Protestants and The GAA

[Orior]

I was at the opening of a high profile 'centre of excellence' recently involving political and economic heavyweights. The first 10 mins of a 90 min speech-making session was a local priest reading some kind of gospelly preachy thing. Gobsmacked is too extreme but I did feel I was back in 1980.

Yeah - that stuff is an anachronism. It will die out naturally, being part of a continuum that used to involve bishop-ring-kissing and "Faith Of Our Fathers" before the throw-in.

Personally I think we should actively put an end to it. Sectarianism, which this is, however mild, has no place in the modern GAA. It's just a gratuitous insult to our members who are protestant, muslim, people of other religions or of no religion a all. It's saying to them "stand aside there for ten minutes while the real GAA does this important stuff you're not a part of."

When you put an end to one strand of sectarianism, do you create another? As physics, that energy has to transfer to somewhere else.

[ONeill]

The expression of religion should be an individual thing, not as an organisation be it nationally, provincially or at county/club level.

[Sooty]

Thanks for all the very interesting replies.
I had reason to be in Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin last weekend and at the start of the service the Priest addressed the congregation in Irish. This got me wondering how Southern Protestants felt about being 'Irish' and it seems from a lot of replies that they are comfortable.
How does this square with members on the Orange Order in the South ?
Are they comfortable and do they consider themselves Irish or 'cut off' Unionists. How are they viewed by other Irish citizens.I assume that most of the lodges are around the border although I think there is or was a lodge on Dublin and possibly one in Cork.
I do regret that us in the North have very narrow views of each other and unfortunately this may never change.
I have a family member living in Dublin now and of her group of friends the most accomplished Irish speaker is a Protestant. Seemed strange to me, but I suppose that is just because of our various backgrounds in Northern Ireland. 

Anyway, further comments would be welcome.

[rrhf]

There's no sectarianism in the south because they can't remember pre 1960s.if anything they are anti Catholic if they are honest but they are not

[theskull1]

Would guess the Cavan Monaghan and Donegal unionists would still be fairly sore about the Ulster Covenant betrayal

[muppet]

There's no sectarianism in the south because they can't remember pre 1960s.if anything they are anti Catholic if they are honest but they are not

The South is not anti-Catholic. In fact I honestly believe any Catholic, lay or clerical, who turns a blind eye to the abuse conducted and covered up by the Church, does more damage to it than any other influence.

[Tubberman]

There's no sectarianism in the south because they can't remember pre 1960s.if anything they are anti Catholic if they are honest but they are not

They are some shower alright

[Hardy]

I was at the opening of a high profile 'centre of excellence' recently involving political and economic heavyweights. The first 10 mins of a 90 min speech-making session was a local priest reading some kind of gospelly preachy thing. Gobsmacked is too extreme but I did feel I was back in 1980.

Yeah - that stuff is an anachronism. It will die out naturally, being part of a continuum that used to involve bishop-ring-kissing and "Faith Of Our Fathers" before the throw-in.

Personally I think we should actively put an end to it. Sectarianism, which this is, however mild, has no place in the modern GAA. It's just a gratuitous insult to our members who are protestant, muslim, people of other religions or of no religion a all. It's saying to them "stand aside there for ten minutes while the real GAA does this important stuff you're not a part of."

When you put an end to one strand of sectarianism, do you create another? As physics, that energy has to transfer to somewhere else.

I don't understand.

[Hardy]

There's no sectarianism in the south because they can't remember pre 1960s.if anything they are anti Catholic if they are honest but they are not

There's sectarianism in the North because they can't forget pre 1700. If anything, they are anti-everything if they are honest but they are not.

If someone from down here posted something like that there would be wailing and bleating and fifteen pages of gnashing of teeth.

[Hardy]

At least I'm not gnashing. The gnashing is the worst.

[Hardy]

Not when your gnashers are in the way.

[CD]

I played Gaelic football for 20+ years at pitches all over the country (mostly the North in fairness) I also played Irish League soccer into my mid twenties. In all that time I never saw or heard any sectarian references on a Gaelic football pitch. Maybe I was a bit naive but all I wanted to do, like 99.999% of players, was play the game I love to the best of my ability. Republicanism, Nationalism or Sectarianism just never came into it (apart from being stopped by army patrols and stripped to the boxers on a few occasions on the way to play). To me it was and is just sport!

Was called every name under the sun playing soccer however and was frightened a few times in places like Portadown and Larne. Over half my soccer team was non catholic but it didn't stop Glenavon fans threatening to kill us!! Happy times

[Rossfan]

I had reason to be in Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin last weekend and at the start of the service the Priest addressed the congregation in Irish.
of her group of friends the most accomplished Irish speaker is a Protestant. Seemed strange to me, but I suppose that is just because of our various backgrounds in Northern Ireland. 

A former C of I ArchBishop of Dublin, Dr Caird was a noted Gaeilgeóir
Sure there'd be no Gaeilge any more if it wasn't for Roscommon's own Dr. Dúbhglas De hÍde a Protestant and son of a clergyman who saved the Gaeilge from dying out.

[AZOffaly]

I honestly couldn't tell you the religion of anyone I played with or coached unless I happened to see them at mass or something. I think we have a few Chinese lads that might not be Catholics. I'll keep my eye on them.

Nah, seriously, I've never even thought of it. I'm sure in the north there's another dimension, but from my experience I just don't know in many cases what relegion they are. Protestants are great for being knacky corner forwards I heard though. Buddhists are great under pressure. Maybe.

[Sooty]

Nah, seriously, I've never even thought of it. I'm sure in the north there's another dimension, but from my experience I just don't know in many cases what relegion they are. Protestants are great for being knacky corner forwards I heard though. Buddhists are great under pressure. Maybe.

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