Moore Holmes
@mooreholmes24 • 17,336 subscribers
British, Loyalist, Let’s Talk Loyalism, views are my own. RT not endorsements.
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Sporting legend. National treasure. The one and only Carl Frampton MBE
Moore Holmes105,470 Aufrufe • vor 6 Tagen
Last night was a tale of two Belfasts. One city. Two very different concerts. One in West Belfast and the other in East Belfast. One full of resentment, toxicity and sectarianism; the other full of dignity, respect and positivity. The loyalist performers at Titanic Slipways inspired hope. Kneecap, however, have built their success on the industry of division in Northern Ireland. I went to their concert in Falls Park last night to experience it for myself. I stood there, surrounded by 10,000 of Kneecap’s “Fenian Family,” as they call them, and took it all in. There wasn’t much to write home about. The music was repetitive and dreary. Every song was the same baseline drone fixed with a chant-like chorus and a million words too muffled to make out. The most responsive parts, where the crowd really got going, were politically related chants and lyrics and messages. I left believing that without division, controversy and antagonism, Kneecap would have absolutely nothing to offer. If you were to strip away the public relations projects, the polished propaganda, the extreme political messaging and, of course, the generous treatment they receive from sections of the liberal and Irish establishment, they would be nothing more than three mediocre rappers with an attitude, bouncing around a stage talking about getting high on drugs. Yet, they have evidently carved out a career for themselves cashing in on the very divisions that continue to scar our society. My overriding response to it all, as one of the “Brits” they were singing about “getting out”, wasn’t one of anger or personal offence, but mostly of pity. Pity for three West Belfast lads who, in my view, have become deeply radicalised by a narrow political worldview heavily influenced by Republican extremists. Pity for the thousands of event goers who seemed to revel in hostility toward their British neighbours. Pity, too, for the children wearing balaclavas, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “F*** the Brits• without the faintest idea that one of those Brits was standing just a few feet away from them. There was an odd contradiction to the whole experience. Many were enjoying themselves, yet the atmosphere was saturated by political slogans and messaging that cast one section of society as an enemy. Sinn Féin councillor Ciaran Beattie spoke to the crowd as Kneecap took the stage. He said that the “most important” contribution to the Irish language revival had come from IRA prisoners, who he paid tribute to for “taking a stand against British rule in Ireland.” He then referred to the Belfast City Council’s dual-signage policy when he pronounced that, “every bilingual sign” was “an act of decolonisation,” describing it as a form of “resistance.” The contrast with the atmosphere across the city could not have been greater. On the same evening, at Titanic Slipways, thousands gathered to celebrate music, heritage and community pride in a way that sought to build people up. Unionists stepped outside their comfort zone, engaged positively, and showcased their proud culture to all those who would listen. In Falls Park, division and hostility was actually the main attraction. Controversy was the brand, antagonism was the marketing strategy and division was the business model. Northern Ireland deserves better than that. Young people deserve better than being taught that identity is forged through resentment, that political opponents are enemies, or that the conflicts of the past should be romanticised for another generation. I left Falls Park convinced that Kneecap’s greatest success is not their music, but their ability to repackage political division into a cash cow. Their performances may make the self-styled socialists plenty of money, but it also reinforces and exploits the very divisions that so many people in this country have spent decades trying to overcome.
Moore Holmes314,264 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
“F*** the King” and “Up the Ra” chanted by backward bigots during a rendition of “Fields of Athenry” in Royal Avenue as part of Fleadh. It is offensive and sectarian. Fleadh must speak out to prevent Republican hate becoming more prevalent during this week’s festival.
