How long before Irish reunification?

jm08

20-30 years

downcow wrote: »

Didn’t know about this.

There you go. https://www.irishecho.com/2011/02/mcdonaldss-gives-way-in-paisleys-ballymena-3/

Other 'amusing' episodes in Ballymena.

Gaston said he was delighted but the episode put a deeper shade of red on some faces in the town. There have been a number of episodes in which the DUP have attracted unwanted publicity for the town.
Earlier this year, DUP members blocked an agricultural fair from taking place on a Sunday. Then they initially rejected a gift to the town council from local Muslims. The town’s mayor, also a DUP member, later apologized and hosted a reception for the Muslim community.
And last year, Paisley, founder and leader of the fundamentalist Free Presbyterian Church, bewildered some of his own supporters by declaring line dancing a sin.

But I don’t think unionists would have the authority to demand such a change on McDs.

That wouldn't stopping them demanding stuff !

But if McDs learnt, what you don’t seem to get, that it was a chill factor to many customers then I could see why they would change it.

How will you cope when McDs learn that many of their customers want a Mac Mór on the menu?

Just for the record, companies from the republic have bent over backwards not to offend unionists, an example is Aer Lingus removing all Irish language signs from their planes servicing Belfast-Heathrow. It was a big deal at the time for Belfast to get those Aer Lingus slots into Heathrow as they were taken from Shannon which meant that people in the West of Ireland had no flights into Heathrow. While the routes were profitable for Aer Lingus from Shannon, they weren't from Belfast so they later reduced them and returned some of them to Shannon. Then there was another DUP councillor who got Aer Lingus to remove Irish rebel songs from their playlist on planes between Ireland and the US!

My own personal experience was some involvement with a company that changed its food packaging from a green background to a blue background for the NI market in case the green packaging would offend unionists.

My belief now is that it is impossible not to offend unionists, so why bother even trying anymore.

Hamsterchops

munsterlegend wrote: »

I am no supporter of SF but Mary Lou would rip to shreds any politician up north. I am surprised the DUP aren’t advising people to go to their pastor for a cure.

I get the distinct impression the Michelle O'Neill is out of her depth up North, although I'll accept that Mary Lou is fascinating in that she bulldozers her way through interviews, hypnotising the audience into submission ala Paul McKenna. Although, If you ever listen back to Mary Lou's interviews they're totally hollow & without detail, and yet she sounds so assertive and sure of herself.

Runaways

10-15 years

Hamsterchops wrote: »

I get the distinct impression the Michelle O'Neill is out of her depth up North, although I'll accept that Mary Lou is fascinating in that she bulldozers her way through interviews, hypnotising the audience into submission ala Paul McKenna. Although, If you ever listen back to Mary Lou's interviews they're totally hollow & without detail, and yet she sounds so assertive and sure of herself.

Well that’s not true
There is a very good reason Leo and Michael and RTÉ Didn’t want her taking part in the debates
She is whip Smarts on her feet And able to answer and take part and the question where is Leo needs a script and when he goes off script can only resort to cattiness and the inevitable putting his foot in it which he does every time

She would make mince meat In a debate or interview with anyone in the political sphere up north

munsterlegend

Gerry winning cases. Probably entitled to damages now for unlawful detention.

https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2020/0513/1138082-gerry-adams-uk-supreme-court/

munsterlegend

Runaways wrote: »

Well that’s not true
There is a very good reason Leo and Michael and RTÉ Didn’t want her taking part in the debates
She is whip Smarts on her feet And able to answer and take part and the question where is Leo needs a script and when he goes off script can only resort to cattiness and the inevitable putting his foot in it which he does every time

She would make mince meat In a debate or interview with anyone in the political sphere up north

Leo is a poor debater. Mary Lou and Martin head to head would be excellent as both quick on their feet with the obvious animosity given recent spats.

munsterlegend

Hamsterchops wrote: »

I get the distinct impression the Michelle O'Neill is out of her depth up North, although I'll accept that Mary Lou is fascinating in that she bulldozers her way through interviews, hypnotising the audience into submission ala Paul McKenna. Although, If you ever listen back to Mary Lou's interviews they're totally hollow & without detail, and yet she sounds so assertive and sure of herself.

