The DUP refusing to let Sinn Fein have First Minister means a December Assembly Election. Will the numbers change in a fresh Election?
What parties seats are vulnerable or who might make gains in any constituencies ??
Yep all over Ireland.
Not the point. You said the Union Jack was the flag of Britain. I pointed out to you it is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland. As I said, it is so called because it combines the crosses of the three countries united under one Sovereign - the kingdoms of England and Wales, of Scotland and of Ireland (although since 1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of the U.K.).
Did you not know that? Imagine hating something you do not even know what it represents. You have written many tens of thousands of posts about the politics of these islands (did someone once think you were a professional writer / social media commentator for SF?) and you do not know what the flag of our neighbouring jurisdiction represents? Astonishing.
The British flag is used by the National Front Francis. Should we ban it?
The Union flag is the flag of another country.
The rugby team is called 'Ireland' and is thus registered with international bodies and the intention was NOT to represent two states but the whole island. Nobody was forced to participate in this arrangement it was entirely voluntary. Therefore the Union flag is not appropriate. Fact.
And again, the vast majority of citizens (dual citizens) of the NI state are happy with this representation by vitue of their participation in ALL Ireland leagues, provincial administration, playing and going to games.
if they aren't you need to show that.
"Irish rugby is an example of inclusiveness"??? By singing the Soldiers song as the National anthem, by the use of the tricolour (same flag as Republicans used on coffins of bombers whose aim was to kill protestants ) and by singing rebel songs? If you call that inclusive to our Northern Protestant team mates, can you define inclusive?
Just looked that up. Hadn't realised those signs existed - that's brilliant.
Incorrect again FrancieBrady. As you have tens of thousands of posts on this website advocating a United Ireland, I thought you should know a little bit of the flag of our neighbours? Were you "educated" by the Christian Brothers, and if so, were you not told what countries are represented on the flag of our neighbours?
The Union Jack ( or Union flag as it is also called, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Google it and you will see. It is so called because it combines the crosses of the three countries united under one Sovereign - the kingdoms of England and Wales, of Scotland and of Ireland (although since 1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom).
The cross of St George, patron saint of England since the 1270's, is a red cross on a white ground. After James I succeeded to the throne, it was combined with the cross of St Andrew in 1606.
The cross saltire of St Andrew, patron saint of Scotland, is a diagonal white cross on a blue ground.
The cross saltire of St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, is a diagonal red cross on a white ground.
This was combined with the previous Union Flag of St George and St Andrew, after the Act of Union of Ireland with England (and Wales) and Scotland on 1 January 1801, to create the Union Flag that has been flown ever since.
N.B. The Welsh dragon does not appear on the Union Flag. This is because when the first Union Flag was created in 1606, the Principality of Wales by that time was already united with England and was no longer a separate principality.
So is this a general thing?
Are we to rid sports of all offensive anthems and songs?
It would be a long list so I suppose it would be easier and lazier just to target the songs and anthems of one country.
When the potentially offensive English anthem GSTK is sung at rugby matches here is there respect given to it or are there people shouting about being offended/discriminated against?
Exceptionalism is high in that post in fairness. Irish rugby is an example of inclusiveness, working together and respect across the world. That is the reason moderate Unionism has no issue with it and flock to support and take part in it. A small rump hate that because it irks their insecurity complex.
All this sign stuff is a load of shte because everyone knows posters who are defending the attitudes of grown adult sulking over a sign would be up in arms if I went and damaged all the Watterweys Airlann signs around Limerick where nobody speaks the language and those signs were "forced" on the local community.
You are correct there downcow. I agree we have a rugby team that is supposed to represent two countries and yet, as seen recently, fly the flag and play the anthem of only one. Apart from the flags and anthem thing, something else that I think is offensive to the minority members during games is the singing of the Fields of Athenry. It is an anti-English rebel song and known as such. It is sung at Glasgow Celtic matches and listed on the wiki list of "Irish rebel songs", not that that means much except that it is generally recognised as a rebel song. I think if I were a rugby player or supporter from N.I, I not think of it as being very friendly or nice.
