GAA clubs named after Republican figures

[Baile Brigín 2]

This seems fairly inaccurate from what I have read. The GAA were intrinsically linked to revolutionary activity from it's set up to the Easter rising and beyond. It may have over stated it's official role over time but there were many IRA men playing county GAA and a number of Collins squad (in Dublin) were GAA men.

The organisation? Was 1918 and the protest games not the first stance?

Nobody is saying members weren't involved, but somone claimed soccer players werent, thats ahistorical nonsense.

I think the wave of name changes was an attempt at catchup

[Rossfan]

I see "Soccer good Gah bad" man is in full flow today 
Most Divisional or County Board Meetings 1916-21 usually doubled up as Volunteer Brigade meetings (held after the GAA business was concluded).
There were even clubs called after Boer generals around the turn of the Century e.g De Wets in Roscommon (or was it Elphin?)
Oscar Traynor is one of the few who were associated with socceryball.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Any sources for that?

Who is the GAA equivalent of Traynor though?

[general_lee]

There is a soccer club in Argentina called velez sarsfield

[Rossfan]

Any sources for that?

My 2 grandfather's who were there.

[seafoid]

I see "Soccer good Gah bad" man is in full flow today 
Most Divisional or County Board Meetings 1916-21 usually doubled up as Volunteer Brigade meetings (held after the GAA business was concluded).
There were even clubs called after Boer generals around the turn of the Century e.g De Wets in Roscommon (or was it Elphin?)
Oscar Traynor is one of the few who were associated with socceryball.

Athenry de Wets were very successful amongst the Herrins back in the day

[Rossfan]

Wasn't there  Tuam Krugers too?

[ned]

Any sources for that

My 2 grandfather's who were there.

   

[Itchy]

Interesting thread.

Were any of these figures involved in Gaelic games?

Yeh - Longford Slashers were names after Myles O Reilly, a revolutionary from 1640's. I believe he played centre half back on the Finea GAA county champions of 1640 and won an all star.

[Main Street]

Any sources for that?

Who is the GAA equivalent of Traynor though?

There is no direct GAA equivalent of Oscar Traynor, the commander of the IRA in Dublin. He was a hard core republican who loved soccer, just as Kevin Barry played rugby and cricket.
Oscar  who became president of the FAI claimed  "the game a man played did not influence his convictions one iota".
"some of the highest executive officers of the Republican movement, from 1916 onwards, played the despised foreign games and I never heard any of them apologizing for doing so."
Dev attended Irish internationals at Dalymount alongside Oscar.

What's your point though?  For the most part republicans were involved with GAA. The GAA and the early 20C  militant republican movement against british rule was an assimilated concept.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Any sources for that?

Who is the GAA equivalent of Traynor though?

There is no direct GAA equivalent of Oscar Traynor, the commander of the IRA in Dublin. He was a hard core republican who loved soccer, just as Kevin Barry played rugby and cricket.
Oscar  who became president of the FAI claimed  "the game a man played did not influence his convictions one iota".
"some of the highest executive officers of the Republican movement, from 1916 onwards, played the despised foreign games and I never heard any of them apologizing for doing so."
Dev attended Irish internationals at Dalymount alongside Oscar.

What's your point though?  For the most part republicans were involved with GAA. The GAA and the early 20C  militant republican movement against british rule was an assimilated concept.

My point is that it was a popular uprising. To say the GAA or GAA members were more or less involved than other sports is bad history.

Do you not think it odd that not one prominent figure from that period was involved in any meaningful way with Gaelic Games? Especially as you claim they were twinned organisation's

[seafoid]

Interesting thread.

Were any of these figures involved in Gaelic games?

Yeh - Longford Slashers were names after Myles O Reilly, a revolutionary from 1640's. I believe he played centre half back on the Finea GAA county champions of 1640 and won an all star.

