Originally posted by araby:
Read something about this book in the papers at the weekend, looking forward to reading it, I feel their maybe some truth in her assertion.

Originally posted by craichoor:


Yes there may well be a lot of truth in her assertion. We are all aware of the Darren Graham Fermanagh incident in 2007. From a GAA persceptive, are there many protestants that have played at intercounty level?

In County Cavan, my town has a large Protestant community but I did not play Gaelic Games with one throughout my underage days. This surely must be a damning indictment of the GAA`s ability to attract protestants and/or the protestant community`s ability to integrate   (definitely not assimilate, not sure if integrate is even the right word  )  .
How were playing numbers and general relations between the two religions in other posters counties?

I have a feeling that Joseph Ruane`s   (Prof. of Sociology in UCC  )   current research on Protestant Catholic relations throughout Ireland will paint a more comprehensive picture than Crawford`s book.

Originally posted by Shoneen O Horlicks:
Is she coming with an agenda? I`ve met a few historians, and their ability to ignore inconvenient facts always amazes me.

Originally posted by turfcutter:
I don`t really know how Irish or non Irish the protestants feel but to me Jack Bootman stands as an example of inclusion in the GAA.

Originally posted by The Beautiful Game:

A one in 5 million example...

This message has been edited - 09-mar-2010 @ 20:23

Originally posted by Shoneen O Horlicks:
Is she coming with an agenda? I`ve met a few historians, and their ability to ignore inconvenient facts always amazes me.

This message has been edited - 09-mar-2010 @ 20:29

Originally posted by craichoor:


Yes there may well be a lot of truth in her assertion. We are all aware of the Darren Graham Fermanagh incident in 2007. From a GAA persceptive, are there many protestants that have played at intercounty level?

In County Cavan, my town has a large Protestant community but I did not play Gaelic Games with one throughout my underage days. This surely must be a damning indictment of the GAA`s ability to attract protestants and/or the protestant community`s ability to integrate   (definitely not assimilate, not sure if integrate is even the right word  )  .
How were playing numbers and general relations between the two religions in other posters counties?

I have a feeling that Joseph Ruane`s   (Prof. of Sociology in UCC  )   current research on Protestant Catholic relations throughout Ireland will paint a more comprehensive picture than Crawford`s book.

Originally posted by burdizzo:


I`m a Protestant myself, and see no contradiction being involved in my local GAA club - both as a player and `officer`. In fact, here in Queen`s County   (heh, heh!  )   I know at least half a dozen other clubs that have Protestant players or involvement. I`m talking about hurling only here now - I don`t know what the case is w/ football clubs.

Originally posted by burdizzo:


I`m a Protestant myself, and see no contradiction being involved in my local GAA club - both as a player and `officer`. In fact, here in Queen`s County   (heh, heh!  )   I know at least half a dozen other clubs that have Protestant players or involvement. I`m talking about hurling only here now - I don`t know what the case is w/ football clubs.

Originally posted by Abruzzi Spur:
Sam Maguire was a Protestant, Jack Boothman ditto. Tipperary league winning captain George Frend also.

I honestly belioeve in the south we are not one bit discriminatory towards Protestants anymore, they are as Irish as any of us. Religion has taken a massive back seat.

However our attitude to our Northern brethern is what really disgusts me as an Irishman. This is what we should be doing studies on.

Originally posted by craichoor:


That`s great to hear and it maybe that my experience in Cavan is the anomaly possible due to the large Protestant population and proximity to the 6 counties.

If you don`t mind me asking, would you agree or disagree with what the author is saying? Do you feel any less Irish or `excluded from Irishness`?

Originally posted by arock:
yeah thats true. The problem for all Irish Protestants is history its a real upsetting bummer especially if your a protestant. I mean from the reformation on they butchered, impoverished and robbed the lot of us Catholics of absolutely everything - they made no distinction either between "Norman Catholic" and Gaelic Catholic they just happily hacked the lot of us up. From the Reformation to 1798 we where slaughtered. Pogroms, genocidal religious freako`s like Cromwell where let loose on us. Ok that was the past lets talk about the present, Little Conor the Protestant sitting in his fee paying hotel flicking through his histroy revision gets all upset at the heaps of dead catholics. Its like a bloody waterfall. So send for a great historical healer like Myer`s he`ll sort it out. I mean whats the "Cromwellian settlement of Ireland" when held up to real atrocity like that poor policeman killed outside Dublin Castle by those murderious killers. Or pitchcapping children for laughs in the 1798 rebellion cannot possible compare to the outragious treatment of Darren Graham. If they feel disconnected so what?

Originally posted by Deise go deo:



I`m not sure about the attitude towards Protestants in the south. Recently my work took me to lots of villages in Munster. On numerous occasions I saw fine buildings lying vacant and in poor condition. The locals told me that they were either former Protestant church related buildings or formerly owned by members of the Protestant community and nobody would in the Catholic community had any interest in aquiring and renovating the buildings. There were instances where villages needed a new community hall and former Protestant buildings were available but were ignored as an option. I think a lot of people have long memories.

Originally posted by Deise go deo:



I`m not sure about the attitude towards Protestants in the south. Recently my work took me to lots of villages in Munster. On numerous occasions I saw fine buildings lying vacant and in poor condition. The locals told me that they were either former Protestant church related buildings or formerly owned by members of the Protestant community and nobody would in the Catholic community had any interest in aquiring and renovating the buildings. There were instances where villages needed a new community hall and former Protestant buildings were available but were ignored as an option. I think a lot of people have long memories.