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.
And yet Edwin was perfectly happy to sit round the cabinet table with those who still celebrate murder. What a hypocrite.
If St Pauls allow this to go ahead they may as well close up shop as I can imagine a boycott by those sickened association with McWilliams and what he was in jail for.
In case you don’t know, it was for doing something which Billy Wright had become practised at: murdering an innocent Catholic in their workplace.
Two things:
Firstly, St Pauls did not know what tthe booking was for, and they are currently (re-)considering it.
Secondly, Poots could show some balance by calling for certain Orange parades to stop carrying banners commemorating loyalist murderers .
For the record, I think St Pauls should not let this go ahead, if it is as described, and I don’t think that they will.
Wheres the memorial for Colm Mahon, Manager of “Frames Bar” who was shot dead by McWilliams. Mahon’s only crime was to ask Crip & his cronies to leave the bar, as McWilliam’s birthday celebrations were getting out of hand.
“Wheres the memorial for Colm Mahon, Manager of “Frames Bar” who was shot dead by McWilliams”
Colm Mahon was a respected member of Sarsfields GAC.
I’m sure it’s members are sickened by the notion that his killer was to be “honoured” at another local GAC.
No way should someone like Christopher McWilliams be honoured in a clubroom owned by St Pauls GAA.
Thankfully i would say St Pauls will reject it.
One thing though,
What business is it of Edwin Poots or any other non GAA member what takes place in GAA property?
The answer is None.
Agree with the sentiments expressed for the memory of Colm Mahon. However, I must have missed Edwin Poot’s criticism of the Orange Order which displayed a banner commerating Brian Robinson on the junction between Lanark Road and the Shankill throughout the summer.
Fair point, Dec. I remember said banner being there for virutally the entire sumer.
The club should have a bookings form with a section to state in full the nature of any booking – that would be a simple way forward..
Proposed: That a booking form be created.
Seconded:
Jab done.
hem time.
I hope and believe they will cancell this.
They should find out what things are being booked for.
According to Irp ‘Comrade Foster’ on the Republican Socialist forum (google it) he’ll be speaking to some of the St Paul’s committee tonight and will put their case “…in as strong as terms as possible.”
Which I’d be worried about given the INLA’s form for murdering people who ask them to leave licensed premises.
The club committee said it was unaware of the nature of the booking when it was made and will discuss it soon.
Was it only because of Poot’s intervention, they found out its “true nature”?
If so, then he did them a favour.
Roslea
What business is it of Edwin Poots or any other non GAA member what takes place in GAA property?
You’re kidding aren’t you? Don’t you know that it’s the sacred duty of every good DUPer to diligently look for faults within the nationalist community — and of course vice versa. That’s why NI is still ranked among the saddest communities on earth.
Horseman
“St Pauls did not know what tthe booking was for”.
Ok fine. They do now, and there should be no need for a discussion as to to the merits of it. Cancel cancel cancel.
RnE
“What business is it of Edwin Poots or any other non GAA member what takes place in GAA property? ”
If you want to be simplistic about it. None. But celebrating a murdering thug overrides any such considerations.
Horseman, Dec, Roslea et al,
I’m a Gaa man and as much as I dislike what is said by Poots and his ilk on many occasions about the GAA I think you guys are falling into his little trap by continually halping him by comparing the GAA with the OO.
Granted the comment is often to state a difference but the end result is that on Slugger at least the GAA continually gets dragged into comparisons with the Gaa with the crowing nationalist saying “whatever you say about us the OO is worse”
The point of course is that the GAA and the OO are very different things but my suspicion that one of the many angles being worked by Poots and the DUPers is to feed of the place the GAA has built itself and shore up the OO as the Unionist mirror image.
Basically a lot of decent Unionists abandonned the OO but if they through time become seen as a Unionist equivalent to the GAA they will regain the decency they lost due to over exposure in the nineties.
It always occurs to me that Poots and co couldn’t give a dam about this meeting.
Incidentally I’m sure this meeting should not go ahead.
