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East Belfast GAC

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It seems the censor will only allow discussions relating to Christian religions.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7651 - 19/07/2020 21:55:21    2284563

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Replying To Tom1916:  "
Replying To Cockney_Cat:  ""They also wont be playing Amhrann na bhFiann at games and intend to campaign for it to be dropped by the GAA nationwide in the long term."

Nationwide? So a club in the UK is going to campaign to get the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland stopped being played in the Republic?"
You'll find the club is in Ireland, our country's 2nd city. Are you one of the loyalists from east Belfast?"
I'm with you 100% Tom but the six counties are in the UK, they call it 'Ulster', 'Northern Ireland' The Province' etc (it's none of these) but it is six counties still under British occupation and therefore still in the UK since the act of union. it's going to take a vote of consent from the gerrymandered six counties to reunite the country, great democracy that alright, a million or so people being allowed to hold the rest of the island/country back but that's the mess it is.
Covid and Brexit must make it obvious even to the staunchest unionist or freestater that partition is nonsense.

On the new club I think it's great, as long as they are prepared to stand to attention and face the Tricolour I think it's great to see all Irish people getting involved in the GAA whatever their history or religions.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3029 - 19/07/2020 21:58:49    2284564

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Replying To browncows:  "It is a bit strange to me that we have guys posting that still do not get the fact that there are 32 counties in Ireland. I do wish the new club well and hope it is a success, the more people play our games the better and everyone should be equal and welcomed."
Why join an organisation so as to speak if the first thing you want to do is change it? For whose benefit are they doing that? I do wish them well, it is great to see clubs opening in areas they probably are not welcome. GAA should support them as much as they can in a meaningful way. But why complicate it? The GAA has no jurisdiction over the Irish National anthem except when and where it is played. To change the anthem will have to be changed by a popular vote, of people in the Irish Republic. If one day Ireland is a single entity obviously all bets are of inrelation to the trappings of the new state, symbol, flag and anthem. But we are not nearly there yet and discussing the superficial aspects of symbols is surely detracting from the creation of this new club. After all tgey have two anthems to choose from.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4940 - 19/07/2020 22:23:31    2284570

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Jesus Christ we now getting called freestaters. Such utter sh1te. Be glad that this club is up and running and stop the bs.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 19/07/2020 22:23:35    2284571

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "
Replying To Tom1916:  "[quote=Cockney_Cat:  ""They also wont be playing Amhrann na bhFiann at games and intend to campaign for it to be dropped by the GAA nationwide in the long term."

Nationwide? So a club in the UK is going to campaign to get the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland stopped being played in the Republic?"
You'll find the club is in Ireland, our country's 2nd city. Are you one of the loyalists from east Belfast?"
I'm with you 100% Tom but the six counties are in the UK, they call it 'Ulster', 'Northern Ireland' The Province' etc (it's none of these) but it is six counties still under British occupation and therefore still in the UK since the act of union. it's going to take a vote of consent from the gerrymandered six counties to reunite the country, great democracy that alright, a million or so people being allowed to hold the rest of the island/country back but that's the mess it is.
Covid and Brexit must make it obvious even to the staunchest unionist or freestater that partition is nonsense.

On the new club I think it's great, as long as they are prepared to stand to attention and face the Tricolour I think it's great to see all Irish people getting involved in the GAA whatever their history or religions."]If views like yours are in the majority, this new east Belfast club sadly will be very shortlived.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1953 - 19/07/2020 23:09:57    2284573

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Replying To PoolSturgeon:  "
Replying To Cockney_Cat:  ""They also wont be playing Amhrann na bhFiann at games and intend to campaign for it to be dropped by the GAA nationwide in the long term."

