Cancel memorial night call
Edwin Poots has called on St Paul’s GAC to cancel a proposed memorial night for Crip McWilliams, one of the INLA members convicted for the murder of Billy Wright and who died recently from cancer. ADDITION McWilliams was in the Maze serving a sentence for the murder of Colm McMahon. Meanwhile, at the Billy Wright Inquiry a former Governor revealed advance warning of plots to kill Wright in prison through secret talks with the INLA. He believes he did warn the Maze governor of the threat. UPDATE The Club Committee has cancelled the booking.
Yeah but the big difference is Ranger 1640 did they try and insist on marching through areas where they weren’t welcome?
UMH asked a question – I simply gave him an answer.
How many members of the IFA ruling Council are ALSO members of the Orange Order? How many of them were involved in the vote to oust Jim Boyce? It is time that the media and nationalist politicians asked these questions. There is NO doubt the Orange Order still has a big influence in local football. While the figurehead of the IFA remains a member of the Orange Order Nationalists will want NOTHING to do with it. Unionists have NO right to point the finger at the GAA while EVERY year we witness Loyalist paramilitary bands lead Orange Order parades across the North and the Orange Order marching behind banners lauding dead Loyalist terrorists. The hypocrisy is rotten to the core but no surprise when Sinn Fein and the SDLP are so weak and ineffective.
Roslea,
I take it then if the Orange Order were to change it’s theological stance you’d be happy for them to parade down your road with banners commemorating Loyalist paramilitaries?
If you’re against the Orange Order going where it’s not wanted then presumably you’ll support those of us who object to our tax money going into the GAAs begging bowl?
Republican Stones,
Your need to resort to ad hominem attacks simply illustrates the paucity of your argument. And a wee home truth for you is I’m not a supporter of the NI football team.
“While the figurehead of the IFA remains a member of the Orange Order Nationalists will want NOTHING to do with it.”
So Nationalists would flock to support the IFA if no members of the Orange Order were involved in it? Somehow I think not…
I think this thread is the definition of whataboutary…
Whatabout themuns.
Nice one lads
“While the figurehead of the IFA remains a member of the Orange Order Nationalists will want NOTHING to do with it”
Nationalists/Republicans seem happy enough to share power with Orangemen up on the hill.
Once again, interesting comparisons from our nationalist/republican contributors between the GAA and the OO.
RosleaNaEireann,
No i defended the right of a club to name whatever(Trophy ,club or ground) or hold a commemoration ceremony after someone who is deceased IF he was a member of that club
Thanks for the clarification. So, as long as the deceased was a member of the club any crime (no matter how heinous) committed by him is immaterial. And if a club decided to name itself after a convicted paedophile, for example, you’d have no problem?
My impression is that the GAA is mostly a parish-based sporting organisation, the parishes being catholic, which is why there are no prods in it. That said, it is mostly sporting and only the odd head-case ground in hard-core areas that have memorial matches for the local terrorist.
Orange order is comparable in being locally based religious organisation, the religion being protestant, so there are no catholics in it. Mostly the functions are social and local, and onlt the odd head-case lodge that insists on marching through unwelcoming areas &/or carrying banners for the local terrorist.
Both have their problems – are either doing anything about it. Their supporters certainly only seem to be interesting in pointing out the problems of the other side, rather than tackling their own.
‘Your need to resort to ad hominem attacks…’
What attacks? Is Dick not short for Richard? Methinks Freud would have a field day with you.
DK, sensible post but i would say that no religion is barred from playing GAA, nor do the GAA insist on marching through areas where they are not wanted, so as other comentators have said, to compare one with the other is fatuous to say the least.
“How many members of the IFA ruling Council are ALSO members of the Orange Order?”
Do they even allow Catholics on their executive committee?
Their must be a token taig somewhere?
DK,
My impression is that the GAA is mostly a parish-based sporting organisation, the parishes being catholic, which is why there are no prods in it.
Your impression is right. And wrong.
The basic geographical area on which GAA clubs are based is usually the parish, but this is a boundary thing, not a religious thing. My own (ex-)church, the C of I, also has parishes, and while there has been some merging (to cope with falling numbers, etc) the boundaries are pretty much the same.
The GAA club is certainly not a ‘Catholic parish sports club’ – it is a sports club that set out to have local branches at an appropriate level – townlands were too small, baronies too big. Parishes usually contained a decent number of people, were geographically concentrated (no salamanders) and, yes, at the start, had a Catholic priest who was the 19th century equivalent of a community worker, to get things moving. But the formal involvement of the Catholic church has gone, AFAIK.
Lastly, there are, of course, many “prods in it”.
“Lastly, there are, of course, many “prods in it”.”
Any hard stats on how many, Horseman, say in Fermanagh?
“Lastly, there are, of course, many “prods in it”.”
Horseman,
Could you confirm how many “Prods” are on the Antrim, Down, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Derry and Armagh County Board Committees?