“with the OO”
In fairness Poots is right, but he is just having a dig for other purposes.
“What business is it of Edwin Poots or any other non GAA member what takes place in GAA property?”
Plenty when you pass the begging bowl round for our money.
Maybe they’ll rename the club in honour of McWilliams….and Mr Brennan will make an appearence to cut the ribbon.
Isnt that the usual form?
‘Plenty when you pass the begging bowl round for our money.’
Nationalists don’t pay taxes now is that it?
On thread Im sure the club will ask the organisers to seek another venue.
“Nationalists don’t pay taxes now is that it?”
And that’s for things like healthcare, not promoting their murderer of choice.
So the GAA merely promotes murderers????
Please do continue….
When will the GAA stop dividing up our society for their dream of a Republican Gaelic Catholic 32 counties? They seem to be as hell bend as ever on making sport sectarian in N.Ireland. Do they want football organisations in N.Ireland to be taken over by those who support the celebration of loyalist terrorists, is this the type of thing the bigotted GAA want?
The GAA and all who support it need to take a long hard look at themselves.
I thought you were from gaelic stock UMH?
As regards catholic, please give us a link to the GAA rules where it mentions catholicism.
‘Do they want football organisations in N.Ireland to be taken over by those who support the celebration of loyalist terrorists’
Well wasn’t a senior member of the IFA an orangeman? And we all know the OO’s relationship with loyalism. So it seems your comment is a bit out of date.
In case you don’t know, it was for doing something which Billy Wright had become practised at: murdering an innocent Catholic in their workplace.
Colm Mahon was a friend of a friend (I did never personally met him). The story I heard was that McWilliams and his contemporaries were causing some kind of trouble in the bar, so Mahon threw them out. McWilliams returned within the hour and shot him dead.
An American friend of mine visited McWilliams in jail about ten years ago, and asked him about what he was in for. McWilliams said that he had been fitted up, framed for a murder he did not commit, and that he was an innocent man. Later I found out that McWilliams was trying to find an American to marry him so that he could leave NI. I don’t know if he was able to achieve that in the end.
I had understood that up until Wright’s shooting, McWilliams had been ostracized from the INLA. I don’t know whether this began before the Mahon murder, or not. Whenever he murdered Wright, the INLA/IRSP started up the revisionism and tried to portray him as one of theirs, at the same time attempting to raise their own profile for having eliminated such a high profile anti-Catholic killer. I suspect that this latest effort to commemorate his death is the latest in the INLA’s efforts to portray themselves as heroes and defenders of the Catholic population.
“[i]I thought you were from gaelic stock UMH?2[/i]
Proper gaelic stock, not the Republican 32 county Irish expansionist tripe it’s so widely linked with today.
2[i]As regards catholic, please give us a link to the GAA rules where it mentions catholicism.2[/i]
rules is not the issue. The clubs which the GAA as an organisation rule over are full of anti-Prod/British feeling.
‘Do they want football organisations in N.Ireland to be taken over by those who support the celebration of loyalist terrorists’
“[i]Well wasn’t a senior member of the IFA an orangeman?”[/i]
You’re distrating techniques won’t wash with me. The GAA support murder.
“[i]And we all know the OO’s relationship with loyalism. So it seems your comment is a bit out of date.”[/i]
Here we go again, shifting the direction from the terrorist supporting GAA to the Orange institution which has never commemorated or supported loyalist terror.
RepublicanStones, pathetic attempt to divert from the GAA’s support of murder.
‘Proper gaelic stock’
Which is what exactly?
‘not the Republican 32 county Irish expansionist tripe’
I wasn’t aware republicans were looking to annex Wales.
‘The clubs which the GAA as an organisation rule over are full of anti-Prod/British feeling.’
Anti-prod???? Anti-british, Im sure certain people are anti-british govt and army, after all, Britain hasn’t exactly been kind to the Irish. Also there was the little matter of Bloody Sunday in Croker.
‘You’re distrating techniques won’t wash with me.’
look into my eyes, not around the eyes….
or perhaps yu just suffer from foot in mouth syndrome. I think we know which.
