Cork fans' flying of Confederate flag after Charlottesville attack slammed

"Any Cork fan who carries the flag with a complete understanding of what it represents is an absolute langer."

Cork fans have been criticised for ignoring pleas not to fly the Confederate flag at Croke Park in the aftermath of a death at a white supremacist rally in America, writes Stephen Barry.

The flag was widely used at the Charlottesville ‘Unite the Right’ rally of far-right groups, where one protestor deliberately drove a car into a crowd of counterprotestors, killing one and injuring 19, including five critically.

Its use dates from the American Civil War as the symbol of the pro-slavery Confederate states and the rally was organised to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from the Virginia city.

The longstanding use of the Confederate flag by the Rebel County’s fans has been previously criticised, with Ken McCue of Sport Against Racism labelling it a “flag of hatred” and calling on the Cork County Board to condemn its use in 2015.

However, the flag appeared among a group of Cork fans on Hill 16 yesterday, sparking a fresh wave of criticism of those who persist in using it.

A large no' of Cork fans flying Confederate flags here at Croke Park, seemingly in solidarity with #Charolettesville nazis #CORKvWAT #shame

— Gary Donkerty (@Gary_Donkerty) August 13, 2017

Cork fans flying confederate flag is bad enough at the best of times but given the week that's in it. Either brain ldead or Nazis #CORKvWAT

— DJ Walsh (@dj_breathnach) August 13, 2017

My American friends would be baffled that Cork fans fly the Confederate flag, and be so ignorant of its meaning. #GAA #CORKvWAT

— Gavin Finlay (@gvnfnly) August 13, 2017

This debate's going on for well over 20 yrs. At this stage, they would have to be blind and deaf not to be aware of the dodgy connotations. https://t.co/YzG1aj6Rf6

— Jonathan O'Brien (@obrien_jonathan) August 13, 2017