Protestant GAA player gives up sport after sectarian abuse…
Gaelic Football has a grace and skill about it that is hard to resist at close quarters. It’s not surprising that despite the cultural chill around some of the flags and symbols, it is played with enthusiasm and passion by some (albeit very few) Protestants. Darren Graham is probably more senior than most of those who have taken up the sport, but he has finally given up playing after taking regular sectarian abuse.
Deirdre Donnelly, the Press Officer for the Fermanagh County Board GAA, told the ‘Herald’ it was the first time she had heard of that form of abuse: “And, I know from talking to other officials, they have never been aware of it. But, certainly, if individuals feel there is an issue, they should bring it to their club and the club should take it to County Board.”Darren Graham is adamant: ‘unless there is something really done about it and the County Board realise that this is all happening, I am definite, I am not putting on the shirt again’.
For the record, Rule 7(b) of the GAA constitution states clearly: ‘the Association shall be non-sectarian’.
And, in Febraury this year, the GAA President, Nicky Brennan, in the course of an interview for the Church of Ireland Gazette, insisted there was nothing wrong with the GAA that would stop Protestant people joining. Indeed, he suggested the only intimidation might come from their own community.
It begs the question that if the GAA doesn’t actually know this stuff is going on: is this just the tip of a very large iceberg?
Yes – if it became a cultural movement and ceased to be a political movement.
That’s pretty clear Cruimh. Cheers.
Cheers kloot
It’s more a fault of Northern Irish society than anything else-didn’t an Antrim hurler get sent off this year for reacting to being called a British bastard by a Galway player, but in saying this the GAA in Ulster anyway should help lead the way in stopping this kinda thing. It’s depressing news nonetheless and hopefully the culprits will be caught.
Unfortunately its difficult to imagine that sectarian abuse will NOT be levelled at Darren Graham. I suspect that there will be support from teammates albeit in a ‘he is not like the other prods’ sort of way. Wlilst it may be abhorrent it is not unexpected. People will find excuses to excuse the inexcusable.
Darren’s family have suffered more than most from sectarianism, and ignorance and the inexcusable.
Darren has the capacity to be a real ambassador for the GAA. I dont blame him for not speaking out sooner – he has done more than enough by playing for the team.
But now the team needs to speak up for Darren. They really heard nothing ? Never a word ? Father and uncles UDR men murdered by the IRA ? Only protestant on the team ?
Maybe he’s not like ‘the other prods’ but if he aint really one of us anyway …. We all know the scenario … somewhere ….
Dave:
“Unfortunately its difficult to imagine that sectarian abuse will NOT be levelled at Darren Graham”
There’s no reason why a Protestant in the GAA should be any more likely to be taunted than anyone else in any organisation.
Most people in Ireland don’t even know, never mind care about, the religion of their politicians. Most GAA supporters are the same when it comes to the players. Religion simply does not come into it.
There are some (i.e. too many) sectarian people throughout this island, and it should come as no surprise that they are in all walks of life.
The GAA must move swiftly on this and return to a non-sectarian status quo.
Aaron M: “There’s no reason why a Protestant in the GAA should be any more likely to be taunted than anyone else in any organisation. ”
Let us not be naive, Aaron. A Protestant in the GAA comes with a built-in extra target, given the nationalist orientation of the organization and the break-down of nationist and Unionist along sectarian lines.
In other words, the GAA, or at least a segment of its players and associates, would appear to have at least a minor pre-disposition to toss a few buns in the direction of a Protestant player, particularly were he perceived to not have the same… enthusiasm for nationalist politics or Hunger Strike memorials.
As much as some in the Unionist community would see this as an opportunity to toss a few starchy treats, their knee-jerk opportunism does *not* mean there is no substance to the accusation or the problem.
Aaron M: “The GAA must move swiftly on this and return to a non-sectarian status quo.”
To play devil’s advocate, can you honestly say, given the celebration of the Hunger Strikers and the admittedly unenforced (but still retained) rules, that there was a non-sectarian status quo for them to return to? The awkward yet inevitable conflation of Protestantism with Unionism with being “British” makes this a far more complex issue that some on either side of the sectarian social divide would admit.
dewi
Yes Cruimh the GAA is a nationalist organisation – I don’t think anyone disputes that. What Mr Graham complains about is sectarian abuse, a different matter.
All depends what you mean by sectarian.
But regardless, Mr Graham complains of being abused because his father was murdered by the PIRA – since we are told by its supporters that the PIRA wasn’t “sectarian” (ahem), we can assume that this abuse is political in nature and ties in with the GAA’s political nature. Can we?
KENSEI
While you are at it, you might want to attempt to get out of the hole you dug that suggested I can’t choose which symbols I want to represent me.
You can choose whatever symbols you want to represent you – if that’s what you’re into. Fly the Southern tricolour from your house and wrap yourself in it when you go out to the shops. But if the organisers of the St Patrick’s Day parade choose to display the Southern flag, then they are choosing an inappropriate symbol and won’t achieve support from the wider community. St Patrick is the patron saint of the whole of Ireland: not just the South; and of all Irish people: not just nationalists.
Good test for the GAA this.
Fermanagh’s traditional poor showing at Gaelic football has been attributed to the county being “half water and half Protestants”.
They now have a chance to do something about it, and I’m not talking about the water.
Or they could come with a hundred cowardly excuses about “official complaints”, “slagging only to be expected”, “what about NI soccer team?” etc.
Peter Quinn has a chance to show leadership here.
The damning words of Darren Graham.
