dats right rlf i saw that

mikeyjohn (Galway) - Posts: 305 - 19/08/2009 21:19:47    397595

Yes well he should not have said it. I think he trained trained Alan Kelly at Portroe GAA club at underage level. They are neighbours and good friends. But Sheedy stlill should not have commented. Absolutely. Mind you, you would have to consider it a minor transgression all the same as I suppose you can never legislate for what one individual will do or say.

thykingdomcome (Kerry) - Posts: 1206 - 19/08/2009 21:22:55    397601

Hipster, I understand what you are saying however there is a certain niavety about what you are saying. First of all it has to be remembered whether we like it or not that politics in the North is inextricably religion based. This is not the case in the south so a comparison between two unequals is not fair nor liable to be of any use. Secondly, the UUP have use of community halls commonly known as Orange Halls in which to gather, host events etc. In the Nationalist community there is generally the Parish Hall or the local GAA club. Bearing in mind the staunch anti-catholic views held by the Orange Order I find it disingenuous for Mr McCausland to decry the use of GAA grounds by the Nationalist/Republican communities. This part of our island has been in conflict for too long to just suddenly turn the switch as it were in relation to attitudes to each other. It is a slow process and will take at least one generation to bear proper fruit. The civil war in the south lasted a lot shorter period of time yet it was a long long time before the wounds healed, between friends, families and even brothers. Indeed in some parts you would still hear the odd remark made between older people in relation to this. What I say is give us time, the wounds for some are still very raw but in time they will heal and we will hopefully be able to embrace all our cultures, even the ones that are maybe anethma to some at the present

omaghredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 3656 - 19/08/2009 21:41:32    397618

sinn fein have made a statement in which they praise the dublin footballers for refusing to play on british soil.

finglas full ba (None) - Posts: 636 - 19/08/2009 21:45:19    397627

Let them do what ever they want, Sure it says in a rule something about wearing irish made clothing for the GAA only, What about those who are at training with a nike t-shirt, I know its irrelevant but I just would like to bring that up

Thanks for reading, Orlaith :)

Orlaith (Derry) - Posts: 4282 - 19/08/2009 21:55:09    397639

. Plaintalk, I am sorry you feel that you cannot use your own username but I understand you feel that you cannot. In reply to some of your remarks, I have a few queries that you may feel obliged to answer. Why do you feel embarrassed by the use of Galbally Community Hall by people wishing to comemmorate those that the people of Galbally and in other parts of Tyrone, Ulster and Ireland hold in the highest esteem. The hall is not far from the grave of its most famous son Martin Hurson who was allowed to die by the British Government instead of allowing him to wear his own clothes, refrain from prison work, etc. I find it embarrassing that someone who like myself who lived through the troubles would deny people this basic right. In trying to embrace anothers culture we must ensure that we do not lose our own or indeed be ashamed or apologetic for it. Regards pandering to the few, ask the people of Galbally and Cappagh whether or not they feel that they were wrong/? I am sure you know the answer. I bring you back to the main point and something that you, I or any other should not forget. The GAA's politicisation in the North is due entirely, and I mean entirely to the Unionist politicians and the agencies of the state. This is the salient point. It is possible to accomodate other races, creeds etc without eradicating your own culture and beliefs. Who did the people of Galbally hurt by using again their own hall for their own purposes and embarrassment for whom? For apologists who I would suggest pander still to the majority as they were made pander throughout the troubles. The rule book is clear on the point and I think that if you read the rule as provided in one of my previous posts then the answer is clear. What really made me cringe is that you actually applaud this person for having the audacity to call the GAA bigots. Surely the irony cannot be lost on you. Your points are clearly made and are quite coherent therefore you should have no problem realising the duplicity of that point. Finally, I have been to Windsor Park, on quite a number of occasions. Believe you me it is exactly a UDA/UVF/LVF/RHC show of solidarity. I no longer frequent it and believe you me, there is some difference to a solemn commemoration and the blatant, vitriolic sectarianism that flows from the old stands at Windsor. We cannot run with the fox and hunt with the hounds, its time for we as a people to grow up and accept that the event was wrong, it needs to be investigated and those in the decision making process need to have the guts to stand up and explain their actions By the way we have been the fox for far too long and as previously stated in my opinion the people of Galbally have done nothing wrong, the club has not broken any GAA rule and we should be smarter than to pander to a proud, unrepentant representative who has vowed never to attend any of our games. Quid pro quo? I THINK NOT

omaghredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 3656 - 19/08/2009 22:11:09    397653

19/08/2009 21:22:55
thykingdomcome
County: Kerry
Posts: 773

397601 Yes well he should not have said it. I think he trained trained Alan Kelly at Portroe GAA club at underage level. They are neighbours and good friends. But Sheedy stlill should not have commented. Absolutely. Mind you, you would have to consider it a minor transgression all the same as I suppose you can never legislate for what one individual will do or say.

