Cost of a United Ireland and the GFA

Yes, and I see in todays press that the town traders (very predominantly nationalist) issued a warm welcome to hosting the twelfth (not surprising given it that it and The Oul Lamas Fair are the two biggest crowds of the year for the small town. Meanwhile the sf concillor tries to manufacture bad press

sorry to raise again the faux concern of several posters on here about the safety of young unionists in the 3-4 months of activity leading up to the eleventh bonfires.

Just saw this tweet and wondered if this was a young loyalist talking about his involvement in building bonfires over the last 10 years - “So many stitches and subsequent scars, 2 concussions, front teeth knocked out, hurley (pallet) broken across my back at 16 which has kindly manifested in back problems in my 40’s. But all part and parcel of the game, and no-one’s fault. Awful precedent to set, insurance costs will soar!”.

the whole thread is worth a read. A catologue of life changing injuries and the main concern is will the insurance demands end the sport. I hope not, but when you think that many who love that sport are shining a torch at every indescretion and risk in bonfire building. Maybe it will come home to roost!

would you not smell a rat of unionist politicians were constantly raising their deep concern that young people might get injured at Gaelic sport? Interwoven with their concern about the environmental impact of moving teams around Ireland in coaches?

Safety in sport IS an issue, Downcow. One that receives much publicity globally (look into all the talk AND ACTION around concussions and head injuries in the sporting world recently). While you'll certainly have some old farts complaining about kids these days being soft, I welcome progress made to ensure young people's safety.

If I was to talk about the relative risk of injury, I'd warrant that climbing a hundred foot unsecured tower of pallets with no safety equipment while carrying a five gallon jug of petrol probably carries a higher risk than contact sports, be it soccer, hurling or rugby.

Whether you like it or not, the fact of the matter is that a closer eye is being kept on things like this now, and we are seeing absolutely horrendous injuries given media coverage. The immediate and traumatic nature of these injuries is going to catch people's attention more than someone talking about how a Junior B Hurling game 40 years ago gave them back problems, so no amount of whataboutery is going to deflect enough to make it not an issue.

I have no idea why you are raising Uvf bombs (that if I recall we’re not even viable) but since you have, here is some of what the Ira got up to in this sleepy seaside village. The sf agitators standing in the crowd would have be closely alligned, in minds of spectators, with these tragedies - all the more provocative.

• “On that day, the Irish Republican Army bombed five hotels in different seaside towns in Northern Ireland, including Ballycastle’s Marine Hotel. William Whitten, a 65-year-old Protestant hotel guest, was seriously injured in the blast; he died three weeks later.
• Spence McGarry (46), an off duty member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), was killed when a Provisional Irish Republican Army booby trap bomb attached to his car exploded in Castle Street car park, Ballycastle on 6 April 1991.

“

full marks to the twelfth revellers who didn’t get drawn into the sf trap

Fionn you are doing it again. You say “and we are seeing absolutely horrendous injuries”. The facts don’t support this. We have tens of thousand of people involved, and republican keyboard warriors scanning social media to find injuries - and they can find little. It’s very tragic, but it needs kept in perspective. We had the first death, I have ever heard of, last year. We had a lad fall and get significant injuries this year, but no more than many sports men get and not life changing. Do you realise how often we have young people killed on horses, skateboards, bikes, etc.

i was nervous this year that someone would get badly injured or worse on the fires, and I have purposely not watched the young lad falling. I realise there are risks. I wish the fires were not as high. In fact the fire closest to me is enormous but it is a big mound, if that makes sense, so no one can take a serious fall off it - the benifit is that more of the community can help with the build.

I genuinely wish republicans would get out of this space. The more they call for less fires and smaller fires, the the more and the bigger fires will get. And they know that - so they are just doing with fires what the sf councillor was doing in Ballycastle. Their mocking of the young lad falling was a disgrace

I said nothing about it being a 'declaration on this parade'. That is a general list of rules from the Parades Commission found here:

untitled (paradescommission.org)

You haven't checked, yet you claim I am spinning? 😁😁

The band were provoking by even a cursory glance at the PC's terms long before the fella crossed the road.

And I suspect the PC will have no option but to once again ban them as their behaviour is leading to the possibility of disorder.

The OO will never learn that to be given permission requires them to behave with respect.

Toxic to you francie. I heard kids interviewed a few weeks ago and they said the eleventh night was better than Christmas. I think you actually know what this means to loyalist kids and how it absorbs many of them for 4 months.

I could start about eg the concerning elements of the Irish competitive dance scene etc, but I don’t care. That’s up to the moms and dads to sort out and I’m sure they’ll do the right thing. I guess I’m not jealous of or infatuated by that scene so I can let it slide by.

francie stop focusing on unionist culture. Irish culture has lots going for it as well. Focus on building it. Yeah is it

Arent you the fella that blamed the parents for wanting theit children to have an education fot causing the holycross situation. Did you ever apoligize for that remark and loyalist scum throwing piss at young children

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the comment you are quoting is about the Shankill. Not sure how you manage to go through it on your approach to Central Station. Or maybe you just lumping all them’uns in together.

I haven’t seen the flags you refer to but it doesn’t sound like any of them are illegal?. Would you just have a wee list of all the flags that upset you and they should not be allowed? Two of them wouldn’t be my choice of flag to put up, but it’s a free country so work away.

You made them on one of the other threads,,maybe one of the many threads you are banned from. Shows the type of your ilk

I have no problem with robust argument, and indeed I have a very think skin when I comes to the abuse I take on here. I rarely report a post but if you do not either unambiguously retract this accusation or provide a link to evidence, I will have little choice.

I don’t need you to be correct word for word, but I need you to provide the link to me even implying such nonsense. It is so far from what I believe. I actually believe that, unless someone is setting out to offend, then they should pretty much be allowed to walk where they like.

so I wait for you to play fair on this.

Francie I have no problem with west Belfast festival continuing to have the up the ra band as their big event. Fill your boots. It’s the hypocrisy I smile at

Francie seems like some other good soul just happened to have their video running. The internet is awash with accusations of the troublemaker being attacked by bandsmen. As I said earlier, not a finger laid on him. This video only begins after he has crossed from the other side, through same band. And he had crossed backwards and forwards many times. This was his last chance as this was the last band. 10 secs later the street was going to be clear.

we’ll see what parades commission says. Francie reckons the band will be banned for not all jumping out of the shinners way in time as he walked into them

The traders of ballycastle welcomed them francie. It’s just that rump of belligerent republicans that had a problem.