London 2012.. and handovers..
Whilst Craigavon Borough Council has been criticised by Sinn Féin councillor, Johnny McGibbon, after they voted to join the UK-wide celebrations and raise the London 2012 Olympic handover flag this weekend, the Department of Culture, Arts, and Leisure tells us that on Sunday 24th August,
At Belfast’s celebrations, the Lord Mayor of Belfast will be presented with a London 2012 handover Flag by children from our ethnic communities to mark the beginning of Northern Ireland being part of 2012.
That would be the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Sinn Féin’s Tom Hartley, presumably.. Although, perhaps an alternative will be used..
All a bit sad by SF really. They have accepted that NI is part of the UK and I think they should embrace the 2012 olympics for what it is – an excellent opportunity for tourism and to promote sport throughout NI.
Sour grapes coz the ROI are rubbish at mainstream sports perhaps?
How will nIreland participate in the 2012 olympics?
They have already been told no maze stadium no games and the dupers and their fellow travelers wont have it
C’est la vie
…and NI are world-beaters I suppose?
On a tangental note, as this might be related to a GB footbal team in the 2012 Olympics. Does anyone know if GSTQ was played at last night’s friendly between NI and Scotland and if it was, was it played for both teams ? If it was played did the Scots boo, which they usually seem to do, whilst the proud lads from NI sang their hearts out ?
Also if it was played, was it played twice, once for the home team and once for the away team. If it was played twice, did the NI supporters sing on both occassions or only the once and did the Scottish supporters boo on both occassions or only the once, if at all ?
Personally I think the 2012 Olympics will mean not a great deal for anyone outside of the Southeast of England and London in particular… which is not a bad thing as I am paying a lump of council tax towards the white elephant.
“…they should embrace the 2012 olympics for what it is – an excellent opportunity for tourism and to promote sport throughout NI.”
I agree wholeheartedly!
“Sour grapes coz the ROI are rubbish at mainstream sports perhaps?”
I don’t agree, this is kinda an arrogant cheeky bastard statement!
“to mark the beginning of Northern Ireland being part of 2012.”
Aye right.
Anyone who thinks we are going to see any of the money that comes through as a result of the London Olympics or that we are actually going to host any of the events may also be interested in some magic beans I have for sale.
I don’t agree, this is kinda an arrogant cheeky bastard statement!
I agree: arrogant, definitely cheeky, and with a touch of B******. However, possibly true?
What are you surprised that a party whose entire policy is underpinned by a (false) sense of some unique Irish national celtic gene pool should be opposed to the Olympic ideals?
Its not called Ourselves Alone for nothing.
Perhaps the games, under the Patrick Saltire, could involve the south of Ireland too ? Participation for the Irish in home nations activities ?
Join in with your fellows in the Britsh Isles. Go on, be positive and embrace unity.
It was a cheeky bastard statement, but not really relevant… how many of the Olympic sports would you consider mainstream?
Paging Dr. Strangelove…
yes GSTQ was played for NI while the flower of scotland was played for that other home nation. The scottish fans booed GSTQ to the point where you could not even hear it anymore, which means that either Britishness is dead or the Glasgow Rangers Supporters Association had a function that evening.
“Perhaps the games, under the Patrick Saltire, could involve the south of Ireland too ? Participation for the Irish in home nations activities ?
Join in with your fellows in the Britsh Isles. Go on, be positive and embrace unity.”
I agree, Commonwealth Games and all! And sure it might happen too. And the ‘home nations’ soccer tournament will be kicking off in a few years, ah but England will be absent!
And how about an All-Ireland soccer team under a St Patrick Saltire, sure isn’t that what Sunderland (as mentioned on another thread) are now bar the Green jersey and a ‘St Patrick Saltire!’
Thanks for the info 33.
From previously speaking to Scottish Ranger’s fans they might have been at Wembley for the England match.
And back to something approaching the actual topic..
This pathetic gesture will begin and end “NI being part of 2012″.
The vast majority of UK folk don’t give a shit about NI and don’t regard it as being part of Britain anyway.
As someone already pointed out, “They have already been told no Maze stadium no games and the dupers and their fellow travelers wont have it”
Undoubtedly, many Unionists will laughably try and portray that NI will (as an integral part of the UK lol) play an integral part in 2012.
The reality is that NI will host no events without the Maze and play no part at all.
I think it’s a good time to celebrate and joining together in a world wide event.
Also a good chance for bi-partisanship in hopefully trying to get to host a couple of events.
The fact that it’s a London/British thing shouldn’t be an obstacle to anyone in NI IMHO.
I would say the same thing if Dublin held the games – perhaps in another century or so.
)
Realistically, do we have any facilities for any of the olympic sports. No stadia rules out most sports… we might get a very minor football/hockey qualifier, but unlikely. The only hope is a sailing event in Bangor, but as the English are so good at sailing, it will be a high profile sport and probably on the thames. Anyway, it is the London olympics… should anyone elsewhere in the UK expect anything?
On the NI football anthem – front page of the Newsletter this morning asks should we have a new anthem – it’s obviously getting irritating that NI has to play under a non-regional anthem.
Now I think about it, isn’t NI’s biggest stadium casement park? Would the GAA allow an olymic sport to be played there?
“I think it’s a good time to celebrate and joining together in a world wide event.”
Definitely, London 2012 is a geat opportunity for all of Britain (and even all of Ireland, not just NI) to exploit, but I do think that it will be a totally English affair rather than a shared British event.
Team GB, despite contributions from the Scots, Welsh and Irish, is largely an English team and I think foreign folk associate the Union flag more with England, as just like the GSTQ anthem of the English Queen!
But anyway ye wanna get yer finger out up there in NI and get some sort of a decent stadium built, and put some facilities in place too else ye’z will miss out.
BTW, Why are ye’s so slow up there? Lansdowne Road in Dublin is well under way!
From SF
http://sinnfein.ie/news/detail/34356
“I am extremely disappointed at the Unionist parties on Craigavon Borough Council. With an opportunity to show leadership and send out a signal to the nationalist and republican community that the Council is open to everyone, they failed to rise to the challenge.”
I must write to this guy for a laugh. Sinn Fein’s definition of equality means “All things republican good, anything remotely British must be banished”. I wonder has he been down the road to Newry recently where a local Public park has been (with ratepayers money) renamed after an IRA terrorist (Raymond McCreesh – who incidentally was not from Newry). Newry and mourne council were fined after illegal discrimination after preventing FAIR from using (ratepayers) public property. The same Newry & Mourne council who are in £20 million debt are spending tens of thousands of pounds converting all road/street signs to Irish without consulting local minority groups. The Same Party who this week vowed to stop a protestant band parade (After having successfully stopped it from being held anywhere near newry town) being held in the last unionist outskirt area of Newry as “It blocks a main road into Newry” (even though there are about 5 bypass roads). asking for discussions with local residents (to reach agreement presumably) Cllr Brendan Curran Stated “I will be going all out to stop this parade this year, and every other year” (good to see room for accommodation through dialogue). The same N&M;council who have erected several illegal IRA monuments in Newry, again with ratepayers money. So when Craigavon Council Flies an olympic flag, hyprocitical SF stir it up again…..Sinn Fein in Newry prey on the vulnerable minority protestant community, victimizing on the youth who had NOTHING whatsoever to do with interment etc etc as it was before their time, no fig leafs or reconciliation (which makes me personally sad, as an opportunity slipping) .Sometimes I wonder have they fully signed up to the GFA. The way things are going the (old stock/new stock) semtex will be out again…………