No excuses, no picking and chosing there. It's either right or worng. Everybody in Ireland knows the power a GAA endorsement can have. The guy did get elected afterall. I don't beliieve it happened on the basis of that comment but it certainly did no harm.

Either way you either believe the GAA has a part to play in party politics or it doesn't. If the Tyrone lads were at fault then so too was that hurling manager.

Real Louth fan (Louth) - Posts: 3157 - 19/08/2009 23:02:26    397708

Large crowd attends hospital campaign meeting
(07/02/2009)

By Peter Gleeson
Minister for Older People Maire Hoctor's assertion that last Saturday's public meeting in Nenagh on the planned HSE withdrawal of certain services from the local hospital amounted to "a Labour Party rally" has been dismissed this week by the Hospital Action Group and the Labour Party.
The sports hall at the MacDonagh Park GAA complex was packed to capacity for the meeting and hundreds huddled in the rain outside to hear speaker after speaker express fears, reservations and in many cases downright opposition to the moves by the Health Service Executive to withdraw 24-hour accident and emergency services, acute care and critical care services from Nenagh hospital.
The PRO of the Hospital Action Group, Labour Party Senator Alan Kelly, put the numbers attending the meeting at approximately 2,000 but other estimates sought from people attending the event put the figure at no more than 1,000.
Minister Hoctor said she did not attend the meeting because it was "in effect a Labour Party rally" where people could expect "a display of Labour Party trumped up spin in which I certainly will not participate".


DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS RELEVANT OR NOT?

neverafree (Down) - Posts: 456 - 19/08/2009 23:23:25    397736

liathroidboy
County: Mayo
Posts: 190

397047 its terrible that the association is associated with such nonsense- is this not covered in british terrorist legislation is it not now an offence to glorify terrorism? Gaa could have itself in a dodgy spot with this- proves one thing in the north that the gaa is confined to one side of the political/religious devide- its a very say day for the gaa- old failings still very mush alive in the gaa- such a shame!!

Well Liathroibboy just shows what kind of irish man you are when you call very galant men terrorists were the men of 1916 terrorists aswell?

mc81 (Antrim) - Posts: 21 - 19/08/2009 23:32:47    397749

They the Dup so on have no interested in the gaa only when they give smart remarks or statements so i would suggest the ties they have with the gaa are small but time to cut them out and keep them out.

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 19/08/2009 23:37:27    397751

19/08/2009 23:23:25
neverafree
County: Down
Posts: 4

397736 Large crowd attends hospital campaign meeting
(07/02/2009)

By Peter Gleeson
Minister for Older People Maire Hoctor's assertion that last Saturday's public meeting in Nenagh on the planned HSE withdrawal of certain services from the local hospital amounted to "a Labour Party rally" has been dismissed this week by the Hospital Action Group and the Labour Party.
The sports hall at the MacDonagh Park GAA complex was packed to capacity for the meeting and hundreds huddled in the rain outside to hear speaker after speaker express fears, reservations and in many cases downright opposition to the moves by the Health Service Executive to withdraw 24-hour accident and emergency services, acute care and critical care services from Nenagh hospital.
The PRO of the Hospital Action Group, Labour Party Senator Alan Kelly, put the numbers attending the meeting at approximately 2,000 but other estimates sought from people attending the event put the figure at no more than 1,000.
Minister Hoctor said she did not attend the meeting because it was "in effect a Labour Party rally" where people could expect "a display of Labour Party trumped up spin in which I certainly will not participate".


DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS RELEVANT OR NOT?

I believe it is.

And as the SDLP share a Euro political alliance with the Labour Party in the ROI I hope they are fair minded enough to bring this up with the GAA as well as the Tipp hurling manager endorsement of their candidate too.

Let's see shall we if we get fair play?

Real Louth fan (Louth) - Posts: 3157 - 19/08/2009 23:38:47    397755

I think the GAA sees itself as a sporting organisation with a nationalist bias which is neutral as regards political parties.

