Protestant GAA clubs

[Tony Fearon]

Didn't the late Billy Wright play GAA, and Willie Frazer has admitted to doing so in his younger days, then a DUP Candidate in Dungannon a while ago was revealed as having won underage honours with the Clarkes. Now if these three saw fit to dabble in it,given their ultra extremist backgrounds, it suggests there's not a lot wrong

Anti GAA rhetoric by both unionist parties has been primarily responsible for alienation in latter years.

[downredblack]

"Did you notice anything strange in the dressingrooms or showers? I presume they have club feet or something?"

No it's the eyes Hardy , that's how you'll spot them .

[realredhandfan]

The opening of the freaking stadium has gone to our presidential talisman....
Its brain dead pulpitry noises that Mr Brennan is making, maybe the power the goodwill has clouded his judgement.  To talk of Catholic and protestant in Northern Ireland is to talk of whites and blacks in Mississippi....To talk of protestant and catholic clubs is divisive.
I recognise sectarianism exists in its extremes in N Ireland, but this sectarianism is in no way
1) institutionalised by the GAA structures.
2) or people who are in GAA clubs who volunteer themselves, their labour and their time, are community activists who concentrate on binding their community together , giving them a focus not segmenting their peoples whatsoever.  Ill not speak for other sporting associations, but I assume they have the same remit in general.  Seactarian people do not get into GAA clubs because they are not of the same benevolent mindset that the average 5/8 GAA member has.    

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Protestants was the wrong word entirely (should be Unionists, and that misusage in itself betrays a woeful naivety and ignorance about the six county situation. No harm reaching out, just get the facts straight!

[The Bottom Brick]

We in Down would even have a Protestant All Ireland winner

Was he on the 91 team? I thought that was a load of shite?

[magpie seanie]

Folks - don't let the writer of the article sway you too much. If you read the actual quotes Brennan never uses the term "Protestant clubs" - its a snappy term invented by the writer from what I can see. So a lot of the accusations of being naive or out of touch with the reality of life in the six counties are wide of the mark in my view.

The general sentiment is correct though. By all means encourage young lads and lassies from all communities to join the existing GAA clubs but where one is not in existance or they wouldn't feel comfortable to join one then set one up. No-one can argue with that surely?

[brokencrossbar1]

I wonder sometimes about people.  A journalist writes a headline line and all of a sudden a witch hunt ensues on a false premise.  Soem clubs have had Protestant members and that is not in question, but lets us not be naive about it lads, there are very few.  Of course they are not barred from it but what opportunity does a group of lads from, say, Hillsborough have of playing football or hurling.  There may not be the market for it but I am with Brennan here.  What better way to encourage the development of our game than to bring people into it who 10 years ago would never have even watched a game never mind played it.  I don't know about anyone else but my "irishness" or my political views are not determined by whether or not I play football.  That may have been the case before but as the world changes so do attitudes.  I look forward to the day that Anthony Fearon junior is being marked by Liam Frazer in the hotly contetsted local derby between O'Hanlon's Poyntzpass and Markethill Rangers.

[Tony Fearon]

Brokencrossbar, you have to be aware that there are a lot of bigots like owc, oo, DUP and UUP etc,who out of sheer jealousy and gratuitous hatred of all things Irish, would have nothing to do with the GAA.

FFS If a number of protestants are happy to join my club (which is Portadown Tir Na Nog by the way and plays in an area of the famous Garvaghy Road) then there is not a whole lot wrong at the moment. Foreign nationals are getting involved in the GAA in droves, and no one ever suggested they should set up their own clubs.

The GAA shoud be welcome to all who wish to participate, and there are sufficient clubs already in existence to cater for those interested at present

[Donnycarney]

We in Down would even have a Protestant All Ireland winner

Was he on the 91 team? I thought that was a load of shite?

Peter Withnell - Hardy hoor he was too!

[brokencrossbar1]

Tony, I know what you are saying and I know there are many who will say "no" whatever the situation is.  But my point is that the average joe protestant who lives in a mainly protestant area may not have access to a GAA club.  If a group of them wanted to play the game I see no problem in them setting up their own club and they should be encouraged as much as possible.  To many people have an insecurity about themselves and the strenght of the GAA, and journalists feed  on this.

BTW, I know your home club is Tir na nOg.  I , however, was slted on this site for not obeying the parish rule and playing for Cross while I lived in Belfast.  Shurely if there is a Tony Junior he will play for his local parish team?

[Mourne Rover]

In response to Goats Do Shave, the lower part of the Shankill Road is right beside the bottom of the Falls, where several GAA clubs are based. MacDermott's for example has a big social club on the front of the Falls Road. The top end of the Shankill is close to Ardoyne, which also has a long-established club. There are no actual GAA pitches beside the Shankill, although Falls Park and the Rossa complex are not far away. It's fairly obvious that Nickey Brennan was not talking about the Shankill, but everyone knows that some people from a Protestant background have always played Gaelic games in rural parts of the north without any fuss. If Brennan wants to encourage this, fair play to him. The more inclusive the GAA is, the better.

[Tony Fearon]

Agreed that anyone anywhere of any religion should be able to set up a club and presume that anyone anywhere of any religion can do at present. But we don't want a situation in the GAA like the one that prevails in Irish League soccer in the North, where practically every club is either catholic or protestant (in terms of suppport at any rate) and the attendant chaos, sectarian bravado, rioting that goes with this when certain clubs clash

That seems to me,  what Mr Brennan is hinting at, or if it is unintentional on his part, his statement is certainly amenable to this interpretation.

PS Any Tony Senior will do a Brian Canavan or John Rafferty. Spend his best years with a big club then join Poyntzpass when he's 35, that is if he doesn't get an offer to manage another big club in Belfast

[muppet]

 

But we don't want a situation in the GAA like the one that prevails in Irish League soccer in the North, where practically every club is either catholic or protestant (in terms of suppport at any rate) and the attendant chaos, sectarian bravado, rioting that goes with this when certain clubs clash

Actually Tony you have a point there. Up to this I was leaning with Brennan given Magpie Seanie's comments about the hack twisting his words but we should learn from the trouble at soccer matches caused by polarization of clubs and supporters.

It is important though that the Gaa make statements and gestures like Brennan has done offering a more open association to the various residents of our island. 

[realredhandfan]

No muppet no.  What Brennan should have recognised is the way that the existing GAA is run in the North and trusted that the Northern GAA clubs have point blanketly refused to let sectarianism enter their clubrooms, impinge on their meetings etc. and have welcomed all into their clubs bar none.  Instead he leaves his arguement open to interpretation by those who didnt know the GAA and who always said that that it was a catholic sport for a catholic people or indeed the ira at play copyright Mc Gimpsey..
Brennan hasnt the sophistication to understand the North he hasnt recognised the difference between those  who want to be part of Gaelic Games and those who dont and has just assumed that it is a simple sectarian religious call.  To my knowledge nobody is now barred from playing the GAA games, ffs when the psni are allowed to form a club, anyone can form a club.  so was he just liking the sound of his own voice.  BTW does he want protestants in Dublin to set up their own clubs as well? 

[muppet]

ffs when the psni are allowed to form a club

Brennan's message was as much to Gaa people as outsiders.