Fine Gael: Frank Feighan wants Ireland to pay for the British olympics!

An Claidheamh · 12-07-2017 5:28pm #1

When he's not assaulting old men or wearing British poppies for attention,
Roscommon Fine Gael deposed TD, now Senator is harping on about how Ireland should be apologising to the British empire.

Now he seems to believe that the "commonwealth games", a British vanity project where the Isle of Man and Zimbabwe do battle in netball for the Queen's amusement should be given billions by the Irish taxpayer.

https://mobile.twitter.com/FrankFeighan?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Of course, the British Commonwealth is just a front for the British empire, Belfast cannot afford to host anything, there is no such thing as an "all-island" games and the fact that Ireland left the British empire /Commonwealth does not seem to have registered with Frank Feighan of Roscommon.

LordSutch · 12-07-2017 6:28pm

British poppies, British Empire, Queens amusement ....
Its all happening in this post.

Something to do with the commonwealth games?

Rumpy Pumpy · 12-07-2017 6:35pm

Bring back Bantam and a story about having to hightail it into a shopping centre in Dublin for a shìte.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 12-07-2017 7:03pm

What's the discussion? All I see is an anti British rant.

The_Valeyard · 12-07-2017 7:12pm

An Claidheamh wrote: »

Now he seems to believe that the "commonwealth games", a British vanity project where the Isle of Man and Zimbabwe do battle in netball for the Queen's amusement.

This made me laugh.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 12-07-2017 7:40pm

An Claidheamh wrote: »

When he's not assaulting old men or wearing British poppies for attention,
Roscommon Fine Gael deposed TD, now Senator is harping on about how Ireland should be apologising to the British empire.

Now he seems to believe that the "commonwealth games", a British vanity project where the Isle of Man and Zimbabwe do battle in netball for the Queen's amusement should be given billions by the Irish taxpayer.

https://mobile.twitter.com/FrankFeighan?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Of course, the British Commonwealth is just a front for the British empire, Belfast cannot afford to host anything, there is no such thing as an "all-island" games and the fact that Ireland left the British empire /Commonwealth does not seem to have registered with Frank Feighan of Roscommon.

Not sure you understand the meaning of the word "olympic". Or "commonwealth games" for that matter.

That or you're massively sensationalising things.

Probably a bit of everything.

Royal Legend · 12-07-2017 11:08pm

Rumpy Pumpy wrote: »

Bring back Bantam and a story about having to hightail it into a shopping centre in Dublin for a shìte.

We've all being there :eek:

Harry Palmr · 12-07-2017 11:11pm

Is the OP a terrorist drunk

Avatar MIA · 12-07-2017 11:14pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Is the OP a terrorist drunk

To be fair to the OP English is not his first language, possibly his third after Ulster Scots. :pac:

Yamanoto · 12-07-2017 11:18pm

Frank Feighan ate whose hamster?

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 13-07-2017 12:19am

The title is somewhat misleading. From what I gather, the suggestion is that the commonwealth games should be held in Ireland, which would be absolutely fantastic for our economy. Or am I misunderstanding/missing the tweets?

TheDriver · 13-07-2017 12:25am

Which shopping centre is best for a quick dump??

AnGaelach · 13-07-2017 12:30am

Fine Gall has historically been the Southern Unionist party, and it isn't the first time Frank Feighan has made West Brit comments.

twill · 13-07-2017 12:31am

Kenneth Ancient Pianist wrote: »

The title is somewhat misleading. From what I gather, the suggestion is that the commonwealth games should be held in Ireland, which would be absolutely fantastic for our economy. Or am I misunderstanding/missing the tweets?

What I assume the OP is saying is that Ireland is not a member of the commonwealth, having bowed out of that particular happy and glorious institution. FG have been apologising ever since.

hatrickpatrick · 13-07-2017 12:33am

Takes all sorts...

13-07-2017 1:02am

AnGaelach wrote: »

Fine Gall has historically been the Southern Unionist party, and it isn't the first time Frank Feighan has made West Brit comments.