Up north assembly is junior hurling compared to down here. We have a functioning economy where half our work force isn’t tied up in public service.

downcow

jm08 wrote: »

downcow wrote: »

Didn’t know about this.

There you go. https://www.irishecho.com/2011/02/mcdonaldss-gives-way-in-paisleys-ballymena-3/

Other 'amusing' episodes in Ballymena.







That wouldn't stopping them demanding stuff !



How will you cope when McDs learn that many of their customers want a Mac Mór on the menu?

Just for the record, companies from the republic have bent over backwards not to offend unionists, an example is Aer Lingus removing all Irish language signs from their planes servicing Belfast-Heathrow. It was a big deal at the time for Belfast to get those Aer Lingus slots into Heathrow as they were taken from Shannon which meant that people in the West of Ireland had no flights into Heathrow. While the routes were profitable for Aer Lingus from Shannon, they weren't from Belfast so they later reduced them and returned some of them to Shannon. Then there was another DUP councillor who got Aer Lingus to remove Irish rebel songs from their playlist on planes between Ireland and the US!

My own personal experience was some involvement with a company that changed its food packaging from a green background to a blue background for the NI market in case the green packaging would offend unionists.

My belief now is that it is impossible not to offend unionists, so why bother even trying anymore.

I have no idea why you are raising the line dancing nonsense from Paisley who I have also been condemning in last posts.

Interesting that Aer Lingis took such a huge risk in your eyes if others on hear are correct when they paint me as some sort on unrepresentative bigot. Aer lingus must have thought I was fairly representative.

Your company with the p[ackaging just shows again how out of touch some are. Most young people up here who love NI love green and were green tops. Personally my favorite colour given our team

addaword

Hamsterchops wrote: »

I get the distinct impression the Michelle O'Neill is out of her depth up North, although I'll accept that Mary Lou is fascinating in that she bulldozers her way through interviews, hypnotising the audience into submission ala Paul McKenna. Although, If you ever listen back to Mary Lou's interviews they're totally hollow & without detail, and yet she sounds so assertive and sure of herself.

Correct. Mary Lou has no credibility either, she thinks Gerry Adam's was not in the IRA. For a private school educated woman she has as much credibility as Adam's when he got top notch private medical care in the States.

munsterlegend

downcow wrote: »

jm08 wrote: »

I have no idea why you are raising the line dancing nonsense from Paisley who I have also been condemning in last posts.

Interesting that Aer Lingis took such a huge risk in your eyes if others on hear are correct when they paint me as some sort on unrepresentative bigot. Aer lingus must have thought I was fairly representative.

Your company with the p[ackaging just shows again how out of touch some are. Most young people up here who love NI love green and were green tops. Personally my favorite colour given our team

Unionist denigration of the Irish language by the likes of Campbell snd Allister is all you need to know about it’s contempt for anything Irish. Foster and crocodiles also springs to mind.

munsterlegend

addaword wrote: »

Correct. Mary Lou has no credibility either, she thinks Gerry Adam's was not in the IRA. For a private school educated woman she has as much credibility as Adam's when he got top notch private medical care in the States.

Mary Lou can’t change the past and I am sure there is many things she finds appalling such as the killing of Paul Murphy and child abuse cases. The increase in SF vote to the largest in the state is solely down to her and her ability to grasp and relate problems such as health and housing.

FrancieBrady

munsterlegend wrote: »

Mary Lou can’t change the past and I am sure there is many things she finds appalling such as the killing of Paul Murphy and child abuse cases. The increase in SF vote to the largest in the state is solely down to her and her ability to grasp and relate problems such as health and housing.

Gerry Adams has just changed his past. He just won his case against the British.
I wonder is that a precedent now, can all internees change the stain of one of the worst mistakes the British ever made?

munsterlegend

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Gerry Adams has just changed his past. He just won his case against the British.
I wonder is that a precedent now, can all internees change the stain of one of the worst mistakes the British ever made?

