Ulster Rugby trial -continued

According to The Times today, French club Clermont (the one Greig Laidlaw plays for) have already made a move for Jackson. Laidlaw’s deal with them was worth a fortune so sadly, it doesn’t look as if Jackson’s earning potential is going to suffer. Let’s hope that the stigma of having his contract with Ulster severed is enough punishment.

Interestingly, Laidlaw plays scrum-half and fly-half, usually playing no. 9, and is a kicker. Jackson plays fly-half, no.10, and is also a kicker. I wonder how Laidlaw, who’s always struck me as a decent man, will feel about all this, having to work really closely with Jackson?

I've got the most Irish sounding name ever, but I'm Protestant and middle class. Sorry to disappoint.

Yes I was a bit at the working class Protestants comment as well. I'm Protestant and English but with very Irish name due to marriage, live in Ireland, kids see themselves as both, they go to a mixed (male and female) school with people of many religions or none - all of whom are Irish.

You're welcome

Very well explained! Thank you.

test

Double square brackets with web line copied and pasted. If you leave a space before closing the square brackets then type whatever you want the link to say then those words become the link.

Not sure I've explained that well, haven't had a coffee yet!

On my phone there's instructions how to do it at bottom of page alongside the smileys list.

Chaosandchocolate How do you do that link? I end up copying and pasting lines of a web address.

Good article in the Guardian today.

link

I meant I am Irish but I am not Catholic

I felt very sad yesterday but so heartened to read the joint statement talking about review and education. It's bigger to me than what happens to SO and PJ, although that might matter more to the woman involved. I'm not naive, cultural change happens slowly but it's a step in the right direction.
The men have experienced consequences and my hope is that they change their behaviour.
I'd like a criminal justice system that works better for women but changing the culture is the bigger hurdle.
Yesterday felt like one brave young women and all who stood alongside her were heard. So I'm allowing myself a moment of feeling encouraged.

Sashh I am disappointed in your post. You refer to surprise that Paddy is Protestant because you thought he was Irish...I have two issue with this statement:

1. By Irish, I assume you meant Catholic? Because my understanding is they are not one and the same. I have an Irish passport and I am not Irish...and this is pretty standard these days, so I think you need to be very careful with your phrasing.

1. That you are judging his looks and speech and determining his religion? This so unbelievably archaic and demeaning. You cannot see what religion someone is by looking at them, or by their name. Not only have times moved on where there are interfaith marriages etc, so a surname would be irrelevant, and many people like traditional Irish names, but also, when are people from NI going to realise that religion is a religion. You choose it. It isn't a race!

I know that NI has difficulty leaving religion out of things, this is why the country has struggled to move past its issues, but I had hoped for more for this thread. Religion has NOTHING to do with it, therefore it does not need to be discussed or commented on. Especially in the bizarre and backward way you have in your recent post.

Now can we please move on...

BelfastConnection I felt heartened too and I think that’s why I’ve pursued this point which seems off to topic. Because it isn’t.

United we stand, divided we fall.
Divide and conquer.

I’m so upset that religion, race and class was brought into this thread. I’m worried that with one comment and a bit of encouragement for that comment that a whole demographic was ostracised.

Yes I’m sure there are some or even many angry white working class Protestant men commenting about this case. I’ve personally found it more striking that so many women were defending ‘the lads’ behaviour. I took a closer look at the male commenters, and I really couldn’t see a pattern, even if I really put myself into the mindset of someone incredibly bigoted.

This is bigger than religion but when you make it ‘us and them’ then you risk losing the support of them and ‘other’.

Really disheartening to see comments like ‘thread police’ and ‘worked up’ on a board like this.

I really wish ni would move on from all of this but in reality we are still very much entrenched in the past

Be the change you want to see.

I'm also from Belfast & completely agree with Nottaken - disappointing the thread is being derailed in such a way.

@Bumblefuddle, been following this thread and just wanted to say that if your daughter ever wants to talk to someone about what happened, there is an ISVA service run by Victim Support NI - specially trained staff who solely work with victims of sexual violence, regardless of whether the crime has been reported. You can contact them at [email protected] and it’s completely confidential. Please don’t feel your family can’t access support. She’ll be believed. I’m so angry for her, and for all the other young women out there who’ve suffered at the hands of arrogant, power-crazed men. I can only hope that change will come before my daughters get to the age where they’re allowed out of my sight... to you

I felt heartened when I saw women both north and south of the border protesting about the same problem with great passion. Ironically they may have done more than any politician to move us towards being a united Ireland. If / when that happens, it will be through positive action like this, not more tribal politics or terrorism.

Whoops - wasn't sure if it was "an united" or "a united" - showing my class!

I’ve got nothing to add, I’m afraid.

So let's leave it there then.

But you also claim as would the grammar and vocabulary of the comment

I am not from NI but I agree with others that it was a gratuitous comment.

What makes you think I’m getting worked up? I’m putting forward an opinion quite strongly, but I’m not a fan of ‘worked up’. Especially on a feminist chat board.

Are women not allowed to feel passionately about topics and put forward their opinions without being accused of getting ‘worked up’?

If you don’t see the problem with making assumptions about people based on their name or their grammar... if you don’t see why that’s embarrassing... if you don’t see how that keeps us stuck in the past... I’ve got nothing to add, I’m afraid.

You might as well check to see how far apart the eyes are. It’s not obvious - it is a projection of your own prejudices.

I don't know why you're getting so worked up about this nottaken but in NI names often fairly easy to decode along religious lines.

I don't see what makes it embarrassing. Fir example, if I came across a Muhammad, I'd be fairly sure he wasn't Jewish.

Obviously it's not 100% accurate.

As I don't know your real name, I couldn't possibly comment on yours. It doesn't work with usernames. Obviously.

No I am from Northern Ireland. I just like to think of myself as part of the solution instead of part of the problem. I’m so embarrassed there are people in our country who make such assumptions in this day and age. It’s a tenuous link at best. Tenuous.

So I’m curious... what religion and class am I based on my grammar?