Loyalist leaders go west for GAA event
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Prominent loyalist leaders including UDA boss Jackie McDonald and UPRG representative Frankie Gallagher are expected to speak at a west Belfast GAA club tonight as part of a special cross-community event.
The panel discussion, which involves leaders from both communities, is said to have been organised by Standing Northern Ireland Peace Process, a group set up to explore new ways for divided communities to build links.
The presence of McDonald — the so-called brigadier of the South Belfast wing of the loyalist paramilitary group — and other loyalist leaders is considered to be a significant step in building relations with republican and nationalist communities.
This is the first time an event involving such high profile leaders will take place at a west Belfast GAA club.
Jim Auld, head of Community Restorative Justice Ireland, who is one of the republican representatives invited to speak at the meeting tonight, said he viewed the development as a very positive step.
“It’s my understanding that Jackie McDonald and Frankie Gallagher will be coming to speak,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.
“There are a number of people that I know that have been invited and it is my understanding that it will be an opportunity for Jackie McDonald and some of his friends to speak to people from nationalist communities.
“I think it’s a very positive thing in terms of restorative justice.
“The nationalist community has a lot to offer the unionist community in terms of community development.
“But I don’t think it is a one way process. I think it needs to be the two communities offering the same opportunities to speak to each other. I think that will happen, I hope that will happen.
“I think that anybody who is going along tonight will be going with a positive perspective on things.”
It is understood nationalist community worker Jim McCorry and Ulster Political Research Group Colin Halliday will chair the event, while Gerry Ruddy of the IRSP will also take part in the panel discussion.
Mr Auld said he expected most of tonight’s discussion to revolve around both sides acknowledging the past but also looking at ways to move forwards.
“I think there needs to be an acknowledgment on all sides that things were done in the past but we need to look at how to move forward too,” he said.
“I am an optimistic man and I think there are a number of people working on new ideas all the time for ways to move forward, this is just one of them.”
Tonight’s meeting is expected to be held at the Sarsfield Gaelic Athletics Club in Andersonstown at 7pm.
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If this meeting were to go ahead, it could be an interesting development, however are the powers that be within the GAA now deciding to extend the hand of friendship to Unionists? Are they going to make GAA more appealing to the majority community in Northern Ireland by making it less mono-cultural & removing the political republican trappings which wrap themselves around this so-called sport? Or maybe they will desist naming trophies and indeed clubs after dead convicted murderers? Or perhaps they would be willing to tolerate a new trophy, I dunno, the "Billy Wright Shield"?!
All joking aside, what is the purpose of this meeting? GAA....?Cross-community, building-bridges? This I must see...
Posted by mickey | 18.09.08, 09:41 GMT
Call me cynical call me a realist but I cannot see what good a meeting like this will do,its a waste of time.
Irish Republicans/Nationalists want a united Ireland and the border removed,so what good will meeting leaders of the UDA do ?
There is no common ground politically , its black and white , British and Irish.
Posted by STEVE DOUGLAS, tokyo | 18.09.08, 02:53 GMT
It was canceled earlier today.
Posted by billy | 17.09.08, 19:29 GMT
Good to see this happening, hope it goes well and we see more similar stuff in the future.
Posted by Sharrie | 17.09.08, 17:31 GMT
This is positive news and I hope the meeting is constructive
Posted by Anthony | 17.09.08, 16:42 GMT