A new national holiday for Ireland!

Jay D

Former Minister for Justice and Progressive Democrats leader Michael McDowell has said that 12 July should be made a national holiday in the south as well as in Northern Ireland.

Mr McDowell said that if we were genuine republicans and if the orange panel in the flag meant anything, then we had to consider building an inclusive society.

He was speaking at the MacGill Summer School in Co Donegal.

The former Justice Minister said that the stakes are high. Is the Good Friday Agreement to be simply a sticking plaster over an open and infected wound or is it to be a stage on the path of genuine reconciliation of the Irish?, he asked.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0721/holiday_12july.html

Well it's pretty interesting. Can you imagine?

Celly Smunt

i can think of better things to have a national holiday for tbh

Terry

Father Ted Crilly Day.

scudzilla

Damn, and there was me thinking it was gonna be on Stephen Gately's birthday :rolleyes:

Augmerson

Beaten to the post.

****ing madness. I'll have whatever McDowell is smoking.

If it's a paid day off work yeah !

If not. GTFO

My name is URL

It's easy to say that we should be ok with people marching, but that simply isn't true when the reasons why they want to march are less than amicable

Celly Smunt

rarnes1 wrote: »

If it's a paid day off work yeah !

If not. GTFO

not for fenians

fontanalis

So Catholics get to celbrate with the Orange order who think catholics are little more than pond scum, woo hoo.

starbelgrade

Mr McDowell said that if we were genuine republicans and if the orange panel in the flag meant anything, then we had to consider building an inclusive society.

Can we not just cut the orange panel off?

Sanjuro

12th July? That's all the North would need. Idiotic Nationalists using it as an excuse to kick off against idiotic Orangemen. It's bad enough already, do we really need to stick a label on it for these morons to rally around? Incredibly well-thought-out, McDowell. Fuck off back to obscurity.

The_Kew_Tour

Christ NO NO NO.

This is giving scum around the country excuse to do wreck.

Look at what happened in February 2004 in Dublin City Riots.

It be repeat every year.

pmcmahon

pmcmahon wrote: »

not for fenians

What's not for fenians?

mikemac

adrian280582 wrote: »

Look at what happened in February 2004 in Dublin City Riots.

Ah come on, it wasn't that long ago

February 2006

Celly Smunt

adrian280582 wrote: »

Christ NO NO NO.

This is giving scum around the country excuse to do wreck.

Look at what happened in February 2004 in Dublin City Riots.

It be repeat every year.

i know,kinda neat huh?

The_Kew_Tour

feelingstressed wrote: »

Ah come on, it wasn't that long ago

February 2006

oops me bad

fontanalis

starbelgrade wrote: »

Can we not just cut the orange panel off?

Just what Wolfe Tone and Emmet would have wanted!

Augmerson

Be some madness though. Sure we should do it for the craic.

Celly Smunt

fontanalis wrote: »

Just what Wolfe Tone and Emmet would have wanted!

i'm pretty sure they were green,protestant green that is

Celly Smunt

rarnes1 wrote: »

What's not for fenians?

the day off

The_Kew_Tour

pmcmahon wrote: »

i know,kinda neat huh?

What I found funny at time of riots was all those people dressed up in Irish/Celtic jerseys and singing the National Anthem, then buring cars and stealing from shops of Irish people.

SCUM Bags

Celly Smunt

adrian280582 wrote: »

What I found funny at time of riots was all those people dressed up in Irish/Celtic jerseys and singing the National Anthem, then buring cars and stealing from shops of Irish people.

SCUM Bags

i agree with what you're saying but,what has that got to do with anything?

fontanalis

pmcmahon wrote: »

i'm pretty sure they were green,protestant green that is

Shur they were one of the 40 shades, begorrah.

My name is URL

adrian280582 wrote: »

What I found funny at time of riots was all those people dressed up in Irish/Celtic jerseys and singing the National Anthem, then buring cars and stealing from shops of Irish people.

SCUM Bags

What I found funny is that the organisers expected nothing to happen

fontanalis

My name is URL wrote: »

What I found funny is that the organisers expected nothing to happen

Or did they?

Liam Byrne

starbelgrade wrote: »

Can we not just cut the orange panel off?

Considering that at least one idiot texted into Matt Cooper and claimed "it's not orange, it's GOLD!", I'd wonder how many thickos don't even know what our flag is meant to represent.

Celly Smunt

My name is URL wrote: »

What I found funny is that the organisers expected nothing to happen

your man who set it up is known as being a bit of a livewire in the unionist community,he was warned by paramilitaries and other lodges who refused to march to call it off but there ya go

My name is URL

pmcmahon wrote: »

your man who set it up is known as being a bit of a livewire in the unionist community,he was warned by paramilitaries and other lodges who refused to march to call it off but there ya go

And another member of the Love Ulster group was done for rape earlier this year.. great bunch of lads altogether!

starbelgrade

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Considering that at least one idiot texted into Matt Cooper and claimed "it's not orange, it's GOLD!", I'd wonder how many thickos don't even know what our flag is meant to represent.

The Irish flag represents the two sides of Irish society & what both sides can have in common;

The green panel represents money for those who have it & the envy of those who don't.

The white panel represents the cocaine used by the well-to-heel & heroin for those who can't afford coke.

And the orange panel represents Jaffa oranges, something we can all enjoy.

Simples.

Mike 1972

Public holidays that dont fall on a monday/friday are pretty pointless TBH.

Besides within 100 Km of the border no businessperson in their right minds would want to close on the day when thousands of Northern refugees (Catholic, Protestant and otherwise) flock south of the border to escape the "celebrations"

Anyway is it not far better to take ones holidays at a time agreed with their employer rather than on days dictated by the Government.

pmcmahon wrote: »

protestant green

Trevor Sargent ?

Celly Smunt

My name is URL wrote: »

And another member of the Love Ulster group was done for rape earlier this year.. great bunch of lads altogether!

must've had a little bit too much love in him

Zebra3

Interesting the way McDowell wasn't committed enough to push this during his long years in government... :rolleyes:

fontanalis

Zebra3 wrote: »

Interesting the way McDowell wasn't committed enough to push this during his long years in government... :rolleyes:

What do you think the cafe bars were for? It would have been a Protestant Latte fest gone mad.

pmcmahon

pmcmahon wrote: »

the day off

I'll have it off if I'm paid. I don't care if its Margaret Thatcher day :pac:

Feownah

This has to be the greatest load of tripe that has come from Michael McDowell's mouth. Does he really think that having a National holiday in the Republic of Ireland that stands for the oppression of Irish Roman Catholics will help build reconciliation? how ridiculous.

Hackysack

The lack of a public holiday in July is well noticeable.

Bring on a public holiday! The reasoning behind it is irrelevant

ejmaztec

Facekicker Day.

Korvanica

Arthurs Day!!!!!

bonerm

I like it.

Given the close timing we could call it Orange Bast.... ille Day.

PCPhoto

Korvanica wrote: »

Arthurs Day!!!!!

C'mon .... that was created last year ... meh !!

Sept 24th ..... to Martha !! (Granted its not a National Holiday ...but its already been created)


in fairness - if the government are willing to "create" another holiday and give themselves (and most of the country) yet another day off who am I to complain.....I'm self employed and will probably end out working anyway !!!

Pauleta

Im sure most people have denounced being a catholic since they made their confirmation so why not have another drinking day in the year.

bonerm

PCPhoto wrote: »

in fairness - if the government are willing to "create" another holiday and give themselves (and most of the country) yet another day off who am I to complain.....I'm self employed and will probably end out working anyway !!!

The government are currently doing their best to make sure we all have the day off (every day).

billymitchell

I like the cut of this McDowell fellas jib, I feel vindicated in voting for him the last time he went for election!!

kfallon

rarnes1 wrote: »

I'll have it off if I'm paid. I don't care if its Margaret Thatcher day :pac:

Maggie T day will be when she dies, we'll all be out celebrating then!

Pauleta

Feownah wrote: »

This has to be the greatest load of tripe that has come from Michael McDowell's mouth. Does he really think that having a National holiday in the Republic of Ireland that stands for the oppression of Irish Roman Catholics will help build reconciliation? how ridiculous.

You could call it revenge on what the catholic church has done to this country for years.

bonerm

I'd say Thatcher will have to have an armed guard at her grave 24/7 considering the number of people who want to dance (and in some cases piss) on it.

IvyTheTerrible

Oops wrong thread

Biggins

For gawds sake, first the renaming of Dublin Airport - now this rubbish.
Its all a PR distraction directed at the public. Window-dressing and pure rubbish being used as a way to distract the public from what they are doing/not doing in thieir elected job roles.

...Besides the fact its a completely stupid idea!
Michael McDowell has his head stuck up his own ass and is talking schite!

General Zod

Is it just me, or is McDowell drifting to the right a little in his old age?

Feownah

Feownah wrote: »

This has to be the greatest load of tripe that has come from Michael McDowell's mouth. Does he really think that having a National holiday in the Republic of Ireland that stands for the oppression of Irish Roman Catholics will help build reconciliation? how ridiculous.

Pauleta wrote: »

You could call it revenge on what the catholic church has done to this country for years.

It has nothing to with revenge on the Catholic Church of the 20th century. How about I take out 'Roman Catholic' and say 'Does he really think that having a National holiday in the Republic of Ireland that stands for the oppression of Irish people will help build reconciliation?'

IMO it would not reconcile, it would only re-ignite.

topper75

What calibre of nerd was this McGill guy anyway - organising a school in summer? :mad: