GAA need to step up

Defending what blanch?

Clearing up confusion?

The same GAA who 'INVITED' this team tot eh tournament, that is USED to it playing in competitions and tournament, that ACCEPTED it's application to join the sporting body suddenly decided to be sectarian?

The PSNI that does not belong to any one wee community either.

Again I ask, were the PSNI team planning to play undercover?

You and downcow, are totally devaluing actual sectarianism and not for the first time either.

Thankfully looking at the comments alot in East Belfast disagree with him. What he thinks is his own community is beginning to turn on him. About time too.

The 'teacher' should look up 'tarring all with the one brush'.

So in order to look at minor issues and things that are not 'sectarian' at all the 'teacher' has to drag an entire organisation into the converstaion?

Are you for fooking real?

Maybe if Moore wanted to look at relationships with sectariansim across NI it might be truly educational? Has Moore the teacher called for a look at the relationship between the OO and sectarianism?

Are you going to tell us what was specifically sectarian about the PSNI incident?

Why don't you tell why he was being sectarian?

Is it because you think 'themuns' own the GAA? Same as you think 'you-uns' own the PSNI?

It's anti- Irish bigotry downcow, bigotry against anyone who is Irish, catholic, protestant, jew, etc nationalist, unionist or communist etc. men, women, & children.

Just to provide context for Downcow's constant insistence that incidents at 11th night bonfires are, 'isolated incidents', or that it is only a few in Belfast that have any problems, fortunately for this year we can quantify exactly how isolated it was.

Out of approximately 250 bonfires, 57 of them had police reports. I would suggest that 23% of fires having a police report, the majority of which were for tricolours or election posters being burned isn't quite as, "isolated" as Downcow suggested. (Nor is it completely ubiquitous as some on the Nationalist side have suggested)

I'd say with absolute confidence that nowhere near 23% of GAA events have such sectarian incidents, so perhaps you could do with getting your own house in order before pointing out how horrendously sectarian the GAA is, Downcow?

I think the GAA should depolitizise and stop naming clubs and competitions after IRA members. Sport and politics dont mix well. There is no need in 2022.

Played it as a kid in Cuala in Dublin and there was certainly no sectarian agenda there. Would love to see the GAA grow in unionists areas but can see why if they're calling clubs and competitions after IRA members then that will hold it back. Some irish people see the IRA as freedom fighters some Irish people see them as terrorists. That is fact. No need for a sporting organisation who's primary goal should be to grow the sport should take a political position on this.

Is there clubs in Ireland named after Cromwell, Wellington and british slave merchants? If you are talking about clubs in Britain named after these people well it is slightly different as there does not seem to be issue with the brits regarding that. But lets face it. Alot of unionists see the IRA as terrorists. Looking on twitter recently alot are saying they're put off the GAA because of this. I actually dont think it enhances the game one bit and is only preventing growing into unionist communities by doing so.

Basically nobody is going to leave the GAA if they dont name clubs and competitions after IRA members yet some people wont take up the sport because of it. It does seem a no brainer for them to change this. GAA is a sporting organisation and the IRA were an army. There does not need to be a connection anyway.

Why just the 'GAA' though.

People in NI walk past memorials to those who terrorised their communities for years.

The conversation needs to be about how both sides commemorate and celebrate. Not a pick and mix attitude.

'Sectarianism' and 'bigotry' can then be isolated and dealt with.

I'm well on the wrong side of 50 and I still marvel at the skill and passion.

I agree. But it would be better for the sport to take the leading role in this rather than be forced to change through law. Some things are sectarian and make no secret of it and wont change by their own initiative. But the GAA could change here for thier own advantage. I cant see anyone leaving or stop playing GAA if clubs and competitions are not named after IRA members but it certainly would reduce the stigma that is factually there today when someone from east belfast wants to play GAA.

GAA clubs are autonomous which is why they individually decide who they call their clubs after. I am not aware of them naming a club after somebody who wasn't a member.

Therin lies the intractable problem. People on both sides have different versions of the history.

It cannot be resolved by one side capitulating.

Some way has to be found to accommodate what happened on the this island. And it won't be found by making one side deny their version. It is ludicrious to believe that will ever happen.

You might as well go all in downcow. The Irish state has similar aims to the RA and the GAA

Yeah but every club receives money through the GAA. The GAA could put pressure on individual clubs not to do this.

I agree people have different political opinions of the IRA. But to make the sport to open as many there is no need for clubs to take a stance on the IRA by naming a club after a member.... they're sporting clubs at the end of the day.

Your last paragraph is what I mean. The GAA have politically sided with one side of a political spectrum. It is for a political party to this not a sporting club, that want to apeal to as many people to play the sport. It is not denying peoples right to have a political view but just leave it away from sporting clubs that should appeal to all people.

the same unionists ranting and raving about the GAA, an Inclusive Oragnisation were very silent on the bonfires, KAT, burning political posters, etc. Maybe get your own sectarian house in order first, after all it wasn't a GAA Hall that grown "People" were singing a song about a murdered woman on her honeymoon" Played GAA for many years and politics never came up.