Sorry this reply is really late:

For the most part I agree with you. I only make a strong positive argument for the signs because I don’t believe they should be considered the main reason not to vote for someone. Which is the impression I get from people on here.

My own housemate said that as soon as they read that tiny part of Grace’s policy they decided not to vote for her, dismissing everything else. They even acted disgusted at the thought.

Even if all of her other policies had been the exact mirror of what they wanted from a candidate, the Irish Language was enough to make them change their mind.

Languages shouldn’t be that scary. And it may seem wasteful to someone opposed to the suggestion but unfortunately few people are going to agree with 100% of the candidates’ proposals or spendings anyway. SUTV being the main example there.

And @ ppl slagging me for writing “claiming Irish heritage” I just didn’t want to write “are Irish” or “are from the north of Ireland” because I didnt want to spark an unnecessary row.

I’m more than happy for people to express their cultural heritage – I’m a member of the Alliance Party, and believe absolutely in non sectarianism in all forms. However, I just can’t help feel this would just be another great waste of money for something that would be of no practical use – if we want to encourage the use of the Irish language (heck, I woulnd’t mind learning some myself) I think the resources would be better used in running language classes or even cultural hertitage events. The changing of the signs wouldn’t practically benefit anyone, and whether you agree with them or not, there’s no doubt this would cause upset amongst some communities, and would lead to drawing dividing lines within the Queen’s Community, rather than trying to being it closer together to a point where things like this aren’t an issue.

In an ideal world, I’d support the signs, but I just don’t think we’re at a place were it would be accepted, and I think there are ways the money could be better spent that would be more productive and less divisive. I’d ask you please to consider seriously these comments, and not just dismiss them – I think there’s a middle ground to be found here. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.

As a point in case I was with some friends in the summer most of whom were protestants and myself and a catholic friend started to sing Irish traditional music. Much to my surprise we were soon faced with an onslaught of verbal attacks. They wished to know why we were being so sectarian. We apologised to keep them happy. But tbh I didn’t realise the Pretty Little girl from Omagh was in the IRA. Instead of listening to the lyrics they chose to hear a political msg where there was none. Prehaps you are doing the same?

And English is certainly my 1st language, but had I a choice in the matter do you think it would be?

Signs are there to be practical. How many of those who claim ‘Irish heritage’ can honestly say they are at least as fluent in Irish as they are in English; that it is their first language. I’m going to say its remarkably few. Even a few Shinners who use it in the assembly arent anywhere near fluent. You’d think if a language is so vital to their Irish heritage, they would at least have made the effort and be fluent in it. Irish signs would serve no useful purpose other than as political symbolism and one-upmanship.

Surely if genuinely concerned that the NI Education system should improve in encouraging languages, you would agree it should do so prioritising languages which are most practically useful both to a persons career options and the overall NI economy. Irish would be pretty far down the most used languages in international business one can safely assume.

Oh and just to be cross-commmunity, i’d pour similar contempt on similar proposals from an Ulster-Scots prospective.

Obviously signage solely in Irish would be very alienating but I doubt Miss Lynch was suggesting that the English signs be removed – that would be sectarian.

As a matter of fact nationalist students could equally argue that it is sectarian for 100% of the signs to be in English when 50% of the student body claim Irish heritage. I think most nationalists have grown to accept these double standards instead of attempting to gain equality.

Shame really, I love the Irish/English road signs down south and would love to see them cross the border. It would encourage Irish education amoung those that claim Irish heritage, which would be great as the NI education system doesn’t do a good job of encouraging any languages.

I find the idea of banning candidates from campaigning in the SU really bizarre – why would you do that when that’s where the Exec are based, and where half of their work centres around?

The rainforest’s worth of posters were all collected by an army of candidates and their helpers on Wednesday night, then recycled – not as good as not printing them but at least they weren’t binned

There were also people canvassing outside Winemark and in the Elms bar so you can’t really point fingers at people going around the Hatfield! I was prity much made vote by a member of the Downesy guy team in Scholars

Thanks

I just thought I’d mention that there were students canvassing in the Hatfield, walking around with a laptop getting people to vote. I saw a guy asking them which candidates were Catholic and just voting for them. The election results were a triumph in the face of these types of people who just vote blindly.

Suffice to say i dont at all agree, and believe your being disingenuous about motives for wanting Irish reintroduced in the SU. I also disagree with your view on what “our national” anything is, as i dont belong to the nation you seem to claim we are part of…but i’m not going to get dragged into the finer points of an age old, well worn debate that will only go round in circles on here.

how exactly is it divisive by the way for a candiate to place emphasis on encouraging the use of OUR national language? wake up people!

Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam

go raibh míle maith agaibh.

To try and suggest it is linked to any political party would be laughable.

Sums it up perfectly. It isn’t a “let’s get the GAA/law people out”. It’s a “let’s get the best candidates in” triumph.

The end.

