Replying To tomsmith:  "Tomsmith here Looking at the Television on Saturday evening I saw a large banner behind the goals to the right of the Commentary box which read Garvaghy Road Orangemen on Tour or something similar, Anyone that would be familiar with the words on this flag would and should feel that it would be offensive to a vast number of people living in Portadown ( Non Gaa suporters) because of history. I feel that the Ulster Council should take a stand on this type of material which in my opinion has no place in the GAA"

Replying To preddan:  "there was never ever 10000-12000 at ulster finals, where did you get that from????? most maybe was 2000 or 3000 ever. please state facts not made up stuff, and Donegal were not promoted either. Although i agree with you on main point, The Ulster Championship should be brought back definitley, it means more games for the real small counties like fermanagh, cavan etc."

Replying To royaldunne:  "Over 50% voted for a unionist party so I won't pay heed to what those in another jurisdiction voted for. If they happy to vote for those who covered up abuse then that's their conscience they have to live with. It will NEVER be mine or the vast majority of people in our jurisdiction."

Replying To Crinigan:  "Perhaps you should focus on matters in your own juridiction. I literally could not care less who runs the north so long as the Brits continue to rule it and pay for it. Sinn Féin are not fit to run this country and they will not run it. If they ever do, it won't be for long. The Defence Forces, Gardaí and judiciary won't tolerate it for long nor will the ruling class (not the Sinn Fein class - ie parasites that feed off the hard work of others). They can runs yours if they want and (not very well of course by looks of things but that's hardly a surprise) and I'm sure you and your pals are delighted with that."

Replying To Cockney_Cat:  ""If you view the 6 counties as a different country that's your prerogative." It's irrelevant how I or you view or like it. The fact of the matter is, which I pointed out and you chose to completely ignore. The 6 counties are part of the UK. "Good luck trying to call my cousins in west Tyrone 'British."' I didn't call anyone British, I never mentioned Britain.. The '6 counties' or Northern Ireland are not part of Britain, they are part of the UK."

Replying To sligo joe:  "Horsebox talkin horse manure, the current conversation is asking if it is appropriate to honour John Mitchel by dedicating your club name to his memory , nothing to do with the colour of jerseys. A quote from Mitchel " Africans should be made available to be owned, bought and sold, and flogging is a just means of keeping them to work". Surely it is difficult to see how you conflate the colours of jerseys with the above."

Replying To Crinigan:  "An Armagh man. When you come down here and kill unarmed Gardaí, do you need to go to your local SF rep before going to the law enforcement? You think Gardaí down here want to share a country with that kind of culture and be gunned by "Gaels" from Armagh? And SF barely recognize OnahE as the legitimate defence forces of the state."

Replying To Bon:  "I've met enough of them and been on the recieving end of their freestater rubbish ."

Replying To Loughduff Lad:  "No harm, but I absolutely can't stand this comparison. We are way better than an absolutely sectarian Orange Order. It is part of their process that Catholics can't join. This shouldn't be a comparison. The GAA is way better than that as we have Protestants in our games, and will continue to grow this in future. Stop comparing them as we're in no way similar"

Replying To Fionn:  "https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2020/1022/1173335-27-offaly-players-deemed-close-contacts-due-to-training/ This is a bloody nightmare now..!"

Replying To arock:  "After looking at the Cork jerseys I really have to ask how and why this is allowed? Don't get me wrong I understand and applaud those who fought and died for Irish freedom. But I just think this sets off an awful precedence that we are all going to regret. We have difficult centeneries to reconcile over next few years especially atrocities in the civil war. I do not believe this method is the correct way to commemorate and remember these events. GAA is A political and should be scrupulously so."

