Slugger O'Toole

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Latest comments from Stephen Ferguson (see all)

Stephen Ferguson has commented 97 times (0 in the last month).

1. Comment on CUs candidates and the French
   on 1 March 2010 at 6:06 pm

   1, Ringland will be getting my vote. He’s exactly the type of moderate Unionist the party should be standing in every seat.

   2, Far from being a serial job leaver, Mike Nesbitt has proven himself to be a man of principle and integrity – especially when you consider he supported a colleague against UTV in a breach of contract case. How many people would go up against their current employers on behalf of a friend because they believed they acted improperly?

   3, Unionist people are starting to see David Trimble differently than perhaps 5 or 6 years ago. Yes, he might not have been able to control some elements of his party and the ‘Decent People’ slogan was a disaster but it was he who had the balls to move away from the traditional ‘No’, ‘Never’, ‘No Surrender’ and tackle Sinn Fein face to face. Do you think ‘Big Ian’ would have entered government with Gerry and Martin had Trimble not taken the risks years earlier? History will show DT as a man prepared to take risks to bring peace to all the people of NI.

   4, Harry Hamilton – a long standing member of the party who is well known in the constituency from his years of canvassing and has a positive public profile across the entire country. Sounds like a good pick to me.

   5, Danny Kennedy has delivered some of the worst pubic speaking performances over the past few months from any politician. I would not describe him as a ‘formidable politician’.

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2. Comment on Unity Won’t Solve Ireland’s Two Major Problems
   on 1 March 2010 at 6:48 am

   “I have a sad feeling, that, by your stated values, you would probably derive more benefit from a perusal of the written works of another Ferguson, his tractor operation and repair manual that is!”

   Posted by Munsterview on Feb 28, 2010 @ 07:11 PM

   And as an unashamed ‘townie’ I have never driven a tractor in my life. That’s almost as hurtful as the intolerant comment!

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3. Comment on Unity Won’t Solve Ireland’s Two Major Problems
   on 1 March 2010 at 6:45 am

   “in my book you are not too different to the likes of Stephen Ferguson or his ilk. Intolerance stinks no matter whether it is bright orange or dark green.”

   Posted by Munsterview on Feb 28, 2010 @ 08:18 PM

   Sorry, but I find this very harsh Munsterview.

   Why do you associate Unionism with intolerance? Have a look through every post I’ve made on this site in the past few months and you will not find a single comment you could describe as intolerant. You seem to think my desire to remain living within the UK is somehow a hatred of all things Irish. I post using my real name (whilst you don’t) and stand by every comment I’ve made. There’s not an intolerant bone in my body.

   I’ve many catholic, Sinn Fein voting friends (some of whom have no problem reading what I say on this site – Hi Paul and James!) and many other catholic friends of a lighter shade of green. I’ve had more catholic girlfriends than protestants over the years – including one who came from a family with enough Sinn Fein members they could have created their own local cumann. In my younger, more politically active days I campaigned for weeks on end to help secure a Yes vote for the GFA in my local community and harassed Paisley’s ‘No’ campaign like a one man band of Apache Indians.

   I vote Ulster Unionist but would prefer a party a little less ‘Orange’ (ie Basil McCrea in the driving seat) – you may wish to look up my posts on the UUP/DUP pact to see my reaction to those talks. I have also been a member of a marching band (and I mean a proper one which taught written music, played hymns and military marches and had it stated in it’s constitution that catholic members were welcome to join) and have, in the past, marched on The Twelfth and then went home to a catholic girlfriend.

   Unionism does not = sectarianism, despite what Sinn Fein may have brainwashed you into believing.

   As for the Republic of Ireland, it is a beautiful country where I have spent many weekends camping in Donegal and chasing women in Dublin, but I don’t want to live there.

   That is not intolerance.

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4. Comment on Unity Won’t Solve Ireland’s Two Major Problems
   on 28 February 2010 at 5:30 am

   “I have have referred elsewhere to the fact that all during the worst of the troubles some prominent Unionists could be seen at the R.D.S. and other cultural activities in the South often rubbing shoulders comfortably with their Southern Political counterparts, yet some of these same individuals were back across the Border the same week giving ‘Not an Inch’ , Ulster must be saved, fire and brimstone speeches and presenting the South as a primitive god forsaken society!”

   Posted by Munsterview on Feb 27, 2010 @ 10:22 PM

   Yes and I ignored it once, twice is a bit much to ask.

