Tom Barry was quoted as saying “we started off this war with hurleys and [if HQ get their way] we will finish it with fountain pens”.
Did he say that when he was in the British Army in Iraq or in the Old IRA?
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No after he was trained by them
And turned it into action against them
And v well he did it aswell
With gusto
Or in your parlance’ with nobs on’
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PS please no revisionist history lesson compadre
No such thing as the old’ IRA’
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Stop the revisionism mate
James Connolly
As a socialist and labor leader, Connolly viewed the GAA with some skepticism. He believed that the promotion of Irish sports and cultural revival alone was insufficient to address the economic and social inequalities in Ireland. Connolly was critical of nationalist movements that focused solely on cultural identity without addressing class struggles or the needs of the working class.
Arthur Griffith
Although Griffith was a cultural nationalist and founder of Sinn Féin, he criticized aspects of the GAA’s operations, especially its strict rules on amateurism. Griffith believed the organization could be more inclusive and that its exclusive focus on sports might limit its broader political and cultural impact.
Patrick Pearse
Pearse, while generally supportive of Irish cultural revivalism, at times criticized organizations like the GAA for not being explicitly revolutionary. He felt that cultural organizations needed to take a more active role in preparing for Ireland’s political and military freedom, rather than focusing solely on sports or language.
Sean O’Casey
The playwright and labor activist was an outspoken critic of many nationalist movements, including the GAA, for what he perceived as their romanticization of Irish heritage at the expense of addressing pressing social issues. O’Casey was particularly disdainful of nationalism that ignored the plight of the working class.
Liam Mellows
Mellows, a key figure in the Irish War of Independence and a socialist, was wary of nationalist organizations, including the GAA, that focused on cultural revival without engaging in direct action against British rule or addressing socioeconomic inequalities. His critique stemmed from a belief that revolutionary movements should prioritize armed struggle and social reform over cultural
Eoin MacNeill
While MacNeill was an ardent nationalist and founder of the Gaelic League, he occasionally expressed concern about the GAA’s potential to overshadow other forms of cultural and political activism. He believed that linguistic and historical revival, rather than sports, should take precedence in the fight for Irish identity.
Michael Davitt
Davitt, a key leader of the Land League and an advocate for land reform, had mixed feelings about the GAA. He admired its promotion of Irish culture but criticized its leadership for being too focused on middle-class interests while ignoring the plight of tenant farmers and rural laborers.
Douglas Hyde
Hyde, the first President of Ireland and founder of the Gaelic League, became disillusioned with the GAA due to its focus on exclusivity and amateurism. He argued that the organization should be more inclusive and less restrictive in its rules, believing that its rigid policies alienated potential members who could otherwise contribute to the cultural revival.
Thomas Clarke
A leader of the 1916 Easter Rising, Clarke was primarily focused on militant nationalism and saw organizations like the GAA as insufficiently revolutionary. While he supported Irish cultural revival, he believed the GAA and similar movements often prioritized symbolic gestures over practical steps toward achieving independence through armed resistance.
Ernie O’Malley
O’Malley, a key figure in the War of Independence and Civil War, was critical of cultural nationalism that did not align with active efforts toward political and military revolution. While he valued Irish identity, he was skeptical of organizations like the GAA that focused primarily on sports rather than directly challenging British rule.
Constance Markievicz
While deeply involved in Irish nationalism and the labor movement, Markievicz critiqued movements like the GAA for neglecting the needs of Ireland’s working class. She saw the organization as being too middle-class in its outlook and believed that cultural nationalism needed to be paired with social and economic reform to truly benefit the majority of the Irish
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What may have been an interesting listen ruined by Brolly’s long winded soliloquies
Strange since most Dungiven men would barely talk to the priest in confession
A1 guys
Worked in 
Romania with a few of them
Hurled against them ( tried to)
Brollys the first South Derry man than can’t stop blabbering,
His ol fella Francie wasn’t like that,
Bar singing
Murphy’s pub in the town is worth a visit
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Kevin Lynch Hurling club as well. Knew his niece, a McTaggart from my time in New York. Salt of the earth.
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Was there when they brought him home
Bruised / battered
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Typical of the sick cunts.
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Twas - know bodies bruise easily etc but he was battered- cortège stopped several times OTW home
We were up visiting my late brother in law Don Bosco Doherty in the H blocks that b day ,
Tensions were high to say the least,
Lovely dignified family the Lynchs,
Black times
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Tick tock….
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Timmy will be along soon to tell us how the nationalist vote hasn’t grown in the north and it’s been a failed mission.
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He’s busy at the minute telling us they werent wrong about house numbers despite being 10 thousand out and that it’s actually the amount of people living in our houses thats the problem.
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A hard read even now
They had a segment on this on drive time this evening and aired some of the testimony .
As you say, still very grim all these years later