‘Here we go again, shifting the direction from the terrorist supporting GAA to the Orange institution which has never commemorated or supported loyalist terror’
Ok, ok you got me, the OO don’t have parades which involve banners commemorating colonist militia death squad members. Oh and this never happened….http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/nov1999/ire-n09.shtml
like I said, foot in mouth syndrome.
Roslea.
In the new order of a United Ireland, that I’m sure you aspire to, will it be wrong for people to hold an opinion about anything without being told that it is none of their business?? Poots is perfectly entitled to raise this issue just as others are perfectly at liberty to pass comments about banners at Lanark Way. Its called freedom of speech!!
Didnt the chief constable or one of the other coppers just give a speach at a dinner named after a loyalist killer?
“Well wasn’t a senior member of the IFA an orangeman? And we all know the OO’s relationship with loyalism. So it seems your comment is a bit out of date.”
Weak. It’s widely recognised the IFA has gone to great lengths to stamp out sectarianism. Unlike the GAA which promotes the members of Nationalist death squads at every opportunity.
I wish idiots in the Nationalist community would stop comparing us in the GAA to the Orange Order,
There is no similarity
One is a Bigoted Sectarian religious organisation
The Other is a non secterian sporting organisation . Fine il admit the GAA in the Six Counties has become politicised,Idiots in Sinn Fein constantly using the organisation as a baton against Unionists, but as an organisation Island wide, Its non Political.
(This view stands no matter what idiot tries to bring up whats written in some rule book)
Il defend clubs naming tournaments and clubs/pitches after people who have committed terrible acts, if they were a prominent member of said organisation which i have done in the matter of Kevin Lynch etc.
There can be no defending of Honouring this individual who was convicted of murdering a member of a neighbouring GAA club.
Theres also no doubt what type of person Billy Wright was,But celebrating murder, no matter who or what the person who was murdered was is unnacceptable.
Richard James
Weak. It’s widely recognised the IFA has gone to great lengths to stamp out sectarianism. Unlike the GAA which promotes the members of Nationalist death squads at every opportunity.
You can harp on and on about your precious Unionist IFA
stamping out sectarianism all you want.
I and alot of others dont buy it.
Although im sure you wont lose any sleep over that.
Have you been to an NI match recently Roslea? No? Surprise surprise… I’ve never been to a GAA game but I’ll not start jumping to wild assumptions…
I went to my first NI game in 10 years a couple of weeks ago and I have to say I was shocked by the behaviour of the fans. It was so bloody good! From my seat, I can honestly say even swearing was almost non-existant, and absolutley nothing sectarian whatsoever – apart from a few individuals grunting no surrender during the anthem. Like you, I guess I was a little sceptical of the whole kick sectarianism out think but from what I saw, massive strides have been made.
That said, if NI played ROI or the hoops, I’m sure the atmosphere would be more feisty!
Sorry, got away from the subject there…. The GAA really need to cut all ties with their political heroes. Naming stadia, trophies etc after republican heroes/murderers is never going to endear it to the protestant population and quite frankly,is inappropriate for any sporting organisation.
So your problem with the GAA hosting the McWilliams tribute is that he murdered another member of the GAA. On the other hand you have no problem naming clubs and pitches after members of Nationalist death squads as long as they keep to murdering huns. Says all we need to know about your attitudes and the endemic bigotry in the GAA.
Ach, come on – we all know that the GAA club in question would have no problem having a right old knees up for this murdering sectarian spide, if it hadn’t been held up for public scrutiny. They may back down now, claiming ‘ignorance’ – it changes nothing. Everyone knows the score, and the apologists refusing to deal with the issue and dealing instead with feeble whataboutery only confirm that.
Let then welt away with Crip’s commemoration. It’s the pathetic attempt to claim that (northern) GAA isn’t bitterly sectarian to the core which people just snigger at.
RosleaNaEireann ,
Il defend clubs naming tournaments and clubs/pitches after people who have committed terrible acts, if they were a prominent member of said organisation which i have done in the matter of Kevin Lynch etc.