Moore Holmes312,823 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
It may be trivial to some, but 50,000 Irish fans jeering the British National Anthem tells us quite a bit about mindsets South of the border. In my view, the heckling and booing was but another demonstration of the anglophobic and anti-British attitudes that have poisoned contemporary Irish thinking and society. “God Save The King” is the sacred song of your closest neighbour and, in many cases, the anthem of your fellow Irishmen. What does it say for those Irish fans who could not even muster the slightest gesture of respect by remaining silent? That they refused to offer their guests the dignity of singing their song without interruption? It is a window into just how bitter and backward many in the Republic still are toward their British neighbours. Not least to mention just how nonsensical it all is. Half of these “De Valera” wannabes will be wearing Manchester United tops next weekend and watching British TV shows. They probably don’t even realise that the same King that they were booing tonight, is in command of the armed forces that protect Ireland’s borders. Not even as much as a thank you eh? Anyway, the real question is, what does it say for the United Ireland project? Or is it the New Ireland project now? Hard to keep up with all the new names and rebranding while trying to stay relevant. Judging by the Aviva Stadium this evening, all the honey-coated words of “respect” and “unity” don’t seem to be paying off. The average Seamus must have missed the memo. Unless of course, the word soup is just as paper thin as the script it was written on. All the talk of “outreach” and “respect” are just platitudes designed to hoodwink Unionists into thinking a United Ireland would be a glorious utopia. The Aviva tonight suggests it would be far from it.
Moore Holmes3,929,311 Aufrufe • vor 2 Jahren
𝐏𝐑𝐎-𝐈𝐑𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐒 𝐀 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐄 𝑳𝒆𝒕’𝒔 𝑻𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝑳𝒐𝒚𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒎 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑭𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒏 𝑰𝑹𝑨 𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒔 Read below: Dear Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann organisers, I am writing to raise a serious concern arising from two incidents at Fleadh events in Belfast on Saturday 8 August, and to ask that you address them publicly. I want to begin by saying that the week has, in my view, been a considerable success. The Fleadh has brought people from both traditions into the same streets and the same venues, and the participation of loyalist bands has been a positive display of shared civic life in this city. That is precisely why the following matters. Two videos are currently circulating from Saturday night. The first was taken at Haymarket during a Fleadh performance, where, during a rendition of “The Fields of Athenry,” a large number of those present can be heard shouting “fuck the King” and chanting “IRA.” The second was taken outside Pat’s Bar, where “Celtic Symphony” was played and “Up the Ra” chants can clearly be heard. The Fleadh bills itself as an inclusive organisation, and I take that commitment at face value. But inclusion is not defined only by what an event welcomes. It is also defined by what it declines to tolerate. Chanting that glorifies the IRA is not acceptable. It is deeply offensive and hurtful to victims, and it sends an unambiguous message to British citizens in this city that a Fleadh venue is not a place where they are welcome or safe to enjoy the music. I fully accept that this behaviour is unrepresentative of the Fleadh, of its organisers, and of the overwhelming majority of those who have attended this week. But that is my point. Because it is unrepresentative, it should be straightforward for the Fleadh to say so. I would therefore ask that the Fleadh investigate the matter and issue a public statement that specifically and unambiguously distances the organisation from the glorification of terrorism, names the chanting of pro-IRA slogans and anti-British statements at its events as unacceptable, and makes clear that such behaviour is not welcome at Fleadh venues or performances. A general appeal to good behaviour will not work. The objection has to be named to be understood. I would also ask what practical steps the Fleadh intends to take, working with venues, performers and stewards, to prevent a repeat. With the Fleadh returning to Belfast next year, this makes it all the more pressing. There are people who would happily see this festival politicised, who do not share its cross-community ethos, and who are content for British citizens to stay away. They are a small minority, but if chanting of this kind goes unchallenged by the Fleadh itself, a perception will begin to settle around the festival that serves those people’s interests and not the Fleadh’s own. I would welcome a response setting out the Fleadh’s position and any action planned. Yours sincerely, Let’s Talk Loyalism
Moore Holmes61,641 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
80,000 people singing The Cranberries, Zombie after Ireland’s spectacular victory over the Springboks. Spine-tingling. Did you know the song was actually written in protest against the IRA Warrington bombings? On Feb 26 1993 the IRA murdered two innocent children aged 3 and 12 in Cheshire, England. The Cranberries were on tour in England at the time, not far from where the bombing took place. Dolores O'Riordan, lead singer of the Cranberries, began recording the song immediately after the attack in condemnation of the killing and in creation of a “song for peace, peace among England and Ireland." The lyrics, “another head hangs lowly, child is slowly taken, another mother's breaking, heart is taking over” are references to the murdered children and their suffering family. “It’s not me, it’s not my family,” refers to the killings not being done in her name, her family’s name, or Ireland’s name as she saw it. Zombie is an Irish, British, and global anthem enjoyed across the world, and rightfully so. Despite its aggressive sound, it is a song of peace, and a much more appropriate encore on the global sporting stage instead the terrorist supporting chants that have made the news in the past.