I wouldn't have objected to this post if you'd framed it as a personal opinion, but to claim that Fine Gael have "historically" been Southern Unionists is unforgiveably inaccurate.

I have never voted for Fine Gael in my life, and I never will. Although Fine Gael has traditionally been less hostile to Irish unionists than Fine Gael's political opponents, this is largely due to class-sympathies as opposed to some overarching unionist agenda.

After all, it was John A. Costello who repealed the External Relations Act, ending any role for the British King in this country, and it was Fine Gael who passed the legislation describing Ireland as a Republic.

I may never have voted for the party, but I have no doubt as to the integrity of its public representatives in terms of their national allegiance. I think Fine Gael have elevated some of the greatest paleo-conservative buffoons and quislings to the office of Taoiseach, but even I would stop short of denigrating these men as 'unionists', possibly the greatest political slur that can be emitted in Irish political life.

riffmongous · 13-07-2017 1:11am

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I wouldn't have objected to this post if you'd framed it as a personal opinion, but to claim that Fine Gael have "historically" been Southern Unionists is unforgiveably inaccurate.

I have never voted for Fine Gael in my life, and I never will. Although Fine Gael has traditionally been less hostile to Irish unionists than Fine Gael's political opponents, this is largely due to class-sympathies as opposed to some overarching unionist agenda.

After all, it was John A. Costello who repealed the External Relations Act, ending any role for the British King in this country, and it was Fine Gael who passed the legislation describing Ireland as a Republic.

I may never have voted for the party, but I have no doubt as to the integrity of its public representatives in terms of their national allegiance. I think Fine Gael have elevated some of the greatest paleo-conservative buffoons and quislings to the office of Taoiseach, but even I would stop short of denigrating these men as 'unionists', possibly the greatest political slur that can be emitted in Irish political life.

Not that at all FGers are unionist by a long shot, but if there is any unionism going on a FGer usually isn't far behind.

riffmongous · 13-07-2017 1:19am

Is the Ivory Coast in the Commonwealth? It might be tough to explain to them what's going on with their flag if they come here for the Games :pac:

Tom Mann Centuria · 13-07-2017 1:34am

riffmongous wrote: »

Is the Ivory Coast in the Commonwealth? It might be tough to explain to them what's going on with their flag if they come here for the Games :pac:

No, they had the French imperialists.

13-07-2017 1:37am

riffmongous wrote: »

Not that at all FGers are unionist by a long shot, but if there is any unionism going on a FGer usually isn't far behind.

True, but like I said, their relative lack of hostility is mainly due to historical class sympathy, emanating from a time when industrialists, large landowners, and the established media (i.e. all of the interests of capital) were dominated by a very conservative, unionist catchment.

It wasn't so much to do with unionism as it was to do with protecting commercial interests.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 13-07-2017 2:22am

riffmongous wrote: »

Is the Ivory Coast in the Commonwealth? It might be tough to explain to them what's going on with their flag if they come here for the Games :pac:

No, but India is, and I did see a tricolor draped sideways over a bonfire once...

AnGaelach · 13-07-2017 3:43am

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I wouldn't have objected to this post if you'd framed it as a personal opinion, but to claim that Fine Gael have "historically" been Southern Unionists is unforgiveably inaccurate.

I have never voted for Fine Gael in my life, and I never will. Although Fine Gael has traditionally been less hostile to Irish unionists than Fine Gael's political opponents, this is largely due to class-sympathies as opposed to some overarching unionist agenda.

After all, it was John A. Costello who repealed the External Relations Act, ending any role for the British King in this country, and it was Fine Gael who passed the legislation describing Ireland as a Republic.

I may never have voted for the party, but I have no doubt as to the integrity of its public representatives in terms of their national allegiance. I think Fine Gael have elevated some of the greatest paleo-conservative buffoons and quislings to the office of Taoiseach, but even I would stop short of denigrating these men as 'unionists', possibly the greatest political slur that can be emitted in Irish political life.

