There is a certain irony in the fact that I actually like CYCLING.
Whether its the Tour of France, Spain or Italy…I have a lot of admiration for those drug-free guys that have that amount of courage, endurance and skill.
But the Giro d’Italia in Belfast?
Another Bread and Circus event in a long line.
There is a post World War Two joke in Poland.
A Polish guide is showing a group of Russian communists around Warsaw.
“This is the magnificent Sports Stadium that you Russians built for us”
“This is the magnificent concert hall that you Russians built for us”
“This is the magnificent statue of Comrade Lenin that you Russians built for us”
A Russian speaks up and says “the People of Poland must be grateful to the Russian People”
And the Polish guide says.
“Yes we MUST be grateful”.
And thats how it is in our own little one party state with its Green and Orange Wing.
To seriously question the Titanic Project, the City of Culture, World Police and Fire Games, G8 Summit, MTV Awards…we MUST be grateful to the Tourist Board for the latest Circus….to show the real face of Norn Iron to the World.
To be like me…and to point out that this all a farce and a lie….the reality is Twaddell Avenue and Jean McConville…is to be dismissed as a killjoy and a party pooper.
For all this welcoming of tourists…is that the real Norn Iron?
Well as the Polish cyclists speed along the Newtownards Road and the people of East Belfast cheer them…it would be churlish to point out that Polish families in East Belfast get their windows broken and dog crap smeared on their houses.
But thats not the story that the fair and impartial media…all “pretty in pink” are likely to mention today. The Media are part of the One Party State…on message with the feel good narrative.
Peace Journalism at its worst.
The Circus…the Giro…is a distraction from Real Life.
Robinson, McGuinness.
And the Mayor also…Mairtin O’Muilleoir has dyed his hair green.
The darling of Ulster Tatler photo-opportunity journalism, nobody can deny he has done a lot for the city of Belfast. Certainly the non church attending man with TEN chaplains and who appointed a Poet Laureate is a bit of a letsgetalongerist with the churchy types and Belfasts arty crowd.
He is even a person that Slugger O’Toole (or at least Dr David McCann) likes.
And no doubt the Mayors pink hair shows him to be a fun guy.
Yet a bit of a stretch to say (as on Twitter) that he is like (London Mayor) Boris Johnson “but with better politics”.
Now that comparison between Sinn Fein and Conservatives…might well be a bit controversial…but didnt Mayor O’Muilleor attend that rally for Gerry Adams “Leader, Peacemaker and Visionary” in West Belfast” last week.
Not sure how many of his ten chaplains attended.
Or whether the Poet Laureate is writing a poem about it.
But surely his politics are as relevant as his pink hair.
How long must we endure this Decade of Deception?
I suppose…ten years …is the obvious answer.
Keeping An Eye On the Czar of Russia 
Tim Pat Coogan, fine former editor of the defunct de Valera -owned Irish Press cunt , historian of the IRA and critical biographer of de Valera and Collins, is one of the most civil and civilised of men.
Bit of a typo over on Slugger O’Toole.
As someone said on twitter, it is good to see a foreigner cycle down the Newtownards Road without getting a tord tin the gub. This is bread and circus without the bread, did it take £4mill to put on? Plus the cost of policing, loss of business hours and so on. But sure its feelgood time and the plebs will be happy.
Croiter v funny. But seriously, worst grumpy old man impression from fitz in a while. I don’t like cycling, but I do it. It hurts my ass and my legs, plus you look stupid. Running is much cooler. Less drug monkey. Great for Belfast, ni and mairtin.
Not to mention that the bbc seem to think the stage ends at the border…
🙂
in reply to Croiteur’s comment about costs – i spoke to an italian today, expressing surprise the Giro was starting off in belfast “They’ll start anywhere that pays enough ” he said!!
The Giro d’Italia will have my home town locked down for the next two days. If I wasn’t trapped in work for the next 24 hours I’d complain. If I could be bothered to complain… 😉
The Giro d’Italia was born before Northern Ireland and will probably outlive Northern Ireland. It’s a fantastic sporting event that doesn’t cost a penny to watch. I hope you enjoyed it. I know I did. My political opinions remain broadly the same as they were before the Grande Partenza.