I meant east belfast at the end

oisinboy (Antrim) - Posts: 335 - 12/09/2008 15:42:47    99021

Samin10, I suppose I never looked at it like that alright.

3inarow08 (Kerry) - Posts: 2455 - 12/09/2008 15:52:26    99035

Just a small example of what nationalists in the 6 counties had to put up with over the years.

Tom1916 (Armagh) - Posts: 2001 - 12/09/2008 16:06:08    99052

We had three protestants playing on our Gaelic team and they were great guys and worked hard for the club too so we should not generalise. You will always get a nuisance no matter where you are. As the Tayto ad says "Theres always one".

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 12/09/2008 16:16:14    99062

I think everyone knows what my view on this is but sure I'll give it to you anyway. Certain people on this site think everything is la dee dah up north they are fed this garbage that everyone is running around singing off the same hymm sheet. My friends this is not the case and tensions can be high up here quite a lot ie in craigavon a few weeks ago. This situation is yet another mediocre joke by some simple minded mediocre person trying to keep us in the dark days and it scares me to think that theyre actually still here.

Oisin boy I know where your coming from ie weve people on both sides but id like to think that this has not been the case for any protestant wearing a NI top or coat or car flag and ive never known it to be. I personally work with NI supporters and we have a laugh about it, they were there NI scarfs and coats in i wear my gaa coats in, theyres good people on the unionist/loyalist side but there is also those who have held us back for years with refusing to accept our culture history sport and most recently language. This is yet another slap in the face to the right thinking Irish men and women in the six counties which the women should bring to court, remove the flag for now but bring it to court use the union for why theyre payed.

Why is anyone suprised here? we have the only city in the world where the employ a security firm to ensure that the Irish National flag is not flown on St Pats day this is Belfast. Weve come a long way but theyres longer to go and this slap in the face is just another reminder.

North Side Gael (None) - Posts: 1076 - 12/09/2008 16:16:36    99063

Was driving through Banbridge a few months ago and was stopped by a police patrol. One of them approached me and asked me if i would drive like that in my own country (I was not doing anything wrong imo). When i replied that i was in my own country he threatened to arrest me and charge me. I told him that i would report him too for his attitude so he let me go. I think it was the southern plates that annoyed him.

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 12/09/2008 16:28:45    99076

Maybe it was just an Armagh supporter who couldn't bear to be reminded of how close they were.

St.K (Cork) - Posts: 210 - 12/09/2008 16:37:26    99083

Proper order, take down that bloody Tyrone flag and stick up a Mea.....sorry Kerry flag.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 12/09/2008 16:39:05    99085

Our Wee Country... i hate that phrase, Meath obviously are very stringent on Neutrality as i remember them taking down Dublin Flags outside Croke Park last year.

HokeyPokey (Tyrone) - Posts: 1744 - 12/09/2008 17:21:08    99126

Good man Cavan-Slasher ... fair play to you!!!

Beacaire Gorm (Dublin) - Posts: 597 - 12/09/2008 17:48:51    99152

St.K, Strabane is about nearly the farthest you can get from Armagh in Tyrone.

HokeyPokey (Tyrone) - Posts: 1744 - 12/09/2008 21:48:48    99237

Some good points made here by a number of people. This is not political correctness however - it is latent bigotry. This is a symbol of the county - and (as far as I'm aware) the county identity is recognised by all traditions - therefore there should be no reason to 'neutralise' the flag. The people who asked for removal haven't a leg to stand on here but in reality the real pity must be reserved for the narrow minded and pathetic figure who complained. Just imagine how small their world is!

JayoCluxton (Dublin) - Posts: 2688 - 12/09/2008 23:35:21    99274

I was joking, and Donegal wouldn't have been as funny. Mainly because Armagh could have been where Tyrone are now, and Donegal couldn't.

