Northern Ireland #3 Craic, conflict and current affairs

[Justherefortittle]

This comment stole the internet for me

 

[Sketchy]

You know, this could be such a lovely thread. People from here - both Protestant & Catholic - are probably the warmest, friendliest and most humorous people in the world. I remember years ago reading the NI section of the BBC message boards, and I was in hysterics - the banter was second to none. I remember thinking to myself at the time; damn the situation here, if those boys were in a pub huddled around a table together they'd be the best of mates, buying each other pints. The craic was serious - with the obligatory odd dig here and there (obv) - But it was fun to read and participate in, and there was very little nastiness.

We've all suffered, all of us. We all have our opinions. As a Protestant born & bred in NI, some of my opinions may surprise some, so much so that I keep them to myself because I actually value my kneecaps ... considering where I live. A lot of my family feel the same way. I was brought up in a kind, fair household, where my mother would've smacked us round the back of our legs with a wet tea-towel if she'd ever heard us say anything unkind about Catholics. Our immediate neighbours were Catholics, their daughter was my best friend growing up, and for years after. And that was at the height of the troubles.

I keep looking on here and I'd love to post about loads of things: dances, dance bands, discos, habits, sayings, etc, but the seemingly constant obsession with the likes of Jamie whatever his name is, and the gloating posts re anything anti-unionist is really off-putting.

I can't help being born & bred a Protestant, same as others can't help being born and bred a Catholic. But can we not just find some neutral ground where we can maybe discuss things other than political? And yes I've seen the posts about the price of petrol, cost of living, etc, but things soon revert back to Jamie what's his name. C'mon. We can do better than that.

 

[Lurker111]

Does anyone on here celebrate the 12th? I’d love to hear a different side of it all.

I found out a friend of mines dads/brother are in the OO yesterday by watching her private snapchat story. A lot of anti Irish chanting going on, I think she forgot to remove me

I do not celebrate the 11th, instead I stayed home and watched love island even though I live in a large protestant estate, where the bonfire was relatively close to my home. Am I guilty of going to a bonfire when I was younger yes. However, I now have my own child and I personally felt I had to break the cycle of hatred that bonfires provide by burning something that is so deep rooted to peoples identities, and hopefully the influence of the Craigyhill bonfire will show others that there are stronger and more powerful ways to advance your cause than trampling on someone else's.
I think on this thread protestants are all being painted with the same brush, but for the most part many of us enjoy our day respectively without the need for sectarian or racial slurs. Infact on the twelfth day where I was stood I saw people of many different minorities enjoying the parade. I even saw a band with 2 black males present and was glad to see the diversity. I'm not saying there isn't good and bad of course there is, with some of the mindsets being simply horific but they do not speak for me. There isnt hatred in us all and there definitely is a more positive change from say 20-30 years ago it's just overshadowed consistently by the minority that want to stay in the dark ages. Likewise not all bands are parliamentary affiliated, some instead choose to do only limited parades to ensure they remain professional and proficient and their main goal is to compete against other bands to be the top blood and thunder band of the band scene And on the twelfth, these are the bands I enjoy watching.
Same goes for the internment bonfires so much focus is put on these by the media yet look how far society has came in that respect with the feile an phobail festival being used as a hugely positive and successful way of celebrating irish culture. And the success of this i feel has also been mirrored with the introduction of the woodvale festival that runs during the July holidays. So many achievements are being overshadowed, we need to be reminded at times that the working class people of our country wether they identify as protestest, Catholic, Irish or Northern Irish have a lot more in common with each other than we do with these well off politicians who claim to represent us.

 

[pommynoir]

Mine is ok but I've seen ones mention it on the site help thread before .

The world is in tatters we’re on the brink of war but….

Your greatest privilege is to bow down to someone else? Drop me the fuck out Arlene you silly cunt.

 

[Wee Nora]

The farce continues
https://news.sky.com/story/sinn-fei...inals-varadkar-says-in-huge-dail-row-12635096Sinn Fein contains 'huge number of convicted criminals', Varadkar says in huge Dail rowView attachment 1347853

Wow who put a 10p in Leo the leak’s slot?

I *think* this is photoshop… although nothing would surprise me. But why was my first thought “of course he’s got a tiny mickey”

Wee Jamie has a tiny penis and lives in his Maw’s loft. Pass it on.

 

[Wee Nora]

Birmingham 6 too ,all innocent but lost years through police corruption , wonder how long a vid on the RUC would take

You’d need a few years to get through their back catalogue. My own Dad who never hurt a fly in his life was stopped at an army checkpoint in the 80s, they searched his car, he had 4 or 5 hurling sticks in the boot as he coached the local hurling team at the time. He said the soldiers were actually ok and were going to let him go but the RUC officers said the hurls were offensive weapons they took him down a lane and made him get down on all fours then they broke the hurling sticks over his back and called him every derogatory, sectarian slur they could think of. He thought they were going to murder him.

