Flares illuminate the night's sky, smoke fills the air, tifo flags sway from side to side down the front of the stand while songs of praise and hatred are belted out back and forth by the two opposing faithfuls.Since the founding of the League of Ireland's first Ultras groups at the turn of the century, this is the atmosphere that has become synonymous with the league's major derbies and crunch ties.
(SRFC Ultras in action on 'Dublin Derby' night V Bohemian's in 2008)
Its hard to pinpoint when exactly Ultra culture first came to Ireland's shores. Since the 1960s, home made banners and two sticks could be seen on big match days while ticker tape/till roll was frequently thrown onto the pitch by the more partizan supporters in the stands. Tifo polls and smaller Ultras style flags also made occasional appearances at League of Ireland grounds, most notably at Shamrock Rovers during the years the RDS was their temporary home. Pyrotechnics, mainly flares, also started to make sporadic appearances on Ireland's terraces during the 90's. However, most of this Ultra activity was done in a non-organised fashion by small numbers of individuals looking to add a more continental flavour to the atmosphere generated by their clubs fans. It was not till the formation of the SRFC Ultras of Shamrock Rovers in 2001 that Ultra culture in Ireland began to take off on a more active, organised and large scale basis.The SRFC Ultras made their debut in April 2001 at Rovers FAI Cup semi–final clash with cross city rivals Bohemians.That night the newly formed Ultras group lit up the Tramway End terrace occupied by the Hoops faithful with an impressive display consisting of large quantities of flares and till role.This display was the first real orga...
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...tmosphere , one in which flares,smoke etc. are central elements.Clearly the footballing authorities fail to recognise Ultra culture is a large part of the reason why many fans get hooked in the first place.
( Forza Rovers of Sligo Rovers at home to St Pats)
(St Patricks Athletic's Ultras group the 'Shed End Invincibles' before their Europa League tie with Zalgiris)
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(The SRFC Ultras remember deceased founding member Joe Merriman)
Ireland's Ultras groups continue to face ever increasing scrutiny and restrictions.However, its important they remain resilient and active if they are to continue bringing a colourful, partizan atmosphere to grounds around the country. With a young age profile and enthusiastic, dedicated members this should be more than possible for Ultras groups across the league.
…There was no question of celebration in the minds of the fans who invaded from the West end of the ground. They had violence in mind and no sooner was it offered than it was returned with enthusiasm. The brutal and disgusting scenes which followed as bottles flew and drunken supporters charged and counter-charged from one end of the field to that other, brought disgrace upon the two clubs concerned, upon Scottish football generally, and were an affront to Scotland as a nation (Murray 196).
The Act of Union in 1800 was a significant factor to the nature of Irish nationalism in 1800. Prior to the Act, the society of the united Irishmen, a republican society who wanted parliamentary reform and Catholic Emancipation, fought, under the leadership of Robert Emmet, with physical force for their complete independence. Because of their military strand they differed from their predecessors the ‘Protestant Patriots’, this is because the society was heavily influenced by revolutionary events in France and New America in the late 18th century. The rebellion, although unsuccessful, with its leader imprisoned, had major consequential effects; which was the passing of the Act of Union in 1800. The Act set the tone for the rest of Irish history; once emancipation failed to materialize directly after the union, the Catholic issue began to dominate both Irish and English politics.
What do you think of when you hear the name Ireland? Ireland is a relatively small island off the coast of Great Britain with a land area of 32,424 square miles (Delaney 2). There are several things that you may associate with this country such as St. Patrick’s Day, shamrocks, beer, and strife. The source of the bitterness behind this conflict began centuries ago, when Britain came over and forced Protestantism on the Irish Catholic inhabitants. For this reason there has always been an animosity between the Protestants and the Irish Catholics. The island is broken up into two distinct regions. The Republic of Ireland consists of twenty-six counties, which make up the southern region. This area is predominantly Roman Catholic. Northern Ireland is made up of the six northern counties, which are under British rule and predominately Protestant. Both sides use propaganda to spread their ideas and gain support. They each have organizations, such as the I.R.A., in the south, and the U.V.F., in the north, which use peaceful methods such as newspapers and murals along with violence to fight for their cause. In Northern Ireland the Protestants used their position in the government to spread anti-Catholic propaganda and persecute the Catholic citizens.
The Irish Republican Army started in Northern Ireland to protect and fight for the rights of the catholic citizens there. Ireland was conquered in 1607 by England, this brought protestant immigrants from England and Scotland. The Protestants quickly came to be the majority of the population. In the 1920s the island was partitioned and Catholics in the north felt that they had been removed from their political heritage. The Protestants felt like they were losing out on resources and wanted to keep control of the north. Neither side was satisfied and problems continued.
