Poots wants Protestants to play Gaelic Games

[Blue Angel]

mairead farrell - probably not the most diplomatic move naming things after her -although for me she remains a soldier killed in a war - nothing more or less.

[Jim]

wasp said:

And very few if any amongst the Unionist community will want to try and change something that doesn't welcome them anyway no matter how the gaa try to dress it up.

you'll never change something from the outside.

[Wasp]

Setanta in all honesty I can't see it, not as things are. The devide is among young people now as it was 10 years ago, infact it is now probably worse when you consider attacks on Orange halls, churchs etc.

I asked a group of young people something similar and before you ask I didn't sit and say this and that about the gaa as that was not what I was there for. Anyway only one had played at a cross community game and never took part again because of some of those involved who were also playing.

From the answers I got the main type of answer would be not in a million years. If you want to try and understand the Unionist community, REALLY want to reach out then you will have to listen and listen properly to what is being said. The real changes have to take place and the result won't happen overnight but IMO a result can be achieved.

But under current sf policy, the gaa etc then hell will freeze over first. Trust is the key word, not a we want Unionists to play speech. Trust is the thing to work on.

[Wasp]

To me Miread Farrell is a fallen soldier

No she was a terrorist coward and when she was killed itr was poetic justice. She was hardly out on a picnic. But sf certainly did some gurning at her being killed. Would they have gurned if innocents had of been killed? She got her just deserts and it was a pity there was only three of them.

just the same as I'm sure there are Trophys named after British Soldiers and Policemen,

I have never heard of the IFA having trophies named after policemen etc. These were people killed by cowards while serving everyone no matter what spin republicans put on it. Now I think you are being crafty by saying policemen and soldiers instead of any of the loyalist paramilitary groups. To equate the police/army with scumbags is ridiculous and that would even be the same if you focused on only the police officers that did wrong. I would not equate the Irish army or the Gardai with the uvf, and if I did I think you would have something to say about it, yet you have done this with the RUC etc and the ira.

I see them as equal and if the GAA named a Trophy after a perosn who died in the British Army it'd be because the local GAA club wanted it to be that way and I wouldn't really have too much of an issue with it.

Again you are equating scum with the security forces so I am not going to answer such a ridiculous comment. For all the mistakes the security forces made north and south of the border it would never equate to the likes of the ira. Match like with like as in ira and the uda etc, not the ira and the police or the gards and the uvf.

[Jim]

aye, okay.

[earl]

I heard Ricky Hatton was at the Meath county club football final at the weekend. Must have been looking for some good boxing tips from those filthy brutes who play for Meath!

[earl]

harry said:

The problem is the GAA itself. It isn't simply a sporting body but has its roots steeped in Irish Nationalism. How can this ever be welcoming for me?? How could i ever want to get involved in something which stands for the opposite of everything i do??? Until the GAA becomes simply a sporting body and loses all the connections with Irish nationalism then i'd be opposed to any Unionist participating with the sport. Does this make me a bigot?? Does this mean i'm standing in the way of progress??? The problems lie at the door of the GAA. If they want to remain the same as they are now i'll have no problem with that. I respect their rights to support Irish Nationalism and understand how they have become the way they are. Just don't try telling me or any other Unionist that the GAA is a welcoming place open to anybody because it isn't. Full Stop.

I see your point, and wouldn't argue with it on a whole. I've stated the same in the past that the GAA is nationalist, not sectarian and that if you weren't into Irish nationalism, then it's not your bag. Clearly though, some Unionists don't agree.

[Wasp]

Setanta what factual evidence? Apart from that the ruc udr etc were not acting together with loyalists no matter what you or any other misinformed muppet claims. If any individual acted outside his role in the security forces then that doesn't mean it was the whole ruc or udr etc. Does Chesney and a few others equate to every priest = ira members??

Now wouldn't you be better focusing first on what ira members within your party done rather than alledged elements within the securtiy forces.

Now on the subject of soldiers this is what I call a soldier not some bastard killing defenceless people on purpose over and over and over again.

The sacrifice of Sergeant Michael G. Willets, 27, 3 Para.

