What's happening to our nation? Why not bring back the act of union too. Just because the d4 ruggerheads were willing to sell out OUR culture to please the few doesn't mean our national by far most popular sport should follow the example of a Minority sport

sceptical (Cavan) - Posts: 544 - 29/09/2015 17:47:41    1793838

DoireCityFC
County: Derry
The flag in discussion here wasnt even regarded as our national flag before 16 and not given official status until the late 30's. The green harp flag was in use from 1640 odd so really we should be more upset at losing that as it was the flag of the irish 300 odd years. The united irishmen never even heard of a tricolour......and neither did anyone on this island until the french made it and passed it on to us

Wait, so you'd favor getting rid of a flag that at least tries to represent both traditions (green and orange), for a flag from 300 years ago? Doesn't seem very inclusive.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 29/09/2015 17:56:50    1793844

It's an interesting one. Imagine if Ulster and the division problem there didn't exist. Would flying the national flag and singing the national anthem be an issue then? Would people complain because non-nationals would feel alienated for example? I don't think so. I love the tradition of singing the national anthem before a game. I love the tradition of the Artane Boys Band playing and marching with the teams behind them. It's a national game, it's cultural, it's uniquely Irish and I love seeing tourists marvel at the sight of a huge crowd at Croke Park, all singing the anthem with no segregation. Some people say that when non-nationals come to Ireland that they should adopt our customs and traditions. I feel the same way about our national games. If you want to play them then row in with the traditions associated with them, like baseball in america, international soccer, medal ceremonies in all sports. If Andy Townsend, Jason McAteer and Co were prepared to put up with it for the love of the sport then so should the very very few, I should imagine, unionist people who may wish to play Gaelic games.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 29/09/2015 18:03:15    1793849

sceptical

What's happening to our nation? Why not bring back the act of union too. Just because the d4 ruggerheads were willing to sell out OUR culture to please the few doesn't mean our national by far most popular sport should follow the example of a Minority sport

You equate are entire culture to 1 song that's just over 100 years old and that was originally wrote in English, it's either that or you were lying about the rugby boys selling our culture, which is it?

Ps, again I don't want rid of the national anthem and flag so we can reach out to Unionists, I just can't see the point of them at Gaa matches and nobody has offered me a logical reason for their presence.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 29/09/2015 18:05:46    1793851

Personally I wouldn't miss the anthem before games. The amount of times I've heard it butchered by some truly awful local singer or even worse, by some scratchy 'Father'Ted-like' rendition on an antiquated tannoy system in a provincial ground. Added to that people don't even sing it but rather just some awkward murmuring. Let's be honest, a significant amount of people don't even know the words! Better to scrap it than have it made a mockery of as is the current state of play.

As for the flag? It wouldn't bother me if it was removed. The games themselves, their ethos, the people playing and the communities they represent are what make it special. These badges of nationalism within the GAA are really just remnants from the late 19th Century when the GAA strove to assert and differentiate itself from others-they're anachronisms that are increasingly irrelevant. The games themselves are good enough to sustain themselves- the previous 100+ years plus have shown that. I appreciate many posters from the north especially have differing opinions- opinions I respect. Let's be honest though, could you really blame even a moderate Unionist being wary of the GAA?!!

stanley (None) - Posts: 434 - 29/09/2015 18:17:29    1793854

TheMaster
County: Mayo
Posts: 14028

1793741
IrelandUnited, not one word of that has anything to do with sport. It has no place in the argument. This is the problem - people attaching other things onto what is a sporting contest between two teams.

The exact reason I replied that way was to highlight that the inclusiveness being called for works one way only. Unionists & Loyalists care nothing for making sporting events 'Neutral' they are British and use all in their power to promote and overpower every sign of Irishness from Northern Society.
Tribalism and Politics is what the GAA has been built on it was used to promote and Irish Identity through Gaelic Games and Pastimes.
To put it quite simply one side of the community up here has reached out and tried to be inclusive, but in return we have been tramped over and overpowered with everything pro British you can care to think of. We also have a strong sense of pride in who we are, our clubs and counties are testament to a thriving Irish Community in Ulster (One Of the Four Proviences of Ireland) So yes when I hear of someone coming on and calling for the removal of a strong link us Northern Gaels have to our National Identity, politics and sport are being intertwined.
The whole reason we are even having this discussion at this very moment is because of the politics on this Island. To try the old argument that politics and sport don't mix is denying what happens in the real world. Of course I look forward to us ALL moving on and learning from past mistakes and being able to attend sporting events, with the removal of flags and anthems and not feel intimidated, unfortunately this Utopian vision of sport and society in general isn't shared by our Unionist & Loyalist neighbors in either sporting events or daily life!

