Phil - you know some strange people, they sound confused

Posted by dm | 15.11.09, 10:27 GMT

Stevie "grounds and competitions are named after dead IRA/INLA members and events like Galbally occur"

This is ok apparently.

Stevie "imagine if Portadown FC changed their name to Billy Wright FC? Or if armed and uniformed UDA men paraded around Windsor Park?"

This would never be ok in the eyes of nationalists/republicans.

Posted by Mc | 13.11.09, 13:51 GMT

The silence to the last question is deafening!

Posted by Ricardo | 13.11.09, 12:18 GMT

The vast majority of GAA players and fans are decent people - I have some friends who play it myself, although they are not from Unionist or Protestant backgrounds. But do the indignant posters here not understand how Unionists/Protestants cannot help but feel suspicion and intimidation when grounds and competitions are named after dead IRA/INLA members and events like Galbally occur? Can you imagine if Portadown FC changed their name to Billy Wright FC? Or if armed and uniformed UDA men paraded around Windsor Park? The IFA is not perfect but it has done much to change its image - hence the UEFA Best Fans in Europe Award - but can anyone give me an example of a concerted GAA campaign to tone down its nationalist aspirations and become more welcoming to Protestants?

Posted by Stevie | 12.11.09, 15:39 GMT

Never been to a GAA game in my life so cant really comment on the atmosphere at all.

I know a few NI protestants who have attended the odd game but I havent ever met one who played the game regularly.

The GAA's emotional strengths for NI Nationalists (aside from the actual fun of the games) - teams ties to a Parish and local community, roots in a Gaelic Irish culture, history of resisting British rule are obviously big weaknesses when attempting to attract Northern Protestants to it. Also lets be honest, there are a very few NI prods who are nationalist, there are a few more who are ambivalent about it all but on the whole they are a pretty unionist bunch, certainly more uniform than catholics view on nationalism.

The GAA has done well in moving away from some of its more obvious anti unionist rules and has earned my respect for doing so but it isnt a pure sporting body. Nothing wrong with that, but for those who disagree with its politics there will always be a barrier.

Posted by bigchiefally | 12.11.09, 08:42 GMT

how could saying that i have played gaelic football with protestants from the north and drank and sang with them at all Ireland finals be biggoted? you lot sure can turn the tables around but my Irish friend you can't rewrite history.

Posted by sean from co down Ireland | 11.11.09, 18:34 GMT

More could and should be done to include everyone in what is a great sport.

Posted by matt | 11.11.09, 16:15 GMT

There, there steve. You can be anything you want to. Being from "Northern Britain" who would be inconsiderate enough to consider you Irish.
You carry on your own wee way while others can simply go and enjoy sport at its best.

Posted by Ulysses32 | 11.11.09, 15:40 GMT

I agree lads. I too know a number of Protestants who are massive GAA fans and who attend games that all live in the north. A few of them are unionists, and like 'sean from co down' I also know a few protestants who are nationalists. Saying this, southern Protestants, who are overwhelmingly nationalist, play GAA in fairly large numbers. One of the recent past GAA presidents was protestant! So to argue it is unwelcome is total nonsense!

Posted by Phil | 11.11.09, 13:35 GMT

Disappointingly shoddy journalism. The headline and the first paragraph refers to "Protestants" while the third paragraph refers to "unionist people". Which is it? Surely you're not making the lazy assumption of assuming they are one and the same?

If it is "Protestants" then what overt displays of Catholicism are there that are supposedly putting Protestants off attending Gaelic games? I've been to plenty but have yet to see any pro-Catholic or anti-Protestant displays.

Posted by GAA fan | 11.11.09, 13:09 GMT

Sam,

have to agree with you on one point. This guy probably hasn't been at a GAA game and can't comment. Neither have I, so I won't either.

I have been to NI games at Windsor though with my family, and it's been fine. Really enjoyable. I count the Spain and England games as some of the greatest nights of my life. Did I mention I'm not protetstant.