Replying To Loughduff Lad:  "Titchonnail1 did. As if it was some sort of gotcha that if the GAA are to be welcoming, well then the OO must too. It's ridiculous. We don't and shouldn't have sectarianism and triumphalism at our heart, and I see this comparison being made all the time. I want no association with those, even as a comparison. We are exactly all of what you said later in your post, and can be more too. As I've said repeatedly, you'll never attract the hardline loyalists, and we shouldn't pander to those as even if you made every change, they still would complain. But when many moderates (who are now a sizeable 3rd community in the North) who don't fall into either category of Nationalist or Unionist say the fact that clubs, cups, and fields are named after IRA and INLA members makes them uncomfortable and unlikely to join, then this needs to be looked at. These moderates are ones who likely will have a child who has no stock in the inherited scars and history and have moved past those, and these would see a GAA club as still having their feet in the past and not be welcoming. I know this as one of my friends up here is in a mixed marriage (hate that term) and likely their child will go play rugby or soccer due to the likes of that. You're cutting off a sizeable community, and the question was how to grow in the North. If you are to grow, you need to be welcoming to them as there is only so much room for growth in the Nationalist only community. It's a natural avenue to grow into and honestly to grow the game we should be looking at the issues and this clearly is one."

Replying To s goldrick:  "anyone would think to listen to some people on here that the likes of me dont know what went on. I course I do. same crack went on all over the world and a hell of a lot worse in most places. the thing is you need young impressionable hot-headed brain-washed individuals to do the dirty work of the "leader" and the stokers of the flames. One would hope that as these once young individuals grow up and reflect they will see a different way. Yes the catholics were discriminated against and harrased and intimidated and yes it was sanctioned from Westminstet but the way to expose it and end it was to use the fledgling medium of TV and the press in to shaming the British Govt, get the british public on your side, get the rest of the world on your side, use skill, judgement, negotiations. Are the 6 counties free? no, Is there better prospects for catholics now in the 6 counties than there was in the past ? yes. Before you can even attempt to contemplate a united Ireland , you need a period of stability and peace and I am talking about generations. You need a time when no one is left alive who remembers the troubles. You dont need whataboutery."

Replying To KillingFields:  "hahahaha Who and what are the "Dublin Media" What exactly is traditional Ireland by the way? Minor and other underage county fixtures should be stopped."

Replying To bloodyban:  "I agree that Sammy Wilson and Paisley aren't an accurate picture of Unionism. There is more Unionists completing their studies down South and working here aswell. However the opinion polls don't back up the idea that they want a United Ireland or that any of them are wavering. I think they are probably the most pragmatic people in these Islands but the only population changing is the another Catholic one which has a significant minority that want to remain as part of the UK. You won't hear them on a GAA forum but they are significant."

Replying To royaldunne:  "Only the army council puppets ?? Nah thanks."

Replying To KillingFields:  "It's not immature; I do like watching and following the sport particularly the national team. Rugby isn't my first sport so maybe I'm not afraid to state the facts. The facts and stats don't like lye. Since the sport turned professional look at Ireland's results in world cup year. Not the autumn tests (friendlies) a year before the world cup; actual world cup year from Feb onwards. The fact it continually happens can't just be a concidence - the fact is France, England, Wales and further afield NZ, Australia and SA target world cup year and concentrate on cycles. Some of them countries results are inconsistent in year 1 - 3 but they look a completly different prospect as soon as WC year hits; again that isn't a concidence, with all the science in sport that is well planned over a few years to ensure more than any other they peak that year. This is the reason Ireland's results and performances dip in WC year; the opposition all of a sudden are a completly different prospect whilst Ireland have slugged it out year after year against half prepared teams and when faced with fresh, well prepared teams at their peak we look a poor comparsion. I'm Irish and it's unfortunate but it is the truth - it's nice we can add a few 6 nations championships in years 1-3, I enjoy the buzz but never get carried away as I know what's coming down the road in year 4 and I'm never wrong with that. I can see rugby maybe is your number 1 sport so understand you'd prefer to go with the media narrative of "world's number 1 team" "world cup contenders", "rugby has now grown to be the people's sport". The reality is none of this true; it's a minority sport and good luck to it's active members but it's a sport that doesn't produce world class teams in Ireland. The national sports is GAA and a bit of soccer; this will always be the case despite the media agenda to bash GAA into a minority sport; they'll fail. sam1884 (UK) - Posts: 639 - 22/10/2020 21:25:34 Of course its immature. Ireland have messed up at world cups but to be fair for the first few ireland were at their worst ever. 90s international rugby ireland were horrific. Some of the others were in many ways a combination of bad selection mistakes/coaches making big errors etc... People keep saying the november internationals etc are just friendlies. Labelling them as such isnt correct. They have much more importance than that. Everything about the irish rugby set up is about peaking at world cups. They havent yet done that but the system is all about the national team. The phrase "people's game" was stupid and i bet the people who coined it are laughing their hole off at all the soccer and gaa fans especially who get so wound up by it years after it happned. But saying ireland doesnt produce world class teams is false."

