Back in May, the NI Human Rights Commission made a written submission to the Geneva committee in which it argued that "sectarianism in Northern Ireland should be treated as a 'subset' or particular manifestation of racism".

The commission argued that viewing sectarianism as "Protestant-Catholic religious prejudice, political factionalism, or even 'tribalism' " placed it outside the context of well-established international human rights law, specifically the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which came into force back in 1969.

The commission said sectarianism could be looked at as a particular form of racism, on a par with anti-semitism or Islamophobia.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 21/03/2012 12:35:21    1133885

A few things spring to mind "Sticks and Stones" "Mountain out of a Molehill" "Water off a Ducks Back"

fortyfive (Tyrone) - Posts: 5929 - 21/03/2012 12:37:10    1133887

I'm sure any one of us can see why Horse would want to defend one of his countymen, any of us would instinctively, even though many posters don't like his comments in relation to it. It's still a case of Innocent until Proven Guilty. But it is not a case of 'Case closed'.

We all rightly condemn this type of behaviour and the GAA has a duty to get off its arse & carry out a full & impartial investigation into this and if there is evidence/witnesses/referee's notes/whatever that prove the player guilty beyond reasonable doubt, then a hefty punishment should be laid down to the player in question.

It doesn't matter if it's racist/sectarian/whatever, this kind of abuse has no place in GAA and they need to show a heavy hand and let everyone, not just a Laois player, that it won't be tolerated.

gigoer (Wexford) - Posts: 1998 - 21/03/2012 12:38:03    1133888

Gigoer

Excellent post.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 21/03/2012 12:40:56    1133890

Lockjaw
County: Donegal
Posts: 2185

1133876
The gist of what I'm getting from your posts however is that the Laois man doesn't deserve anything...?

Based on the fact that there is neither proof of the comments, nor any precedent of lads getting suspended for verbals, then why should a Laois man be singled out and used to set an example??? No way would i want that.

What really galls me is listening to the angels of armagh coming out with all this hand wringing and whining.

Horse (Laois) - Posts: 1146 - 21/03/2012 12:47:31    1133900

Gigoer that would all be fair and good in an ideal world.
However we all know that there is one rule for small counties with low gate receipts and another for the traditional superpowers.
No doubt Laois would be scapegoated and dealt with totally heavy handedly while other more high profile counties would continue to do as they please.

Horse (Laois) - Posts: 1146 - 21/03/2012 12:53:04    1133908

By that, I take it you feel that Laois would be scapegoated regardless of the outcome of any investigation with any supporting evidence, but that doesn't take away its necessity, no matter who it is.

And it's disturbing to think that so called 'superpowers' could do this sort of thing and it being sumarily ignored. I personally don't believe that. But I don't know what you're basing that on either.

As it stands, it is a Laois player who is suspected (and I mean suspected, not proven) of committing this offence and we cannot say it should be dismissed on the assumption that another player from another county could do it & go unnoticed on account of their county being a so-called 'superpower'.

Let an investigation decide the issue, it has to be done.

gigoer (Wexford) - Posts: 1998 - 21/03/2012 13:03:00    1133917

If I had a euro for everytime I heard freestate b*****d this and freestate b*****d that from Armagh and Tyrone fans at games over the last few years well I wouldent have to worry about paying my household charge...Cop on lads and stop being so sensitive!

juniorbsub (Wexford) - Posts: 646 - 21/03/2012 13:04:34    1133920

True for you juniorsub.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 21/03/2012 13:13:52    1133930

Horse. Your like Kenny Dalglish in disguise.

derfil1 (Kildare) - Posts: 1612 - 21/03/2012 13:24:43    1133939

Exactly derfil1. Stop trying to muddy the waters by talking about football like this some wrong square-ball decision on the field or something. What we are talking about here is something seperate to that. I have to say a similar accusation was made by an Antrim poster on this site towards Kildare players and if they did manage to prove that it happened I wouldn't try and defend it or say it was acceptable!

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 21/03/2012 13:39:55    1133953

bumpernut
County: Antrim
Posts: 485

1133757
Looking forward to Joe Duffy's radio show about it!!!

I am not surprised at all about this after all the same thing happened to Kieran Kelly from Antrim hurlers a few years ago in Galway.

Was there in Salthill that day behind the goal when Pinky was called a 'British b*****d' by a certain Galway defender. I think the kid may have regretted opening his mouth for a week after. It's absolutely sickening and depressing to hear such pile by brain dead idiots such as these. The lowest of the low

srb (Antrim) - Posts: 344 - 21/03/2012 13:52:47    1133967

juniorbsub, you're talking about fans. It is a player that has been accused of this.

I'm not saying it's ok for fans to do it and it's virtually impossible to control anyway, but players are the heart & soul of the game and if they're up to this sort of no good, then God knows where hate started on the pitch could spread to

gigoer (Wexford) - Posts: 1998 - 21/03/2012 13:58:48    1133978

I'll tell you this and tell you all no more.. The Laois player in question wouldn't have said made these silly remarks had the game been in The Athletic Grounds or Crossmaglen!!

wise_guy (Tyrone) - Posts: 1584 - 21/03/2012 13:59:19    1133980

Horse

Strange 72 odd contributions on this thread an not 1 of your fellow Queen's county men has come out to defend the player or back you up. Does it not tell you something as to how very wrong the player was and how irrational and blindly biased your argument is?

rath_togh (Meath) - Posts: 740 - 21/03/2012 14:02:34    1133990

I remember been in a pub once with a Kildare man and a Laois man. There was the usual arguing over who was the more successful county etc etc. I asked them both who was their main rival...Laois man said Kildare...Kildare man said he liked Laois and wanted them to do well but saw Meath and Dublin as their benchmark. This seemed to infuriate Laois man who then reffered to said Kildare man as a Brit and a resident of the "Pale"....
Well i think the people of Armagh and Kildare have probably contributed more in terms of nationalism than the "powder pi**ers" from Queenscounty...... they have a strange mentality down there....

sportsfan14 (USA) - Posts: 281 - 21/03/2012 14:03:57    1133993

Am on H*rses side here
If Armagh have an accusation to make, then make it. Dont taint the entire team with a "maybe" and a "one of them" accusation
If this happened, name him and shame him and dont blame the entire county, players, fans and staff
thats just BS

If Armagh were so aggreived they went public then going public puts the onus on them to give us all the facts. Otherwise what was the point.

Armagh need to put up or shut up

(and in the event of said player being found guilty he should have the book thrown at him)

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8170 - 21/03/2012 14:03:59    1133994

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14636076

tir_eoghain_abu (Tyrone) - Posts: 773 - 21/03/2012 14:08:47    1134009

If this was other way around laois would be called losers and whingers .

Malonemagic (Laois) - Posts: 817 - 21/03/2012 14:10:47    1134014

Do all Laois supporters/posters victimise themselves like this?

gigoer (Wexford) - Posts: 1998 - 21/03/2012 14:19:17    1134035