Ballina, Co. Tipp

I think Locke is right - we are all racists. Rock tries to fight the travellers corner but he wont be holding back at the next old firm derby.

To be honest, if travellers moved in beside me I’d be pretty miffed but such is life, there’s no point going on national radio and complaining about it. Its done, the council are hardly going to sell the house on.

Although the fact they paid over the price for it should be looked into as its majorly wrong.

also charlie is in dispute with the council over the house…he has yet to move in…don’t know what his complaint is but i think it has to do with the size of the site as he wouldn’ be able to keep his horses/caravan…

Is that a joke? Although from knowing lads here, it’s propably not.

Just came across an interesting stat’ about the area.

In 1851 there were 528 Houses and 3119 persons living in Ballina which includes 44 townlands. Wonder what it is now?

Don’t agree with that Sidney. I would consider travellers much more of a ethnic groups than blacks for example. Blacks and whites are essentially the same yet when black people are discriminated against it is called racism which is actually quite a racist word as it implies that black people are a different race to whites when that is not the case.

Travellers have different ideas on life (for instance they are nomads and interbreed) so are much more distinguishable as a race than black people for instance. So they are a race and discrimination against them is therefore racism.

Mmmmm not quite sure I want it on record here that I admittted to being a racist. I admitted I dont like travellers and it was QED that I was a racist.

I dont like people with bad manners, I consider setting up home on the side of the road and leaving your rubbish blow all over the countryside bad manners. I consider letting your kids run amok on the side of the road bad manners.
I consider coming into farmers yards and intimidating farmers and scoping what can be robbed bad manners.
None of the above are exclusive to travellers of course but I have experrienced all of thr above from travellers. Along with fighting in pubs etc

What about the fookin riots in Mullingar a few weeks ago?

its anti social behaviour dressed up as there culture. Should taking heroin be permitted in some areas where there is a heroin culture? Should it fuck.

Rock has a fair point about integrating them somewhere, but they dont seem to want to be integrated. I went to school with several and they kept to themselves, never played sport and just caused bother in the school when they bothered there holes coming in.

When I worked in a bar years ago in Cork city they were the bane of our lives. They used to come in duroing the day and we served them at the start, one evening a fella smacked his wife across the head with an ashtray, we had some job getting the fookers out of the bar that night. on several other occassions when served within 20 mins there could be 30 of them waiting for a drink. Allowing them to drink in your bar was suicide for the business…and there is a reason they dont get served, because they are troublesome fooks. Drink doesnt suit em…

What is yer opinion on the Nally incident in Mayo? apparently the man was living on his nerves for months if not years before he shot your man. I know a few lads from Mayo and they said the whole county was behind Nally…not for nothing…maybe Irish people are all recist in this manner or maybe to fook they are right and the real minority are those that want the majority to adapt and learn to live with traveller culture

Ask yerselves this lads, if ye had an investment property would you rent it out to a family of travellers?

[quote=“farmerinthecity”]Don’t agree with that Sidney. I would consider travellers much more of a ethnic groups than blacks for example. Blacks and whites are essentially the same yet when black people are discriminated against it is called racism which is actually quite a racist word as it implies that black people are a different race to whites when that is not the case.
QUOTE]

They look different? No?

[quote=“dancarter”]Mmmmm not quite sure I want it on record here that I admittted to being a racist. I admitted I dont like travellers and it was QED that I was a racist.

I dont like people with bad manners, I consider setting up home on the side of the road and leaving your rubbish blow all over the countryside bad manners. I consider letting your kids run amok on the side of the road bad manners.
I consider coming into farmers yards and intimidating farmers and scoping what can be robbed bad manners.
None of the above are exclusive to travellers of course but I have experrienced all of thr above from travellers. Along with fighting in pubs etc

What about the fookin riots in Mullingar a few weeks ago?

its anti social behaviour dressed up as there culture. Should taking heroin be permitted in some areas where there is a heroin culture? Should it fuck.

Rock has a fair point about integrating them somewhere, but they dont seem to want to be integrated. I went to school with several and they kept to themselves, never played sport and just caused bother in the school when they bothered there holes coming in.