Nationwide? So a club in the UK is going to campaign to get the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland stopped being played in the Republic?"
Nothing wrong with that. The GAA is an all island organisation and is a democratic organisation. I dont see dropping the anthem being supported by the majority of GAA members anytime in the near or medium future , no more than I see a United Ireland happening in the near or medium future. I like the pageantry of the anthem being played before games myself but it is a non essential extra in my view and there is an argument to be made that it is played too often. Sometimes less is more. The GAA claims to be non political nowadays but when you frame the issue as being about a club in the UK campaigning to get the national anthem of the Republic stopped from being played in the Republic you are bringing politics with a big "P" into it as well as being partitionist. The GAA members of the whole island and globally will decide the policy on anthems if it ever comes up for review in the future and it doesn't matter if those members are in the UK or anywhere else on the planet."
The gaa was founded by republicans and nationalists, yes times have moved on but its still Irish organisation, it will not be dropping our national anthem or flag, you seem to have issues with being Irish.

cityman73 (Limerick) - Posts: 783 - 20/07/2020 00:25:32    2284576

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Replying To Tom1916:  "
Replying To Cockney_Cat:  ""They also wont be playing Amhrann na bhFiann at games and intend to campaign for it to be dropped by the GAA nationwide in the long term."

Nationwide? So a club in the UK is going to campaign to get the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland stopped being played in the Republic?"
You'll find the club is in Ireland, our country's 2nd city. Are you one of the loyalists from east Belfast?"
Headbanger alert!

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2654 - 20/07/2020 09:06:42    2284585

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Replying To catch22:  "Let's put it in the simplest terms possible for you. Seeing as these Loyalist / Protestants are taking a leap and becoming part of an organisation which is steeped in everything associated with Irishness and republicanism then yes , I think it is probably worth the effort to try and accommodate them in some small way. The GAA is a modern and inclusive sporting organisation. If a symbol of where you are from can exclude you then we may as well forget about inclusion."
So why are the people who fly the Confederate flag excluded?

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2654 - 20/07/2020 09:10:06    2284586

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Replying To Cockney_Cat:  "So why are the people who fly the Confederate flag excluded?"
Because previous injustices to nationalists in the 20th century in Belfast isn't as cool a topic on social media as Black Lives Matters or slave labour in the 19th century.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7651 - 20/07/2020 10:57:29    2284596

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Irish unity is not that far away and may well happen around the same time as Scottish Independence. The next 10-20 years will see the breakup of the Union. Discussions about flags and anthems will happen then.

tireoghainabu (Tyrone) - Posts: 338 - 20/07/2020 11:03:53    2284597

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Replying To cityman73:  "
Replying To PoolSturgeon:  "[quote=Cockney_Cat:  ""They also wont be playing Amhrann na bhFiann at games and intend to campaign for it to be dropped by the GAA nationwide in the long term."

Nationwide? So a club in the UK is going to campaign to get the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland stopped being played in the Republic?"
Nothing wrong with that. The GAA is an all island organisation and is a democratic organisation. I dont see dropping the anthem being supported by the majority of GAA members anytime in the near or medium future , no more than I see a United Ireland happening in the near or medium future. I like the pageantry of the anthem being played before games myself but it is a non essential extra in my view and there is an argument to be made that it is played too often. Sometimes less is more. The GAA claims to be non political nowadays but when you frame the issue as being about a club in the UK campaigning to get the national anthem of the Republic stopped from being played in the Republic you are bringing politics with a big "P" into it as well as being partitionist. The GAA members of the whole island and globally will decide the policy on anthems if it ever comes up for review in the future and it doesn't matter if those members are in the UK or anywhere else on the planet."
The gaa was founded by republicans and nationalists, yes times have moved on but its still Irish organisation, it will not be dropping our national anthem or flag, you seem to have issues with being Irish."]Ah thanks very much. I certainly have hit a very raw nerve with you.
Not that I need to explain myself to you but most people who know me would consider me a 32 county nationalist.
I am not advocating for the dropping of our anthem and flag at matches at all. However the GAA thankfully is an inclusive and non sectarian organisation and in the context of sport I see them as non essentials. I presume , given what seems to be your narrow view of Irish identity, you will consider all other sports played on this island as being "foreign" , but rugby, soccer, tennis, golf, horse racing etc etc, get by quite well without having the anthem played before every local fixture and nobody, even those with otherwise strong nationalist opinions, has a problem with it. Theres racing on today in Ballinrobe and Gowran Park.....do you think the national anthem should be played before the horses leave the parade ring? I didnt think so.
From what you say above I get the impression that you would be of the view that the unionist population in the north east of the country who were born here are not Irish. If that's the case I would be interested in hearing how you propose that Ireland will someday be united? If it is to be a numbers game, a united Ireland will never be peaceful.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1953 - 20/07/2020 11:27:54    2284599

