From top Croke Park on Saturday; Half-time video featuring Irish Rangers on manoeuvres
Saturday.
Croke Park, Dublin
Ros writes:
Was at the hurling semi final on Saturday. They had some of the armed forces out holding large flags at the beginning of the match to mark 60 years of Ireland in the UN. Fair enough.
At half time though they showed this video. Not sure what a video of people “locking and loading” rifles has got to do with peacekeeping, it was bizarre to say the least. Seemed overly militaristic.
Anyone?
Sponsored Link
The UN missions Irish troops are involved in now are peace enforcement as opposed to peace keeping…’locked & loaded’ would be SOP while on patrol or on checkpoints.
The ARW iis now the primary recce force on any new UN missions…an internatioally highly commended unit.
Must want to copy the American model of military jingoism at NFL games.
It’s a dangerous precedent. Militarism, like politics, should have no place in sport.
The next video will have comely maidens Irish dancing to that traditional Celtic tune “Ymra Eht Nioj”.
Inject this military marketing into normal everyday social events to normalise war and mechanical destruction of far away places and people. FG are hell bent on killing whats left of our non-aligned status and tapping the tax payer to pay for increases in military spending – who has shares in military or ‘dual use’ technologies is a question I’d ask..
Bad form GAA, bad form.
In the US the playing of the anthem and displaying of gigantic American flags by the military at sports events only began post 911- also the Dept of Homeland Security pays the NFL to do so
This would suggest you are wrong: The U.S. national anthem (“The Star-Spangled Banner”) has been performed at all but one Super Bowl since its first year in 1967 >/I>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_anthem_performers_at_the_Super_Bowl
can you provide a source for DHS paying NFL?
And NFL have been doing it since WW2:
1941-42: Playing the national anthem before the start of regular season baseball games became the standard. And with the U.S. in World War II now, the National Football League also included the playing of the anthem before games.
•1945: NFL commissioner Elmer Layden said, “The playing of the national anthem should be as much a part of every game as the kickoff. We must not drop it simply because the war is over. We should never forget what it stands for.”
https://www.axios.com/the-history-of-singing-the-national-anthem-before-nfl-games-1513305769-97a4edd0-6748-432d-b1cc-2b377848e712.html
Cian, what’s wrong, and what’s right?
No use arguing. A tiny country like Ireland needs an army. “My grandad was in the IRA…” “proud tradition…” etc.
Now the GAA are going down the jingoistic route. Combining recruitment with feel good sports. Works for drinking and gambling.
*granny dies waiting on a trolley, in. A cold corridor*
*water pipe bursts*
*cant use fibre, because I don’t have fibre*
*joins an army to use UN surplus ammunition at the weekend and go stand on a mountain protecting Israel if I’m lucky*
This country needs to grow up. Faster.
Very bad form indeed. Leave this type of military display to the warlords of the world, the Brits and yanks. It has no place here.
…wonder what Squee had to say about this…he and his military attachee were there…very vocal about betting in sport…
Hey kids, become a peacekeeper! It’s like a real FPS.
Worked out well at Srebrenica, didn’t it.
Anniversary just passed. https://www.srebrenica.org.uk/
JFC you’re fans of a sport where every match starts with ‘The Soldier’s Song’ and you’re complaining that a recruitment ad for the military is too militaristic. what a brains trust this nation has
When I listen to Right Said Fred I don’t actually think I’m too sexy…
you need to turn up the volume and move around
I am much sexier when I don’t move to music.
Local woman Ros expresses surprise that video of military unit features shots of weapons and ordinance. “I thought the ‘Peacekeepers’ went around giving flowers to local ethnic lads, the fact they actually use weapons pure shocked me”
Eh not a Woman, not that it should matter what my gender is. I just thought the inclusion of that specific video that focused heavily on firearms rather than one that highlighted the history of the armed forces involvement in the UN was not a great choice.