Wonder will he look for an apology?!

Hamsterchops

munsterlegend wrote: »

The increase in SF vote to the largest in the state is solely down to her and her ability to grasp and relate problems such as health and housing.

...thing is though she hoodwinks her audience by stating the bleedin obvious like (to paraphrase) "everybody should have affordable health-care" "Doctors & Nurses are an invaluable asset to our health services" "sick people should be cared for and made better" "Sinn Fein is the only party that cares for the health services" "Everybody should live in a house" "Only Sinn Fein can deliver health to the people" etc etc etc, always stating the stuff everybody agrees with:cool:

Then everybody claps and says, isn't she amazing, OMG she should be our next Taoiseach.

jm08

20-30 years

downcow wrote: »

jm08 wrote: »

I have no idea why you are raising the line dancing nonsense from Paisley who I have also been condemning in last posts.

For a bit of fun.

Interesting that Aer Lingis took such a huge risk in your eyes if others on hear are correct when they paint me as some sort on unrepresentative bigot. Aer lingus must have thought I was fairly representative.

What do you mean 'took a huge risk'? My point is that people have bent over backwards to accommodate unionist sentiment and they are wasting their time because whatever they do, it will never be enough. Someone needs to tell some unionists to get a grip.


You are a representative of some unionists, but I have also had a lot of dealings with unionists through an all-ireland sporting organisation where most NI members would come from a unionist background and they would be completely the opposite to that.

Your company with the p[ackaging just shows again how out of touch some are. Most young people up here who love NI love green and were green tops. Personally my favorite colour given our team

I can assure you the company involved would have done its market research very well. The thing is young people who love green don't do the family supermarket shopping. Anyway, it was in the early 2000s when everyone was doing their best to make everyone feel comfortable so as to get the GFA off the ground.

munsterlegend

Hamsterchops wrote: »

...thing is though she hoodwinks her audience by stating the bleedin obvious like (to paraphrase) "everybody should have affordable health-care" "Doctors & Nurses are an invaluable asset to our health services" "sick people should be cared for and made better" "Sinn Fein is the only party that cares for the health services" "Everybody should live in a house" "Only Sinn Fein can deliver health to the people" etc etc etc, always stating the stuff everybody agrees with:cool:

Then everybody claps and says, isn't she amazing, OMG she should be our next Taoiseach.

It’s a bit more than that. A lot of people are disillusioned with what FF and FG have to offer. She has a persuasive ability and puts her point across excellently. Whether she can deliver what she says no one knows and probably won’t for another few years. O’Broin and Doherty are also very capable performers but Mary Lou is their driving force down here.

Runaways

10-15 years

FGFF have simply copied and pasted Sinn Fein’s policies and tried to pass them off as their own

We’ve had 10 years of failure and the same two parties since the foundation of the state it isn’t working it’s time to try something else

jm08

20-30 years

Hamsterchops wrote: »

...thing is though she hoodwinks her audience by stating the bleedin obvious like (to paraphrase) "everybody should have affordable health-care" "Doctors & Nurses are an invaluable asset to our health services" "sick people should be cared for and made better" "Sinn Fein is the only party that cares for the health services" "Everybody should live in a house" "Only Sinn Fein can deliver health to the people" etc etc etc, always stating the stuff everybody agrees with:cool:

Then everybody claps and says, isn't she amazing, OMG she should be our next Taoiseach.

Mary Lou may communicate the message, but I think you are being very dismissive of people like Louise O'Reilly who used to be SIPTU's National Nursing Officer, Eoin O Broin who has written a fairly highly regarded book about Housing and Pearse Doherty who did a great job in actually exposing the problems with the insurance industry.


And whatever you may think about Adams and McGuinness, both will be regarded as extremely able politicians.

downcow

jm08 wrote: »

downcow wrote: »

You are a representative of some unionists, but I have also had a lot of dealings with unionists through an all-ireland sporting organisation where most NI members would come from a unionist background and they would be completely the opposite to that.