There can be no defending of Honouring this individual who was convicted of murdering a member of a neighbouring GAA club.
So, you can have murdered and maimed basically to your heart’s content, as long as it’s not a member of another GAA club, we’ll still roll out the red-carpet for you…have I interpreted your attitude right?
Can I start at the beginning, is the GAA a sporting organization or is it a Quasi Political grouping?
O Neil
“So, you can have murdered and maimed basically to your heart’s content, as long as it’s not a member of another GAA club, we’ll still roll out the red-carpet for you…have I interpreted your attitude right? ”
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.
McWillianms isnt a member of St Pauls GAC therefore there should be no memorial night allowed in St Pauls GAC.
Richard James
“So your problem with the GAA hosting the McWilliams tribute is that he murdered another member of the GAA. On the other hand you have no problem naming clubs and pitches after members of Nationalist death squads as long as they keep to murdering huns”
No My problem is with the GAA hosting any commemoration which isnt specifically about the host club or a living or deceased member of the HOST club.
McWilliams wasnt a member of St Pauls GAC,so his life should not be remembered in St Pauls Property.
That is mu opinion.
So Roslea what is your objection to Old Boyne Valley Heroes having banners commemorating it’s members that were murderers?
Richard James
“So Roslea what is your objection to Old Boyne Valley Heroes having banners commemorating it’s members that were murderers?”
Im guessing the Old Boyne Valley Heroes is a OO or Apprentice Boy ,band or Lodge?
Did i object to any Orange Order/Apprenetice Boy group naming their members after Murderers?
Good luck finding a post of me doing so.
Whats Orange Lodges name their things is up to them,Its none of my business.
The Only problem i have with the OO is its rabid anti-Catholicism and its marching where its not wanted.
Old Boyne Island Heroes LOL 633, have a banner with an likeness of Brother Brian Robinson on it.
Surly republicans should not complain about this banner of Old Boyne Island Heroes, as Brian Robinson was a victim of physical Force British Justice. After all republicans are always telling us they are defending everyone form physical Force British Justice?
Can’t see what republicans have a problem with; they should be encouraging more of this activity if they were being consistent?
However, republicans have never been known to be consistent about much other than trying to rewrite history or saying it wasn’t us.
The only thing thats weak Dick james me ‘aul flower is your retort. Unfortunately it seems a few home truths are best avoided eh?
RepublicanStones
“[i]Ok, ok you got me, the OO don’t have parades which involve banners commemorating colonist militia death squad members.”[/i]
name them
Roslena:
The Only problem i have with the OO is its rabid anti-Catholicism and its marching where its not wanted.
And the GAA are a shingling example of non sectarian sport and anti Unionist bigotry?
“Maybe they’ll rename the club in honour of McWilliams….and Mr Brennan will make an appearence to cut the ribbon.
Isnt that the usual form? ”
Perhaps when the IFA start to punish clubs who openly commemorate loyalist terrorist apologists like David Ervine at games, they can claim the high ground.
I don’t recall the IFA President and Orange Order member Mr Kennedy taking any action against Glentoran for their commemoration of the uvf/PUP leader.
But hardly surprising, considering that Mr Kennedy’s buddies are happy to commemorate lots of loyalist killers at their marches.
‘name them’
Are you claiming there are no banners carried during orange parades commemorating colonist death squad members (commonly referred to as loyalists)?
Why not have a GAA club organise a night in celebration of Gerry Adams? In celebration of his great victory over the Irish Collie Club at La Mon, which he ordered. Sure they were only prods.
So it wasn’t really murder in Republican eyes. But Animal cruelty laws could be appliied?
Ahh Drift returns. Any more info on British army tactics? Seeing as you seem to be able to say for certain what they get up to.
Can I start at the beginning, is the GAA a sporting organization or is it a Quasi Political grouping?
”Ok, ok you got me, the OO don’t have parades which involve banners commemorating colonist militia death squad members.
name them”
Here you are UMH happy to oblige.