Dragonslayers are known to be a very hard working and active society. Members of their committee are regularly requested in meetings to do with clubs and societies fiance and planning, I’ve even heard that there’s a whole section of the clubs and societies review on fiance, e-mail and websites that was written by one of their members.

I remember two years ago several of their members gave talks at the Clubs and Societies training day, one was about running events and another was about the role of President’s and Chairpersons.

Paul Courtney has been one of the better VPCS’s in recent times and is known to have a good working relationship with Dragonslayers and Niall Bole, I’d imagine clubs and societies members knew this when they decided who to vote to take over VPCS.

While it may not have been there intention to use these details for illegal means the act of asking for them and then receiving them via an unsecured service like text message is a breach of university information security.

If a students details were gathered by a third party from these text messages, admittedly there’s no evidence to prove this has happened, then those responsible for sending the messages are culpable for any illegal activity carried out.

There is a document that all students must sign that states that you must not disclose or ask another student to disclose their Queens Online details for the very reasons you outline above.

If the university takes this matter seriously and decides to act upon it I imagine that both the senders of the original message and those who replied back will face disciplinary measures.

I know that Bole had a lot of other societies and even sporting clubs behind him – what does it say about previous exec members when a sporting club will elect a Dragonslayer over a sportswoman?

These account details are worth hundreds if not thousands of pounds to the right people, given access to an ATHENS account it could compromise security for all students in Queens.

To use this information to attempt electoral fraud is utterly condemnable, so far in the wrong without a single justification for it.

Between two students this my be admissible as a personal matter but the e-mail appears to have been sent to multiple students much like a mass e-mail.

In this case the the University’s only course of action may be to suspend the individuals who sent these massages and ban them from participating in student elections in the future.

“The only policy I would even consider as being divisive was possibly Grace Lynch’s promise of more use if the irish language around the Union; and even then, I highly doubt there was any sectarian or malevolent intent in this proposal.”

Are you for real? You have to be extremely naive, or have an agenda of your own.
You realise that the Irish Language on signage etc. was commonplace in the Union at one time, and the motivation for having it there was to mark out the Union as Republican territory…you might as well paint the kerbstones outside as have such a move. Only in recent years has the Students Union been able to go some way to mending perceptions of it as being a ‘coldhouse’ for one side of the NI community…and you think a proposal to reintroduce the Irish Language from a party like Sinn Fein doesnt have secterian/tribal motivations?

I can only say that this isn’t true. I don’t know Lilly but I sent Duffy an email about a personal problem I had vis a vis education. I never received an acknowledgement.

I’m going to be kind and put this one down to incompetance.

Gareth McGreevy has proved his worth in his present position and I’m sure will prove himself again next year.

However, I think the accusations of secarianism levelled at the McGreevy ticket grossly unfair. Just to make it clear, the Law Society and GAA society do not have a monopoly on all the Catholics studying at QUB. The only policy I would even consider as being divisive was possibly Grace Lynch’s promise of more use if the irish language around the Union; and even then, I highly doubt there was any sectarian or malevolent intent in this proposal.

Indeed, I remember very little fuss being made of the Critchlow supporters who made questionable move of sending an email to all schools naming only the candidates on his ticket. I am not in any way accusing the those people named in the email. In fact, I supported a lot of them! I am merely stating that responding to this article with an air of “aw well, classic GAA” is rather unfair.

Catherine Wylie
Editor

Catherine Wylie
Editor

I think that the new executive will be very good and functional with a good Union structure now in place. The new president has the experience and integrity and if hustings is anything to go by – he will be a welcomed breath of fresh air, the community officer has had experience with sitting on committees and having been involved in RAG. The Clubs and Socs officer has first hand experience of helping in the union especially with dragonslayers etc, McGib has a wealth of experience and Samantha has first hand knowledge of what it is like to be an international student at QUB. Education officer…no comment. Fiona Kidd will have good campaigning techniques but may lack in the communications department but it is all a learning experience.

Here’s to the new exec (well most of them!) Best of luck!

Oh do ya now, well good for you.

From memory though the GAA/LAW ticket have been doing a fairly good gob of running the union into the ground for as long as they’ve been in power.

Their sabbatical officers have been more concerned with socializing at the bot than earning their pay. The fact that the PRP scheme would mean they’d have to do work to earn money certainly put the fear of god into them judging from some of their reactions to it especially calling Shane Brogan a dictator.

“I’ll have to do work ta ern me money, but I just want ta have the craic hi”

The GAA/Law ticket didn’t represent the majority of students just those who were most vocal, those with the most vested interest in keeping power and those who felt a sense of entitlement to certain positions.

As another commenter has said “the masses have spoken and they make sense” and despite some very dirty politics and now evidence of fraud they still lost.

This election has been the best thing to happen to student politics in a long time. Even if the current change only lasts one year the good work that this executive will achieve will be worth it.

Then the LAW/GAA vote will return to power as they rightfully should given how they represent a large number of students.

QUB ABU

So ultimately..viva la revolucion!!