GAA shows role sport can play for peace

It would have been unthinkable even a decade ago for a leading Unionist politician to salute the GAA. Even a “snaking regard” of the organisation and the sporting skills of its members would hesitate to heap praise on the organisation in private, let alone in the public eye.

It would have been unthinkable on two counts: Firstly, no elected unionist could be seen to endorse such an icon of Irish nationalism for fear of alienating his or her own constituency. Secondly, the GAA itself was, for decades, popul-ated by senior figures, openly hostile to unionism and unionists and would hardly welcome it.

That makes the scene at Queen’s University in Belfast on Thursday night all the more remarkable.

Northern Ireland’s First Minister and DUP leader Peter Robinson gave the keynote address at a function to mark the GAA’s contribution to peace building. He acknowledged that his attendance would have been unimaginable a few years ago because of the antagonism that had existed between the GAA and unionists for decades.

He told the audience that respect is the key to progress in Northern Ireland and that understanding is the key to respect.

Mr Robinson has shown both for the GAA before. Towards the end of January last year he attended his first Gaelic football match and received a warm welcome from fans at the McKenna Cup Final in Armagh.

The DUP leader saw Mickey Harte’s Tyrone defeat Derry in the company of his Deputy First Minister McGuinness, a keen Derry fan and GAA supporter.

Mr Robinson was warmly welcomed by the mainly nationalist attendance, McGuinness told the BBC. “Peter got a very warm reception from everyone he met at the game. It was wonderful to have him there.”

He was a special guest of the GAA which shows the role that sport can play in building bridges and erasing bigotry. That was also evident two years ago when Britain’s Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip went to Croke Park at the invitation of the GAA as part of their historic Irish tour.

The GAA has been keen to build bridges with the unionist community since it lifted the ban on members of the security forces playing football and hurling 12 years ago. Known as Rule 21, it banned members of the “Crown Forces” from partaking in GAA activities.

The GAA is now keen to encourage members of the PSNI to join the organisation and an advertisement to that effect was contained in the programmes for this year’s All-Ireland finals.

The ban was almost as notorious as Rule 27 which forbid all GAA members from taking part or attending “foreign” games or endorsing them in any way. These included rugby, soccer, and cricket, all games popular in Britain and also in Ireland before independence.

Anybody who went against Rule 27 was expelled from the GAA — up to and including former President and GAA patron Dr Douglas Hyde. He was thrown out for attending an international soccer match in 1938. Waterford player Tom Cheasty was also expelled from the GAA in 1963 for attending a dance organised by a soccer club.

It shows how far the GAA has travelled when earlier this year it offered to allow Croke Park and other stadiums to be made available if Ireland hosts the Rugby World Cup in 2023 or 2027.

Perhaps Mr Robinson might attend.