Replying To bloodyban:  "I'm not no but I do like Harris and what he writes. He represents a fair slice of the country. I dont find anything he writes unfair or wrong. But my views and his wouldn't always align. I just represent myself and I guess alot of my mates think the same. Do you make an effort to look at the Free State point of view...the pride we have in the 26 and the winning of the Civil War. Unfortunately youd swear the losers of the civil war were the goodies judging by the media these days. Iv played against Antrim and Down club teams a few times and they literally had no idea about the complexity of 'down south'. They were more ignorant of us then we were of Northern Ireland."

Replying To Frederick:  "This is honestly a desperate plea to save our game over the next 20-30 years. It will ultimately define it in 30-40 years . It simply has to place more emphasis on club competitions. This year is a brilliant opportunity to once again play an entire club season with no inter county distractions. When localities are opened back up, record crowds will flock to local games and local events creating a massive community buzz, and the club provincials and all Ireland could be marketed to a much bigger extent. Young kids grow up wanting to play for Dublin or Kerry now, not their club which is what it's all about and it is a shame players feel this way. Who you are and where you come from can be put back into the Gaa momentarily, but it will slowly fade and although it's sad it's true. Ultimately if the same situation that is happening now is to follow over many years, I guarantee you, Dublin will eventually do to the all ireland what they've done to Leinster. Kerry just might, a very slight chance sneak one or two but everyone would've thought meant would do the same , nobody thought Dublin and Meath rivalry would become what it has, it's a joke. The positives to this are endless. No splitting Dublin as the clubs do this already, and you can still let Dublin Gaa continue and be Dublin. Look how many top teams are in London, Manchester etc except they will be in the same competition as kilmacud, Crossmaglen, Dr Crokes, Corofin. You can have fantastic rivalries build up like Rovers/Bohs I can't express how worried I am for Gaa and our future kids and GAA members especially in the weaker counties. Mickey Harte has come on to mine and gave a lift(on nice expenses no doubt), but it's not a long term solution. How can the top brass not see this. Are they really content to leave the legacy of destroying the GAA cause that is what they are doing. And anyone who comes back with amateur ethos can do one, a lot of professional athletes do jobs now as business people and are highly intelligent and gifted people along with their training. And GAA players train every bit as much as them, sometimes more and harder, much to their detriment as they don't have the correct knowledge. This is not a slight at Dublin. Kerry are every bit as professional as Dublin and it would've been a great game this year, but the rest of the counties really don't stand a chance and anyone telling themselves other wise is only fooling themselves. The GAA need to set up an all Ireland club league and charge a subscription, and let the submissions flow from clubs and counties in, you would be amazed at what sponsors would buy into a brand new competition , structure it randomly, hone and away games and let relegation and promotion sort itself within 10/15 years. Now you would have some mailings in the early years, say my club Geraldines were up against Ballymun in the first year of random groupings, but we would get relegated and Bally min get promoted and within 5-6 years your leagues would even out. You could think about restricting it to provincials but I think it's best to go all Ireland.let European cities enter, imagin your club gonna to play an away game in the league against Berlin, sure the players would be willing to pay expenses themselves. Have these same clubs play a fa cup (Sam Maguire) straight knock out. Leave what's left in the counties to play their junior intermediate and senior championships, maybe you could enter the fa cup at at a smaller fee and you may have. A fairytale story once in a blue moon of the "non league team' getting far. I cannot understand why they won't go to a similar set up to league of Ireland. The stadia are there, the crowds will go, not many away fans but home fans will go. The money is certainly there too as there are junior clubs playing half a years salary to their manager in so called weaker counties. That's my rant and I'd love to see flaws, please don't berate me. A sad factor of this is the number of talented GAA players not seen on the national stage from Dublin is huge as they can only field 15, and the opportunities they are missing out on as a result is unfair."