Violence, terror, suffering and death. The conflict that has been burning in Northern Ireland seems to be an unstoppable battle and it has flooded over the land of Northern Ireland. The struggle for power and the persistence of greed have fueled the raging fires of the opposing groups. The conflict in Northern Ireland has been discussed continually over the past few decades. Ever since the beginning of the “Troubles,” organizations have been scavenging to find a plan that will cease the violence. Throughout my research for this project, the questions of what are the main sources of conflict in Northern Ireland and why have they continued today guided me to many fascinating pieces of evidence that provided me with a more compassionate view of the situation of Northern Ireland. My research topic was very broad and to get down into a more explicit viewpoint, I chose to search for my sources by selecting three disciplines.
...will decide how much tribalism they wish to get involved in, even if it is simply wearing the jersey; or getting involved in heavy duty teasing with the rival fans of their favorite football team; or even if they simply decorated their own home with every piece of team collectables available for purchase. Whatever an individual does or decides to continue to do I remain convinced that it is actually the tribalism that is more important that the football and if that tribalism dies, than professional football becomes starved of its founding roots and dies. And that my friends, is the scariest thought of it all. Even though I am a strong supporter of tribalism in football, I do feel as that the extreme football hooliganism violence that takes place in the book “How Soccer Explains The World” is unnecessary and the violence does not need to happen along with tribalism.
The Crips, originating in Los Angeles, California, are one of the oldest, largest, and most notorious gangs in the United States. They have been involved in murders, robberies and drug dealing in the Los Angeles area. The Crips are mostly identified by the blue color worn by their members. What was once a single gang is now a loose network of "franchises" around the United States. The gang primarily (but not exclusively) comprises African Americans. The Crips have an intense rivalry with the Bloods and are also known to feud with Chicano gangs.
The authors provide a background to the Troubles of Northern Ireland, with their main focus being a detailed analysis of the religious, geographical, age and gender distribution of polit...
The Irish Republican Army was a well-known terrorist organization originating in Dublin, Ireland. The IRA (Irish republican Army) used irregular military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, and petty warfare against the United Kingdom. The IRA raged Guerilla warfare against the British, creating the Irish War of Independence. Even though the Irish Republic Army is no longer active, in their time they wreaked havoc any many different people. In this essay, the description of the group, historical and past events of the group and recent activities will be discussed.
Not a unified and separate country until 1921, Northern Ireland has had cultural, financial, and economic that makes it stand affront from the rest of the Emerald Isles. With its close proximity to England and the immigration all through the 1600s of English and Scottish, Northern Ireland has become more anglicized th...
Walsh’s, Ford’s and Toibin’s works help influence the way Ireland is perceived nowadays. Despite what some people may think, Ireland and it’s people lives do not revolve around Pubs and alcohol. The country relies heavily on their culture and customs. Religion, music and food are three ways my family celebrates our Irish heritage. Those three parts of the Irish culture are only a small portion of what it means to be Irish.
" Moral and Physical Force: The Language of Violence in Irish Nationalism." Journal of British Studies 27 (1988): 150- 189. 23 Sept. 2003 <http://www.jstor.org>
One of the most closely watched and widely debated conflict of our time is the one occurring In Northern Ireland. It has been a hot debate for over a century now, yet the root of the conflict is still unclear. There have been many theories over time, yet none have been able to adequately describe what is really happening on the matter. This conflict is divided by many lines; ethnically between the Irish and the British, and religiously by the Catholics and Protestant denominations.
McCann et al. Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1994, 95-109).
After the Great Potato Famine in the country of Ireland, the culture and pride of the land began to disappear. The Irish had lost around one million people after this tragedy struck the land, and the Irish morale was low. People began to emigrate to other countries and British customs and language were beginning to take over. It became evident that the Irish needed a cultural revolution to restore all that had been lost in their culture. The solution to this problem was found in the creation the Gaelic Athletic Association. While its main focus may have only appeared to involve sports, it was very influential in the cultural and political revolutions to come in the future. The GAA has been described as a sum bigger than its parts because of the fact that it involved so many more aspects of Irish life than just sports (Fair). The revival was seen by most people as an effective way to enter the modern world as an Irish nation instead being associated with Britain. Ireland was at a crucial part in its history and the GAA played a major role in politics and in restoring the Irish pride that makes Ireland so famous today. It is generally viewed that the GAA had the biggest impact on Irish society during this very unstable time period because it "spread the country like prairie fire." (Gaelic Athletic Association).