Cost of a United Ireland and the GFA

I am not getting upset. I am using your measure to decide if nationalists are happy with OWC. I think it is a silly unreliable measure, but since you were holding it up I thought I would test it.

I said nothing about counting out Derry because it was predominantly catholic. I said the team played in the league of Ireland and that Derry football had a particular issue with sectarianism.

endless players from the Falls road etc have chosen ni over roi. I know it doesn’t fit well with you, but you’re the guy said all must be well if they are happy to play

This is francie annoyed that the little wind up he used on me about ni players happy to play for irfu, has backfired in style. Now he will head for personal insults etc

Downcow - they are happy to play for the IRFU national / provincial and club teams.

Nobody was trying to wind you up. You keep mentioning ‘unhappiness’ and it is all your unhappiness.

Why you get worked up over this and who soccer players are happy to play for is very revealing.

You brand everyone from Derry as Republicans and treat it as a place apart. You even brought religion into it. That is sectarian.

Give it up downcow.

If sports people are happy to play for a team, let them.

If supporters are happy, let them be.

Just because somebody plays for the republic doesn’t mean they are in the RA and religion has and should have nothing to do with it.

Great so we got there. My feeling entirely. I think we have now agreed you shouldn’t read anything into who someone plays for, as a test of how comfortable they are with that teams trappings. Job done. Let’s move on.

“Don’t bring it up again so” ….as he proceeds to bring it up 😂

Fionn I am not sure why you are struggling to see the point I am making.

I am saying nothing about the people of Derry.

Derry fc play in the league of Ireland (through no fault of their own), so those connected with that team will have an understandable relationship with FAI

derry fc fans are notorious for sectarian singing that could not be tolerated in the Irish league but seems to be accepted in LOI

ok there is two, and actually I can think now of a third, who was a prod from Bangor who couldn’t get on the ni team This actually gives the lie further to francies claim that ifa blocked them

the point is that countless nationalists played for ni and racked up 1,000s of caps, while 2 choose to play for roi and racked up 26 caps

I am absolutely not saying that that means those players were all comfortable with the trappings - indeed I would argue the opposite. I am simply taking francie silly theory to the ridiculous to show him that players choices are limited sometimes and you should not disingenuously use that to argue a selfish and ridiculous point. that’s all

edit I am just reading your edit Fair enough but even stronger case so no Belfast player has chose to play for roi in almost 80 years. Some on here would lead you to believe they are flocking there

There is no disingenuousness in saying the players and supporters are happy to play and support a team that you don’t even follow.

Your bitterness has you in contortions only watching the Ulster players in a game.

How fecking sad would you have to be to be that way about a sport?

Did you find that chilling too?

The marching season goes on for months blanch.

I have the same opinion of this as I have of sectarian displays during the months mentioned above. It should not happen.

However this is a spontaneous event, it is not organised by sectarian organisations and is not being done where the other side live.

Didn’t take too long for francie to excuse it - “However this is a spontaneous event, it is not organised by sectarian organisations”.

Here’s one just came up on my Twitter this second. Same city, same ****, and I assume same week. …And ORGANISED

Ah you didn't know we were a divided society?

Of course you pretend to be above it, but we know you aren't.

Only one side's actions are 'chilling' for blanch.

Go on, tell us which is worse, sectarianism and bigotry organised by a sectarian organisation annually or spontaneous singing of a song by individuals?

Both are wrong but which one needs attention most?

You are still completing missing it (or pretending to). The whole point is that the players and fans who are uncomfortable just keep their heads down.

I believe it is an unacceptable situation that makes me very uncomfortable when I attend ni games and see the catholic players and fans silent during the anthem. Of course you argue that should be ignored. I don’t ignore it and have been proactive to remove gstk. I love the team and value every player.

now you can decide for yourself whether you are ok that the ni players and fans are silent and heads bowed during the SS at irfu matches. I don’t care that much as I don’t follow them. It’s your responsibility and if you and your country can’t rise above sectarianism then that’s up to you.

Have we defined any parameters for the outline of what a United Ireland will look like? Whats happened that discussion? Have we ever talked about how this might be done - realistically. How could two independent states continue to operate while a new state is being built in the background? A new, independent country and island - not the republic of ireland plus the 6 counties.

Why arent the politicians and public talking about those kind of things? If you dont start the conversation, then you arent ready to do anything. The conversation hasn't been started yet if you ask me - its all just reactionary imaginings by randomers on the internet.

Ive yet though to hear a good, solid reason to explain the lack of this kind of talk. Look at britian, unionists and brexit. Thats the direction a UI is going - something thats not discussed, where no-one understands any of it and the real discussions never occur. The fantastical naivety of 'we cant afford that' seems to stunt any kind of intelligent thought on the subject.

I think Unionism is in the process of melting away. All it ever was, was a Them v Us carry on where one side lived off the spoils off the other. You still see that in the marches where a gay dutch king, who was more interested in fighting the french and had a mostly catholic army is used as an excuse to belittle 'themuns' because of some battle the anniversary of which is almost two weeks before the 12th. On the 12th July there are homophobes celebrating a gay man - I find that hilarious.

My point is though, unionism wont survive into a UI as that need for separation and triumphalism will be long gone from society. Unionism at the minute looks like its the spoilt child who has only recently started being scolded. They know they cant do what they used to, but they miss having all the power, say and control over 'themuns'. Stormont right now is a classic example.

Yes I was reading about that.

They basically will have to toe the Protocol line wherever they want a trade deal. Nobody (including Unionists) trusts them anymore.

Yeh, they bow their heads they feel so excluded, isn't that what you claimed? 😁

As I said to you before, GSTQ/K was never the anthem of NI, it is the anthem of England. There is zero comparison.

The SS is the anthem of Ireland and Ireland's Call, in the absence of a NI anthem, is used to make people (players and supporters) feel included and it demonstratively works. There is no bowing heads...only in your head when you want to try and be divisive.