When I worked in a bar years ago in Cork city they were the bane of our lives. They used to come in duroing the day and we served them at the start, one evening a fella smacked his wife across the head with an ashtray, we had some job getting the fookers out of the bar that night. on several other occassions when served within 20 mins there could be 30 of them waiting for a drink. Allowing them to drink in your bar was suicide for the business…and there is a reason they dont get served, because they are troublesome fooks. Drink doesnt suit em…

What is yer opinion on the Nally incident in Mayo? apparently the man was living on his nerves for months if not years before he shot your man. I know a few lads from Mayo and they said the whole county was behind Nally…not for nothing…maybe Irish people are all recist in this manner or maybe to fook they are right and the real minority are those that want the majority to adapt and learn to live with traveller culture

Ask yerselves this lads, if ye had an investment property would you rent it out to a family of travellers?[/quote]

Nally is a can of worms on here Dan. Unbelievable that he had his conviction quashed to be honest, irrespective what the county thinks. We have a law that’s supposed to be above reactionary public opinion, unfortunately it wasn’t applied correctly in that case.
http://thefreekick.com/vbforum/showthread.php?t=202&highlight=nally

Anyway a couple of points on your comments above:

  1. Travellers are an ethnic identity in Ireland. Judging them all by the actions of some of them and admitting you don’t like travellers is racist. There’s no two ways about it unfortunately.

You can throw out all the anecdotal evidence that you want but essentially once you decide to make the judgement that you don’t like travellers because of who they are then you’re racist.

  1. Surely if there were 30 travellers lining up for a pint then that would be good for business, no? http://www.thefreekick.com/board/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

if you want to get into the semantics and pedantics of this, fat mouth from kerry screwed the whole thing up with the equal status Act and setting out travellers as a distinct minroity
i.e you can’t discriminate on the following grounds

  • Gender
  • Marital status
  • Family status
  • Sexual orientation
  • Religious belief
  • Age
  • Disability
  • Race colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins
  • Membership of the Traveller community

now look at the second to last point and you will see that travellers were already covered and there was no need to create a distinct caste for travellers, sure why not have a clause for every county ?
it would stop kilkenny winning 4 in a row as they are discriminating against wexford !!

so there you have it in a nutshell it isn’t snobbery in the eyes of the law, it’s discrimination

[quote=“therock67”]Nally is a can of worms on here Dan. Unbelievable that he had his conviction quashed to be honest, irrespective what the county thinks. We have a law that’s supposed to be above reactionary public opinion, unfortunately it wasn’t applied correctly in that case.
http://thefreekick.com/vbforum/showthread.php?t=202&highlight=nally

Anyway a couple of points on your comments above:

  1. Travellers are an ethnic identity in Ireland. Judging them all by the actions of some of them and admitting you don’t like travellers is racist. There’s no two ways about it unfortunately.

You can throw out all the anecdotal evidence that you want but essentially once you decide to make the judgement that you don’t like travellers because of who they are then you’re racist.

  1. Surely if there were 30 travellers lining up for a pint then that would be good for business, no? ;)[/quote]

1- What else am I to do except judge them on the basis of the ones iv met? Is it not far more stupid to base my opinions on the ones I havent met?

2- Youv obviosuly never worked in a bar, or had much dealings with travellers.

3- What about Mullingar?

Can you give me some anecdotal evidence why you think i should give them a chance

Hang on Dan.

Nobody is saying that you should give them a chance if you don’t want to, But you are racist towards them. As Locke said we are all racist towards them (even Rock may have a nagging doubt to let his house out to them as you said yourself).

I know if I owned a pub I would not let travellers drink there. If that makes me racist towards them then so be it.

[quote=“dancarter”]1- What else am I to do except judge them on the basis of the ones iv met? Is it not far more stupid to base my opinions on the ones I havent met?

2- Youv obviosuly never worked in a bar, or had much dealings with travellers.

3- What about Mullingar?

