GAA need to step up

votecounts

only here would we get advice from a person who thinks that the 12th marches and 11th bonfires filled with tricolors, effigies and posters of politicians is not done by sectarian bigoted scum. Get your own house in order before making statements. A honourable perswon wouldn't go to a bigoted march or bonfire, do you?

downcow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119378476#Comment_119378476

I think you should look who’s on topic and who’s off topic?. And why?

downcow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119378521#Comment_119378521

Well I’m not sure how you define a bigoted March or bonfire.

I haven’t been at a bonfire in years. Most are very much youth events so I haven’t been to a disco in years either.

im not sure a March could be bigoted. I don’t go as often now. The kids are grown up and I can’t motivate myself. I guess I’ll go reguarally again when the grandkids arrive. But one thing I can assure you my kids are not bigots and i trust my grandkids won’t be either. But I am pretty sure they will love the bands and OWC

Thread is simply a ridiculous attack on the GAA for the usual Unionist reasons. Start with yourselves and stay with yourselves. You have enough to keep you busy for a few generations.

downcow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119378746#Comment_119378746

This post really sums up many posters attitude on hear - and I think most of them don’t even recognise their prejudice and hypocrisy.

just read it again for yourself and replace the ‘GAA’ with any aspect of our ulster-British culture and replace ‘unionist’ with nationalist. And put it in any thread where my culture is being discussed

Jonesie on dads army would put it much better than me 😀

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119379130#Comment_119379130

We have just been treated to another round of visuals from your annual expression of culture downcow. Nobody is buying your offence at a bunch of lads singing a song primarily becuase oif the line:

'and the leader was a Limerick man, Sean Soiuth from Garryowen'

If you think they are the equivalent of Irish/Catholic hating bonfire builders you are deluded.

Snooker Loopy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119379291#Comment_119379291

Perhaps Galway supporters today should sing a song about a Galway man, Lord Haw Haw?

About as worthy of celebration as Sean South.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119379678#Comment_119379678

From the dawn of time people have celebrated/commemorated their cultures and their (not yours) heoroes and villans.

And they'll continue to do it. Despite you and me.

I have zero issue with people doing that as long as it not done to taunt and isn't sectarian. See the 12th for instance, once they stopped/were stopped taunting and going where they weren't wanted it started to pass off peacefully. Nobody has a problem with it, knock yerself out.

That's the way forward IMO

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119379130#Comment_119379130

You don’t have a culture. You live in a toxic murderous anti democratic enclave and you need to spread your hatred of all things Irish elsewhere. Blocked or ignored or whatever it is called here.

downcow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119379291#Comment_119379291

You are right. They are not the same. One is a sporting event that claims to be open to all. The other is a nighttime festival which is regarded as ‘single identity’

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119382525#Comment_119382525

It is open to all demonstratively, it has a cross section of every religion and race living on this island as members.

downcow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119382756#Comment_119382756

Can you not see the rediculous nature of what you are saying in you last few posts?

can you not see that if you were correct and the GAA were a cross section of all, how it would be so terribly offensive for they players to sing songs celebrating the attempted murder of some of that cross section.

why don’t you invite some people who are black into Cork GAA and get the confederate flag up again to welcome them.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119382873#Comment_119382873

Can you not see how ridiculous you are trying to silence one section of the divide. There was a war/conflict on this island and BOTH sides killed and wounded. That's BOTH sides downcow, yours included.

Now do you want to give up a major part of what you call your culture or do you want to live and let live? If you think you can scour the country for something to be offended with when we have just seen the last month of 'cultural activity from Unionism/Loyalism, you are going to be challenged.

Clean up Loylalism/Orangism of it's sectarianism and bigotry and learn to accept that people will celebrate/commemorate their own like you do on the 12th and elsewhere.

downcow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119382963#Comment_119382963

Exactly francie

“people will celebrate/commemorate their own like you do on the 12th”

Can’t disagree with you there. At least you now accept what was happening when that GAA team sung the Ira song on stage 👍

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119383318#Comment_119383318

Most of them were singing it because of the line 'and the leader was a Limerick man Sean South from Garryowen' and becuase it's s good rousing tune and probably don't know much more about it than that. 😁

What you should be looking for is real examples of sectarianism and hate like burning effigies of living people, signs that direct to 'Kill All Taigs' etc.

I.E. When your own community is displaying much much much worse examples of hate and sectarianism, has a institution that is constitutionally sectarian (OO) don't come running complaining about minor incidences that don't even qualify as sectarianism or hate.

Choochtown

I play a bit of music as part of an acoustic folk group in a local pub. Occasionally someone will come forward or be pushed forward to sing a song and we usually pick up the tune and play along. A while back a man came forward and proceeded to sing "Sean South". It's one of those songs that a lot of people have heard before but few will know all the words. I actually know the tune as "Roddy McCorley". I played along on mandolin as did the guitarist, fiddler etc. ALL of us would be mortified if we thought that what we were playing could be construed as "highly offensive". If pushed I would have known that Sean South was a Limerick man and probably involved in some rebellion maybe 1798? I didn't care. An oul boy was up singing and enjoying himself.

My points are:

If our group (all seasoned musicians) didn't know exactly the history of the Sean South story how on earth does someone from a Unionist background recognise the song and the lyrics and then proceed to take offence??

If the singer had sung the same tune but used the "Roddy McCorley" lyrics, would it still be offensive? (He died in 1800 ...thanks Google!)