That's great and all, but a great portion of the southern Unionists joined Cumann na nGaedheal. They simply are Southern Unionists, and of the three largest parties they're the most Anglophile.

Whenever there's West Brittery around, you can be assured it's coming from the mouth of a Fine Galler.

hairyslug · 13-07-2017 6:47am

TheDriver wrote: »

Which shopping centre is best for a quick dump??

I can offer very little to this thread except to tell you that the Ilac is not where you want to go for a "quick dump"

Wheeliebin30 · 13-07-2017 7:02am

I thought we were meant to have moved on from all this nonsense?

Isn't that what the shinners have told us, if they can why can't other people.

It's all a load of bolox anyway.

Samaris · 13-07-2017 8:24am

You'd think the scary southern unionists were hiding under people's beds trying to get them to vote Fine Gael to reunite with the Empire or something.

Anyone relevant (confused Americans aside) know very well that Ireland is a separate country and is not going to rejoin Britain. Reds (Blues?) under the bed may sound scary but a) they're not real and b) if they were real, about as much threat to the sovereignty of Ireland as a chocolate kettle. May as well have pro-Tuatha de Danaanites.

Hector Bellend · 13-07-2017 11:42am

durka dur

13-07-2017 1:10pm

AnGaelach wrote: »

That's great and all, but a great portion of the southern Unionists joined Cumann na nGaedheal.

They did. Because they felt that of all the nationalist parties, Cumann na nGaedheal was the least hostile to that minorities' (mainly financial) interests.

It was a class vote, there's absolutely no question of Cumann na nGaedheal being a Unionist party. W.T. Cosgrave and Michael Collins fought in the Easter Rising in 1916 for crying out loud!

If Fine Gael have ever been capable of being accused of anything, it's that they have been excesively Anglophilic. A recurrent phenomenon across all postcolonial societies is how, after independence and the flight of the old regime, the new ruling class assumes the manners, mores and etiquette of the old ruling class.

It's a sort of colonial envy. Hence the Cumann na nGaedheal government would attend important state events in morning suits and top-hats, just like some ludicrous Nigerian fakir sauntering about his impoverished village with an imitation ivory cane.

But such silly conduct is a far cry from actually being 'unionist'.

riffmongous · 13-07-2017 2:48pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

They did. Because they felt that of all the nationalist parties, Cumann na nGaedheal was the least hostile to that minorities' (mainly financial) interests.

It was a class vote, there's absolutely no question of Cumann na nGaedheal being a Unionist party. W.T. Cosgrave and Michael Collins fought in the Easter Rising in 1916 for crying out loud!

If Fine Gael have ever been capable of being accused of anything, it's that they have been excesively Anglophilic. A recurrent phenomenon across all postcolonial societies is how, after independence and the flight of the old regime, the new ruling class assumes the manners, mores and etiquette of the old ruling class.

It's a sort of colonial envy. Hence the Cumann na nGaedheal government would attend important state events in morning suits and top-hats, just like some ludicrous Nigerian fakir sauntering about his impoverished village with an imitation ivory cane.

But such silly conduct is a far cry from actually being 'unionist'.

Much to the shame of a certain senior Fine Gael member

13-07-2017 3:25pm

riffmongous wrote: »

Much to the shame of a certain senior Fine Gael member

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHsvb7k7_ho

riffmongous · 13-07-2017 3:50pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHsvb7k7_ho

*Shudder*

LordSutch · 13-07-2017 4:09pm

riffmongous wrote: »

*Shudder*

Shudder, why?

A brave & courageous visit by HRH Prince Charles.
Well done also to the Taoiseach for his warm welcome (not forgetting the crowds) who came out to welcome Charles.

The 1st step in normalisation between Britain & Ireland for a long time, culminating in the Queens visit, which was an even a bigger success (according to most people).

13-07-2017 4:28pm

LordSutch wrote: »

Shudder, why?

