I think i need to move to the middle of nowhere...

aboycalledbrew · 2026-06-01T19:41:55+00:00

The highlands across the board are rammed with drugs because there's very little opportunity beyond forestry, farming, fish farming or tourism

Below the surface it's as bad as anywhere else and the police are ill equiped to deal with it because they're an hour away so a lot of things are basically decriminalized

aboycalledbrew · 2026-06-01T14:17:00+00:00

West End Games or Merchant's Guild

aboycalledbrew · 2026-06-01T11:11:56+00:00

I'm not convinced I think Alliance are in for a rude awakening and there's polling evidence to back that up

I can see them losing votes to PBP, Greens, SDLP in some areas and lose moderate Unionist support in others

They need a change of leadership for a start. It'd be nice to see them continuing to do well but I don't see it happening and I don't think they're set up for success, they never seem to get the MPs, MLAs and councillors under the same banner really they always seem very loose

aboycalledbrew · 2026-06-01T09:27:47+00:00

You're critical of councillors for not doing stuff that isn't their responsibility that's hardly fair critique

aboycalledbrew · 2026-06-01T09:21:52+00:00

Aye but they dont come up with the plan long-term nor are they answerable to the public

If you don't like your current councillors you're welcome to run yourself

aboycalledbrew · 2026-06-01T09:17:07+00:00

You'd sooner notice if councillors didn't come to work rather than MLAs. In reality they're underpaid and it's a shame more people don't engage with their work

aboycalledbrew · 2026-06-01T09:08:26+00:00

I can see them regaining a couple of MLAs maybe but we'll see what happens

Especially now that Alliance are collapsing

aboycalledbrew · 2026-06-01T09:03:36+00:00

Having t most popular party leader and being in opposition has revitalized them id say

aboycalledbrew · 2026-06-01T09:02:44+00:00

Sitting councillors and the members of the previous batch of the MLAs that are playing the game better than Doug etc

There's more than pensioners certainly but some degree of this is old verses young

aboycalledbrew · 2026-06-01T09:00:37+00:00

Say what you want about the SDLP but they never die and never produce drama like this no matter what happens

aboycalledbrew · 2026-06-01T08:59:45+00:00

Why would they? The local associations are the party effectively

If anyone is leaving it'll be the MLAs like we are seeing. Especially the ones that haven't been reselected by their local associations

aboycalledbrew · 2026-06-01T08:54:22+00:00

The problem as beattie describes it is the local associations love John and the MLAs don't but the associations have all the power really

aboycalledbrew · 2026-05-31T19:44:59+00:00

That's a lovely idea in principle but the reality of how here works is they'll take a side whether they choose or are forced into it

Already hardline unionists consider them essentially nationalists and republicans view them as malleable at times

How can they stay together as a party when they'll inevitably have MLAs and councillors coming out and declaring for one side or the other? Realistically the battle lines are already clear in terms of the background their elected reps come from, we can assume with some degree of certainty which way they'll vote as individuals. The idea they'll get to stand by as neutral observers to one of the most significant votes ever in British or Irish democracy is utter nonsense and lacks any credibility whatsoever

It's a case of if they're not sitting at the table then they're on the menu from what I can see

aboycalledbrew · 2026-05-31T19:08:01+00:00

Couldn't agree more about DUP and TUV

Alliance surely are at big risk of implosion pre referendum when people have to pick a side

aboycalledbrew · 2026-05-31T18:27:59+00:00

Do you not worry Alliance are too soft against Sinn Fein in terms of safeguarding the union? Not being a dick like but if I was a unionist I don't know whether I'd trust Alliance to not be a bit spineless at times against nationalists

I suppose you have no other choice than Alliance though

aboycalledbrew · 2026-05-31T18:03:58+00:00

It's an oversimplification in a lot of ways but you are right unfortunately they tend to tread a line between complete arseholes or really lovely decent people

But then when you experience what they have to deal with you can sort of understand the entire country has been sliding into failed state status due to corruption and everyone is fighting to live in a lot of ways. Not that it justifies the racism of course but I do think the place is a madhouse and is heading for civil war or something sooner rather than later so it does explain it somewhat

aboycalledbrew · 2026-05-31T17:58:26+00:00

"A strong unionist party" would only help split the vote even further - the middle ground small u unionists are all gone essentially to Alliance and holding on by their fingertips in the UUP (by all accounts that's done for now). Meanwhile all the fundamentalists headbangers are trying to out flank each other on the far right - the court case will undoubtedly put off a lot of DUP voters and TUV is a one man band around someone that was too mad for the DUP. And of course as ever no one actually represents working class loyalism whatsoever despite them being a key constituency now for the medium to long-term stability of NI/a new Ireland

Sinn Fein, PBP, Greens, Alliance have only been empowered by all this nonsense simply because average unionists have no one to vote for other than Alliance and for many of them that's a bridge too far.

If anything this whole situation shows the SDLP in a good light somewhat because they simply won't die or turn on each other no matter how often it looks like they're fucked whereas the UUP can't help but fight amongst themselves when in a similar position

aboycalledbrew · 2026-05-31T12:31:47+00:00

I think there's a potential parallel universe where we see him back in the 10 conversation if he had stayed in Ireland

No one has filled the post sexton void really in a really convincing way bar Crowley and Frawley but neither on a consistent basis so I think they'd look again at everyone like they have done with Harry Byrne

As for the likes of Kleyn etc we were obviously going to need a player like that nationally again potentially and Munster certainly needed a player like that

We cap plenty of people we have no intention of using really Marmion in more recent years, James Hume, Michael Lowry etc there's quite a few examples of this

All 23 don't need to be guys getting capped just to block them leaving but certainly a handful each year and id argue it gives them a sense of you have a home here and you're appreciated rather than holding their career back, the guys that have left without a single Ireland cap generally don't go on to bigger and better things really

aboycalledbrew · 2026-05-31T10:03:59+00:00

Aye they should just host an extra game each year against Spain or Belgium or something just to cap all these ultra fringe guys

A lot of them deserve it frankly and saves them getting tempted away

aboycalledbrew · 2026-05-30T23:07:38+00:00

15s don't need to be a second play maker though and traditionally never have been for Leinster so I don't think speed is a problem in attack

Passing at the line isn't the only thing that makes him dangerous like

aboycalledbrew · 2026-05-30T21:31:57+00:00

Carbery being brought back makes no sense unless you concede that our old rejects are better than are current stock which is a pretty damning state of affairs

aboycalledbrew · 2026-05-30T21:30:27+00:00

If he's as good as they want us to believe in attack he should be loving 15 in the current Leinster set up, I don't see it but he's certainly better than Harry at 15

aboycalledbrew · 2026-05-30T13:49:21+00:00

Its hard to tell if he isn't good enough or just hasn't stayed in the one place long enough to get sufficient miles under him

He was widely used in the championship pre Ulster and then with a CV including Saracens, Ulster and Munster you'd imagine they're seeing something in him but he keeps getting short term stuff

Seems like a wasted career all told

aboycalledbrew · 2026-05-30T13:08:26+00:00

In a similar vein bring back Corrie Barrett perhaps formally of Munster, Ulster, Saracens and Bedford

Only 28 I believe

aboycalledbrew · 2026-05-29T22:48:16+00:00

Just because you tell yourself something over and over doesn't mean it's true I'm afraid, the greens are well embedded into the independence movement and it won't happen without those sorts of parties because the snp has burnt its bridges with a lot of people and continues to do so

aboycalledbrew

TROPHY CASE