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Replying To Cockney_Cat:  "So why are the people who fly the Confederate flag excluded?"
The confederate flag has nothing got to do with the GAA or Irish sport. The H & W shipyard is part of the history of this part of Ireland and represents a significant part of its past and the people who might decide to become part of this club.
If the GAA wants to accommodate all those who are part of this country in its association and who wish to participate in our games then let's move in the right direction.

catch22 (USA) - Posts: 2148 - 20/07/2020 12:03:59    2284606

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "Because previous injustices to nationalists in the 20th century in Belfast isn't as cool a topic on social media as Black Lives Matters or slave labour in the 19th century."
Do people in NI do not go around with images of H&W on flags proclaiming they are Superior to others, whether Catholics or other religions and just because of their religion they should be treated as subhumans?
Do you really think the BLM movement is only a social media spin and something that is cool? is that your intelligent response to BLM?

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1900 - 20/07/2020 12:04:24    2284607

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Having a GAA club in East Belfast disarms unionism. Unionists can no longer say that the GAA is only for republicans and nationalists because the same community has reached out to unionists and given them an identity within the GAA.

Helm82 (Armagh) - Posts: 13 - 20/07/2020 12:23:15    2284608

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Replying To zinny:  "Do people in NI do not go around with images of H&W on flags proclaiming they are Superior to others, whether Catholics or other religions and just because of their religion they should be treated as subhumans?
Do you really think the BLM movement is only a social media spin and something that is cool? is that your intelligent response to BLM?"
"Do you really think the BLM movement is only a social media spin and something that is cool? is that your intelligent response to BLM?"

BLM protests in some place like Minneapolis are certainly more that social media spin, and motivated by something much more concrete than just doing something thats cool.

BLM protests in Clonmel on the other hand...

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 20/07/2020 12:47:51    2284614

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "Because previous injustices to nationalists in the 20th century in Belfast isn't as cool a topic on social media as Black Lives Matters or slave labour in the 19th century."
Some white people might be using BLM to look cool on social media but that does not take from the fact that black people have a real grievance.

And plenty of people have tried to help in NI so it's not like the poor auld white people are been forgotten

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1236 - 20/07/2020 12:50:27    2284615

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Replying To Marlon_JD:  ""Do you really think the BLM movement is only a social media spin and something that is cool? is that your intelligent response to BLM?"

BLM protests in some place like Minneapolis are certainly more that social media spin, and motivated by something much more concrete than just doing something thats cool.

BLM protests in Clonmel on the other hand..."
The French protested outside the British embassy in Paris the night Bobby Sands died so I suppose you think that show of solidarity was stupid too?

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1236 - 20/07/2020 12:52:32    2284617

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Replying To Breezy:  "The French protested outside the British embassy in Paris the night Bobby Sands died so I suppose you think that show of solidarity was stupid too?"
Well, I don't, do you? You sneered at plight of people in the six counties in your response to GreenandRed, and then you used the plight of people in the six counties to try to make, well, lets call it a "point" for the sake of civil discourse, in your response to me. So thats a little unclear.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 20/07/2020 13:34:20    2284625

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As is typical of online discourse, we take a positive news story, search for a possible negative that might not even happen, and then go down the rabbit hole of pointless one-upmanship.

So back on topic, it is great to see this new club take shape in East Belfast, all the more remarkable given the current global issues. We're so starved of good new stories, and so bombarded with divisiveness, its a relief to see a possible cross-community story like this. We should just take the collective societal win on this one.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 20/07/2020 13:52:10    2284628

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Replying To Marlon_JD:  ""Do you really think the BLM movement is only a social media spin and something that is cool? is that your intelligent response to BLM?"

BLM protests in some place like Minneapolis are certainly more that social media spin, and motivated by something much more concrete than just doing something thats cool.

BLM protests in Clonmel on the other hand..."
Agree, all that BLM should be to Clonmel is that any racial discrimination is wrong. I think that some people in the way that the behave around certain social issues overseas do not help those causes, donating money to BLM from Ireland while NGOs that deal with racial discrimination in Ireland need funds is not right - BLM is well funded without contributions from overseas.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1900 - 20/07/2020 14:17:57    2284631

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