Ógra Shinn Féin challenge BBC and UTV on 12th July Coverage

by gan ainm Tue Jul 15, 2008 10:45

Anything to get their name out there. Why would anybody who honours Irelands patriot dead want it displayed as some sort of carnival by the BBC?

by Joanne Tue Jul 15, 2008 12:59

What Republican wouldn't want a positive coverage of Easter 1916 on any media outlet including BBC?

I think this is a welcome development and fair play to Ógra, haven't heard anyone else raise this as an issue.

by gan ainm Tue Jul 15, 2008 16:27

I was probably a bit abrupt OK, its just that Ogra do my head in with all their stupid press releases, like after their member fell off the roof of an Orange hall drunk and they tried to say it was an anti-sectariaian protest, their calls for an "all Ireland approach" to suicide awareness???? and of course Barry McColgans attempts to say Catroina Ruane not turning up to meet Bush in Belfast was "a clear message that Imperialism wasnt welcome in Ireland" even though Martin McGuiness had invited him and was wining and dining with him a few miles away.

by Joanne Tue Jul 15, 2008 17:03

No I don't think it is that you are being abrupt, I think by your tone, you obviously have a grave dislike against Sinn Féin and are attacking Ógra because of this.

Stupid press releases? So should young republicans just be seen and not heard? Very progressive Mr Censorship!

And I applaud anyone who protested against Bush, including Ógra.

Stop being so cynical!

by gan ainm Tue Jul 15, 2008 17:30

Dont dislike them at all, just think they release press statements for the sake of it.

by Joanne Tue Jul 15, 2008 19:09

So the above issue, state media promotion of the 12th yet denial of Republican rights doesn't warrant a response from an Irish Republican Youth organisation?

I'd be more concerned if they weren't speaking out against it.

by gan ainm Tue Jul 15, 2008 20:18

Looking at my original posting i now regret using the word "tripe" to describe the Ogra statement, that word is too strong for how i actually feel about the issue. The statement is not tripe (although the one about the rooftop protest was).
The 12th tv coverage is of people celebrating what they see as a glorious victory, it has jovial themes, party tunes, dancing etc. Easter commemorations on the other hand are ceremonies to commemorate the republican dead and so are not even vaguely compatible with the 12th, either politically or sentimentally.
I would have no problem pointing out a difference in coverage rates between for example poppy day ceremonies and Easter ceremonies, but as far as i know poppy day ceremonies here are only given coverage during news time on BBC and UTV as are Easter commemorations.
I feel that Ogra peole are finding themselves in an increasingly untenable position politically and cover that up with menial activities like releasing vaguely relevent statements.

by lulu Wed Jul 16, 2008 22:54

Wouldn't it show some even-handedness to mention the Easter commemorations too? You don't have to be a Shinner to acknowledge this part of history.

by Sceptic Fri Jul 18, 2008 17:21

In the north it’s because the Orange parades are a day out with colourful bands and majorettes and thousands of people participating in all major towns, whatever about the message or content. The Easter rising commemorations are usually a few hooded men in a graveyard along with some IRA / SF former bomber going on menacingly about a 32 county socialist republic and invoking the dead.

It is not a question of even handedness. It is news value.

by Anti-sceptic Fri Jul 18, 2008 19:22

So the paid UTV / BBC ulster service should reflect news items of interest to their licence paying audience in proportion.

There is a clear bias here if one Unionist celebration garners a dedicated 30 minute spot wheras an equally important celebration by another equally important group in the community gets nothing at all.

by Sceptic Fri Jul 18, 2008 19:39

You are wrong to equate the 12th with the 1916 business in the north which has strong paramilitary overtones with hooded men, banners of local IRA dead, speeches by IRA figures and the like and with only a few dozen participants in a graveyard in some provincial location. The real equivalent of the 12th as a mass participation event on the RC side is something like the GAA or the St Patrick's Day parades. These are covered.

The analogies are not perfect but they are more fitting than a straight 1916/12th comparison.

As for TV license there were never that many paid in many republican areas anecdotally - certainly not the Divis flats. A Post Office man who went anywhere near those on that business would have been very lucky to get away in one piece, never mind the fee. The same was true in other areas.

by Jacqueline Fallon Fri Jul 18, 2008 22:17

I do not know why people are outraged about two English t.v. stations not covering Republican commemorations - I doubt the spirits of the dead Volunteers would be too upset about their absence, given the disrespectful way they were portrayed (as criminals) by these English t.v. stations in life.

