Anthem protocol changes welcomed: 'It’s embarrassing to see players buck-lepping and messing'

The Irish tricolour flag during the 2017 M Donnelly GAA All-Ireland Poc Fada Finals in the Annaverna Mountain, Ravensdale, Co Louth. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Community Radio Kilkenny City broadcasts its Sunday sports discussion show on a Sunday, and there’s often a reaction to the points raised. But there’s rarely a reaction like that after the edition of May 9 this year.

Former GAA president Nickey Brennan presents the show, and Barrie Henriques features in one segment. Henriques himself fleshes the story out: “On Nickey’s programme on a Sunday evening we cover all matches when they’re available, and a wide discussion agenda if there are no games.

“Nickey gets a discussion piece from me on the Sunday Sport show. It’s called the Sunday Platform. I have a free range to present any element of sport I want.

“On this particular evening, I spoke about national anthems, particularly at inter-county level rather than club level.”

Henriques didn’t hold back.

“The general lack of respect being shown to the national flag and the national anthem got my goat, to be honest.

“I’m of an age where I can remember when those things seemed to matter a lot more. The first All-Ireland I went to was in 1952, Cork versus Dublin, because my father was from Passage West in Cork and we wanted to see Christy Ring.

“And we saw Ring and all those great players, but we also enjoyed the pageantry and the sense of occasion, which was terrific. That was formative for a young boy, seeing that done properly.”

However, Henriques pointed out that Sunday evening the number of players and teams which use the anthem to make their last-gasp adjustments before throw-in.

“I just said that when you look down at players now they’re moving and fidgeting and fixing their boot laces and pulling up their socks, they’re chatting about what’s going on.

“We got a huge reaction to that segment. People were onto me personally and also contacted the show to state that they agreed with what I said, that teams need to show that respect again.”

Henriques’ points were timely. Just last week the GAA moved to amend its regulations governing the anthems, ordering players to remove their helmets while it’s played, while “teams shall stand to attention respectfully facing the flag for the full duration of the anthem”.

Teams will also be warned the anthem is to be played three minutes, and then one minute, before it starts to ensure players are ready. 

“I’m glad this has changed and that teams must now give more respect to the anthem, because it’s been embarrassing to see some players buck-lepping and messing around during the anthem, not to mention people roaring instead of singing the last two lines of the anthem. Hopefully this will improve matters.”