OSF and grave "commemorations"

[st333ve]

I was flicking through google images when i stumbled on this picture on an OSF website.


Its an Easter "commemoration" and where is it?

Right infront of my relatives grave just as it is every year.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z168/St333ve/Lurgan.jpg
Now these eejits never knew my uncle and year in and year out they all parade around his grave talking crap etc.
Ive never seen any of these people in my life.

They have never contacted our family to do this and up until now i never even knew who these people were until i found this image.

Personally i find this very disrespectful, the IRA made Michael drive a car bomb into Lurgan and give a warning, the people refused to leave and he died trying to get the bomb away from the people.
He was the only victim.

Do OSF need to rally around dead graves every year of people they dont even know?
Why dont they ask the families can they do this?
They all land up on easter acting all patriotic using peoples graves for good photo oppertunities.

What is the point of this, he didnt die at easter and he wasnt involved in the easter rising?

Rest in peace?

Now i dont want to soung like a moan, but its quite strange seeing a load of people using a relatives grave for political gains.
It wouldnt be so bad if they put a few flowers on it during the year or whatever, but they all land up on easter with their digi cameras for a ramble about the "good old days " and then probobly hit the pub.

But never a letter to the family or any acknowledgement that they are connected to this man in any way.

[st333ve]

P.s. could someone explain to me what this stupid looking flag is all about?? (the green white and orange union jack)

http://bp1.blogger.com/_OvD7y01oznw/RiNkylsC9xI/AAAAAAAAATA/gdxOaJKKmoQ/s1600-h/Segi3.JPG

[Tir Eoghain]

P.s. could someone explain to me what this stupid looking flag is all about?? (the green white and orange union jack)

http://bp1.blogger.com/_OvD7y01oznw/RiNkylsC9xI/AAAAAAAAATA/gdxOaJKKmoQ/s1600-h/Segi3.JPG

lol , Its the flag of the Basque Country.

[st333ve]

lol , Its the flag of the Basque Country.

Ah the Basque country, it all makes sence now!

Wait a minute, no it doesnt.

In what strange way do OSF think the Basque Country is linked to Ireland.
Im sure theyve found some comparison so as they can fly the fenian jack, do they have to make fools out of themselves?

[DFCRFB]

P.s. could someone explain to me what this stupid looking flag is all about?? (the green white and orange union jack)

http://bp1.blogger.com/_OvD7y01oznw/RiNkylsC9xI/AAAAAAAAATA/gdxOaJKKmoQ/s1600-h/Segi3.JPG

feck sake are you colour blind! its green and red! its the flag of the Basque Country.

see below
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_the_Basque_Country.svg

[DFCRFB]

they are supporting and showing support for the people of the basque area which Basque nationalists seek independence for.It is formed by the provinces Araba, Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia, Nafarroa, Baxe-Nafarroa, Lapurdi and Zuberoa

[st333ve]

feck sake are you colour blind! its green and red! its the flag of the Basque Country.

see below
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_the_Basque_Country.svg


Stupid me, i thought this was Ireland.

[st333ve]

they are supporting and showing support for the people of the basque area which Basque nationalists seek independence for.It is formed by the provinces Araba, Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia, Nafarroa, Baxe-Nafarroa, Lapurdi and Zuberoa

Well now theyve got OSF highjacking their flag im sure it wont be long until they get independence. :icon_lol:

Maybe they could take up their favourite sport of random headstone spectating in the Basque country at christmas.

[Hildy]

st333ve, now you are disappointing me. You need to read up on the Basque movement. It is a very important issue for me personally, to support their organization. So given that you want to become involved in the the republican peace movement in the north, that is one movement you should consider supporting as well.

And, besides, its makes more of an impact to the panel here if you are at least educated on the subject, so you don't look like such an ignoramous!

[st333ve]

Im no ignoramous, just bored and winding a few people up.
Theres nothing on tv.

[Mellows1922]

I Right infront of my relatives grave just as it is every year.
Now these eejits never knew my uncle and year in and year out they all parade around his grave talking crap etc.
Ive never seen any of these people in my life.

They have never contacted our family to do this and up until now i never even knew who these people were until i found this image.

So you were aware of people parading to a relatives grave every year yet you were never concerned nor interested enough to actually find out who they were ? Never actually took a stroll up when you knew they were going to be there to find out exactly what the story was ?

Aye, makes perfect sense alright.

[st333ve]

So you were aware of people parading to a relatives grave every year yet you were never concerned nor interested enough to actually find out who they were ? Never actually took a stroll up when you knew they were going to be there to find out exactly what the story was ?

Aye, makes perfect sense alright.