Can you give me some anecdotal evidence why you think i should give them a chance[/quote]

  1. Would you judge black people on the basis of the ones you’ve met too? I’m not telling you what to think of people, I’m merely saying that forming generalised opinions against an entire ethnic people based on your experiences with some is racist.

  2. I have worked in a bar and there were travellers who were regular customers. That was in Germany so not sure if it makes any difference. They were sound enough lads, but a bit head wrecking about looking for free cider all the time.

  3. What about Mullingar? Disgraceful scenes alright but there are disgraceful scenes involving settled people all the time in Dublin and nobody makes a generalisation about the settled people.

Anecdotal evidence: Let’s return to Mullingar and look at JJ Nevin. Or Athy boxing club and all the work that has been done by Irish travellers in amateur boxing for decades.

I also met Ruaidhri Conroy many many times and I think he’s a sound fella.

I’m sure there’s nice travellers out there. However I have yet to come across one on my travels. i’ve had many dealings with them in various facets of my life and have yet to come across one I would trust or would be happy to see coming to date my daughter. If that makes me racist, then so be it.

[quote=“therock67”]

I also met Ruaidhri Conroy many many times and I think he’s a sound fella.[/quote]

Is he a traveller? He obviously played a traveller in Into the West but I never knew he was one in real life.

From the few times I met him I would have also said that he is a spot-on bloke.

Nah, he’s not a traveller but thought he’d be relevant to the discussion. With method actors these days they often take on the traits of the character they’re playing so it’s not too big a leap to judge all travellers by your encounters with Ruaidhri Conroy.

I think Ruaidhri Conroy is a good lad too. In fact, he wore my Celtic away jersey from last season with ‘Donati 18’ on the back for one astro game last Autumn. I haven’t washed it since. I hurled with a few travellers in my youth and they were sound enough. Although another batch of them tried to steal the front door from my gaff, as in literally take the door off its hinges, one Saturday lunchtime while we were actually in the house. ‘What the fook are ye doing lads?’ ‘Collecting stuff paaayple don’t be wantin.’ ‘Eh, we need the door lads.’ ‘Sure enough so boss.’ And off they went.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/well-continue-house-picket-to-prevent-traveller-family-moving-in-say-residents-1472138.html

I assume you are shitting me?

If not someone better watch out for De Niro coz hes one nasty mo fo

Former Spurs striker Serhiy Rebrov is expected to arrive in Ballina tonight to join the protest.

From The Fiver:

“A lot of dark-skinned people live there. So naturally the crime rate is higher than anywhere else. It’s not nice to be a robbery victim. So I suggest that Roman doesn’t walk but drives around that area” - in advising Roman Pavlyuchenko about his new environs, Serhiy Rebrov adds another reason why he won’t be welcome back at Tottenham.

Wexico is brimful of travellers. Or itinerants. Or whatever the fook they want to be called.

Many are sound and many are cunts. Loads of them live near enough to chez Appendage and they have always been decent enough to deal with. Certain families used to always appear just after lunch time back in the day, looking for “a bit after de dinner”. Bizarre now that I think of it. That was about 15 years or so ago, and to be fair even they were fookin broke at the time. They always got whatever scraps were left and would then eat happily in the van on the side of the road. Only on weekdays though, must’ve been doing other stuff at weekends. There could’ve been 8 or 9 in the van and always the most vulnerable would be sent to the door to see what the craic was.

This was back in the day of the clapped out Hiace, since replaced with 08 Land Cruisers.

I have not conducted any scientific research into it but many are settled and are very well integrated into the local community, indeed there is one village affectionately known as “Tinker Town”.

There is an urban legend about a traveller in TT who when asked by his mot “Do ya love me Jim?” he said “Of course I loves ya, don’t I rides ya buy ya chips”. And he was reknowned for asking local business people if they would accept travellers cheques. A fookin great character.

Then there is the case of the family after moving into a housing estate in a town in Wexford a basically wrecking the whole estate. That is what causes the problems. But settled people carry on like that too.

It very easy to be self righteous and preach equality but if people have had incredibly negative experience of “ethnic minorities” then its obviously going to cloud their judgement.