St.K (Cork) - Posts: 210 - 13/09/2008 00:02:40    99292

I work in the NICS (civil service) as a union rep. I have a pair of Reebok trainers, and someone objected to them because there is a miniature, minuscule, Union Jack badge on them, on the tongue, hidden by laces. I didn't even know it was there. People also objected when we didn't get a half day when the Pope died. Why would we? So unfortunately this works both ways, both wrong in my opinion. By LAW the NICS MUST observe a neutral workplace. NO sports tops allowed, be they rugby, GAA or soccer. I disagree with the law. Until GAA jerseys, Rangers/Celtic tops are allowed everywhere, people will never adjust to "parity of esteem" on both sides. But it is the law. The misguided, person who objected could have sued the employer for failing in their duty of care to protect him/her from a sight which was causing them severe stress. Seriously, they could have. That's why they need to remove all emblems, flags, sports tops and stuff like that. Modern NICS buildings tend not to have a flag on them. The good news is that two years ago, two days before St Patrick's day I came across a ten year old selling tricolours in Corn Market, smack in the middle of the City, and no-one paying the slightest bit of heed to him. Now that is a massive change. And if you walk through the centre of Belfast any day you will see people wearing Dublin/Clare/Offaly/Galway/Mayo/Kerry and whatever jersies. Students from both main universities wear them everywhere. For Oisin Boy, there are hurlers from Dumlambert school now winning hurling medals, playing along side pupils from St Patrick's, "Barney" to Belfast people. Some Gaels are more shocked that there are hurlers in "Barney" than they are that Dumlambert are playing. In my own club we have kids from Ballycraighy school coming from the biggest and most infamous bonfire in the North to Gaelic games on a Sunday. So it is changing, but still needs time, and effort, from both sides. And for people from "the South", instead of thinking we are all mad in the North, truthfully ask yourselves how long it took for your own "civil war" wounds to heal. Truth be told, some still haven't.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 13/09/2008 00:36:07    99313

By the way - we live in changing times - but be careful not to mix up political correctness and political incorrectness .....

JayoCluxton (Dublin) - Posts: 2688 - 13/09/2008 01:32:44    99321

if its not flags it would be football or gaa shirts,not so long ago a BA worker was ask to remove her cross as it might cause offense what ever happened to freedom of expression (Big brother) state? the person who reported his/her work mate should be ashamed, its them who are narrow minded and I am a protestant gaa supporter and my flag will be proudly flying on both sides of my car all week.

williewentwell (Tyrone) - Posts: 1712 - 13/09/2008 03:24:53    99333

Right half cut here but il try to say what im thinking here! Bear with me! Truth is most of us in the South have no idea what its like in the North even though Geographically I live further North than Derry which sometimes confuses people! I live 10-15 mins from the Border but yet still a world apart. Here i wouldn't distinguish between Catholic and protestant mostly because we all go to the same secondary school and in some cases it was several years after i finished secondary schools that I here about say 'John' or any random cuttie being protestant, Simply because in the republic it isn't an issue. We play football together, socialize together and so on. Thats why people forget what its like in the North because its oh so different, There was a war! Whatever way you look at it there was, and when it came down to it you were green or blue! It'l take generations for the divide to go away if it ever does! Tensions run high at times and memories of what has gone by will never fad. although most people have moved on there will always be the few refusing to move on ie the idiot who was offended by a flag showing support for a sport team that non the less are representing his own county!

seanbuncrana (Donegal) - Posts: 36 - 13/09/2008 03:28:53    99335

Ah the issue of flags - some people's favourite topic!

A great example of tolerance was shown by the good gaelic people of Newtownstewart in the build up to the 2005 All Ireland Final. The local loyals had put up their union jacks, scottish, Orange flags on Light posts on the new by-pass. Two to every post if I recall. But they didn't put them at the very top. Along come the local gaelic lads and put Tyrone flags right at the top of the light post above the other flags.

Now there is a saying normally throughout the world that if your flying your flag half-mast you are either disrespecting it, in mourning or in distress. The Tyrone flag and team certainly weren't in distress that year and the local loyals have never lived it down that the Tyrone flag took precedence whilst their flags were left intact and undisturbed but flying lower down the pecking order.

mugsys_barber (Tyrone) - Posts: 2160 - 13/09/2008 11:35:14    99366

On the issue of flags, is it also an offence to fly your county flags in Finglas, Dublin? I recall 1992 after Donegal had won the All-Ireland, driving through Finglas where any car or bus with a Donegal flag flying had their windows smashed by the local stone throwing inteligentia! And for good measure, any that managed to escape Finglas had them smashed in Her Majesty's Borough of Newtownstewart!

Lifford Gael (Donegal) - Posts: 1925 - 13/09/2008 15:08:00    99400

for those of us who live near starbane we are all familiar the giant tin men who are an artistic piece about 10 feet tall, these five statutes are all dressed in the tyrone colours greeting the public as they enter tyrone from the south, i wonder what the objector to the car flag feels as the pass the tinmen on their way to get cheap petrol in donegal. agree with other posters given that these statues dominate the entrance to strabane a small car flag could not cause offence, wonder have strabane council received a complaint about them. disgraceful decision what about freedom of expression

shaneanthony (Sligo) - Posts: 277 - 13/09/2008 22:33:47    99470