I was under the impression it was local republicans, but i recognise none of them.
I wasnt aware it was OSF, and no i wasnt going to stroll up to them and ruin their little party.
Ive only witnessed it once, i dont spend my Easters hanging around graveyards.

One of my points is that they dont contact anyone to let them know who they are.

Maybe i'll take your advice and approach them this year.

[Mellows1922]

I was under the impression it was local republicans, but i recognise none of them.
I wasnt aware it was OSF, and no i wasnt going to stroll up to them and ruin their little party.

OSF are local Republicans.

Ive only witnessed it once, i dont spend my Easters hanging around graveyards.

Well now that FF have started commemorating the men and women onf 1916 you better start.

One of my points is that they dont contact anyone to let them know who they are.

Or maybe you seemed so disinterested your family just didn't think you'd care.

Maybe i'll take your advice and approach them this year

You should.

[st333ve]

Or maybe you seemed so disinterested your family just didn't think you'd care.


My family doesnt care about these eejits, im not the one pretending to care here.
These people stand infront of that grave every year, i would bet my wages that the vast majority of them dont even know what happened to him, what he done or why he done it.

[Nijinsky]

i would bet my wages that the vast majority of them dont even know what happened to him, what he done or why he done it.


On what do you base that?

[st333ve]

On what do you base that?

Because the "local republicans" refer to it as "that IRA grave", and thats the height of the knowledge they have about it.

They stand there because theres a plaque, they want to be seen standing at it because its "cool".
there used to be a marble carving of two guns but thankfully the distasteful SF crap was removed.

[DFCRFB]

Im no ignoramous, just bored and winding a few people up.
Theres nothing on tv.

i know so you came here to be educated and engage in sensible debate :icon_eek:

[DFCRFB]

Because the "local republicans" refer to it as "that IRA grave", and thats the height of the knowledge they have about it.

so thats your basis on that theory? you heard that they called it that.

you obviously have a problem in general as your having a go at OSF supporting the basque peoples plight.

[East Tyrone]

Because the "local republicans" refer to it as "that IRA grave", and thats the height of the knowledge they have about it.

They stand there because theres a plaque, they want to be seen standing at it because its "cool".
there used to be a marble carving of two guns but thankfully the distasteful SF crap was removed.

Is the person listed as a Volunteer on the grave?

[Nijinsky]

Because the "local republicans" refer to it as "that IRA grave", and thats the height of the knowledge they have about it.

They stand there because theres a plaque, they want to be seen standing at it because its "cool".
there used to be a marble carving of two guns but thankfully the distasteful SF crap was removed.

How do you know any of this if you dont know any of these people as you said earlier?

As for "local Republicans" referring to it as "that IRA Grave" how do you know thats the height of the knowledge they have about it? Have you interrogated them in depth to discover what they know?

[st333ve]

Is the person listed as a Volunteer on the grave?

Ofcourse, how would OSF ever find it if it wasnt?

[Nijinsky]

Ofcourse, how would OSF ever find it if it wasnt?

How do you know they wouldnt find it?

[FIM-92]

Im no ignoramous, just bored and winding a few people up.
Theres nothing on tv.

You can wind someone up anywhere else but here, take it elsewhere please.

[The People's Own MP]

Stupid me, i thought this was Ireland.

Ireland does not exist in some sort of bubble.

[robertemmett]

on a sideline issue the two men standing in the photo in the orginal certain dont look as if they should be in OGRA sf.

but what difference does the commemoration make to your uncle???

does the graveyard belong to the council or the church?

either way it is open to members of the public...

so ste333. is it only some members of the public in the graveyard that you dont like???

and if republicans want to remember, even mourn, the death of a person, they should be able to do so in whatever manner pleases them.

just as in the a catholic funeral, there are flowers and crowds of people standing wherever they can, listening to some man dressed in black with a purple stole. how weird is that???

some choose people to remember thier dead relatives by sprinkling water on graves.

so if a group of people want to come to a grave yard and stand around listening to a speaker and even displays some colours that are meaningful to them, then ste333ve you should not have problem with that.

[Mellows1922]

on a sideline issue the two men standing in the photo in the orginal certain dont look as if they should be in OGRA sf..

Don't mind stevie boy, It wasn't actually an Ogra commemoration, it was a commemoration that Ogra were participants in.

[East Tyrone]

Ofcourse, how would OSF ever find it if it wasnt?

So what exactly is your problem, do you dispute the fact that he was an IRA Volunteer or are you just uncomfortable with the fact?

[Nijinsky]

So what exactly is your problem, do you dispute the fact that he was an IRA Volunteer or are you just uncomfortable with the fact?


