North/south rows due to ignorance, says Brolly

Joe Brolly insisted the GAA’s recent north-south divisive flashpoints have more to do with ignorance than racism.

The former Derry star has been vocal on the subject following claims by Armagh that their players had been subjected to racial abuse.

In a recent Irish Mail on Sunday column, he infuriated Limerick school St Finian’s when he referred to a Belfast newspaper’s report of their All-Ireland B colleges hurling semi-final opponents St Mary’s Grammar School being subjected to incessant verbal abuse. The Doon college has emphatically denied the claim. But in light of recent controversies from games involving Derrytresk, Crossmaglen and Armagh, Brolly claimed the conflicts are down to a minority’s failure to understand GAA in the north.

“This hasn’t been about racism,” he said. “There are elements of it but it’s mostly only ignorance. There are differences between the north and the south. The province is an entity that means more to us. Sure we speak a different version of the Irish language. Because of our social and political history, we’re one in, all in.”

Brolly compared the rivalry between Cork and Kerry to that of Tyrone and Derry.

The RTÉ Gaelic football pundit heralded both as great duels but argued a bond is shared by the Ulster counties.

“There’s a genuine closeness and affection within counties and clubs in Ulster, a real togetherness.

“Everybody would have been rooting for Crossmaglen at the weekend. It would be seen as disloyal if you didn’t shout for the province’s team.”

Brolly’s experiences in RTÉ have opened his eyes to how dissimilar rivalries in the north and south are.

“I’m always surprised at how Tony Davis reacts. The sight of a Kerry jersey sends him into a spluttering rage.

“He’s as generous spirited and as great a fella as you can meet but it’s classic red rag to a bull. In Cork, it’s anybody but Kerry and likewise in Kerry it’s anybody but Cork. In Leinster, it’s the same. If another team was going well they wouldn’t give a damn.

“The Derry and Tyrone rivalry or Tyrone and Armagh rivalry would be every bit as fierce as Cork and Kerry. Ulster football is a dogfight but once it’s over the second phase is you support the Ulster team.

“RTÉ are constantly surprised how strongly I support the Ulster teams. We would always support the Ulster teams, even to the extent of supporting Donegal in spite of the sheer ugliness of the fare on offer last year.”

To emphasis his point, Brolly cited the size of the crowds at Interprovincial football games in Ulster compared to those staged in the three other provinces.

“Counties in the south are separatists and that’s on a tribal basis but we are only separatists to a point.

“You look at the interprovincial games. You might get a couple of hundred at a game in Munster or Leinster but bring the final to Ulster and you get thousands. There’s a much more natural cohesive closeness because of our history.”

He defended his claim that northern Gaels are more passionate about their Irishness because they “had to fight harder for it”. However, he would include the likes of non-Northern Ireland counties like Donegal among that fraternity.

“Derry people would see no difference in Donegal people and vice-versa. Just because Donegal is outside the six counties doesn’t mean a thing. We would view them as the same entity as they would view us.”