Quincey Dougan

Unashamed Ulster Loyalist

Blood and Thunder…

| Readers 2625

As a long time reader of Slugger, the old chestnut of ‘big bad bands’ (over 660 in Northern Ireland alone) has had a regular airing. What is blatantly obvious however is that broadly speaking, Irish Nationalism simply doesnt understand or comprehend what bands are about. Put simply, marching and parading is an alien concept to Catholic Ireland and as such Irish Nationalists just ‘cant get their head around it’. Its overtly simplified into a practise thats sole purpose is to …

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You’ve heard of a pub with no beer, but a Church with no God?…

| Readers 16

An atheist practising minister, in a mainstream church, incumbent with his own congregation, with the backing of both his peers and parishioners. Cloud cuckoo land? Not according to the BBC’s Amsterdam Religious affairs correspondent. Rev Klaas Hendrikse doesn’t believe in God as a ‘supernatural being. The very Rev Hendrikse believes that: God is not a being at all… it’s a word for experience, or human experience He goes as far as acknowledging that the Bible is a resource of insight …

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The Republican Party, The Conservative Party, Sinn Fein…

| Readers 25

The fund raising power of the Conservative party and the American Republican party in past decades is stuff of legend…. and yet infamous. The accessibility of massive financial reserves allowed both parties to develop what at one stage were un-paralleled P.R. machines, whilst simultaneously creating and reinforcing un-paralleled levels of corruption and influence peddling. The recent release of N.I. party incomes by the Electoral Commission slipped almost totally under the media radar, however they make for very interesting reading. The …

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Kevin Lynch Memorial Parade, Dungiven, 31st July 2011…

| Readers 406
Illegal bass drum image as used by a RFB

Pictured are ‘The Spirit of Freedom’ Republican Flute Band, Derry, as on parade last Sunday (31st July 2011) in Dungiven. The parade was notifed as being orgainsed by the Kevin Lynch Memorial Flute Band. Along with this overtly paramilitary bass drum, other features of the event included the chanting of ‘I. R. A.’ prior to tunes by one band, and the blatantly deliberate routing of the parade past the towns only Presbyterian Church (several alternative and more logical routes were …

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‘We’ still are Soldier Boys…

| Readers 41

Much has been said in recent years about the suitability of God Save the Queen remaining the Northern Ireland National Anthem, particularly for sporting events and especially its use in Windsor Park for Northern Ireland matches. Seldom discussed however are the suitability of the militaristic, xenophobic and insular lyrics of Amhrán na bhFiann (The Soldier’s Song) remaining the National Anthem of the Republic of Ireland. A poll by the Sunday Independant has indeed revealed that a large number of people …

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Babe to brat in 30 seconds flat…

| Readers 15

If anyone ever had any doubts that the media is a fickle beast, the latest episode in the continuing saga of ‘Rory mania’ illustrates it well. In the space of effectively a few days, Rory McIlroy has gone from being a media darling with continual headlines proclaiming sainthood, to being labeled a spoilt brat. His offence was to dare to respond to what can only be described as direct personal abuse by a BBC commentator. Using Twitter, Jay Townsend referred …

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Back to square one…………

| Readers 33

Yesterdays Belfast Telegraph featured comment from David Hagan, a member of a Loyalist Flute band on the Shankill Road, the Regimental Band Association and a Committee member of the Confederation of Ulster Bands. Note: The Confederation of Ulster Bands is an umbrella body for a number of localised band associations from across Northern Ireland, with a membership exceeding 350 bands and over 10’000 people. In the piece he accused the newly appointed Parades Commission members this year of having “put …

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