On the evening of the 25th May 1971 an IRA terrorist entered the reception hall of Springfield Road Police station in Belfast. He carried a suitcase from which a smoking fuse protruded, dumping the case on the floor he fled out-side, inside the room were a man a woman and two children and several police officers. One of the police officers raised the alarm then began organising an evacuation of the hall through the reception office.

Sgt Willetts was on duty in the inner hall, on hearing the alarm he sent an NCO to the first floor to warn those above and hastened himself to the door towards which the police officer was thrusting those in the reception hall and office.

He held the door open while all passed safely through and then stood in the doorway shielding those taking cover.

In the next moment the bomb exploded with terrible force. Sgt Willetts was mortally wounded. His duty did not require him to enter the threatened area. All those people who were approaching the door from the far side agreed that if they had had to check to open the door, They would have perished.

Sgt Willetts waited, placing his body as a screen to shelter them.

By this act of bravery, he risked and lost his life for those of the adults and children.

Sgt Michael Willetts was awarded the George Cross (Posthumous).

Republicans jeered when the ambulance arrived, but Willets had saved Catholic civilians and children. The IRA had no such respect for life.

A true British hero.

[Blue Angel]

wasp i am afraid if you debate with republicans it is a matter of obviouscommon sense that most republicans will see volunteers who have died on active service as soldiers killed in the course of a war. You cannot hope to debate sensibly without accepting that republicans hold that view even if you disagree with it. This whole screaming about terrorist scum routine you seem to have lapsed into recently is the thinking of an angry child. All I have to say WASP is that are you enjoying what seems to be a protracted stay with the late im Henson's creations?

[Wasp]

I am simply speaking my mind. BA we have known eachother for a while and I respect the fact that we differ in most things at least. But when I have seen what ira violence was, what the intended outcome was over and over again it is hard to stomach anyone referring to them as soldiers in a war. In a war don't most soldiers wear a uniform where they are seperate from civillians.

Anyway do you call planting bombsa over and over again with the same results as the work of soldiers who are trying to minimize civillian casualties? Do you call them soldiers when they constantly repeat it?

Do you call them soldiers when they purposely shoot unarmed people over and over again??

Do you call them soldiers when they burst into someones house and shoot them unarmed infront of their children and keep repeating it?

Do you call them sodiers when they kidnap, torture and beat confessions out of people then execute them??

Do you call them soldiers when they abducted a 4ft 10" woman infrony of her children then executed her and probably tortured her?

If this is your version of a soldier then thank God you do not run any army. Your version would be best suited to dictatorships and those who support tyranny. Try N.Korea, Cuba or most Islamic nations in the middle east. There you will find your kind of soldiers.

I can understand the wishful thinking of what the ira are and were, but in reality this is fantasy and they were cowardly murdering sectarian bastards. Years and years of proof prove this and I find it sad that anyone could call these vermin soldiers, animals is too kind a word for them.

But I accept that there would have been some dedicated members who would have been appalled by alot of their organisations actions but they were still involved with the same organisation.

[Blue Angel]

pulling the thing back on topic -it's been mentioned that carson was a big fan of gaelic games- what about naming something after him?

[Jim]

Would Republicans?

Should do away with cup names of any political figure being honest, stick with unpoliticised irish figures or just do what they do in England and use bloody generic names. Saves a lot of wordds.

[Wasp]

setanta said:

Would you play in the Carson Cup WASP?

No, nor would I play in anycup with the name of RUC/UDR men/women either. This is how strongly alot of Unionists feel about the GAA.

I do not expect them to stop promoting their values like Irish language, Irishness or anything like it although I would welcome it. Just simply stop allowing terrorsim being promoted then trying to say 'all are welcome' and 'we want Unionists to play' etc.

[bearhunter]

Or keep it to people who have done something for the game, like the Sam Maguire, Liam McCarthy, Christy Ring or Nicky Rackard competitions.

[Republic]

Put it this way, approximatly 75% of Irish People want a United Ireland, (under certin circumstanses I know Republic )

;D ;DLOL
I must be keepin you on your toes if you're putting certain disclaimers into your posts now ;D
Or else you're just sick of arguing with me