Unfortunately certain political parties sometimes choose to use it and infiltrate it to their own ends...... some units of the GAA are strong enough to resist this and some are not.

BIG SACKS (Tyrone) - Posts: 1681 - 20/08/2009 00:38:11    397792

Some reasonably mature posts here much to my surprise. If the commemoration took place in a GAA hall I am embarrassed. Regardless of who built the hall it was dedicated to the pursuit of gaelic games under the auspices of the GAA. We cannot have a situation where a community decide to put the parent body in a position where it is compromised politically. Their motives may have been pure, I am not disputing that however somewhere along the line someone should have said "here folks, what is likely to happen here?" and referred to their county executive for advice.

If I can be a devils advocate did the GAA not contribute to its politicisation by the banning of "foreign" games by its members and the exclusion of members of the RUC and security forces. Unfortunately what we are up against here is public opinion and this looks bad no matter what way you dress it up. I am very familiar with the area and its history. I recognise that the local populace have suffered however this is no excuse when an event which is always going to be politically divisive is held in a sporting hall.

To our fellow gaels in the 26 counties, with the greatest of respect I must remind you that the politics of the north are vastly different and the use of a GAA hall in Nenagh etc. is not relevant to the situation in Galbally. Unfortunately Omagh Red Hand we find ourselves in a different situation to that of the mid 80's, the political dynamic has changed and we find ourselves engaging with people we don't necessarily agree with. To foolishly leave ourselves wide open to valid criticism is poor judgement and for that Galbally Pearces should be censured.

I have very little respect for our current Sports Minister due to his pathetic posturing and pursuit of an imaginary language however he has spotted a chink in the armour and has used it to his advantage. The IFA has a PR machine which has managed to convince the many that Windsor Park is open to all, unfortunately events over the recent days have nullified any chance of the GAA saying the same. Over the last few weeks my Protestant neighbours/friends & colleagues have wished Tyrone well in their quest for success and show enough of an interest in the sport to read the media articles. This is a significant step change from 10 years ago where we were still regarded as "the IRA at play" by vocal Unionist politicians. This legitimised the murder and harrassment of our members by loyalist killer gangs.

We are first and foremost a sporting body, politics have no place in our premises or in our organisation. The issue of there being nowhere more convenient is a problem for the local Sinn Fein Cumann to sort out. The GAA should not have been involved.

plaintalktyrone (Tyrone) - Posts: 3 - 20/08/2009 01:35:11    397820

RLF, read the first line of my first post on this.

thykingdomcome (Kerry) - Posts: 1206 - 20/08/2009 07:35:14    397852

It strikes me that this is a issue more to do with the politic party involved (Sinn Fein) rather than any concern for the integraty of the GAA's constitution. GAA grounds the length and breadth of the country, have for years facilatated meetings, fundraisers and commerations for all aspects of the political spectrum, beit FF, FG, Labour etc. Recent examples include (at the request of Bad.Monkey); Fianna Fail meeting at Bellfield GAA Centre, Enniscorthy in May 2009 http://www.flickr.com/photos/fiannafail/page9/ Fine Gael- Michael Collins Public Meeting, March 24 2009 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lucinda-Creighton-TD/46392743236#/event.php?eid=67991803040&ref=mf Never has this been riased as an issue on this site, with one exception; the use of GAA grounds by Sinn Fein. HYPOCRISY of the highest order!

AnFoirGael (Tyrone) - Posts: 19 - 20/08/2009 08:12:57    397854

Just to make a non-political point if I may.... Surely every county board in the country has shown blatant disregard for the GAA rule book? We've all seen the number of appeals that get brought to the various committees, on the basis of technicalities etc. eg. Anthony Lynch's red card rescinding, Tommy Freeman's multiple appeals, Paul Galvin's appeals?
Where players are sent off, for clear offences seen on TVs throughout the country, these multiple appeals do little but bring the GAA into disrepute. It happens at local level as well, from parish boundary disputes to suspensions being conveniently overturned or timed to be meaningless.
As for the politics, can we move on from it? I'm more interested in the upcoming games!