A brave & courageous visit by HRH Prince Charles.
Well done also to the Taoiseach for his warm welcome (not forgetting the crowds) who came out to welcome Charles.

The 1st step in normalisation between Britain & Ireland for a long time, culminating in the Queens visit, which was an even a bigger success (according to most people).

Even as a republican (note the lowercase 'r'), I happen to agree that this visit was a positive and important step in normalising Anglo-Irish relations.

i think what riffmongous was cringing at, like myself (and I daresay most people), was the memory and magnitude of John Bruton's fawning on that visit, which he described as the "happiest moment of [his] life". I'm sure Mrs Bruton was cringing too.

There is also something of a mental recoil at Bruton's form in similar regards... his 'uneasiness' about members of the Irish Army visiting schools with copies of the Proclamation, his criticisms of 1916 -- despite his ardent commemoration of the brutal waste of human life in WW1.

I suspect he is an outlier, both in terms of his own party, and wider Irish society.

sbsquarepants · 13-07-2017 4:38pm

Kenneth Ancient Pianist wrote: »

The title is somewhat misleading. From what I gather, the suggestion is that the commonwealth games should be held in Ireland, which would be absolutely fantastic for our economy. Or am I misunderstanding/missing the tweets?

I'd prefer if we held the French open, I like the clay courts though.

The tour deFrance went past my house a while back, so why not.
We're every bit as French as we are commonwealthers, commomonwealthians, commonwealthlanders, members of the commonwealth.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 13-07-2017 4:44pm

Rep of Ireland should compete in the CG as a special guest.

We could use it as development tool for athletes during Olympic cycles. Give them the experience of being involved in a 'Games' type atmosphere.

13-07-2017 4:47pm

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Rep of Ireland should compete in the CG as a special guest.

We could use it as development tool for athletes during Olympic cycles. Give them the experience of being involved in a 'Games' type atmosphere.

Yeah, a bit like Oz in the Eurovision.

I wouldn't like Ireland to participate as a formal member, but there's nothing wrong with that 'guest participant' idea at all.

LordSutch · 13-07-2017 5:07pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Yeah, a bit like Oz in the Eurovision.

Well Australia is of course on the other side of the planet from Europe, whereas Ireland & Britain are but twelve miles apart + the fact that we even have an overlap between our two States, so why not take part in the games (as practice) if nothing else for the Olympics!

Sometimes I think this whole business of pretemding to be totally foreign & distant from our brothers & sisters next door is taken to far.

riffmongous · 13-07-2017 5:10pm

LordSutch wrote: »

Shudder, why?

A brave & courageous visit by HRH Prince Charles.
Well done also to the Taoiseach for his warm welcome (not forgetting the crowds) who came out to welcome Charles.

The 1st step in normalisation between Britain & Ireland for a long time, culminating in the Queens visit, which was an even a bigger success (according to most people).

Not the visit but as Tyrant says below the state of Bruton during it, 'embarrassingly effusive' to quote The Times and the Guardian said something similar about him

13-07-2017 5:19pm

LordSutch wrote: »

Sometimes I think this whole business of pretemding to be totally foreign & distant from our brothers & sisters next door is taken to far.

I don't personally know anyone who would describe our relationship as totally distant. We are neighbours and freinds, maybe even the best of friends. As that great historian Imelda May once said, we've secretly been friends for years, but now it's official.

Those who stoke opposition to British and Irish friendship, be they unionist or nationalist, are totally out of kilter with mainstream public opinion, or at least as far as I can tell.

feargale · 13-07-2017 10:49pm

I would have serious reservationa about Ireland hosting any major international sporting event be it the Olympics (Shane Ross ) or this. Fintan O'Toole had an interesting piece in the Irish Times a few days ago in which he questioned the appropriateness of hosting the Rugby world cup while children are homeless and our health service is a mess. I agree with him.

An Claidheamh wrote: »

Now he seems to believe that the "commonwealth games", a British vanity project where the Isle of Man and Zimbabwe do battle in netball for the Queen's amusement should be given billions by the Irish taxpayer.

