this is Sport, would you effectively ban all Ulster Protestants from the side? they stand to attention for the National Anthem in Dublin, how would you suggest that we address the anthems issue outside Dublin?

ochonlir (Cavan) - Posts: 4343 - 05/09/2011 13:57:45    1027349

Interesting to note that those who bleat on about this the most are those who know nothing about Rugby and don't follow the sport. Rugby in Ireland is a shining example to every other sport, a sport where people from two distinct backgrounds can come together on and off the pitch to support the same team and fight for the same goals. It's completely inclusive and welcoming no matter what your background is. So try and politicise it all you want but Irish Rugby fans and players won't get drawn into the inane arguments that follow divisive sports like football and the GAA. Stick to those sports, safe in the knowledge that your fellow fans have the exact same political beliefs as you. For some reason Ulsterman, Brend etc. find that important when it comes to sport

pplocal (Tyrone) - Posts: 5878 - 05/09/2011 14:06:53    1027362

Cabaret Irish music of the worst kind, the chorus is a musical embarresment to a country richly endowed where musical heritage is concerned. As a "unifying" song it is lamentable, but probably fairly typical for a sport that is so far up its own importance that it actually thinks it represents everyone!! But aside from the appalling "musak" add to it the childish boy scout lyrics and all in all it just amounts to an assault on good taste - shocking crap. Thank god the World Cup is being held in New Zealand - I'll finally get a seat on the dart in the morning.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4953 - 05/09/2011 14:38:36    1027403

if its going to continue like this then the name should be changed to "Republic and Northern Ireland"... because A na B is the anthem of Ireland and anybody playing for Ireland should respect it, otherwise like the slogan says.."get the F out"

laflour (Cavan) - Posts: 528 - 05/09/2011 14:46:20    1027415

brendtheredhand
County: Tyrone
Posts: 4313
Don't anyone tell you that educational standards have been falling of late, here we have pplocal, proof, if needed, that education WORKS.

He musta gone to a gaelscoil.

Horse (Laois) - Posts: 1146 - 05/09/2011 14:49:01    1027420

laflour

what is really sickening about this is Ra men on the ditch like you. you would be quite happy to watch people in the North engaged in war so you could wax lyrical about it. Your tough talk is the talk of yahoos with big shiney heads that roar when you all come out at night.

Clob!

ochonlir (Cavan) - Posts: 4343 - 05/09/2011 15:24:49    1027465

The worst thing about Irelands Call is that you can physically see the pride being drained out of alot of the players as its played. Its such a damp squib and means nothing to anyone, northern or from the republic... we can remember how england, france, italy etc were given rousing versions of their anthems last time and it was a precourser for the game...

Im probably the only one but i dont think it should be a island of ireland team.. whether people like it or not there are 2 seperate countries on this island. Northern players would be no loss anyway

miketyson (Limerick) - Posts: 2748 - 05/09/2011 16:17:21    1027525

Damn English have reduced us to this!!!!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 05/09/2011 16:21:36    1027533

miketyson
County: Limerick
Posts: 2311

1027525 The worst thing about Irelands Call is that you can physically see the pride being drained out of alot of the players as its played. Its such a damp squib and means nothing to anyone, northern or from the republic... we can remember how england, france, italy etc were given rousing versions of their anthems last time and it was a precourser for the game...

Im probably the only one but i dont think it should be a island of ireland team.. whether people like it or not there are 2 seperate countries on this island. Northern players would be no loss anyway
__________________________
With the exception of the un-necessary anti-nordie rant, I actually agree with you there mike!

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 05/09/2011 16:33:56    1027547

05/09/2011 16:17:21
miketyson
County: Limerick
Posts: 2311

1027525 The worst thing about Irelands Call is that you can physically see the pride being drained out of alot of the players as its played. Its such a damp squib and means nothing to anyone, northern or from the republic... we can remember how england, france, italy etc were given rousing versions of their anthems last time and it was a precourser for the game...

Im probably the only one but i dont think it should be a island of ireland team.. whether people like it or not there are 2 seperate countries on this island. Northern players would be no loss anyway

That is so stupid, is it not better that players of rugby like many sports in this country like cricket, hockey(apart from the olympics) etc can play with the best on this island as 1 team
Would you rather stephen ferris play for someone else then?
Who really cares about the anthem as long as the team plays well, surely the performance of the players on the pitch is 1,000,000,000 times more important than what songs are sang before the game

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 05/09/2011 16:35:20    1027548

ormond,

its kinda two seperate points. In my opinion the anthem can effect performance in a small way, but its a game of inches.... the unity of two nations is a different issue which i said probably noone would agree with me. I have no problem with the team being unified, i have nothing against nordies, but i dont think it would be as they are two different countries... same goes for the other sports

miketyson (Limerick) - Posts: 2748 - 05/09/2011 16:47:07    1027562

ochonlir
County: Cavan
Posts: 3455

1027465
laflour

what is really sickening about this is Ra men on the ditch like you. you would be quite happy to watch people in the North engaged in war so you could wax lyrical about it. Your tough talk is the talk of yahoos with big shiney heads that roar when you all come out at night.

Clob!


No idea what any of that means!.. all i am saying is that anybody who feels they are not represented by our national anthem has no business in representing our country... Also i think it very low of you to accuse anybody of being on a ditch, especially on a day like that.. a cute cavan man like myself would hide in the ditch in that rain, not on it.. you must be a blow in if you assumed otherwise!..

laflour (Cavan) - Posts: 528 - 05/09/2011 17:05:55    1027581

Genuinely sad that people would be willing to get rid of something that works so well for the sake of a 2 minute piece of music at the start of a match. These are professional players, the best that this island can offer. The idea that not listening to Amhran na bhFiann has a huge effect on them is preposterous, they could listen to it in the changing room if it makes such a difference to their playing standards

pplocal (Tyrone) - Posts: 5878 - 05/09/2011 17:09:08    1027587

How about 'God Save the Queen' and 'Amhrán na bhFiann' both? Or alternate between them every other match.