Maolmordha o Raghallaigh was his actual name
Myles was an Anglicisation that had no link to his actual name 

[Sean3]

Many prominent republicans were GAA men:
Michael Colllins was secretary of the London Geraldines and later treasurer of the London GAA board.
Padraig Pearse was chairman of the Leinster Colleges Council of the GAA in 1911
JJ Walsh, later government minister, was chairman of the Cork Co Board
Harry Boland was a member of the Dublin Co Board and a prominent referee
Thomas Ashe, Eamonn Ceannt, Con Colbert, Michael O'Hanrahan and Sean MacDiarmada were all members
Austin Stack was chairman of the Kerry Co Board

Apart from the above there was huge involvement of GAA men in 1916 - among those arrested were:
Tipp footballer Denis O'Callaghan
Galway Co Board Sec Stephen Jordan
Kerry footballers Pat Landers and Dick Fitzgerald
President of the Kerry Co Board Thomas Slattery
President of the GAA James Nowlan
Wexford footballers James Rafter, Thomas and Andrew Doyle, and Sean O'Kennedy
Almost all of the Enniscorthy Volunteers club
Matt O'Toole vice-president of the Meath Co Board
Louth footballer Tom Burke
Pat Larkin chairman of the Galway Co Board
Dan McCarthy later president of the GAA
Jack Shouldice of the Dublin Co Board
PD Breen of the GAA Central Council
Willie Walsh of the Waterford Co Board
Large numbers from the O'Tooles, Geraldines, Parnells and Crokes clubs in Dublin including the famous Johnny Beggs and the McDonnells brothers.

In his evidence to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Rising, the Under Sec for Ireland, Sir Matthew Nathan, explicitly named the GAA as an anti-British association that had contributed to the Rising.
 

[Franko]

Many prominent republicans were GAA men:
Michael Colllins was secretary of the London Geraldines and later treasurer of the London GAA board.
Padraig Pearse was chairman of the Leinster Colleges Council of the GAA in 1911
JJ Walsh, later government minister, was chairman of the Cork Co Board
Harry Boland was a member of the Dublin Co Board and a prominent referee
Thomas Ashe, Eamonn Ceannt, Con Colbert, Michael O'Hanrahan and Sean MacDiarmada were all members
Austin Stack was chairman of the Kerry Co Board

Apart from the above there was huge involvement of GAA men in 1916 - among those arrested were:
Tipp footballer Denis O'Callaghan
Galway Co Board Sec Stephen Jordan
Kerry footballers Pat Landers and Dick Fitzgerald
President of the Kerry Co Board Thomas Slattery
President of the GAA James Nowlan
Wexford footballers James Rafter, Thomas and Andrew Doyle, and Sean O'Kennedy
Almost all of the Enniscorthy Volunteers club
Matt O'Toole vice-president of the Meath Co Board
Louth footballer Tom Burke
Pat Larkin chairman of the Galway Co Board
Dan McCarthy later president of the GAA
Jack Shouldice of the Dublin Co Board
PD Breen of the GAA Central Council
Willie Walsh of the Waterford Co Board
Large numbers from the O'Tooles, Geraldines, Parnells and Crokes clubs in Dublin including the famous Johnny Beggs and the McDonnells brothers.

In his evidence to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Rising, the Under Sec for Ireland, Sir Matthew Nathan, explicitly named the GAA as an anti-British association that had contributed to the Rising.

Game, Set, Match.

And not to our shit-stirring friend from North Dublin

[Franko]

Ok, it was a leading question. Other than Lynch, which is another days work, none were. Open to be disproven

Probably not but you have to consider the time that many of the clubs were created. Many of them were founded during a period of history where their language, games and customs were openly prohibited. Naming a club after a local rebel would have been a way to recognise the fight at a time where here was no other way. Would you for instance be critical of James Stephens for naming their club after a local Fenian way back in the 1880's?  Of course not. Historically, whether we accept it or not, GAA clubs have been closely associated with the history of the revolutions within our country. The organisation may have moved forward but history cannot be changed.

I understand all that. Soccer was equally involved in the revolutionary period, certainly moreso in the rising, and they didnt go down that route.

The principle is not the issue. But it could be classed as presumptive. Would lobg dead figure x want to be assosciated with a club in an area and sport that had nothing to do eith them? What had Rodger Casement got to do with Belfast, Gaelic Games (in fact sport in general)and dodgy planning applications?

Its food for thought.

Food for thought if your mind requires little feeding.  Which in this case it seems to.