Perhaps any potential visitor to the Glens should check this out before they visit.

Oliver would be better served trying to quell the ongoing thuggery and vandalism in Cushendall - most of which is drink-fuelled. There's been a problem there for a number of years now with young thugs getting pissed up and having a go at anyone or anything they feel like. I'm no supporter of the PSNI, but most of the boys that hang around the bridge need a truncheon round the head.

Absolute Crap! I have lived in Cushendall all my life, and after a night out it is customary to get a bag of chips from the chip shop accross the road, then we all stand about and have a bit of craic and head home... I have not witnessed a fight on bridge street cushendall for almost two years although there has been the odd fight.

This happens EVERYWHERE there is nothing different about Cushendall, and by the way I know for a fact as a witness of Saturday nights violence that the police are to blame almost completely for what happened. The two officers injured were injured by a man that had nothing to do with the earlier scuffle, but the saw fit to approach him and hit him over the head with a baton after he suggested they would be better spending their time in Ahoghill protecting Catholics instead of intimidating them in Cushendall!
Police heavy-handidness seams to be rampant in Nathonailist areas accross the North!

Glensman the point is that a few weeks ago the village was on the news about wanton vandalism, this week it is a mini-riot, last year a local had his jaw broken in an assault on Bridge St. As somewhere that should be trying to attract tourists this is bad PR.

I've been lucky enough not to "have lived in Cushendall all my life" but as someone who started their drinking career down the back lane and on the beach before progressing to the Lurig and the Thornlea when I was 18 (your honour!) I am qualified to call a spade a spade.

the psni showing it's true colours again.Why the hell did they saturate Cushendall instead of being useful and stopping loyalist attacks on catholics elsewhere
It appears councillor mcmullan was also struck by these virulent,scum masquerading as a credible,impartial police force.
Would they use such force in a protestant village and attack a unionist councillor?like fuck they would.
Let this be a lesson to every catholic thinking of joining this pathetic excuse for a police force.There the exact same as the ruc

What strikes me, reading reality check, is what different perceptions of the police we have. To my mind, the idea of police heavy-handedness has become a joke: things have gone too far the other way and the police have become too constrained and tolerant (i.e people dont fear the police enough). The rioting seems something done, not because of anything that the PSNI have done in a particular instance, but because youths just enjoy a bit of rioting against the police. I may be wrong but I can't help feel that the police are just attaked if they try to carry out their work - make an arrest etc.

fair enough slug but where's the psni doing like wise in loyalist areas?Ahoghill's smaller than cushendall-they dont seem to be romotely innterested.Ifthe incidents in cushendall werecriminal related i would understand but all I can see is a sectarian police force in action

Your point re Ahoghill is well made, but the PSNI had bigger trouble in the Shankill last night.

Were plastic bullets fired on the Shankill last night? Was the water cannon out? I've seen more heavy-handedness at an under 12 Div 2b camogie final.

The riots happened to keep the police from intervening in the feud. Plain and simple.

Heavy-handed my arse.

A four inch scar down the back of my head is evidence of heavy-handedness not 'the police contempleted the use of a water cannon'.

P.S. I didn't receive the scar at the camogie or a riot.

Did they perform a lobotomy on you?

the bastards!

;-)

It would appear that one sides heavy handedness is anothers namby pamby fannying about. Who'd be a peeler? Still when you're in a car accident or your house is burgled - who you gonna call? Oliver McMullan et al? I don't think so. The PSNI are far from perfect but without support they will remain so and our society will continue on it's downward slide.

I think the folliwing question is useful:

Are these riots occurring because

(a) the police are heavy-handed

or

(b) rioters don't fear the police enough?

I tend to think its (b). Does anyone agree?

We've seen the words 'police riots' used by reputable observers to describe the actions of the police in Derry and elsewhere thirty five years ago. Let's hope we don't go down that road again.

Mary McAleese is coming on Thursday and will be doing her bit towards rehabilitating a force which is still not trusted by large numbers of people.

Maybe we could do all do our bit by having a more open attitude. Let's just for once not comment unless we're in a position to know the facts.

''It appears councillor mcmullan was also struck by these virulent,scum masquerading as a credible,impartial police force.''

Roll on the day when the brave boys of the provos and the uda are in the ranks -- then we'll have fair policing eh RC?

''Let this be a lesson to every catholic thinking of joining this pathetic excuse for a police force.There the exact same as the ruc''

you don't think that if say 5000 catholics joined the force it would change anything? Or is it better to stay outside until SF get a few sweeteners and join the policing board?

david larmour-I ask you this.Are the psni still implementing brutality on catholics like the ruc did?yes they most certainly are.
Did I ever suggest ira and uda men should be in the police force?your obviously missing the real point here.Until policing is de-sectarianised it won't be acceptable to catholics

"Mary McAleese is coming on Thursday and will be doing her bit towards rehabilitating a force which is still not trusted by large numbers of people"

She will slink in and out to south Belfast she will be able to do so only because of the protection given by "a force which is still not trusted by large numbers of people" A protection "enjoyed" by many politicans who cannot walk the streets of N Ireland without it

She is clearly not universally welcome

"Until policing is de-sectarianised it won't be acceptable to catholics"

Hilarious - the intellectual power of 'Reality Check' overcomes all irony, and inconsistency.

I for one am glad to leave the future of policing to a man who doesn't know the difference between 'your' and 'you're'.

Mick

If, in the future, you decide to collect a sample of posts that clearly contravene the 'Man not ball' rule for use as an educational tool for new posters might I nominate Fanny's previous post for immediate inclusion. Similary, for any future Pedantry folder.

Until Dec's post is de-sectarianised it won't be acceptable to Protestants.

Dear Lord,

A riot in Cushendall...

Where there many five year olds involved>

Try and direct any of your future comments at my posts instead of personal digs fanny

"Where there many five year olds involved>"

Chris, that should of bean "Were there many five-year-olds involved?"

Who will tell Fanny? ;-)

But it was directed at your post, Reality Check (or should that be "you're post") - your post was moronic.

My most humble apologies for the spelling mistake ladies and gentlemen…

Mind you, I do think the word 'riot' is used far too often, back in my day... Well, twas nothing more than a bit of fun...

moronic?you appear to lack the ability to handle the truth.

Until your last post is de-sectarianised it won't be acceptable to Protestants.

Glensman

Please ,Please don`t "get a bag of chips from the chip shop accross the road".. Don`t you know that from Magilligan to Carnlough via Ballycastle spides from (whisper it) Belfast are known as "chipeaters" and "jamesies" Think of the good name of Cushendall

Not that long ago criminal elements attached to the UDA in Bushmills were able to sell forged HGV driving licences in Cushendall. One prominent re-(publican)investing £500 and ending up with no product.