   I’ve seen U2 in both Dublin and Paris. I got on well with my Dublin neighbours but had a bit more fun with the Parisians I met at the French concert. I found the city of Paris more interesting than Dublin and the French ladies more attractive than the Irish girls. I also speak a lot more French than I do of the formerly-dead-but-recently-reincarnated Irish language.

   What’s your point???

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5. Comment on P&J devolution: dates and confidence
   on 27 February 2010 at 7:32 am

   Well I know that the east Belfast Unionists who live on three sides of the Short Strand have no problem with it’s residents working, shopping and passing through ‘their’ areas on a daily basis. Compare that to the treatment Glenbryn residents receive whilst trying to shop or use amenities at the Ardoyne shops or the small isolated Unionist community in Suffolk receives in west Belfast.

   Based on that comparison it would not seem too outlandish for a peaceful, religious, catholic march to take place in east Belfast if it had been an annual event for hundreds of years. After all, weddings, funerals and other religious gatherings are conducted on a weekly basis at the catholic church on Woodstock Road without an eyelid batted.

   And yes, that would be the catholic chapel on loyalist Woodstock Road which survived The Troubles without a mark. Pity the same can’t be said for Orange Halls in Whitewell, Ballycastle, Rasharkin, Keady, Dunloy, etc, etc, etc which are still being attacked and vandalised on a weekly basis.

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6. Comment on Abandon hope
   on 27 February 2010 at 6:50 am

   When was the last vote held on the position of Northern Ireland within the UK??

   I can quote that if you like?

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7. Comment on P&J devolution: dates and confidence
   on 27 February 2010 at 6:43 am

   Well that’s the exact same question I put to every Unionist I meet who believes the Loyal Orders have a right to march on any road in NI. If you want to have a march on Garvaghy Road would you accept a Hibernian march on YOUR street? Normally makes them think for a few seconds.

   In what circumstances does the Republican band you mention march up the Albertbridge Road?

   Are they walking to a church service?
   Are they commemorating soldiers who have died in a war? (And I mean a real war, not blowing up pensioners and shooting kids)
   Is the band glorifying IRA terrorists?
   Will they be playing pro-IRA songs praising murder and sectarian violence?
   Is the Albertbridge Road a route they have been walking annually for over 200 years?
   Is it the quickest and most direct route to where they are going?

   There’s a difference between a long established annual church service led by a band playing hymns and one of those embarrassing Republican bands who look like they learnt to march in the dark.

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8. Comment on Why?
   on 27 February 2010 at 6:27 am

   “What is so awful about kicking the one million Prot nut cases out? The same happened in Algeria. Germans were ethnically cleansed after the war, Greeks after World War One.”

   Posted by Paddy on Feb 26, 2010 @ 04:21 PM

   Paddy, would you be so kind to post your name and address on here so I can pass it on to the PSNI?

   I believe your comment may have broken the law.

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9. Comment on P&J devolution: dates and confidence
   on 27 February 2010 at 6:09 am

   “Says Mr Carr the day before an Orange Parade that will encircle the people of Short Strand with associated movement restrictions and massive PSNI presence for much of their Saturday.”

   Posted by Mark McGregor on Feb 26, 2010 @ 08:53 PM

   But you see Mark, most people in Short Strand are smart enough not to raise tensions in the area (well, since the IRA finally gave up on trying to force the protestant pensioners from Cluan Place to claim more houses for Nationalists).

   They happily walk out onto Unionist dominated Ravenhill, Woodstock, Castlereagh, Albertbridge and Newtownards Roads to do their shopping, go to the doctor, walk the dog and don’t hear a single voice against it (as it should be). Opposing Orange marches down Newtownards Road (where not a single Short Strand house can even see the road) would only ensure Loyalists start opposing Nationalists walking on ‘their’ roads. Two wrongs don’t make a right but that is exactly what would happen.

   East Belfast Unionists don’t seek to demand who has or has not got the right to walk on ‘their’ roads – unlike some communities in Northern Ireland.

   While I’m on the subject – compare the treatment of the residents of an enclave where the residents need to go outside their area for amenities and services (Short Strand/East Belfast) to another enclave where the residents need to go outside their area for amenities and services (Glenbryn/Ardoyne shops). It’s amazing how Nationalists can behave when the shoe is on the other foot and they are in the majority.

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10. Comment on Gerry of Nazareth
    on 27 February 2010 at 5:49 am

    Gerry’s boys are far too slow. The DUPers were out before 8am painting over anti-Peter Robinson graffiti on Templemore Avenue a few years back.
    They must have a team on stand by 24/7.

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