“ One of the lodges to parade is Lodge 633 known as The Old Boyne Island Heroes, the biggest and one of the oldest on the Shankill Road with a history that goes back to 1823.
But The Old Boyne Island Heroes is no ordinary Orange Lodge. I asked whether the Lodge number- 633 – referred to the RAF’s famous ‘Dam Busters’ squadron 633, which destroyed the great German dams of The Ruhr in 1943. I thought it might have been a patriotic reference but was politely corrected. The only bomber on Lodge 633’s banner, under the words ‘in proud memory of our fallen brethren’ is one of the names of five UVF Lodge members killed during the current conflict listed on the Lodge’s smaller bannerette. Aubrey Reis was one of four UVF men blown up in 1975 when the bomb they were carrying in their car exploded prematurely; Noel ‘Nogi’ Shaw was ‘executed’ as a result of an internal UVF feud, also in 1975; John Bingham was a UVF commander shot dead at his home by the IRA in 1986; Brian Robinson was killed on ‘active service’ by undercover soldiers in 1989 and Robert ’Basher’ Bates was shot dead in a revenge attack in 1997. A sixth name, that of Colin Craig, gunned down by the INLA in 1994, was once listed on the bannerette but removed when it was thought that had been an informer. Few of them were ‘defending Ulster’ when they died, although, in the eyes of their comrades, they had played their part in doing so before.
There is good reason for the Old Boyne Island Heroes being known locally as the ‘UVF Lodge’ and, although its officers do not welcome the reference and point out that the majority of its members have no connection with the UVF, they do not deny the association and are proud of its members who have died, as they see it, in defence of their shared heritage and tradition. Whereas most Orange Lodges expel members who have served prison sentences for terrorist offences, the Old Boyne Island Heroes do not. A senior officer of the Lodge told me “If you hadn’t done gaol, you weren’t a real member”
- Peter Taylor, ‘Loyalists’ pp 151-152
Paul
And the gaa have never had an inla or ira man in their ranks. Do they just wait until they are dead and then open their gates for his mates to have a good auld bohys day out?
With games, teams and competitions named after good auld bohys Bobby Sands, Martin Hurson or Martin Lynch is the gaa a sport a quasi political party or a recruiting ground for terrorists?
http://ograshinnfein.blogspot.com/2008/07/martin-hurson-and-tyrone-volunteers.html
As every other year, the commemorative day kicked of with the annual Martin Hurson Memorial GAA cup final which was played at Galbally Pearses Football Field. The Hurson’s team the eventual victor’s overcoming a spirited Aghaloo side.
Following the completion of the match and the trophy ceremony, thousands of Republicans, including family, friends and comrades of Martin’s, lined up at Galbally GAA Centre to march to the Tyrone Volunteers Monument in Cappagh Main Street.
http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/32738
hey assembled at the Community Centre to take part in a parade led by a colour party and two bands: the Martin Hurson Memorial Flute Band from Gortin and the South Derry Martyrs Flute Band.
There were banners which represented Pomeroy, Galbally, Aughnacloy and Ógra Sinn Féin from Derry. The parade followed a football match played at Galbally GAA grounds in which teams from the county competed to win the Martin Hurson Cup.
The parade went to the Republican Monument in the village of Cappagh. There was a wreath-laying ceremony with tributes from Óglaigh na hÉireann, Sinn Féin and the National Graves Association. A special mention was given to a wreath laid by Councillor Brendan Farrell, from Longford Town Council, who laid a wreath on behalf of the McManus/Hurson Sinn Féin Cumann in Longford, where Martin Hurson was the Smash H-Blocks candidate in the 1981 general election.
Barry McElduff, Omagh councillor and MLA for west Tyrone, said:
“Tyrone has a very distinguished list of Volunteers. That is something we are very proud of. Martin Hurson’s death on hunger strike swelled the ranks of the IRA in Tyrone.”
McElduff thanked everyone who turned up and he urged the building of political campaigns to proudly assert the Irishness of the people of Tyrone and the use of every available tactic to dissolve the unnatural, British-imposed border between the North and South of Ireland.