Curragh History Forum News

[Matt McNamara]

Hi All

When I first set up this Curragh History Forum back in January 2005, my sole intention was to share a platform with other interested persons who liked The History of The Curragh. The forum has grown over the years and has provided much enjoyment and information to many forum members and guests who have logged on. The Curragh History Forum like many open forums has had many a debate and issues raised and people voice their opinions. I have tried to monitor the content and hopefully have done a fair job and not upset too many people. However today for the first time I have had to ban a registered member for a number of reasons and among them being deceitful and downright rude to other decent members including myself.

Today I also received threats of legal action over photographs which were sent to me for posting and sharing on the forum for the enjoyment of others. However as most normal internet users will know that once a digital photograph is displayed on an open forum such as The Curragh History forum, there is little I can do to prevent other internet users from saving these photographs. Indeed I have seen many of my own photographs on many sites including youtube and in magazines.

To be honest I contemplated in taking down the forum as I was so annoyed. But my family eventually calmed me down and said “Why should one individual spoil the enjoyment that this forum brings to so many others, whether they be registered members or guests to the forum”.

It has opened my eyes not to take anyone at face value and I apologise for any unsavoury posts that may have appeared and are likely to appear in the coming days. But I will be monitoring them as usual.

All the best
Matt and Family

[joemurray]

Hi Matt,sorry to hear you are getting grieve from one of the forum users.Such a pity when something like this happens.Glad to hear your family talked you out of closing down the site.Hope this episode is now finished.I suppose its easy for us to say the "well done"bit.Its you (we must not forget)who is in the front line,and has to deal with these issues.Best Wishes.

[billyhyland]

Matt
I don't know what was involved in the incident to which you refer but I absolutely trust your judgement in it. Please continue your excellent work with the forum/site.
Billy Hyland.

[andybrennan]

Matt, sorry to hear that some body is trying to usurp your authority and lay down their own rules. This site has been born bred and raised by you , with nothing but integrity, and honesty, allowing us lost souls of all, things past present and future relating to the Curragh to have a voice and reunite with our past. To you I say well done you have created some thing nice, and to the bullies I say f off, if you don't like the rules. Like all good things there can only be one head.

Really glad you have not walked away. else where or what forum would I use to chat to so many cyber friends I have made since I discovered this site

Andy

[andybrennan]

To any one who wants wishes, to share some, any, thing with all users of the forum, "it has to be giving freely", no pre conditions attached. If there are then don't bother to post them
.
Matt has done an excellent job of monitoring the posts of all, giving a tug on the reins of control if it was necessary, I myself have been asked in the most polite way ,to drop ,or put a subject to bed, which I have done with no complaints or acrimony.

It must take a considerable amount of Matt's time which could be better used to monitor and regulate this forum.
Fair play to him in all regards and for the joy he has brought to so many, trouble with the barrel of apples the fuller it gets the more likely a rotten one will get in.

so come on forum members and guests lets show solidarity with Matt and f the begrudgers

Andy

[derekrochford]

Hi Matt,

Have just read your Posting and have to say that I can understand why you would indeed be angry.

Although I am only a relatively new member, I have been reading the posts here for years and I think that you should be commended for stting up such a wonderful site.

As Administrator, you must spend an awful lot of time devoted to the site and not many people would do that, unless they had the welfare of the Forum members at heart.

I'm sure that you too get a lot of pleasure from seeing your Site grow and get stronger every year, as I'm sure do all who visit your Site!

I do not know what the controversy is about, but if I were you I would just ignore it and continue on with the work on this wonderful facility that you provide!

As an Administrator, you have a tough job, but in my experience, I note that you are doing fantastic work, so well done for that!

So please keep up the good work, as it is much appreciated and maybe from now on we will not take such a wonderful Site like this for granted,

Best Regards,

Derek

[kellquinn]

Hi Matt and all
Glad to see that you are sticking to your guns in respect of keeping the Forum alive, it was you who set up this Forum and as far as 99% of us are concerned you are the manager, administrator and have all powers to administer the site. It has brought many an old friend, comrade and even a relation back into the fold. Anything that I have contributed is free to air so to speak and can be used by any person wishing to so do, without any threat of copyright.
Keep up the great work and continue to bring great and fond memories to us the members and guests. I agree with Andy on the amount of time that it takes to Administer and look after the site content and I say well done!!
Your good friend and fellow Shadower. "Up Pearse" and above all, Up the Curragh!
JoeyK

[maurakearney]

Hi Matt I am glad you did not close down the Curragh Forum dont know what we would do with out it I got in touch with so many Friends that left the Curragh so long ago it would not have happened only for this Forum . Keep up the good work. MauraKearney.

