Key words : Hurling Sticks

[Shanachie]

Check out this item from the BBC Northern Ireland site :


Children injured in car stoning

Cars were attacked after leaving parade
Two children have been taken to hospital after stonethrowers attacked cars in the Markets area of Belfast.

They were covered in glass after the window of the car they were in was smashed. However, they were not seriously injured.

Eyewitnesses said a crowd of youths, some armed with hurling sticks, attacked several cars.

The driver of the car - who did not want to be identified - said it had been a frightening experience.

He said his 10-year-old child was sitting beside the window which was smashed.

He said those involved in the attack were aged about 10 or 11, but said older people were standing nearby with hurling sticks.

The vehicles were being driven by people leaving the mini Twelfth parade in east Belfast.


COMMENT :

Let me see if I've got this straight. The car was attacked by stones only. Correct?

But the use of the words "hurling sticks" was employed twice in this short article.

I wonder why? Hummm...

[nuj]

Nobody is rising to your bait.

I wonder why? Hummm...

[mjcoughlan]

I wonder why? Hummm...

ummm, maybe because the skangers involved in this were carrying hurleys????

[Carrier]

I see where you're coming from with this, you reckon the author repeatly highlighted what is really a peripheral fact in the story in order to point out that nationalists were responsible for the attack. That would be true if it wasn't fairly obvious from the rest of the article that the attack was the work of nationalists:

The vehicles were being driven by people leaving the mini Twelfth parade in east Belfast

Btw, what's a 'skanger'?

[mjcoughlan]

Btw, what's a 'skanger'?

Here are several of them:

[smiffy]

Good old mj.

How do you know they're 'skangers'?

BTW: I realise that this is taking the thread off-topic, but as it's one of Shanachie's stupid threads it doesn't really count.

[mjcoughlan]

How do you know they're 'skangers'?

You did look at the picture, right?

[Libero]

There is the off-chance that the pictured gentlemen are taking part in a skanger impression contest but barring that, I'd say mj is right.

Cue discussion that skangerdom is more than just appearance, that someone can dress in a certain way but behave better than someone in a suit, etc.

[smiffy]

I just think the bloke on the left, while he might be attempting to come across as a 'skanger' (or chav or whatever) is probably somewhat conflicted.

He desperately craves the feeling that comes of being part of the gang. The camaraderie, the friendly joshing, the security and the loyalty. He likes to feel needed and, in turn, he relies on the approbation of the rest of his circle to reinforce his fragile self-image. He is growing into himself, and is constructing an adult identity in a piecemeal fashion, like the Angel of History watching helplessly as the detritus of Burberry caps, sov rings, blue WKD and Superking Blacks whirl in his wake.

But there is another side to him as well. A side that wants to escape, to get away from cider and the company cars and the turkey twizzlers and the Blanchardstown Centre. It is his secret side, his hidden face. The side of him that secretly reads The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock in his room at night, and thinks about writing poems of his own ("Do I dare/Disturb the Universe?") and about putting all this behind him and starting anew somewhere fresh, clean and different.

His life is not yet written. His fate remains undecided. He still has time to choose between the easy life of the skanger (who likes to beat up little Instituters for fun) and the hard life of the man of letters and beauty. But whatever he decides, he'll have to get Nedger's arm from around his neck first.

Also, he's a bummer. Or something. Like in Shameless.

Jesus, I'm bored tonight.

[badinage]

those guys are clearly "chavs", not "skangers". First off, they're clearly not Irish (Irish scobes/knackers rarely wear burberry, and don't have such good complexions), and chavs don't really exist in Ireland yet.

Secondly, a "chav" is wealthier, and has higher standards of hygeine and general appearance than a "skanger". Those guys are all cleanly shaven and wearing clean, new clothing.