Of course, the British Commonwealth is just a front for the British empire, Belfast cannot afford to host anything, there is no such thing as an "all-island" games and the fact that Ireland left the British empire /Commonwealth does not seem to have registered with Frank Feighan of Roscommon.

Holding any part of the Commonwealth Games in the Republic is a pipe dream. But a vanity project? Several countries voluntarily participate in Francophone and Lusophone Games. The links these days are largely cultural and linguistic. The Tailteann Games were not an altogether dissimilar project, gathering among others those Irish living on land that had been taken from indigenous Americans. Were those games a vanity project?
Why shouldn't the Isle of Man take part? Have you some problem about netball? Reference to Zimbabwe is reminiscent of Sammy Wilson comparing the Irish language to Swahili.

P.S. You seem to have a huge problem with unionists. I thought equality of esteem was the buzzword in the wake of the GFA. That is not to say that you can't vehemently disagree with unionism, but are some more equally esteemed than others?

P.S. Nelson Mandela had no problem with the Commonwealth Games.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 13-07-2017 10:54pm

feargale wrote: »

I would have serious reservationa about Ireland hosting any major international sporting event be it the Olympics (Shane Ross ) or this. Fintan O'Toole had an interesting piece in the Irish Times a few days ago in which he questioned the appropriateness of hosting the Rugby world cup while children are homeless and our health service is a mess. I agree with him.

Holding any part of the Commonwealth Games in the Republic is a pipe dream. But a vanity project? Several countries voluntarily participate in Francophone and Lusophone Games. The links these days are largely cultural and linguistic. The Tailteann Games were not an altogether dissimilar project, gathering among others those Irish living on land that had been taken from indigenous Americans. Were those games a vanity project?
Why shouldn't the Isle of Man take part? Have you some problem about netball? Reference to Zimbabwe is reminiscent of Sammy Wilson comparing the Irish language to Swahili.

OP is not coming back. Don't waste your breathe.

Royal Legend · 13-07-2017 10:55pm

i think that this thread has gone off topic,

we need to know what happened to Bantam, where did he disappear to 5 years and 8 months ago and why?

was it one Sh1te too far or did he self combust?

13-07-2017 10:57pm

Royal Legend wrote: »

i think that this thread has gone off topic,

we need to know what happened to Bantam, where did he disappear to 5 years and 8 months ago and why?

was it one Sh1te too far or did he self combust?

Oh he's still here. He's a lot less ... faecel ... these days, but somehow more objectionable, and devoid of humour.

Realt Dearg Sec · 14-07-2017 12:30am

feargale wrote: »

The Tailteann Games were not an altogether dissimilar project, gathering among others those Irish living on land that had been taken from indigenous Americans. Were those games a vanity project?

Yes, of course they were! What a funny question.

feargale · 14-07-2017 7:20pm

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Yes, of course they were! What a funny question.

Not half as vain as the vanity project that put them out of business in 1932, the one where the Dublin city councillors pledged unquestioning obedience to a foreign monarch ( not the British one. )

Isn't that right, Gaelach? :halo:

:

14-07-2017 7:26pm

hairyslug wrote: »

I can offer very little to this thread except to tell you that the Ilac is not where you want to go for a "quick dump"

Nutgrove Shopping Centre isn't the worst spot, possibly because the jacks are a bit of a walk away from the shops.

14-07-2017 8:10pm

LordSutch wrote: »

Shudder, why?

A brave & courageous visit by HRH Prince Charles.
Well done also to the Taoiseach for his warm welcome (not forgetting the crowds) who came out to welcome Charles.

The 1st step in normalisation between Britain & Ireland for a long time, culminating in the Queens visit, which was an even a bigger success (according to most people).

Correction: brown nosing. Even certain sections of the British media replied with the comment re Bruton's pathetic sycophantic behaviour: "excuse me, they are our royals".

Fine Gael: Frank Feighan wants Ireland to pay for the British olympics!

Comments