I agree with you most on here do not even understand how the Irish rugby team discriminates. And that is rugby, not even gaa football or hurling. Even when the Irish ladies soccer team was chantng Uh Ah Up the Ra, it is amazing how some Irish defended it, and claimed they could not see how that was offensive or sectarian. As you say, " It is so so clear what would happen in a Ui. ". That is so true.
Correction here. FrancisMcM also claimed this sign was at the entrance to the village, it wasn't, it was at the entrance to a small housing estate.
The objection to the Irish language is a recent politically motivated phenonmen in the Orange, mainly stoked by the suprematist elements within it.
Here is a couple of banners of a Belfast Orange Lodge:
You'll notice the first one uses the same symbols as the IRFU uses on it's flag as well as the very prominent Irish language - Oidhreacht Éireann
8% and rising Furze,
You have a better chance at many jobs if you take particular educational routes, that's how it is in the real world. I agree though that contrary to the mess they have made of some aspects of the education/employment system, Irish governments need to get the balance right.
Downcow with the greatest respect, all I have done is quote her Wicki page which is HERS and she is free to edit it, You have quoted a friend and posted some pictures of people in sashes.
Arlene is a vociferous supporter of the Orange = fact. I think the planet would be better off without it's sectarian and political interference, so I am opposed to vociferous supporters of the OO too.
Any comment on the quite detailed connection between the OO transferring allegiance to the DUP before the 2005 election and the DUP swamping the UUP as a result? Arlene did they same thing in her political career.
Well good for your son and his friends. And hopefully out in the real world, they'll be able to meet each other and others to share the cupla focal. And they will honestly be able to answer on the census that they have proficiency in Irish. They may however need to emigrate to find housing they can afford and a life. On the other hand, the fact that they have facility in Irish gives them a much better chance of state employment here. The other side of that is of course, is that only about 3% of Irish second level students attend gaelcholáistí. So the 97% who don't are therefore discriminated against by this state policy in this regard. But that's how it is, the tail wagging the dog. And I suppose if you're the tail, then happy days!
It was a street sign, not on 'the wall of' anything. Street signs aren't the property of the OO.
I honestly find it incredible at times on here. The willingness of some posters on here to support the actions of a big powerful republican council on a tiny unionist village. If it was the other way around I would speak out. If a big powerful unionist council is guilty of tagging the entry to small nationalist villages as British I will completely condemn it and stand with the nationalists.
what the council is doing here is a sectarian hate crime.
in my own village the SF council recently placed an Irish sign on the wall of the little orange hall, with zero consultation. Lodge members turned up at a meeting to find the Irish sign on their wall. Can you imagine the outcry (and rightly so) if a dup council placed a British symbol on the wall of a GAA club without even consultation.
ordinary nationalists who support these actions need to take a long hard look at themselves.
republicans are still working hard at driving us out. Just using their political power now as opposed to bombs and bullets - I guess we should be thankful for small mercies
Not even worth a reply- and also no need as absolutely everyone can see what’s happening.
I said the same thing the first time we discussed this. She is a vociferous supporter of the OO.
She has control of the Wiki page, she hasn’t changed something you are very upset about.
Send her an email.
(I told you to do that before too)
Oh so now she supports them! Francie why not have the balls to say you were wrong about this as well. I have provided unquestionable evidence and now you say you don’t know and don’t care. I think that is code for ‘I can see she is not but I am not climbing down’
The Orange Order has voted to sever its links with the Ulster Unionist Party.
The decision was made during a meeting of the Grand Lodge in East Belfast today.
Orange Order Grand Master Robert Saulters, speaking after the meeting, said: "The Loyal Orange Institution will continue to lobby for the unionist cause as events require and we will seek to establish good relationships with all those engaged in the political interests of the unionist people."
The decision to pull out of the Ulster Unionist Council effectively ends the Order's 100 years of historical ties with the party.
The General election of 2005 in NI
The results of this election were very good for the DUP, now by far the largest party in Northern Ireland and with half of the parliamentary seats in their camp.
DUP 33.7% (up from 22.5% in previous GE)
UUP 17.7% (down from biggest Unionist party in previous election 26%)
2005 Westminster Elections (ark.ac.uk)
OO end association with UUP in March 2005, DUP become largest party in May 2005 while the UUP collapse, You don't have to be Sherlock here.