Local lad Ros expresses dumbfoundment that the history of UN Peacekeepers also involves weapons
do you post as ‘Ger’ Rotide?
bang of sourness off you today
Unless they’re Dutch peacekeepers. I think they hand out rainbow flags instead of shooting and stuff.
That worked out well.
https://www.srebrenica.org.uk/
Soldiers bad.
Something bad happens.
Why don’t we have soldiers ?
Its softening us up for the eventual EU ARMY. Make it seem normal, celebrate it at family events and by the time the EU army happens there might be less up roar.
FFS, its the military.
What ya want – a shower of alter boys to defend the country?
I presume you mean Altar Boys.
They would be cheaper. A Mars Bar or Twix here and there…
The military are overly militaristic. Who’d have seen that coming?
Willfully missing the point, always the sign of a keen intellect.
“Overly militaristic” would have been if they had opened fire into the crowd.
Get a grip.
Nah that would have been overtly murderous. This video is NRA quality gun porn. But it’s too long.. Half as long would be grand. And no harm if the lads could be oiled up and in the nip apart from the balaclavas. For the laydeez
Too soon.
Unlikely. That would be an own goal. #bloodysunday
Call of Duty promo?
What’s the point of promoting over-armed peacekeeping (sic) at the half time of a sport event.
Euro-atlantist warmonging proganda if you ask me…but you don’t…but I tell you nethertheless.
And by the way there is no such thing as a european army. The European army is called NATO.
we’re not part of nato and we can’t be compelled to join as a neutral country.
Ireland is part of EU and EU places all states members under the NATO umbrella. So de facto Ireland is part of NATO. As it goes for Neutral country, Shannon airport shenanigans are not very neutral now are they?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_states_of_NATO
no we’re not.
i served in Kosovo under NATO….in Chad under EUFOR…Irish forces do serve under NATO.
Definitely, no militarisation of sports needed. Leave it to the Yanks, Brits and Aussies.
and the Russians, French, Koreans, Serbs, Greeks and Bolivians
The irony – the GAA – a so-called community organisation steeped in paramilitarism and a byword for violence, bigotry and prejudice in our history. NI volunteers got to play with armalites instead of hurleys like the ICA.
Two words: Liam Miller.
If it was Glasgow Rangers they wouldn’t even be allowed on the pitch at Croke Park- a) their Unionist prods narrative, b) they’re Brits, and c) play soccer.
Government money poured into these Bass-swilling, Sunday carvery-dinner politicians and armchair experts.
Bleurgh!
you ok hon-seem a bit worked up today,try a nice walk or have a little lie down.
Croke Park was opened to soccer and rugby in April 2005,do try keep up,England has played there !
GAA fans are locked most of the time. Quite a few of the younger ones are loaded too. Looks like a good event, if somewhat closer to a Gay Pride march than a display of military expertise. Whatever. At least Mannix Flynn wont have a hissy about the Artane Band.
Where’s the detail on this?
What’s the GAA statement on militarising sport like the Americans?
What Minister, entity or department pushed this?
Why now in particular?
Unless they’re issuing guns to the players instead of hurleys they’re not really militarising the sport although the hurley-gun would be a good weapon for the zombie apocalypse.
Trichet must have told Leo he had to up numbers for PESCO and, rather than paying the soliders we already have a decent wage (€20,499 per annum starting salary for a job where you can get shot at), head down to the gammon convention in Croker (tongue in cheek, I jest) with a StatComm-esque video complete with lots of cool looking guns and see if you can hearts and minds a few young fellas to squander their leaving cert to become Israeli borderguards.
Get shot at?
If you are likely to be shot at – then you are on a foreign tour. And then you get
‘danger money’overseas allowance about 15K (tax free).And you are fed and quartered while abroad.
So for a young lass with no family to support – this is a lot of money.
Like it or not a country needs to have armed forces and if you want people to do the job you have to make it look good.