In fact, how many have ever been on them?
What percentage would that constitute?
PS. I know Sam Maguire was a “Prod”
Realist
Any idea how many Catholics are on the Irish Football Association Executive Committee
oneill and Realist,
No, of course not. The GAA doesn’t gather stats on its members religions (or lack of). Anecdotal evidence is all you’re going to get.
Looks to me like neither the IFA nor the GAA (and fans thereof) are in any position to throw stones at each other on these issues (and I myself am a GAWA man) – doesn’t seem to stop the die-hards complaining of motes and missing their own planks though…nothing changes – this whole argument will be repeated on the next Norn Iron football thread and so on…
I am going to WASTE your time reading this while wasting my time typing it. I know it will be the usual LOT of nonsense but I feel COMPELLED to do it. Or rather not so MUCH compelled as I have to do it because the MONKEY sitting beside me tells me to do IT, or else. Just to underline his point he WHACKS me every now and again on the back of my head. He is a nice monkey, well apart from the whacking, with lovely green fur and the strange THING about him is that I am the only ONE who can see HIM. When he hits me I slip into uppercase on the keyboard. YOU may also wonder why there are no paragraphs? MONKEY doesn’t like paragraphs and he says he will give me a real GOOD kicking if I was to use them. And I also know that I don’t make any contribution to the SUBJECT of the thread but monkey just seems to like the words lighting up the screen. You know you got to do what you got to do. So I’ll be back. Anyway monkey needs a banana so I’ll sign off. Speak to you SOON.
Anecdotal evidence is all you’re going to get.
And that’s not really the kind of evidence which wins many court-cases…or debates (in the loosest sense of the word)on Slugger Horseman;)
Richard James
“take it then if the Orange Order were to change it’s theological stance you’d be happy for them to parade down your road with banners commemorating Loyalist paramilitaries?
If you’re against the Orange Order going where it’s not wanted then presumably you’ll support those of us who object to our tax money going into the GAAs begging bowl?”
No i wouldnt want the Orange Order down my road Full Stop,Parades should NOT be allowed anywhere they are not wanted.
As for you tax money going towards the GAA,why dont you refuse to pay your tax in protest then.
Good luck with that.
O Neil
“Thanks for the clarification. So, as long as the deceased was a member of the club any crime (no matter how heinous) committed by him is immaterial. And if a club decided to name itself after a convicted paedophile, for example, you’d have no problem?”
If the deceased was an important member of the club,then to be honest i wouldnt object if they named if after him/her.
I dont personally think any club should be named after someone who has been involved in illegal activities(in the recent past,Just to rule out problems with Sarsfield,Patrick Pearse and co),
But id defend those who do wish to name stuff after them.
Unfortunately you know aswell as i do, that a club would never be named after a convicted Paedophile,who are despised by all,
There is unfortunately support or at least sympathy for Republican Paramilitaries in many Grassroots Nationalist areas,which no doubt carry over to some GAA clubs.
There are definetely some GAA clubs in the Six Counties that you could call “sectarian”,however they are only a small minority out of the hundreds of clubs around Antrim,Derry,Tyrone,Down,Fermanagh and Armagh.
Roslea,
Well thanks for clarifying that you don’t have a problem with the Orange Order because of any unsavourary assocations it has or theology. You just don’t want themmums coming down “your” road. Incidentally unless you happen to own the road they would walk down it is as much theirs as it is yours.
Now could you answer my question, would you support those of us who don’t want to give money to the GAA beggars?
“Unfortunately you know aswell as i do, that a club would never be named after a convicted Paedophile,who are despised by all,
There is unfortunately support or at least sympathy for Republican Paramilitaries in many Grassroots Nationalist areas,which no doubt carry over to some GAA clubs.”
So grassroots Nationalists think paedophillia is wrong but think shooting a bar manager in the head is OK if he objects to anti-social behaviour? Pretty much tells us the moral sewer they live in.
LURIG
“[i]Unionists have NO right to point the finger at the GAA while EVERY year we witness Loyalist paramilitary bands lead Orange Order parades across the North and the Orange Order marching behind banners lauding dead Loyalist terrorists.”[/i]
Unionists have every right to point the finger at the GAA and they have every right to point the finger at the OO. I believe from the information provided by Paul, it is one lodge on the Shankill who continue to commemorate members who were also members of loyalist terror groups. The issue which seems to be used in their defense is that they aren’t commemorating them as members of the UVF, but as Orangemen. Well, this might wash with some, but as a Unionists who is against any type of illegal terrorist groups, I believe the Orange Order shouldn’t allow this lodge to set it’s own rules. I believe Unionists should challenge the Orange Order on this issue, as the lodge in question is hijacking the civil and religious principles the Order stand for.
Excuse me if I am reporting old news .. new grafitti near St Pauls
“St Poots GAC – Shame on you!”