[charlie004]

Well said Andy.I fully concur with your post.If it wasn't for this great forum and Matt's great work, me and thee would never have met up again after so many years.And for that I'm gratefull to Matt and The Curragh Forum.Although you might think otherwise.Keep the good work up Matt.
Charlie.

[liamkearney]

Hi Matt I would just like to add my voice to the rest of the Forum members in support of all the very good work you have done with the provision of the site, as some have already said don't let one bad apple spoil it for everyone else. I too have been re-united with friends from the past as a result of the Forum, so once again WELL DONE and keep up the good work.
Liam Kearney.

[tommysweeney1]

Hi Matt,
I am, just reading your post and the forum readers post.
I am between angry and sad I suppose.
Angry because one person can cause such anxiety to you and the rest of the forum users and put the sites future at risk.
I am glad you thought it through, you will always have this type of individual who will always go against the grain no matter what they get involved in.
you often hear the saying "sure he would start a fight with himself if no one else was around" this applies to this individual.
I am sad to think that the sites future would be in the balance in particular when I think of the last few months in my own life with my brothers death in England.
Because there was no funeral here in Ireland ,the postings of condolences on this site gave myself and family great comfort at a very sad time in our lives.
It has kept people all around the world Curragh people and adopted Curragh people in touch with each other in a way no other forum can.
So Matt ignore this individual there are many people out there as you can see and appreciate all the hard work you have put in and continue to put into this site.

Keep up the hard work

Regards
Tommy Sweeney

[maryfarrell6]

Hi Matt,
Theres not a lot of us who can hand on heart say 'I've made a huge difference and enriched hundreds of peoples lives, You Matt are one of the few who certainly can lay claim to doing just that because of Your brilliant forum, and don't ever let anyone try to tell you any different.
I've just arrived back after a week at home(had a great time as always with me mam and da and the rest of the family) but needless to say I'm now feeling the usual homesickness and loneliness thats part and parcel of living away from home. it usually takes a few days to shake that horrible feeling off and get back to normal. And thats where this forum really comes into its own for me.
As soon as the bags are unpacked and the phone calls made I always log on here to see how everyone has been getting on and to bring a part of home(the Curragh) into my front room. I know I'm among friends and the tales and banter flowing to and fro always manages to cheer me up. I don't know where I'd be without it. This forum has reunited me with so many old friends and neighbours over the last few years not to mention the great new friendships that have blossomed through this site. I've had my memory jolted back into life and given a kick start bringing things not to mention people long forgotten back to the forefront. I laughed,cried,got involved in some lively debates stayed out of others and took an enormous ammount of pleasure (as I know lots of us have)going through the hundreds photos that people have sent in to you to share. Now for me 'sent in' is the operative word you didn't pilfer or poach a single snap, so for somebody now to start throwing their toys out of the pram and threatening legal action is despicable.
If they are copyright or they wanted them to be then mark them as such otherwise don't forward them to an open forum. my knowledge of computers is very limited but even I know that www. stands for 'world wide web' the clues in the name really.
I'm so glad your family talked you out of stopping the forum, You've worked so long and hard to build it up and you must have taken great joy and pleasure watching it grow, its a credit to you, and a lifeline and godsend to us. You're preserving Our History and its still a work in progress with lots more to be added. So please don't let one small minded individual force you into giving up your dream,your masterpiece. at the bottom end of the scale its called sour grapes at the top end its Cyber Bullying. I know its hard work but please keep doing what you've always done and monitor us and keep us in check because this forum means so much to so many and it'd be CRIMINAL so see it fold , so why don't you delete the 'offending' photos I'm sure we can live without them anyway theres lots more out there just waiting to be freely shared without prejudice.
Good Luck Matt, looking forward to many more years among all my friends on the Curragh. We're depending on you.
Take heart that you can take 99% of us at face value and we all value your integrity and dedication, thankfully we're not all tarred with the same brush.
MaryF up Pearse, up the Curragh

[liamkearney]

Hi Mary as usual you are a rock of sense, I did not see you when you were home but I did have a visit from Kevin on Fri evening for a short while before he went back down country to you. Keep up the writing as I always enjoy your posts.

Liam.

[kathyo]

Hi Matt
just ignore him and thank god you did not close the forum
you do such a good job
all the best kathyo

[Matt McNamara]

Hi All

Thank you for your support in this unsavoury issue and hopefully it will be resolved in the coming days. Its only when reading your posts that I realise how much people enjoy the forum and apologise for even mentioning shutting it down. It was just a knee jerk reaction and thankfully my family were around to talk sense and reasoning into the whole issue. I must be getting soft when I let somebody get under my skin like that and get such a reaction from me.

Again thanks for your support and may you all enjoy The Curragh History Forum for many years to come.

Matt