceived point of equivalence?

I don't see anyone comparing us to the Ku Klux Klan or the Afrikaner Broederbond or the BNP. Nor do I see people pointing out equivalences between the OO and the NCAA or the Amateur Boxing Association. The whole thing puzzles me and annoys me. I don't like our sports organisation being compared to a sectarian gang of knuckle-dragging troglodytes.

+1

[glens abu]

The Sinn Fein Culture Minister was there on Saturday night too. She comes across as more interested in Glasgow Celtic than her own parish club (Patrick Pearses in Northern Belfast).

Maybe thats why the kids put on a wee soccer display for her and Peter and Marty at half time.

PS. I going to start using the term Northern Belfast to please the poor downtrodden unionists.

PPS. If I'd been in charge of the grounds on Saturday night I would have had the soccer playing kids frog marched out of the ground.

How do you work that out?

From her tweeting

Well let me assure you that Caral is a big GAA fan and would have very little interest in soccer,her husband Gerard never misses an Anrtim game both hurling and football,also her son plays hurling for her local club Pearses.They also go to a lot of other games  during the year and never miss the Munster hurling final.

[AQMP]

The Sinn Fein Culture Minister was there on Saturday night too. She comes across as more interested in Glasgow Celtic than her own parish club (Patrick Pearses in Northern Belfast).

Maybe thats why the kids put on a wee soccer display for her and Peter and Marty at half time.

PS. I going to start using the term Northern Belfast to please the poor downtrodden unionists.

PPS. If I'd been in charge of the grounds on Saturday night I would have had the soccer playing kids frog marched out of the ground.

How do you work that out?

From her tweeting

Well let me assure you that Caral is a big GAA fan and would have very little interest in soccer,her husband Gerard never misses an Anrtim game both hurling and football,also her son plays hurling for her local club Pearses.They also go to a lot of other games  during the year and never miss the Munster hurling final.

Hurling?...Pearses?  Fair play to them as it's not so long ago they were struggling to field anything beyond senior football.  Played a few games at minor level for them myself back in the days of black and white and steam engines.  On my visits home I've even seen a few replica shirts knocking about the New Lodge/Antrim Rd area!

[glens abu]

The Sinn Fein Culture Minister was there on Saturday night too. She comes across as more interested in Glasgow Celtic than her own parish club (Patrick Pearses in Northern Belfast).

Maybe thats why the kids put on a wee soccer display for her and Peter and Marty at half time.

PS. I going to start using the term Northern Belfast to please the poor downtrodden unionists.

PPS. If I'd been in charge of the grounds on Saturday night I would have had the soccer playing kids frog marched out of the ground.

How do you work that out?

From her tweeting

Well let me assure you that Caral is a big GAA fan and would have very little interest in soccer,her husband Gerard never misses an Anrtim game both hurling and football,also her son plays hurling for her local club Pearses.They also go to a lot of other games  during the year and never miss the Munster hurling final.

Hurling?...Pearses?  Fair play to them as it's not so long ago they were struggling to field anything beyond senior football.  Played a few games at minor level for them myself back in the days of black and white and steam engines.  On my visits home I've even seen a few replica shirts knocking about the New Lodge/Antrim Rd area!

Yeah a lot going on underage with the hurling I see them training at St.Mals college and there are hundreds of them lol

[LeoMc]

I don't think Billy Wright or Padraig Pearse compare in any way

I don't think the issue was with clubs named after previous generations of republicans such as Pearse (although it would probably be raised at some point) but more towards clubs named after more recent republicans, such as Kevin Lynches in Dungiven for example.  You can make the connection with the likes of Kevin Lynch and Billy Wright as they were both part of the most recent Republican/Loyalist epsiode and you can therefore make the comparison that if there was a local soccer club, for example, called Billy Wright FC that it wouldn't exactly be the most welcoming club for Catholics.

At the same time I wouldn't fancy heading into Dungiven and trying to persuade a name change from Kevin Lynches to a suitable alternative, I'll leave that to Jim Allister.  They'd welcome him with open arms...

I don't think there are any other clubs named after more recent (since 1916) Republicans.

I better correct that.

I don't think there are any other clubs named after more recent (since 1969) Republicans.

[Evil Genius]

I don't think Billy Wright or Padraig Pearse compare in any way

I don't think the issue was with clubs named after previous generations of republicans such as Pearse (although it would probably be raised at some point) but more towards clubs named after more recent republicans, such as Kevin Lynches in Dungiven for example.  You can make the connection with the likes of Kevin Lynch and Billy Wright as they were both part of the most recent Republican/Loyalist epsiode and you can therefore make the comparison that if there was a local soccer club, for example, called Billy Wright FC that it wouldn't exactly be the most welcoming club for Catholics.

At the same time I wouldn't fancy heading into Dungiven and trying to persuade a name change from Kevin Lynches to a suitable alternative, I'll leave that to Jim Allister.  They'd welcome him with open arms...

I don't think there are any other clubs named after more recent (since 1916) Republicans.

I better correct that.

I don't think there are any other clubs named after more recent (since 1969) Republicans.

There are clubs, competitions, cups and pitches etc named after Republicans who were at the very heart of The
Troubles.

Don't make me waste (even more!) time on this Board compiling a list.

And for the record, whilst I can accept the commemoration of the likes of Pearse or Casement (different times, different circumstances), I would not ever have anything to do with any club which freely chose to associate itself with violence and mayhem which is still fresh in the memory.

Similarly, despite my great love for Soccer, neither would I go near anything which could be associated, however obliquely, with eg "Billy Wright FC", or "The Michael Stone Cup" - it would turn my stomach.

[LondonCamanachd]

I don't think Billy Wright or Padraig Pearse compare in any way

I don't think the issue was with clubs named after previous generations of republicans such as Pearse (although it would probably be raised at some point) but more towards clubs named after more recent republicans, such as Kevin Lynches in Dungiven for example.  You can make the connection with the likes of Kevin Lynch and Billy Wright as they were both part of the most recent Republican/Loyalist epsiode and you can therefore make the comparison that if there was a local soccer club, for example, called Billy Wright FC that it wouldn't exactly be the most welcoming club for Catholics.

As a complete outsider, can someone explain to me why so many GAA clubs are named after people rather than the town in which they play?