Moore Holmes822,204 Aufrufe • vor 3 Jahren
Irish presidential candidate Heather Humphreys comes from a Protestant background, and that fact hasn’t sat easily in the Republic this week. From its very beginning, the state has struggled to accept and tolerate those with a Protestant heritage and a British identity. And that’s the reality we can’t ignore - a so-called ‘United Ireland’ would be anything but united.
Moore Holmes293,482 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
Tribute paid to IRA killers at Kneecap Festival during speech about using Irish as a tool of “resistance.” Irish language has been irreparably poisoned by those who weaponise it. It has been swallowed by Republicanism’s sectarian politics, claimed by IRA sympathisers and extremists who seek to impose it on communities against their will. Using the facade of inclusion, respect and a veil of equality, Sinn Fein and others seek to radically force the language anywhere and everywhere they can. Fools will say “it’s just a language,” but the lobbyists themselves confess that it’s much more than that. By their own admission, it is a political instrument of “resistance,” and speaking it is an “act of decolonisation.”
Moore Holmes35,920 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
The sectarian circus around the Irish Presidential election says it all. Heather Humphreys has spent years pacifying a mob, bending over backwards to prove her “Irishness,” stripping away every trace of her own background to fit in. Yet it’s still not enough. Her family’s Orange connections and Protestant heritage remain unforgivable in the eyes of the self-styled republicans. It shows the ugly truth. In modern Republic of Ireland, a Protestant can only belong if they leave their identity at the door. The prejudice runs deep. And if this is how they treat one of their own, imagine the reality of a so-called “United Ireland.”
Moore Holmes206,429 Aufrufe • vor 10 Monaten
The actual story here is Emma Little Pengelly, representing Northern Ireland in the White House, making a positive impression and being warmly received. That’s leadership being recognised on an international stage. But the usual clickbait crowd will be all over this, wringing every last drop out of a throwaway remark like it’s some great constitutional or embarrassing moment. It’s not. If people want to get worked up over Donald Trump joking about “mergers”, they’re actually missing the point. Even he, in the same sentence, shows no real interest in it and quickly moves on. Complete nothing burger. But watch the media and others try to make it into something it isn’t.
Moore Holmes89,095 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten
Wall to wall coverage of Loyalist bonfires in July, but barely a whimper about this sectarian hate tower in Londonderry. A deplorable display of hatred and intolerance. Poppy wreaths stolen and set to burned. It exposes not only the double standards within Nationalism, but a total failing of community and political leadership to tackle these sectarian sinister elements within their community.
Moore Holmes112,104 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
Huge reaction in East Belfast. People demanding political representatives keep their word.
Moore Holmes157,166 Aufrufe • vor 2 Jahren
Britain has given Ireland many things. Language. Law. Parliament. Democracy. Education. Industry. Agriculture. Counties. Free Press. Welfare. Trade. Railways. Roads. Sport. Innovation. Global connections. But the greatest gift of all might just be St Patrick.
Moore Holmes36,584 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten
