SF really are a bunch of muppets!

murphaph

This was referenced in another thread but so as not to go OT there I thought I'd post it up in all it's glory in a new thread. My feelings on this are simple-SF are twats. They are calling for us to waste money on new and probably inferior post boxes when we have beautiful old cast iron ones, kindly left behind by the Royal Mail in 1922. Are these guys for real? It's really interesting to have a bit of history like that at the end of your road, a little green post box with V R on it!

Sinn Fein calls for removal of ‘imperialist’ British post boxes

Published: 4/25/2005

DUBLIN - Ireland’s post office has rejected out of hand a demand from a nationalist group to scrap more than 1,000 old post boxes which still carry the British royal crown and insignia, calling the demand “clap-trap”.

An Post, the state postal company, was responding to a call from Sinn Fein, Northern Ireland’s biggest Roman Catholic political party, which also fights elections south of the border.

Last week, Sinn Fein — which opposes British rule in Northern Ireland — said the post boxes were a throwback to the days when London ruled all Ireland, before the south attained independence in 1922.

“People fought and died to end British rule in Ireland,” Sinn Fein spokesman Sean Crowe said.

“It sends the wrong message for an independent state to have the crown on public post boxes,”

“I know there are historical reasons why people would like to see them there but I don’t think they should be used.

“I have no problem with them being set aside for posterity but I don’t think a modern independent state should have the insignia of another country on their postal service.”

Crowe said the old crown-adorned boxes could have their letter slot blocked up and be left where they were, as historical artefacts.

When the new Irish administration took over independence, the red British post boxes with their crowns and insignias were painted green and were continued to be used.

A small number of post boxes later had their door replaced with one that says SE (Saorstat Eireann, or Irish Free State, but in most cases the crown remained on the box above the door.

Late last week, Irish Communications Minister Noel Dempsey answered a parliamentary question on the issue from Sinn Fein by saying it was a matter for An Post.

A spokesman for An Post said the company had no plans to change the old boxes.

“They are part of our history. They were bequeathed to us as part of the postal services and are part of our culture and heritage and we have no plans to make changes on the basis of any pseudo-republican clap-trap,” he said.

He said over a fifth of the 4,675 or so post boxes still in use throughout Ireland were pre-1922.

Meh

I'm pretty sure that article was a spoof.

The Corinthian

Meh wrote:

I'm pretty sure that article was a spoof.

Not necessarily. If memory serves me correctly, upon independence, one of the first actions of the Irish State was to paint all the letterboxes green. Additionally militant nationalists have never been too bothered about conserving heritage if it has British connotations - or had we forgotten who blew up Nelson’s pillar in Dublin?

mike65

I can't decide if the article is too stupid to be true or not stupid enough to be true.

Sounds like the sort of pressing matter which would be highlighted by a particuarly drunk member at a local SF cumman.

Mike.

Hobbes

Why did we need to start another thread on this? Especially when the OP knew the original thread existed.

Cork

An post is in enough finacial difficulty without having to change post boxes.

Has anybody in SF come up with costings?

Who is their spokesperon on this? Ferris?

Guzzler

Nothing about Sf surprises me anymore. They'd climb up under your foreskin if they thought they'd get a vote out of it.

murphaph

Hobbes wrote:

Why did we need to start another thread on this? Especially when the OP knew the original thread existed.

The original thread was on a different topic and just mentioned this. I didn't want to drag it off topic.

Sand

Well, its good to know if SFIRA ever get influence in the Republic theyll be running about with a bucket of green paint in one hand and a revised history book in the other. Beats ballot boxes and armalites anyway.

Seriously - who votes for these clowns?

Cork

SF having a problem with pre 1922 letter boxes. It is absurd.

SF has no problems taking the Queens shilling.

But coming out aganist letter boxes is very telling of the SF mindset.

Should we knock any buildings that were built before 1922?

Hobbes

murphaph wrote:

The original thread was on a different topic and just mentioned this. I didn't want to drag it off topic.

The original thread was exactly the same. I assume you read it before posting the exact same 3 month old story with your own comment.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=251351

They are calling for us to waste money on new and probably inferior post boxes

Incidently as the original story (and yours) pointed out the request was rejected by An Post and has since become a non-story. Unless you have heard of anything recent?

LadyJ

SF really are so picky(for want of a better word)... Soon they'll being trying to get all Irish citizens to get tattoos saying "I (heart) Eire". At least they're determined I suppose! :rolleyes:

murphaph

Hobbes wrote:

The original thread was exactly the same. I assume you read it before posting the exact same 3 month old story with your own comment.

Nope, I was refering to this post. I was unaware of the other thread's existance.

county

murphaph wrote:

This was referenced in another thread but so as not to go OT there I thought I'd post it up in all it's glory in a new thread. My feelings on this are simple-SF are twats. They are calling for us to waste money on new and probably inferior post boxes when we have beautiful old cast iron ones, kindly left behind by the Royal Mail in 1922. Are these guys for real? It's really interesting to have a bit of history like that at the end of your road, a little green post box with V R on it!

04/25/2005,are we in the states or what,i think you mean 25/04/2005

county

county wrote:

04/25/2005,are we in the states or what,i think you mean 25/04/2005

Actually I am at the moment and with a super fast broadband connection-all the better to close this silly thread with.