GAA accused over rally at ground

[jjcarroll]

The DUP has criticised the Gaelic Athletic Association over a republican hunger strike commemoration to be held at a GAA ground in west Belfast.

The rally is to be staged at Casement Park on 13 August.

The DUP's Gregory Campbell said the GAA had to decide whether it was a sporting or a "quasi-political" organisation.

The main speaker at the event will be Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and it will be jointly compered by Sinn Fein MEP Mary Lou McDonald and fellow party member Toireasa Ferris, the mayor of Kerry.

However, the GAA's Central Council in Dublin discussed the matter on Saturday and agreed that the Casement Park rally would break the organisation's rules about staging political events. [/quote]

From the BBC

[mjcoughlan]

However, Peadar Whelan from the National Hunger Strike Committee, which has organised the rally, said the event was non-party political.

The rally will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the hunger strikes at the Maze prison in which 10 IRA and INLA prisoners died.

[brenners']

I am very much looking forward to attending - it should be an excellent event.

[Pidge]

I am very much looking forward to attending - it should be an excellent event.

Do you think it's appropriate to hold in a GAA ground?

[mjcoughlan]

I am very much looking forward to attending - it should be an excellent event.

Do you think it's appropriate to hold in a GAA ground?

I certainly wouldn't have thought so but that's up to the GAA really. It's disappointing but they've always been somewhat politicised.

[merle haggard]

some elements of the gaa are certainly politicised and given the organisations nationalist roots , its history and indeed raison d'etre thats no surprise. Its is a cultural and sporting organisation in a colonial society seeking to reaffirm and defend the native culture in the face of colonial dominion. But the majority wouldnt be at all overtly political , to suggest so is nonsense . Its a voluntary , amateur community based organisation and merely reflects the communites from which it springs . Where native and coloniser have come into sharpest conflict youll simply find that reflected

[rockofcashel]

I am very much looking forward to attending - it should be an excellent event.

Do you think it's appropriate to hold in a GAA ground?

Of course.. it will be much easier to steward the event to increase the safety of the thousands of people who will turn up.

[Skin]

I am very much looking forward to attending - it should be an excellent event.

Do you think it's appropriate to hold in a GAA ground?

I certainly wouldn't have thought so but that's up to the GAA really. It's disappointing but they've always been somewhat politicised.

Why is it that the anti-SF brigade deem it fit only now to raise this issue? Why not for instance has the name Sam Maguire not been debated? Why not the name of the park itself (Casement) or perhaps Parnell Park?

The anti-SF brigade only see fit to debate the 'politicisation' of the GAA when it suits their anti-SF agenda.

[campbeca]

However, the GAA's Central Council in Dublin discussed the matter on Saturday and agreed that the Casement Park rally would break the organisation's rules about staging political events.

Does that not say the GAA put the kybosh on the event in its planned location?

[merle haggard]

.

Why is it that the anti-SF brigade deem it fit only now to raise this issue? Why not for instance has the name Sam Maguire not been debated? Why not the name of the park itself (Casement) or perhaps Parnell Park?

.[/quote]

give them time . The agenda is to sterilise it and turn it into a plastic , soulless commodity that fits nicely with certain peoples view of how the world shuld be .