axel_foley (Kerry) - Posts: 55 - 20/08/2009 10:10:09    397907

The ten hungerstrikers died almost 30 years ago in a British prison called Long Kesh, Their deaths marked the failure of twelve years of British propaganda designed to convince the world that Irish men and Women fighting against British oppression in Ireland were mere criminals. These men layed down their lives one after another for their fellow prisoners and for a dream of freedom. The event on Sunday was a national event to commemorate the lives of the ten brave men who died in long Kesh for the five basic demands. Some of these prsioners were never aligned with SinnFein or the IRA for that matter. The SDLP have again shown how out of touch with reality they are in for not recognising the sacrafices that were made by these brave men. On a side issue the Community centre in Galbally has been used for many Sinn Fein events in the past. Is it illegal to hire out a community centre or any other centre for an event or debate. My own community centre in Greencastle Co Tyrone is hired out by the Martin Hurson memorial band for practice. Is this illegal too?? The Martin Hurson football tournament in Galbally has taken place year after year since his untimely death with great support from many businesses in the local and surrounding areas. Similar events commemorating other volunteers or people murdered by the Crown also take place in various GAA clubs throughout Tyrone and Ireland. Vol Kevin Lynch, who died on Hunger strike was an excellent hurler having represent both his club in Dungiven and Derry. The hurling club in Dungiven is now named after Kevin. I couldn't confirm how many of the ten brave hunger strikers were GAA members but they all would have been GAA supporters. I for one commend the Galbally community for allowing this event to take place. So, I'll wear no convicts uniform, nor meekly serve my time, that Britain might brand Ireland's fight Eight hundred years of crime.

mugsys_barber (Tyrone) - Posts: 2160 - 20/08/2009 10:17:00    397914

The Association shall be non-party political. Party political questions shall not be discussed at its meetings, and no Committee, Club, Council or representative thereof shall take part, as such, in any party political movement John O'Mahony is a Fine Geal TD for Christ's sake, if that's not a breach of this rule then I don't see how a commemoration rally can be called a breach. It's not like Sinn Féin were holding an election rally in the ground, it was to honour the memory of a local man, who most in the area regard as a hero. (I do take issue with Sinn Féin constantly trying to hiijack the memories of so many for political gain, but that's another argument).

black&white (Sligo) - Posts: 1628 - 20/08/2009 11:00:38    397955

I haven't read this thread fully so forgive me if I repeat what others have said. First off, who the hell do SF think they are? They do not speak for me nor do they stand for me. The GAA does. I don't care if Galbally is a SF stronghold nor do I care who built their clubhouse what I do care about is SF hi-jacking the GAA much in the same manner as they have with the Irish language. They have politicised the Irish language to such an extent that is it now in much more precarious state than it was previous regarding proper funding from the Stormont Executive (remeber this also falls under McCausland's remit). Nobody has the right to come on here and say southerners don't know what it's like up here blah-de-blah. This mentality makes the ridiculous assumption that we all back the shinners. We do not. That doesn't make us less of gaels, nationalists etc. There is an obvious reaction to this simply because the shinners are involved and I'm not going to be naiive as to pretend otherwise. It probably wouldn't have made as much noise if it had been another political party. SF's use of the facilities of all of the community (although I'm not from Galbally, as a GAA member it belongs to me as much as anyone else in this country) by using it as a political launchpad for Gerry Adams to redress SF's electoral policy in the south after their disastrous European election is totally against everything the GAA stands for. If anyone read the ULster Herald article last Thursday regarding the upcoming Galbally event, they will have seen an interview with a leading county board representative. He was asked why the throw-ins for all club matches were moved to early in the afternoon (clashing with mass), was it to facilitate the hunger strike commemoration? He said it was to facilitate the watching of the hurling semifinal on I believe the GAA at national and provincial level were not complicit in this incident and are as angry about this as many of us are. I seriously hope someone takes the fall for this and a precedent will be set. All it has done is given mccausland a stick to beat the GAA's back with and for that, SF's actions -and those of whoever facilitated their use of the club's grounds- are inexcusable. I will finish with a simple scenario. Ask any ranking GAA central council official what their ten-year strategy is and they will tell you about inclusiveness and all people on this island at least having the option of playing their games without any hang-ups. The Cuchullan project, particularly in Protestant schools in Co Down, Armagh and Belfast was a fantastic initiative that saw Diarmid Marsden go and teach them for the first time the basics of our games. What has this incident in Galbally done to help facilitate that progress?

milo (Tyrone) - Posts: 238 - 20/08/2009 11:02:53    397962

I dont feel propaganda posts like Mugsys should be allowed. They are offensive to anyone with any sense of integrity.

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 20/08/2009 11:17:55    397979