Mickey Harte: Anthem and flag should go when ‘time is right’

All-Ireland winning Tyrone boss Mickey Harte feels the GAA could stop playing the Irish national anthem and flying the tricolour at matches when “the time is right”.

Mr Harte was speaking as part of wide-ranging interview with BBC Talkback which was broadcast yesterday.

GAA President Aogán Ó Fearghaíl said changes could come in the future as part of an “agreed Ireland” and the Tyrone legend pointed to the history to show how attitudes have developed and changed.

“There was a time in the 70s when you weren’t allowed to play, in inverted commas, foreign games and play in the GAA, so that changed,” he said.

“And then there was a time when Croke Park wasn’t open to other sport, there were times when the police force from this part of the world were not allowed to play. So these things changed over time, but they have to change when the time is right. People will know if it’s the right thing to do and if it’s not the right thing to do for the greater good, then it won’t happen - so we have to wait and see and let time take care of that.”

He added: “The status quo that exists at the moment, it’s very dear to many people not because it’s anti-anybody else, it’s just in their culture.

“And, I suppose, you don’t want to be moving things always to create some kind of special clone, we have to let people be as they are as long as they are not disrespectful of others.

“We don’t want to take anything away from anybody. But if the time’s right and people felt there was some movement could happen in that that direction, then I think it will.”

The BBC Radio Ulster interview also discussed the veteran manager’s deep faith and how it continues to help him deal with the murder of his daughter Michaela McAreavey six years on.

“It (her death) consumes you initially, but I think in my case, with my faith that I have in God, you get the capacity to move it to the side.

“It doesn’t mean to say that it goes away, that it doesn’t exist but you learn how to control it, learn how to put it in a place that it doesn’t have to be in your face all the time.

Of course you’ll be reminded of it by the things in life, and people and memories. But, at the same time, you learn to live in a new place and I’m grateful that grace has come my way.”