Some unionists?
As i understand it every party and body in NI representing Unionists, opposes an Irish Language Act. From the most moderate to the most extreme. UUP, DUP, PUP, UPRG, TUV, etc, etc. So you need to get real, it is not an extreme position. You should spend more time considering what has driven every unionist away from supporting an irish language act. Surely nationalists must hold some responsibility in this.

If you truly want the unionist community to once again, warm to Irish language, then take a step back, stop forcing it in places it is not wanted, stop using it for political ends, stop painting offensive slogans in Irish on Protestant properties.
Start talking to your unionist neighbours about your love the language rather than your need to get it put up in places where it marks territory and causes a chill factor. Start explaining your true aspiration for the language eg how do you see it being used, Will defendants on court cases be able to demand their case is heard an Irish?, Will all the road signs need changed, etc.

This will take a wee while, but unfortunately the situation has became so poisonous, and more often than not, by people who do not truly love language.

What do you think, would you be up for that?

thomasdylan

Runaways wrote: »

Well that’s not true
There is a very good reason Leo and Michael and RTÉ Didn’t want her taking part in the debates
She is whip Smarts on her feet And able to answer and take part and the question where is Leo needs a script and when he goes off script can only resort to cattiness and the inevitable putting his foot in it which he does every time

She would make mince meat In a debate or interview with anyone in the political sphere up north

Mary Lou was well outmatched in the leaders debate back in February. Varadkar who is a bit of a charisma vacuum was far better than her.

Yeah_Right

Hamsterchops wrote: »

...thing is though she hoodwinks her audience by stating the bleedin obvious like (to paraphrase) "everybody should have affordable health-care" "Doctors & Nurses are an invaluable asset to our health services" "sick people should be cared for and made better" "Sinn Fein is the only party that cares for the health services" "Everybody should live in a house" "Only Sinn Fein can deliver health to the people" etc etc etc, always stating the stuff everybody agrees with:cool:

Then everybody claps and says, isn't she amazing, OMG she should be our next Taoiseach.

Then someone asks her how they are going to pay for all this. Her response is along the lines of "um....um.... APPLE!!! Tax the rich!!! Magic Money Tree!!"

munsterlegend

thomasdylan wrote: »

Mary Lou was well outmatched in the leaders debate back in February. Varadkar who is a bit of a charisma vacuum was far better than her.

She didn’t perform well that night. As subsequent eiection showed it didn’t do her much harm.

FrancieBrady

downcow wrote: »

than your need to get it put up in places where it marks territory and causes a chill factor.

An out and out lie. There was nobody going to be forced to put up Irish language signs.

Here's a good take down of Unionist hypocrisy and lies.

When Jim Shannon claims under parliamentary privilege that he’s for the idea of the Irish language but, it seems, apparently against any actual manifestation of An Ghaeilge in his sight lines or in those of his constituents, does he not realise, for instance, that the Irish Language Act proposed by Sinn Féin back in February actually didn’t contain a provision for bilingual signage at all?

https://sluggerotoole.com/2018/07/10/fake-politics-in-westminster-re-irish-language-act-proposal/#more-117034

jm08

20-30 years

downcow wrote: »

Some unionists?
As i understand it every party and body in NI representing Unionists, opposes an Irish Language Act. From the most moderate to the most extreme. UUP, DUP, PUP, UPRG, TUV, etc, etc. So you need to get real, it is not an extreme position. You should spend more time considering what has driven every unionist away from supporting an irish language act. Surely nationalists must hold some responsibility in this.

If its got all this support then, why not put an Act forward where Unionists Assembly members can vote it down?

(Unionists won't do that because they know an Irish Language will pass in the Assembly as both Alliance and the Greens support the Act along with SDLP and SF). My count is that Anti-Irish Language Act would be 40 against, and For an Irish Language act would be 49 (I don't know where PBP's 2 votes would go).