 

[imaginedragon83]

Definitely feels like things are becoming very unstable. Horrible. I'm not sure if I'm noticing it more because I'm using/reading SM like twitter or if it's always been like this and I was oblivious.

What worries me is the troubles really took hold during the 70s and 80s because we were in poverty, unemployment was high. Paramilitaries took advantage of young directionless lads who had no prospects and money. A Tory government who had no interest in us whatsoever and leaders closer to home who only led people in the hatred and highlighted the divide with the "themmuns and yousins" attitude.
Sound familiar anyone?

 

[BigMavis]

GB news live if anyone is interested. Arlene is live in Armagh.


Live images from Armagh

 

[pommynoir]

They make me sick. Those pictures you’ve posted are awful Monga. I’m Irish, and I’m not fully white - I’m often asked if I think Ireland is ever racist or prejudice towards me and genuinely the only place I’ve ever felt intimidated is in the wee prod towns.
I don’t know how anyone can ever justify all that crap they do with the bonfires they actually scare me. Someone in here posted about the talent going into building the structures and that it could be better placed elsewhere - aye I agree I hope that they all get exposed for their vulgar language and hate crimes and manage to find a place on a woodwork course in prison.

wishful thinking of course, they’ll never be made accountable for anything they do.

 

[Wee Nora]

Dear god they should face charges over this

Shared pictures of suicide victim believed to have been taken by PSNI officers contained graphic and sectarian content

PICTURES believed to have been taken of a suicide victim by PSNI officers, which were later shared contained graphic and sectarian content.

www.irishnews.com

Absolute vermin. Where’s that poster who told me the PSNI were a lovely inclusive bunch? Read another article that said they exposed his private parts and manipulated his dead body while his family were inside the house in shock and grieving for their child. And of course it was all a big joke because the man was a “taig”. Sick to my stomach for that poor family. Now tell me this same police service wouldn’t try to cover up the murder of Noah?

What an insult that one of these assholes has been getting paid in full for the last 5 years on taxpayers money. What a fucked up world.

 

[Rosieray]

In no other country in the world would this be allowed, can you imagine if it was black people, or Muslim people or Asian people's pictures being burned in england for example. You would be arrested for hatecrime. Or even simply if catholics had bonfires and burned pictures of protestants? There would be complete uproar. The marching and bands I can understand, but burning flags and pictures of people is not fucking culture.

 

[Griftymcgriftface]

I saw a video shared on WhatsApp of that really big bonfire. I couldn’t figure out to share it here. The young fellas building it are crazy risking their lives like that. I do think it is such a waste as they know nothing else and could be out actually learning structural engineering or something if they had positive role models who focused on education.

I know of someone who was paralysed falling from a bonfire a few years back.

 

[pommynoir]

 

[BigMavis]

Good morning. Saw the fire brigade hosing houses close to a bonfire, I assume residents have to find temporary accommodation rather than boiling alive in their beds. Also noticed a lot of female politician election posters on the fires and a poster about the cost of living crisis I just don't understand, I also don't understand how the premature burning of a bonfire was treated as a hate crime by the PSNI but burning flags from various countries, slogans like KAT and images of politicians isn't.

 

[Justherefortittle]

We often say everyone can lively sort of harmoniously for 51 weeks of the year and then this is the week true colours came out.

I live in a mixed area, the nationalists are nationalist and the unionists are poorly shaded loyalists who want all the benefits a mixed area brings but without true desire to live harmoniously with their catholic or ethnic neighbours.

And its evident from the erection of UnionJacks on lamp posts weeks ago and not one elected representative does a thing about it.

To speak directly about it would make you a target, although for some reason then did skip the lamppost right outside my driveway this year.

If people want erect flags let them do it on their own homes not marking out territory like dogs pissing up lampposts. And there was a fair amount of pissing up walls going on yesterday.


Got to the point now that we just laugh at the insecurity of them all that it takes a bed sheet flag flying from a lamppost to make them feel more British. A flag they have no respect for or they wouldn’t let it hang to its in tatters.

I’m Irish To my core and it’s in my heart and my very being I don’t need to festoon tricolours about me.

It’s all merely a smoke screen and yesterday they were all out in force all the

 

[Wee Nora]

I think there's still too much hate ingrained at top level for things to change .Boris bringing the Unionists down a peg or two will have the opposite effect imo ,they'll be less tolerant to nationalist threat .

Well if Brexit ends up destroying the peace process then it really will be the biggest own goal in history. That’s all we need

 

[pommynoir]

Binman to the rescue not all heroes wear capes ye know View attachment 1347568

I *think* this is photoshop… although nothing would surprise me. But why was my first thought “of course he’s got a tiny mickey”

 

[Rosieray]

I see Jamie’s still talking about building a wall.

Cunt should build a wall around himself and stay there, do us all a favour.

 

[Wee Nora]

Has Jamie’s bin been lifted for questioning? Is Joe Brolly representing the Holylands bin? Knowing our justice system he’ll get away with a slap on the lid.

 

[pommynoir]

The caption has sent me