Sceptic - scandalous comparisons:

It is astonishing to me that you could be so bold as to compare the Orange marches with St. Patrick’s Day parades and to me it amounts to sacrilege. St. Patrick was a holy man, the patron saint of Ireland, he brought Christianity and the message of peace to Ireland. In contrast, William III and James II were not saints; and brought war and division to Ireland. These two imperialist foreign invaders engaged in a murderous campaign here which revolved around in-fighting/squabbling over the English throne, and more significantly and damaging, they brought a religious war to Ireland, that resulted in sectarianism spreading throughout the island. 1,500 lives were lost at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 (the birthplace of sectarianism here) which resulted in countless others losing their lives through sectarianism down through the ages up until recent times.

You cannot compare the GAA with the Orange Order either. The GAA is a sporting organisation promoting traditional Irish national games and does not discriminate against any religion. The Orange Order is not a sporting organisation, and indulges in discrimination of the highest order against Catholics. Annually, the Orange marchers are openly permitted to get away scot-free with displaying their ugly sectarian side to the general public and nobody shouts stop. No amount of glossing over and advertising this OO event as an international cultural event can hide the fact that it is blatantly sectarian to its core and should be avoided by all decent people of all nationalities.

by Sceptic Sat Jul 19, 2008 15:34

I have already written that there is no direct comparison between the OO and anything on the nationalist side. That does not mean however, as you seem to suggest, that the nationalist side is lily white itself when it comes to sectarian violence and prejudice of which we have seen plenty from the Republicans of various kinds over the years. Indeed you reveal your own strong tribal prejudices in this and other postings. Whatever about the Order’s politics it runs a parade day with drums, flutes, marchers, majorettes and the like, St Patrick’s day is something similar for the other side without the sashes and banners maybe – a Martian would not tell a great difference between the two. Besides the Order is a religious body, born of the reformation, and its polices will reflect that as one should expect. Also be careful of claiming St Patrick for the RC side. Many would hold that were he alive today St Patrick would be a protestant and maybe a Presbyterian – a free Presbyterian even. As for the GAA don’t forget the hounding of a young prod player out of the game in the last year by sectarian cat calls. Non sectarian indeed!

by The Smupster - Loyalist Wed Sep 03, 2008 15:09

The 12th of July celebrations or "Orange Fest" as it,s now widely known received wider media coverage this year as it was somewhat of an experiment to see if a weeklong festival of Fun and Tradition was warranted throughout the whole of Northern Ireland.I believe the Northern Ireland Tourist Board did an absolutely magnificent job of promoting a wide variety of multi cultural activities in my home town of Coleraine as they did in I believe three other boroughs.These activities included Irish dancing,traditional Irish music as well as marching band music competitions and if the member in question had of been in Coleraine on the Twelfth he would have noticed that the traditional parade was part way proceeded by none other than a Chinese float. Yes I couldn,t believe it myself but that is the way things are evolving trying to promote N.ireland as a place "for all" to come and visit during the summer thereby creating multi cultural acceptance and hopefully future employment within the tourism industry.

by Cael - Sinn Féin Poblachtach Thu Sep 04, 2008 03:22

Its ridiculous to associate the Orange bigot fest with the commemoration of the founding of the Irish Republic by Volunteers who were totally anti sectarian. Its a pity OSF wouldnt wise up and not make such gaffs.

by sharon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:00

it's a pity some people can't be constructive in their criticism, and spend their time launching attacks on other republicans

by same old story Thu Sep 04, 2008 15:28

What "other republicans" were attacked ?

by Khalad Thu Sep 04, 2008 22:44

Yet another story to drag the bigots out of the woodword to rant about how the "other side" celebrating their culture is purely secterian while "their side" doing the same perfectly richeous and wholesome, Physhophants.

by Cael - Sinn Féin Poblachtach Fri Sep 05, 2008 16:48

You must accept that some events are bigoted and sectarian and some events are not. Protestants are very welcome to join the Republican Movement and always have been. Catholics are not allowed to join the Orange Order, even a Protestant married to a Catholic is not allowed to join. Trying to equate everything that happens in the six counties in a plauge-on-all-your-houses gesture is just an empty gesture and willfully ignores the facts.