Saturday, June 16, 2007
From Ikea to Limavady
SDLP Councillor Gerry Mullan is objecting to the display of a Union flag during a World War I commemoration event in Limavady. The solitary Union flag will not be flown on council property, on a temporary flag poll for approximately 30 minutes. However, this is too much for Cllr Mullan who has attacked it as a “flag-waving exercise”.
Fair Deal @ 10:59 AM
I accept that point and the flag doesn’t personally bother me in itself. It’s just the fact that it appears to go against the spirit of the no flags policy while not technically breaking it. If it was anywhere else in the town and not right in front of the council offices then no one would have a problem except for maybe some crazy RSF members.
I am a moderate nationalist but I have been able to stand at the war memorial in Limavady and have worn a poppie in the past as a mark of respect. It’s not the issue of having a flag at all that unnerves me a bit, it’s where they want to place it.Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 12:00 PMPeaceandJustice. I agree, it’s not ok for them to fly a flag outside the CofI, are you sure it is on council property? If so I will raise the issue.
Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 12:02 PMGrĂ©agĂłir O’ FráinclĂn - “The history of the island just didn’t begin when the Planters and your stock arrived here”. I hope you’re not being racist now. I thought Republicans were all for equality - yeah right - unless you happen to be Ulster British. And anyway, it depends how far you want to go back as regards the original people of Ireland. So try to curb your racism.
Your old bleating cry of victimhood does not work with me. Your a champion of your cause and your cause alone. Bandying about the word racist is laughable. Are you denying your history and culture now?
You also know absolutely nothing about the Irish Republic today, how could when you have never even set foot in the place. Hiding away in your Unionist ivory tower, manning the last outpost of the empire.
You’ll find a Union Flag at any of the many international hotels in the Irish Republic (and thats if they fly flags) and of course the British embassy, and annual sporting and international events. The annual horse show at the RDS has witness many a rendition by the Irish Army (Oglaigh na Eireann) of God Save the Queen. You’ll see the British royal coat of arms adorn many a fine old building and post box in Dubilin as well as other Irish cities and towns. The republican iconoclasts did not remove them. People just accept them as a thing of a colonial past. A bit like your attitude, one could say!Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 12:23 PMP & J
I think in fairness to liam he’s genuinely being constructive.
But Mullan’s just being a narrowminded stirrer in the twilight of an undistinguished political career.Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 12:36 PMA little piece of information for all Unionists and Eirephobes is that a portrait of William of Orange’s adorns the Lord Mayor Of Dublin’s chain of office, still to this day. It was never removed or destroyed, despite independance and is proudly worn on official and stately occassions. Again, it’s another aspect of our past and what is Irish history!
Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 12:43 PMNelson’s column didn’t fare so well GrĂ©agĂłir !
Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 01:15 PMTrue Cruimh, but ah come on not all the symbols of British governance suffered as I have mentioned. Sure just up the quays in the Phoenix Park there is a huge monument, much larger than the Pillar, standing proud to the Duke of Wellington, British war hero and PM and who of course was born in Dublin.
(The birthplace and house of Edward Carson (another Dub) still stands on Harcourt Street in Dublin, after a recent refurbishment).
Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 01:32 PMP&J;I think you only have to go to the British Embassy
Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 01:33 PMWhat about ( ! LOL )poor Queen Victoria’s statue GrĂ©agĂłir ?
Incidentally - what happened to the letter boxes ? Did you lads run around painting them green like those Ogra SF ligs in NI ? Hell, they could at least have painted them Green, white and Orange!
Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 01:39 PMQueen Victoria’s statue was shipped off to Australia. The Aussies glady accepted her.
The post boxes were simply painted Green… the national colour of Ireland. Green, White and Orange would be architecturally poor taste and simply garish in a civic sense. Which is why alot of the Red, White and Blue kerbstones are getting the boot up north too.
Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 01:45 PM“Queen Victoria’s statue was shipped off to Australia.”
exactly! Not very respectful to send the old lady out to those reprobates ;)
“The post boxes were simply painted Green… the national colour of Ireland.”
Hardly very inclusive mo chara!
“Green, White and Orange would be architecturally poor taste and simply garish in a civic sense.”
I too think the tricolour is butt ugly ;)
“Which is why alot of the Red, White and Blue kerbstones are getting the boot up north too.”
Not comparable. The kerbstone painting wasn’t officially ordered !
It would have been fair enough, in one sense, if the letterboxes had been a tribal orange or even red, white and blue - but red ? Hardly as tribal as green Gréagóir.
Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 01:58 PMI suppose Red is accociated with being the national colour of England so a lick of Green paint did the job of distinguishing the new Free State Post & Telegraphs Services.
Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 02:05 PMSurely the national colour of England is White?
And I could see that (true)blue might be problematic - but red ? What an insult to Connolly and Larkin!Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 02:12 PMDarth,
the events you are referring to in Derry and Islandbridge were occasions where BOTH flags were flown…
the fact now accepted on this thread that ceremonies in the south in the last few years commemorating the first world war dead HAVE started to fly the union flag as well as our national flag surely shows the way forward. there must be space in the north for occasions where only one flag is shown otherwise it would be a question of acutal suppression of cultures and if those organising this event want just one flag then really that’s entirely up to them. just silly though that they are pushing it as cross community. i remember being surprised and almost shocked then the RBL in derry decided to bring in tricolour next to union jack and other flags (canadian etc..) but when it happened it just seemed natural… no identity was being repressed… the wonderful thing there was i repeat was that was done on the initiative of the rbl itself… it was not publicly asked for as here.
Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 02:24 PMErmmm yeah.... but did’nt England wear a red jersey V W. Germany in the 1966 World Cup final. Isn’t the St. George’s flag Red and White.
Red and white are the colour I suppose(from the War of the Roses, Lancaster and York)
But the dreaded red coats were associated with English/British soldiers in days of yore here in Erin.Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 02:25 PMRed is also a papal colour but Ireland goes with the colour of Islam Gréagóir :)
Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 02:37 PMHa ha ..... :-)
Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 02:38 PMThose old kerbstones were really conciliatory - our version of the tricolour! Papal Red True Blue and white to symbolise peace between the two- but my community have always had rotten PR ;)
Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 02:45 PM“the events you are referring to in Derry and Islandbridge were occasions where BOTH flags were flown… “
Not in Londonderry dub
Posted by on Jun 19, 2007 @ 04:23 PM
