http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Two-Irish-groups-still-fly-racist-Confederate-flag-says-Washington-Post.html

Good article with the most random of pairings.

In light of recent goings with the flag in the U.S will Cork fans follow.
I understand the whole rebel connection Cork have with it but when you delve deeper into what the flag stood and represented is it appropiate now to have it at games.

Donegal_Man (Donegal) - Posts: 37 - 08/07/2015 19:54:46    1750136

Donegal man
Yerra I'd say it's a thing of nothing really, sure they had a Japanese flag as well one time.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 08/07/2015 20:25:49    1750164

This topic was brought up a few years ago, but still the flags fly

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2224 - 08/07/2015 20:39:54    1750177

Cork born Pat Cleburne became the highest ranking immigrant officer in the American Civil War. He fought, and died, for the confederacy and called for the abolition of slavery in 1863. Robert E Lee (not from Cork - but we are working on it!) freed his slaves before the civil war.

The idea that the Confederacy was some kind of evil oppressive, racist regime is very simplistic. It was really only slightly more racist than the Northern States at that time. Few people, anywhere in the Union, believed in racial equality. The Federal flag (at that time) was almost as powerful a symbol of black oppression. Also, the flag often referred to as 'the confederate flag' was not the flag of the Confederacy. The stars and bars (as we call it now) was frequently carried into battle, and was certainly associated with, and even represented, the various Confederate Armies. However, the flag of the Confederate Nation consisted of red and white vertical stripes, with stars and bars in the corner (if memory serves).

Thus, any difficulty with this flag must be viewed in a contemporary light. The problem is not with what the flag represented, but with what it came to represent. In America, it came to represent racial hatred which most right thinking people abhor. However there is no doubt that it has also represented Southern identity. In Ireland it's never really had racial overtones, but has been used by GAA fans. For those reasons, if it is flown as a badge of identity, and not a racial statement, I don't think anybody should have a problem with it.

Even in the Southern States, it is a part of their history and their identity - why should it be left as the exclusive property of the KKK, when it belongs to all southerners?

That's my two cents:)

Culchie (Cork) - Posts: 799 - 08/07/2015 20:56:29    1750191

Have seen Libyan flags, Basque flags and even the Papal flag. Don't think anyone is making a statement just happens to be a flag with colours associated with their County. Bit different to what goes up on lamp posts up here.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 08/07/2015 21:00:35    1750197

In light of recent goings with the flag in the U.S will Cork fans follow....

Why would they?

The cork lads who fly this flag clearly have no racial context in it!

although I do totally understand why they have banned the confederate flag from amazon ebay and all these other big outlets but yet you can still buy Nazi memorabilia flags ect from these same outlets with not a word said...totally makes sense!!

abitawit (Fermanagh) - Posts: 280 - 08/07/2015 21:08:14    1750201

Yes I was stuck in Atlantic airport for 16 hours and met a group of Southerners who brought up Patrick Cleburne. I happened to know a bit about him. He was from Ovens and learned his soldiering in the British army before hitting off to Tennessee I think and setting up as a pharmacist.
The Confederate flag is a fine symbol of Southern defiance and heritage. Sure it's got people who use it for their own twisted means...look what the IRA did to our flag. It's the left wanting to ban everything...
The Che Guevara, Soviet and communist China flags are fine though....
There's also 3 brothers from mallow who hit off and joined the Rebels. .. 2 died...Check out the Louisiana University Tigers emblem....They got that from the Tigers brigade in the civil war made up of munster dockers from New orleans.
Listen if we ban everything what ll we have left...no contact on sports and a boring world

BanTarleton (Clare) - Posts: 181 - 08/07/2015 21:32:50    1750217

There Confederate Flag is no more racist that the American dollar bill or the American penny. You can't ban historical battle flags just because you feel like banning things. You're no better than Isis, the gestapo, or the commie reds, etc if you do.

WoodlawnPat (Galway) - Posts: 288 - 08/07/2015 21:57:10    1750237

A lot of media blown hysteria that has now touched these shores.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 09/07/2015 08:39:48    1750247

Ah lads flegs!! really? Fly what you want. I get a laugh from them. See some places up here (east of the bann) are flying the flag of Israel and the nazi fleg side by side ha ha.

I dont like flegs of any sort. The make the streets look terrible when left hanging after the summer (from both sides), they divide humans all over the world who get worked up by silly patterns and colours flown by people they would otherwise get on with and most importantly..........THEY BLOCK MY VIEW IN STADIUMS!!!!!!!

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 09/07/2015 08:40:43    1750248

WoodlawnPat - I agree....a big deal about nothing. The left American mainstream media getting their knickers in a twist yet again. There are more pressing issues they should be focusing on....looking closer to home and the problems there would be a start beside throwing a hissy fit over a flag at a GAA game in Ireland.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11717 - 09/07/2015 08:55:41    1750258

Next we should ban the dukes of hazzard ;)

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 09/07/2015 09:22:05    1750269

DoireCityFC
County: Derry
Posts: 502

Next we should ban the dukes of hazzard ;)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You're too late....

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/04/golfer-bubba-watson-criticised-for-vow-to-take-confederate-flag-off-general-lee-car

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 09/07/2015 09:59:53    1750290

Ah my most hated golfer strikes again

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 09/07/2015 10:05:26    1750294

DoireCityFC
County: Derry
Posts: 505

1750269 Next we should ban the dukes of hazzard ;)
___________________
Yes please, it was s**t!

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 09/07/2015 10:08:50    1750299

See some places up here (east of the bann) are flying the flag of Israel and the nazi fleg side by side ha ha.

Don't you be slegging oor flegs. I watched two wee lads faffing about for hours with thur kex half way up thur hoop trying to get two of them flegs up the lamp post. Every time they came down the ladder some other wee lad came and lifted it and ran aff to throw it on the local bonnie. That slowed them down so it did as they had to then had to go and find another building site to nick another ladder so they could get all the lamp posts in the street done for the weekend. Its wee lads like that that keep our country the way it is god bless them so don't you be slegging.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 09/07/2015 10:09:10    1750300

I think the Cork Fans who originally assumed Rebels in the Confederancy context meant the same as their own understanding got it wrong. We associate rebels with men who fought for a unified free country. They fought for seperatism and slavery. If I was a Cork fan I would want it ditched and replaced.

Ashrules (Dublin) - Posts: 578 - 09/07/2015 10:31:41    1750314

Never really had any issue with Cork fans waving the confederate to be honest, it doesn't mean the same over here that it did/does in America, it's just a polyester flag with a couple of colours on it that Cork fans like to wave, let's not make it any more than that.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 09/07/2015 10:36:58    1750320

The next time some crazed indiviual in the States contemplates some race-hatred crimes they're bound to stop and think "Those Cork guys in Ireland (that's like in London?) stopped flying the confederate flag at their games because racism is wrong" then starts to become a model citizen and friend of all classes and creeds. Sure that always happens.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8193 - 09/07/2015 10:40:09    1750323

Donegal Man....surprised u didn't wait for winter to post this non-issue on these shores.
Not enough excitement with the championship's going on to have to debate this rubbish.
As already stated by other's, Cork fan's traditionally fly ANYTHING that's red & white....it
could even be a fellas's Granny's bloomer's!!! (aka knicker's!). Correctness gone mad. Get a life!

eaglehaslanded (Cork) - Posts: 135 - 09/07/2015 10:43:25    1750324