So with all of the above said, I have to ask. Have YOU been at a Northern ireland game at Windsor recently? If you have, I'm afraid our stories don''t match up and one of us is lying. IF you haven't, then you're guilty of just the same hypocrisy as this DUP guy.

Posted by NI Fan | 11.11.09, 12:45 GMT

And the comment about rediscovering our irishness is exactly why a Unionist doesn't feel welcome, we don't want to feel Irish, we are proud of being British.

Just like those in Northern Ireland have the right to be Irish and be proud to be Irish.

Posted by Steve | 11.11.09, 12:17 GMT

I wonder (a) how many GAA matches Mr Clarke has attended to back up his claim and (b) why the BT decided to lead with a comment by some committee member rather than the anniversary itself. Nothing like stirring up controversy where there is none.

Posted by Yip | 11.11.09, 12:03 GMT

Wind your neck in Sam, taking a cheap uninformed shot at matches at Windsor. The atmosphere on international night is unparalleled anywhere in the 6 counties. I'm guessing you haven't been to an NI game, there is nothing intimidating about it unless of course Windsor Park was renamed in memory of Billy Wright, Mad dog.... no, of course, no sport would do something like that...

Posted by Aaron | 11.11.09, 11:32 GMT

I agree lads. I too know a number of Protestants who are massive GAA fans and who attend games that all live in the north. A few of them are unionists, and like 'sean from co down' I also know a few protestants who are nationalists from the north.

Saying this, southern Protestants, who are overwhelmingly nationalist, play GAA in large numbers. One of the recent past GAA presidents was protestant!

So to argue it is unwelcome is total nonsense! Tell that to my mates!

What does he want? Union jacks, Lambeg drums and God Save the Queen?! Yes because that’s exactly what the GAA needs... the inclusion of divisionary symbols!!!

A core GAA belief is the celebration and promotion of Gaelic culture (sport, language, song, dance etc). Unionists have nothing to fear from this. This is what the GAA is. ALL are more than welcome! The more the better I say.

Posted by Phil | 11.11.09, 11:25 GMT

fear and ignorance are powerful instruments in this part of ireland......... little wonder that we still live in the dark ages !!

Posted by Robert Murphy | 11.11.09, 11:08 GMT

Will those trees be used for Hurls when they are matured? Antrim need all the help they can get. Hopefully Dinny Cahills return can make a big impact this year.

Posted by Éamonn | 11.11.09, 10:35 GMT

There goes Sean with his usual bigotted rant. Does he type 'prodestant' on purpose to get a reaction, or is it just stupidity? Sean son, maybe you could look around and discover that there are those around you who identify as both Irish and British. But 'Irishmen' ranting about getting the 'Brits out' does nothing to create harmony and certainly not respect. Do you regale in such rubbish at these GAA matches? Perhaps you can check what century you are living in and join the rest of us? Perhaps you and Sam can go together to Windsor Park during an international and discover that it isn't the 80s or 90s?

Posted by Bemused | 11.11.09, 10:24 GMT

The ceaseless identification of Protestantism with Unionism by the DUP and others is tiring.

There are thousands and thousands of Southern Irish Protestants who play Gaelic games day in day out and are just as proud to be Irish as anyone else, therefore the remark that it's a cold house for Protestants is bizarre, is there a theological debate held before each game?

This is typical electioneering from the DUP, when will people in Northern Ireland wake up to their trite sectarianism.

Many of their members refused to attend the funeral of the Catholic policeman murdered back in March due to his religion. If cold houses are being dished out, the Democratic Unionist Party deserves first prize for their persistent quasi-fundamentalist hate-mongering.

Hopefully one day Northern Ireland will move on - there was another article comparing the walls still existing there as opposed to those of Berlin which fell 20 years ago. An apt description of the place if ever there was one.

Posted by El Cid | 11.11.09, 09:58 GMT

I think one word - 'Galbally' - sums up Protestant suspicion of the GAA. And perhaps readers should read today's article about Niall McGinn and the support this young Celtic/Northern Ireland favourite gets from the fans, decried so often here as a bunch of Neanderthal bigots. As they say, people in glass houses....

Posted by Ruairi | 11.11.09, 09:22 GMT