IrelandUnited (Tyrone) - Posts: 77 - 29/09/2015 18:36:13    1793867

So called'unionist' sports like rugby, hockey, cricket..etc are far more inclusive than the GAA. Posters pretending there is no effort made by other sports in NI are simply deluding thrmselves - ye sound more like Loyslist flag protesters than Irish people

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4624 - 29/09/2015 19:19:21    1793877

Mods can you check your servers there as I think there may be an issue with posts not getting through.... Much appreciated.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 29/09/2015 19:41:16    1793889

Strange Ailteor, you wont take on anything DerryCityFC has to say, you disagree with him through my posts, and hang onto the assumption that I havent lived up there. Yet Im quoting his points, and Im pretty sure he has lived up there.

The reality is every point against is backed up with an individual story where the person posting was personally affected. Clearly, they are emotionally involved in that instance. However, it seems to be lost on them that similar incidents happen in the other direction also. You have to look at the bigger picture also.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 29/09/2015 19:43:59    1793891

more pc rubbish

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2150 - 29/09/2015 19:59:31    1793896

As long as I live I want the national anthem played and the orange white and green flag flown over the grounds when matches are played.
After what happened here in London last week with the admitting of the British army into the GAA here where are we going at all ? In the mid sixties when I first travelled to away matches supporting Donegal in Ulster it was great to hear the national anthem played in the six counties. If J Burns wants to attract more of the unionist well and good but not at the cost of loosing the National anthem / flying the tricolour. Every one should know what the founders meant when they founded the GAA. So for me the GAA is for Irish people , dedicated and loyal to Ireland.
What I'm saying may seem a bit harsh but why stoop to appease the unionist when their loyalties lie with Britain/ Glasgow Rangers if they want to join a GAA club nobody will say anything to them but they have to respect the ideas and aims of the GAA
Also don't give me this about sport/ politics and they should not mix or whether they should not mix. That's been happening for years and in other sports also.
Don't forget a lot of men who were imprisoned/ interned ( and indeed women) were members of the GAA and don't forget that the GAA was almost split over the hunger strike.
If people keep coming up with all these silly ideas I could see a big split developing and I would support such a stance.
I know people who have not stood in Croke Park since it was opened to soccer/ rugby and fair play to them if that's the course of action they want to take.
Do people on here not realise that the Tricolour was illegal in the SixCounties at one stage. Yet you could have flown that flag in The USA or probably in Britain at the time but not in our own country(32 county Ireland) The one good thing about the GAA is that it is a 32 county sport and we must thank our Gaelic Brothers/Sisters for keeping the game alive in very difficult circumstances in the Six Counties.

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 29/09/2015 20:05:27    1793899

Jarlath Burns answered his own questions when he said you could make all those changes and the GAA still might not appeal to unionists. I don't see them bending over backwards to intice nationalists in to their culture and what's more they don't give it two seconds thought.

Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1139 - 29/09/2015 20:13:39    1793903

I honestly can't see how the removal of the Tri colour and National Anthem being done away with could benefit the Gaa .
The Gaa gives us our identity all over the world.
This outburst by Burns obviously stems from the passing of the British army team being aloud to play in the London junior competitions and he fully supports.
People seem to have very short memories, I.e the two bloody Sunday's, Ballymurphy , Aidan mc Anespie the list goes on.....
Burns wants to catch himself on and remove his tongue from the altar rails.
He'll be voting for God save the queen to be played in the north now before games and the union flag to be flown.
He's let the Gaa down

bullwork (UK) - Posts: 11 - 29/09/2015 20:14:17    1793904

SamOnErrigal

I know people who have not stood in Croke Park since it was opened to soccer/ rugby and fair play to them if that's the course of action they want to take.