P.S. I don't know if Arlene is a member or not and care less. Her wicki says she is.
Her support of the OO is the important thing as far as I am concerned
Spot the difference!
Here francie et al. I’ll save yous the search. She must have forgot to take her sash to Scotland. You’d think someone would have leant her one.
again and again republican loes are posted on her about unionists. This is just the latest
Where are you getting these silly quotes. I could tell you that that most of the orange in my town are uup supporters. It’s a broad church and to try and suggest it swings en masse from the uup to the dup is patently nonsense - but it fits your agenda.
mas for you continued Clain that Arlene is a member. Here’s a wee challenge for you that will put it to bed.
you name any prominent unionist of your choice who is a member of OO and I’ll get you a pic of them with their sash on. Then you. Get me s pic of Arlene with her sash on. Put up or shut up! You’ve been at this nonsense for a while.
The Union Jack is the flag of Britain as GSTK is the anthem of England.
The rugby initiative was to represent the whole island not two separate states.
The tricolour comes from before partition and was intended to represent the whole island of Ireland, green and orange.
As NI has no anthem the Phil Coulter song is used instead.
Again, only a tiny minority have issue with all this and would love to wreck it but the fact is the vast majority of Unionists are quite happy within the all Ireland IRFU and with playing and attending games etc
Former Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble has accused elements within the Orange Order leadership of conspiring to damage the peace process.
Speaking at a book launch last night, Mr Trimble, himself an Orangeman, said some unionists had entered a pact with elements in the Orange Order to try and wreck the Good Friday Agreement.
Those 'elements' certainly didn't approve of Trimble's actions and they disapproved of the GFA (well they disagree with everything, but you get the point)
Trimble faces censure for going to funeral | HeraldScotland
There is also this:
The Protestant Orange Order is the largest organization in civil society in Northern Ireland. From 1905 until 2005, the Order was linked to the Ulster Unionist Party, until recently the dominant local political force. However, widespread Unionist disenchantment with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement led to a shift in the votes of Orange Order members, in common with other Protestants, to the anti-Agreement Democratic Unionist Party (DUP),
I.E. They turned their backs on Trimble's party and like Arlene, Jeffrey etc switched to the DUP.
Nonsense. Many Irish can not even recognise descrimination against Protestants.
most on here do not even understand how the Irish rugby team discriminates. We have a team that is supposed to represent two countries and yet fly the flag and play the anthem of only one. It is so so clear what would happen in a Ui. The Irish would just tell themselves ‘ ‘we are treating the unionists ok and they should be glad we allow them to participate’.
I would guess there are some on here who think it is fine that the venue, flags and anthems of only one people on the island are allowed. Or maybe I’ll be shocked at all the posters who admit that this is clearly discrimination against northern Irish
Yes all correct except one point. The bit about people leave parties and join other ones the whole. You hadn’t counted on those few die hard republicans who sit in pubs and sing rebel songs. They are not likely to leave one party and join another, as we can see from some recent posting on here.
but yes you are correct about Arlene and her reason for leaving - and of course david Trimble was the Orangeman who led Drumcree. So the orange is a complete red herring in her move
Why would we have to reduce 'the influence of the Irish language'?
The current British government has no intention of appeasing a belligerent and culturally bigoted minority by reducing the use of Irish, it is ensuring Irish will be used more. Why would you propose that a future government of a UI would?
It is you, by that statement, that is politicising.
Any measure that enhances our native language use and encourages it, is welcome.
"(3) The Advisory Committee shall, in performing its functions under this Act, have regard to the following objectives— (a) increasing the services provided by public bodies through the medium of the Irish language, having particular regard to services provided by public bodies in Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas, Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks, and
(b) increasing the number of staff of public bodies who are competent in the Irish language so that, as soon as practicable after the establishment day, but no later than 31 December 2030, at least 20 per cent of staff recruited to public bodies are so competent."
Amazing stuff as usual on here. Somehow, an objective clearly set out in law is only optional and not mandatory.
The Irish exam will be optional, but as 20% will be reserved for those with the Irish language, lesser qualified candidates will jump ahead of better placed candidates purely on Irish ability. The direction of travel is clear.