If a child had got up to sing "3 blind mice" would Unionists find that offensive? (It's about 3 Protestants who were burned at the stake for plotting against the Catholic queen)

Can anyone who WAS offended by the incident please enlighten me?

Dyr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119373121#Comment_119373121

I see you're still throwing those allegations around without being able them up. Are people supposed to take you seriously?

downcow

Lasted titbit on GAA unchallenged exclusive behaviour. I’ll not hold my breath for condemnation. I guess if singing Ira songs is ok then intimidating police officers and their families is still ok to. So much for the abolition of rule 22 - of course we know NI based GAA clubs voted to oppose the change.

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/psni-gaelic-side-withdraws-from-football-games-after-complaints-41872791.html

#timetochange

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119397557#Comment_119397557

PSNI guy caught posting images of people who committed suicide.

Are we correct and right to say the whole PSNI are like that?

No we aren't and you get the point I'm sure.

*P.S. Why would a predominately Catholic/Nationalist sporting body allow a police force that was abolished because of sectarian discrimination against them to join?

Again, you need to accept the history, your own and our history.

And it was Rule 21

NedsNotDead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119394810#Comment_119394810

I see you made the schoolboy error of replying to your own post but forgetting to change username

Dyr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119397702#Comment_119397702

If I was sock puppeting then I'd do a far better job than this snooker loopy character, repeating the same line over and over is just not up to snufff

Thinkingaboutit

Honestly for me if the GAA could step up and mostly stop the endless hand passing, it'd be great. It would raise the game to another level, in fact restore it a bit.

Vol. Seán South of Limerick City not Garryowen, gave his life for his country, and for whatever the finer details of his politics, it's a rousing rebel song. William of Orange was himself a moderate man, although the British Houses of Parliament gave him no leeway for any sort of compromises seen in the Netherlands, and he had gained three crowns as a champion of Protestantism, hence the later Penal Laws. Anyhow, GAA clubs quibbling over rule 22 in the north long faced the reality of British rule, a grubby reality when contrasted to the fine words of its spokesmen and women, so I think their caution can be excused. Things have improved so much, and we shouldn't give vent to bitterness, and hand passing (beyond one pass) in football needs to end.

Choochtown

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119397557#Comment_119397557

Finally got reading this downcow. The issue is that "a number of rival players had made complaints about 'the peelers being involved'".

Those complaints should not have been made and that "number" of players (1? 2? 3 million? who knows?) have acted against the ethos of the GAA.

Note that there has been no threats made and it's the PSNI team who have made the decision to withdraw from the tournament.

The only official action that the GAA (specifically Clann na Banna GAC) took was to invite the PSNI team to attend this tournament. Hardly the actions of "exclusive behaviour"

Do you honestly think a couple of GAA footballers complaining about "the peelers being involved" represents an entire organisation of over half a million members?

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119399372#Comment_119399372

Also the wrong 'sectarian' tag being put on this story.

Unless of course downcow believes the PSNI are a force representative of only Unionists or protestants.

FrancieBrady

Statement from the club

downcow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119399457#Comment_119399457

mmm francie. You slipped up there. Do I detect that you are assuming the GAA are representative of only nationalists or catholics for you to assume my sectarian label means I must think the Psni are only unionist or Protestant?

you are lost on so many levels. Your continued dictionary definition of sectarianism continues to demonstrate your avoidance of reality.

as for the letter. Could you imagine this happening in any other sport in ni. It’s just so ridiculous. This is dark ages stuff (again!)

Choochtown

Latest from the PSNI : “The PSNI maintains a good relationship with the GAA and Ulster Council” and “will continue to engage with the GAA community, and remains committed to participating in future tournaments.

Nothing from them about complaints or intimidation, just that they decided not to participate in the tournament.

Dreadful, inflammatory journalism from the Belfast Telegraph which gave the DUP bigots false ammunition to attack an amateur sporting organisation. The vitriol on social media today only fuels the loyalist paramilitaries and their targeting of the GAA and in particular East Belfast GAA club. (They hate to see anything that may be cross-community) It's less than 2 years since all members of that club were advised to check around and under their cars for explosives before leaving the playing fields after training.

That article today was a disgrace and I wouldn't be surprised if legal action is now forthcoming.

ittakestwo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119397557#Comment_119397557

If they did have to withdraw from presure we all know from where that pressure came from. Do we hold our breath for an apology for the made up sectarian link you posted here.

You cant stand to see the GAA becoming a cross community sport. You wont even follow the irish rugby team and make out that organisation is sectarian because of some meeting 50 years ago. But possibly it is better than the GAA as it is an English sport. But players from a cross community participaing in an irish sport here in Ireland really makes your blood boil doesn't it. Cant wait for day they merge the football team north and south. The bigots will be left with nothing to cheer on.

Quantum Erasure

"it was agreed that all teams should be advised of the participating of the St. Michael's team - this was to avoid any confusion with a Co. Down GAA club of the same name."

how was this communicated? why was it needed? Why should it matter if it was St. Michaels of ABC or St. Michaels of XYZ?

downcow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119402027#Comment_119402027

Exactly. That’s what they are trying very hard to cover up, supported by some posters here.

will they send a letter around before the next tournament that one of the other St Michaels participate in, telling everyone which st Michael’s they are? I think not.

the delusional stuff on here is breathtaking - even the alliance party leader is on my side on this one. No doubt pressure will come her way to ease of.