If you truly want the unionist community to once again, warm to Irish language, then take a step back, stop forcing it in places it is not wanted, stop using it for political ends, stop painting offensive slogans in Irish on Protestant properties.

Start talking to your unionist neighbours about your love the language rather than your need to get it put up in places where it marks territory and causes a chill factor. Start explaining your true aspiration for the language eg how do you see it being used, Will defendants on court cases be able to demand their case is heard an Irish?, Will all the road signs need changed, etc.

This will take a wee while, but unfortunately the situation has became so poisonous, and more often than not, by people who do not truly love language.

Have you not being able to comprehend what you said - people now know that there will be no pleasing unionists, there will always be some whinge. You had your chance and unionists blew it.

Irish language enthusiasts have said time and time again that the Irish Language will not be shoved down people's throats. But unionists have now created a situation where you are allowing yourselves to be taunted by it.

What do you think, would you be up for that?

I'd be up for a vote in the Stormont Assembly, would you be?

munsterlegend

jm08 wrote: »

downcow wrote: »

If its got all this support then, why not put an Act forward where Unionists Assembly members can vote it down?


(Unionists won't do that because they know an Irish Language will pass in the Assembly as both Alliance and the Greens support the Act along with SDLP and SF). My count is that Anti-Irish Language Act would be 40 against, and For an Irish Language act would be 49 (I don't know where PBP's 2 votes would go).





Have you not being able to comprehend what you said - people now know that there will be no pleasing unionists, there will always be some whinge. You had your chance and unionists blew it.



Irish language enthusiasts have said time and time again that the Irish Language will not be shoved down people's throats. But unionists have now created a situation where you are allowing yourselves to be taunted by it.





I'd be up for a vote in the Stormont Assembly, would you be?

Unionists are democrats so long as they win. All their eulogising about VE Day and nazism and then the state they ran.

FrancieBrady

Somebody fix the quote tags.

blinding

10-15 years

Would downcow have been happier if his forbears had stayed on the big Island or gone further a field to say America ?

I spent a couple of weeks in Glasgow once and actually felt sorry for the Irish that ended up there. When you were leaving Ireland it would have been better to keep going than to get stuck in Scotland !

Junkyard Tom

30-40 years

downcow wrote: »

What do you think, would you be up for that?

No. Hatred of the historic native language should not be pandered to.

Anyway, Unionists are the slowest of slow learners when it comes to this stuff, every time ye try to suppress the language you inspire more people to take it up, so in the future you'll have no choice but to deal with it.

Keep up the good work.

munsterlegend

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

No. Hatred of the historic native language should not be pandered to.

Anyway, Unionists are the slowest of slow learners when it comes to this stuff, every time ye try to suppress the language you inspire more people to take it up, so in the future you'll have no choice but to deal with it.

Keep up the good work.

That’s true. Keep on giving. Nothing compares to the Brexit og though

FrancieBrady

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

No. Hatred of the historic native language should not be pandered to.

Anyway, Unionists are the slowest of slow learners when it comes to this stuff, every time ye try to suppress the language you inspire more people to take it up, so in the future you'll have no choice but to deal with it.

Keep up the good work.

Ian Paisley (and his son is putting in a good stint too) one of the best weapons nationalists/republicans had.
The world could see.

eagle eye

Ulster Says No. It will never happen

munsterlegend wrote:

Mary Lou can’t change the past and I am sure there is many things she finds appalling such as the killing of Paul Murphy and child abuse cases. The increase in SF vote to the largest in the state is solely down to her and her ability to grasp and relate problems such as health and housing.

The increase in the SF vote was down to disallusionment with the major parties. It had nothing to do with SF's sudden knowledge of anything.

thomasdylan wrote:

Mary Lou was well outmatched in the leaders debate back in February. Varadkar who is a bit of a charisma vacuum was far better than her.

You need to take the goggles off and find it again and realise that Varadkar was horrendous and got battered in that debate. He has continued on to show himself as a horrendous leader and then put his seal of approval on it during this pandemic.