I think its the latter

[JPL]

lol @ st333ve coming in here trying to wind people up, prancing around talking about the ignorances of ógra - when he himself couldn't even identify the BC flag, nor the similarities between their situation and ireland's. if you want to come on here with the tone of everyone is ignorant but yourself, at least don't look like an idiot in the process.

your uncle joined an organisation and did what he did out of his own free will. his death is tragic, and i applaud that he died trying to save innocent lifes. if your family doesn't want people commemorating around the grave, then i would respect that decision, but don't come on here with your stupid tone trying to knock ógra at every turn.

[Seabird]

JPL,

Bravo good post, this is probably one of the most assinine threads I have seen in a long time.

[st333ve]

lol @ st333ve coming in here trying to wind people up, prancing around talking about the ignorances of ógra - when he himself couldn't even identify the BC flag, nor the similarities between their situation and ireland's. if you want to come on here with the tone of everyone is ignorant but yourself, at least don't look like an idiot in the process.

your uncle joined an organisation and did what he did out of his own free will. his death is tragic, and i applaud that he died trying to save innocent lifes. if your family doesn't want people commemorating around the grave, then i would respect that decision, but don't come on here with your stupid tone trying to knock ógra at every turn.

I think its great that people commemorate the dead, i just find it odd when its a load of strangers who dont even know the family.
We all live within walking distance from the grave.
Maybe i was a bit harsh looking back at my posts, but at the time i was annoyed when i seen the pics and the article that makes no mention of my uncle whatsoever, not even his name.
He's not just a headstone you know.
If people wish to commemorate the dead they should do so.
People shouldnt just stand beside random IRA graves for a photo, its disrespectful and if they want to write an article they should atleast acknowledge his existance by atleast mentioning his name.
He was a good man who was driven to join the IRA, i wouldnt call it free will.
His brother was shot through the leg by the B-specials, back then the estate was barraced off from the B-specials but they used to switch the electric off and sneak in to shoot a few fenians.
Unfortunately for them the man they shot only left the house because he was epileptic and he needed fresh air after his seizures, therefor they couldnt use the excuse that he was an IRA man as he was disabled.
He actually won compensation for the huge hole in his leg and the attack didnt help his health any.
Our family had been attacked many times and it was this that made Michael join the IRA, not free will.

I would feel like a stranger if i joined in with the commemoration, but i think i'll head down at easter and see what goes on.
My appolagies if i sounded a bit arrogant but people should show actual respect to volunteers instead of using their death for a quick "look at us infront of the 'ra grave" photo op.

[ANE32]

Within my family and extended family there are six comerations held to honour family members who have died.I do not agree with the policies of all the people who hold these comerations but I do not oppose them so long as they do not claim to speak for the dead! None of us can do that! But it is nice to see that they are not forgotton!

[Newry Republican]

[QUOTE=st333ve;53818]i just find it odd when its a load of strangers who dont even know the family
QUOTE]

In many years to come there will still be strangers meeting at your relatives grave to honour him and pay their respects.

I dont personally know Padraig Pearses family or Bobby Sands Family. And I dont personally know the families of all 22 Volunteers from Newry who were killed in action! But i still go to their graves every year to honour them and pay my respects.

[st333ve]

[QUOTE=st333ve;53818]i just find it odd when its a load of strangers who dont even know the family
QUOTE]

In many years to come there will still be strangers meeting at your relatives grave to honour him and pay their respects.

I dont personally know Padraig Pearses family or Bobby Sands Family. And I dont personally know the families of all 22 Volunteers from Newry who were killed in action! But i still go to their graves every year to honour them and pay my respects.

But you know their names, you know what they done.
I dont see any acknowledgement from anyone about anything my relative ever done.

[Newry Republican]

But you know their names, you know what they done.
I dont see any acknowledgement from anyone about anything my relative ever done.

Yes i know their names and i know what they done and i acknowledge them every Easter.

Does that Photo in your post not show the acknowledgement from Republicans in your area whether you know them or not?

If your relative was a Volunteer i would be very surprised if local republicans in your area didnt acknowledge the sacrifice he made.

[Seabird]

st333ve,

You are assuming that Ogra's only purpose in commemorating your uncle is for the photo shoot, OMG; you are assuming alot. You should feel a deep sense of pride that strangers remember him every year showing their respects through this gathering, instead of whining about it. As long as Ireland has breath, people will continue to honour the dead for their sacrifice.

[DFCRFB]

if i had a dead member of family killed in he stuggle and strangers came to pay their respects to him/her i would be extremly proud! just because you didnt know their name etc doesnt mean you dont appreciate what they did.

I was at Malachey Careys comm recently there. Now i did know him nor meet him. I know of him and his family. The family thanked all of us after it for just being there. It shows the families that their loved ones sacrfice wasnt in vain.

[robertemmett]

i wonder what steve thinks of his party leader who tramps around graveyards in bodenstown each year, with flags and the like???