Well it is remarkable how thick some people are, imagine denying yourself access to one of the world's greatest stadiums and not go see a sport you supposedly love just because the organisation that runs that sport decided to open it's doors to others, the Gaa can certainly do without people like that, they were obviously never genuine fans to begin with!

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 29/09/2015 20:23:15    1793911

I've no problem with lads wanting to stand and salute a Union Jack, its a free world. The GAA and Irish culture are totally intertwined. its a way of life. If a person from a different tradition wants to join in so be it. I don't feel the need to change an entire way of life to accommodate one group or another. Chances are they probably wont want to be part of the GAA anyway.

Listen I have my own culture and unionists have theirs. And I have no problem with anyone wanting to celebrate their way of life. I know there are orange parades in the south near me and although I wouldn't take part in one myself, I would certainly defend to the end their right to celebrate their culture. I don't feel the need to tell them to stop doing one thing or another so I could join in the craic.

Similarly, I want to face the tricolour and sing Amhran na bhFiann at a GAA match. I'm not apologising for it.

supermon (Monaghan) - Posts: 1073 - 29/09/2015 20:27:22    1793915

Removing tricolor and anthem, will hot make one bit of difference, Certain Unionist people associate Gaa with the Ra. Their is as much chance of them playing Gaa as a person from south Armagh has of joining the Orange order, if they are promised the word Orange will be removed from the name and a different color is used .

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 29/09/2015 20:29:32    1793916

Indeed bullwork he seems to be on a solo run here to keep the 'Flegger brigade' onside but he has lost the respect of many Gaels with his outrageous stuff. There's one thing reaching out to people but when you divest yourself of all core principles and beliefs you just become a figure of ridicule. Jarlath can't seem to see past his own ambitions. Ad I stated earlier I heard some fellas today saying they will ask their clubs and the Antrim board to vote against him if he stands for President.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9706 - 29/09/2015 20:34:57    1793920

Seems many Ulster posters attach themselves to the GAA merely as a tool for their nationalism and to show their 'Irishness' rather than any love for the games themselves. The GAA is moving on, the dinosaurs will be left behind much like those who opposed removing the ban, opening croke park , irish guards plating in London

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4624 - 29/09/2015 20:39:17    1793923

29/09/2015 17:47:41 sceptical
What's happening to our nation? Why not bring back the act of union too. Just because the d4 ruggerheads were willing to sell out OUR culture to please the few doesn't mean our national by far most popular sport should follow the example of a Minority sport Typical post by you. Wrong as usual. Your use of minority to dismiss rugby is pathetic.
The IRFU didn't sell do anything to knock the irish culture by not using amhran na bhfiann at away games or world cup games in neutral venues. There is many British Nationalists in Ulster who are Irish but don't recognise Amhran na Bhfiann so why should they have to just listen to that anthem?
Remember there is irish rugby players who were bombed as they attempted to represent their country and some guys careers were ruined/adversely affected on the eve of the first ever world cup due to the actions of irish republicans.
29/09/2015 19:41:16 Offside_Rule
Mods can you check your servers there as I think there may be an issue with posts not getting through.... Much appreciated. Nothing to do with servers..... posts have to be accepted before they go live on the website.....
29/09/2015 20:14:17 bullwork
I honestly can't see how the removal of the Tri colour and National Anthem being done away with could benefit the Gaa.
The Gaa gives us our identity all over the world.
This outburst by Burns obviously stems from the passing of the British army team being aloud to play in the London junior competitions and he fully supports.
People seem to have very short memories, I.e the two bloody Sunday's, Ballymurphy , Aidan mc Anespie the list goes on.....
Burns wants to catch himself on and remove his tongue from the altar rails.
He'll be voting for God save the queen to be played in the north now before games and the union flag to be flown.
He's let the Gaa down He hasn't let the GAA down at all. Does the GAA realy give us identity all over the globe? There is much greater signs of irish identity than the GAA.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 29/09/2015 20:45:47    1793925

Bad monkey, a lot of people outside Ulster don't want the tricolor or anthem removed, for the reasons suggested by Burns ,So your post is off the mark.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 29/09/2015 20:51:08    1793928