It is rugby after all. No need to get worked up about it.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13797 - 05/09/2011 17:31:50    1027607

Making light of your intemperate comments ain't so clever laflour


I can read between the grunts you probably think that going to a Wolftones concert is worthy of a purple heart

ochonlir (Cavan) - Posts: 4343 - 05/09/2011 17:35:23    1027611

How come playing AnF wasn't an issue throughout the 70's and 80's, discuss?

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 05/09/2011 17:59:38    1027625

pplocal
County: Tyrone
Posts: 3795

1027362 Interesting to note that those who bleat on about this the most are those who know nothing about Rugby and don't follow the sport. Rugby in Ireland is a shining example to every other sport, a sport where people from two distinct backgrounds can come together on and off the pitch to support the same team and fight for the same goals. It's completely inclusive and welcoming no matter what your background is. So try and politicise it all you want but Irish Rugby fans and players won't get drawn into the inane arguments that follow divisive sports like football and the GAA. Stick to those sports, safe in the knowledge that your fellow fans have the exact same political beliefs as you. For some reason Ulsterman, Brend etc. find that important when it comes to sport

How many Nationalisys play rugby in the North? It always struck me as being the preserve of Protestant players. The IRFU never flew the Tricolour over Landsdown Road until 1931. That said I would play both songs (Amhran na bhFiann and Irelands Call) before our games and I would have the teams come out behind both flags.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6180 - 05/09/2011 18:00:35    1027627

I don't have the figures at hand obviously but I don't think its seen as threatening to Nationalists as say the N.I. football team might be. Of course it has traditionally been a sport played mostly by Protestants but it is becoming more and more popular in Catholic schools. I hate the idea that it's any way relevant what religion people are at sport events, I was at the Glasgow game on Friday and there was nothing at all that could be considered . The official flag of Ulster rugby is in fact seen as a Nationalist flag and there were a number of them at the game, I have one myself. When you have the situation that we have compromises have to be made and in fact it is Unionists who have made the biggest sacrifices when it comes to the Irish rugby team. I do genuinely think the way Rugby is handled and run here is something that should be aspired to by other sports

pplocal (Tyrone) - Posts: 5878 - 05/09/2011 18:21:47    1027640

I couldn't give a toss about the sport at all and especially the people who follow it, it is a million miles from where my soul is. But Ireland's call is such awful rubbish, for anyone to suggest otherwise needs to get their ears syringed. The players look as if they are straining on the jack's when they sing it, if they sing it. And to add insult to injury there are people in certain posh ghetto's in Dublin who think its their anthem, thank god too for the recession as most of the merchandise will end up in some shanty town in liberated South Africa.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4953 - 05/09/2011 19:09:09    1027697

05/09/2011 16:47:07
miketyson
County: Limerick
Posts: 2313

1027562 ormond,

its kinda two seperate points. In my opinion the anthem can effect performance in a small way,but its a game of inches.... the unity of two nations is a different issue which i said probably noone would agree with me. I have no problem with the team being unified,
i have nothing against nordies, but i dont think it would be as they are two different
countries... same goes for the other sports

But in Rugby the governing body the IRFU has governed the entire country since 1879 but there was seperate bodys Initially that were both founded in 1874 - the Irish Football Union had jurisdiction over clubs in Leinster, Munster and parts of Ulster; the Northern Football Union of Ireland controlled the Belfast area. So the northern lads should play with us as they always have
The anthem can play a tiny role, as you say inches take ireland v england in croke park in 2007 but there will not be as emotional a game as that in new zealand



05/09/2011 17:09:08
pplocal
County: Tyrone
Posts: 3796

1027587 Genuinely sad that people would be willing to get rid of something that works so well
for the sake of a 2 minute piece of music at the start of a match. These are professional
players, the best that this island can offer. The idea that not listening to Amhran na
bhFiann has a huge effect on them is preposterous, they could listen to it in the changing
room if it makes such a difference to their playing standards
+1 +1 totally agree. the haka and the cibi(fijis war dance), Manu Siva Tau(samoa war dance) would have a mcuh bigger effect on the respective players than all anthems apart from the americans for their game v ireland and maybe the french(maybe)

05/09/2011 18:00:35
Greengrass
County: Louth
Posts: 1609

How many Nationalisys play rugby in the North? It always struck me as being the preserve of
Protestant players. The IRFU never flew the Tricolour over Landsdown Road until 1931. That
said I would play both songs (Amhran na bhFiann and Irelands Call) before our games and I
would have the teams come out behind both flags

Dont know the exact figures but numbers are increasing.
05/09/2011 18:21:47
pplocal
County: Tyrone
Posts: 3796

1027640 I don't have the figures at hand obviously but I don't think its seen as
threatening to Nationalists as say the N.I. football team might be. Of course it has
traditionally been a sport played mostly by Protestants but it is becoming more and more
popular in Catholic schools. I hate the idea that it's any way relevant what religion people
are at sport events, I was at the Glasgow game on Friday and there was nothing at all that
could be considered . The official flag of Ulster rugby is in fact seen as a Nationalist
flag and there were a number of them at the game, I have one myself. When you have the
situation that we have compromises have to be made and in fact it is Unionists who have
made the biggest sacrifices when it comes to the Irish rugby team. I do genuinely think
the way Rugby is handled and run here is something that should be aspired to by other sports

pp, agree with everything you say there. Ulster are doing great work in closing the divide, for example mini teams from donegal have played in ravenhill at half time of ulster games on many occasions

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 05/09/2011 19:13:58    1027703