Why Is Scotland’s “Anti-Sectarian Charity” Condemning IRA Chants In Las Vegas?

How nice that Scotland’s “anti-sectarianism” charity Nil By Mouth were able to get themselves on the front page of the papers again today.

As an organisation with a penchant for self-publicity they never disappoint. It’s just not clear any longer what this lot are actually for. They are publicly funded, so perhaps it is high time the question was asked.

This weekend, thousands of people will march through Glasgow’s streets in a sectarian show of force, and this of course is an annual event.

Nil By Mouth may or may not have a view on that.

But we know they do have a view on events which took place in a ballroom thousands of miles away where some folk sang a song.

All I can say is that the Catholics and particularly the Irish Catholics of my city are glad they have their priorities straight, because clearly that’s the bigger issue, right?

More and more it seems to me that Nil By Mouth are available for a quote on just about any issue which our media deems worthy of examination.

Quite what they do with the rest of their time God alone knows, because over the last few years sectarianism in Scotland has continued to flourish and particularly at football matches without their making a dent.

Nobody takes these people seriously, in part because they are selective about who they choose to go after and don’t seem to understand the meaning of the word which defines their mission.

For what does the IRA have to do with sectarianism?

Nil By Mouth and some of the chattering classes may find Republican songs and chants distasteful, but a lot of people feel the same way about the SNP.

We wouldn’t all lose our minds if Flower of Scotland was sung at a fringe meeting. For sure, nobody gets in a flap when it’s sung at Hampden.

And yeah, I can already hear the whinging and wailing of people appalled that I appear to be drawing a parallel between the forces of Wallace and Robert the Bruce and the volunteers of the IRA … so for the record, let me make it as clear as I can.

I’m not saying they are similar; I am saying they are virtually the same. The differences relate to the times in which they operated. But on a fundamental level there is none whatsoever.

I dislike the IRA songs at Celtic games.

I positively loathe the add-ons to otherwise normal tunes, which are moronic beyond belief. Those which have been attached to Celtic songs are particularly ignorant and momentously stupid; Willie Maley certainly did not give us “the IRA” in any way, shape or form and to me only someone stone stupid would sing that line.

But Nil By Mouth accomplished nothing today with their comments to The Record except to help that paper sell copies and to remind people that their organisation exists at all.

Other than that, I cannot think of one other thing they achieved.

If they were mothballed, Scotland would not even miss them.

When the Orange Walks are parading through this city this weekend not a single Catholic will feel better for knowing they are “on the case” because, to be blunt, I don’t know anyone who thinks they are.

The season just past was outstanding … but how well do you know it? Take the quiz, go up against your mates, and see who gets the highest score on Celtic’s 2021-22 campaign.

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Celtic’s summer started disastrously when Eddie Howe turned the club down. On which date did he make that fateful decision?

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