“As regards Protestants playing gaelic, I think I am the only one throughout the county that I know is Protestant who is playing that sport. Don’t get me wrong: there are plenty of other players who have a Protestant mother/father, but were brought up as Catholics, but I think I am the only true Protestant”
The stated (potitical) desire of the GAA to see a, so called, “united” Ireland, doesn’t seem to be working in Fermanagh.
None (zip, zero, zilch, sweet fa) of the people they wish to be “united” with, play GAA in Fermanagh.
The ONE that did – the bigots forced away.
Willowfield: “But regardless, Mr Graham complains of being abused because his father was murdered by the PIRA – since we are told by its supporters that the PIRA wasn’t “sectarian†(ahem), we can assume that this abuse is political in nature and ties in with the GAA’s political nature. Can we? ”
To be brutally honest, I would suspect that “the source” of Mr. Graham’s abuse is not singular in nature. Taunting one’s opponent, despite its unsportsman-like nature, is likely as old as competition as sport. Depending on the source, it could be sectarian player or players (a few bad oranges… pardon, *apples*, do not spoil the whole barrel, leastwise according to some…), player or players with a greater interest in victory than sportsmanship, or the simply could be shmucks. Taunts need not be sincere, so long as they are efficacious.
That said, regardless of the sincerity or the lack thereof behind the taunts, this sort of behavior should be addressed in the harshest possible manner.
“A couple of games, perhaps, somebody would mention something about my father or my uncles, but it wasn’t that really. It was more, ‘black bastard’ and, ‘you’re a Protestant, you shouldn’t be playing gaelic sport.”
Willow – above from article referring to his youth football – abuse mostly religious – no indication in rest of article if more recent abuse was to do with family deaths.
No less acceptable of course – sectarian I take to mean religion which officially (in that famous constitution) the GAA is not.
Can people please distinquish between prod and Unionist when referring to this issue or else clearly mention the 6 counties, as this is not a problem in the 26.
Anyone and everyone plays it here…
Todd – isn’t that partitionist of you ?
Yes abit of a contradiction isn’t it.
How are things re the immigrant community in the ROI ? Do many join/participate? Obviously the whole nationalism thing won’t be a negative for them but presumably it isn’t a positive either?
Chris:
“Suggesting this incident may be the tip of a ‘very large iceberg’ doesn’t really square with the facts”…
Poor phrasing on my part. I was thinking more of the “7/8 hidden mass” principle, rather than ‘a very big thing’.
Nowadays GAA is conducted in a very public and shared space (TV), rather than something that just one section of the community goes off to do (privately) together every Sunday.
As such, perhaps previously water tight assumptions of commonality on political issues (not directly related to the conduct of the sport) between supporters, players and officials are directly challenged by such incidents, no matter how isolated (or otherwise) they might be?
As this story demonstrates, Protestants don’t need to want to play GAA in large numbers before this has the potential to be an embarrassing (and possibly retarding) issue for the organisation at large.
As an aside, it would appear that, in the states, hurling is suffering a slow death. Apparently, without actual Irishmen to play it, most of the GAA clubs there are withering on the vine — the GAA’s success in the states is too tied to US immigration policy and the Irish economy.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118541380907978494.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Realist,
An interesting quote on The Our Wee Country Webite from a staunch NI fan from Fermanagh who knows Darron well on a personal level. This poster, as you know, is no friend of the GAA.
‘I have to say I’m totally shocked by this story. Not because of what DG faced, but some of the quotes attributed to him. I worked with him for years in ‘skea & it being the kind of place it is you get to know quite a bit about folks… His history is particularly well known given his family’s tragic circumstances.
That said, for him to describe himself as a Protestant is amazing, as throughout our friendship, I don’t recall him ever declaring himself such. He was the product of a mixed marriage, and whilst he went to a state school, I doubt he’d have had much religious instruction of the Reformation type… particularly after his father died. Indeed there were all sorts of rumours about the nature of his father’s death & the timing of it in local areas which wouldn’t be right to repeat but cast an interesting light on his upbringing.
The RC’s in our work place where very supportive of him in my experience, particularly around his GAAGAA and indeed football connections in the area. I’m unsurprised that in his hometown areas he didn’t get any grief.’
Methinks the media have been too busy knocking themselves down in the rush to stick the boot into the GAA, that they failed to proper;y investigate this story.
“As an aside, it would appear that, in the states, hurling is suffering a slow death.”
Shouldn’t that please the GAA? After all it IS a foreign sport over there ?
Cruimh: “Shouldn’t that please the GAA? After all it IS a foreign sport over there ?
”
I’m not all that certain *anything* beyond their neighbor’s misery makes anyone in NI “pleased.” So much effort is made to look each look as bad as the next — its like a basket of live crustaceans — no need to put a lid on, since if any one of them gets too far ahead, the rest of the lot will pull ‘im back down.
Must say, I was very impressed with a GAA supporter – possibly member – from Co Antrim who rang Talkback today. The man was shaking with rage at this young man’s treatment and laid into the GAA heirarchy big time.
Little did he, nor the GAA, probably, realise it, but he did more for the GAA’s image than any amount of spin doctors ever could.
It’s a wonder Mr GAA himself, Barry MacAlduff, didn’t ring in – or then again, maybe not.
“Methinks the media have been too busy knocking themselves down in the rush to stick the boot into the GAA, that they failed to proper;y investigate this story”
chewnic,
As a Northern Ireland fan, I know all about media mis representation.
The substance of this story cannot be deflected away from tho.
The theological beliefs of the fella’s mother are not up for debate.
It the sectarianism suffered by the player himself that is the story.
PS. The poster you refer to is certainly not anti GAA – he would follow the fortunes of the Fermanagh county GAA teams.
Realist,
the odd thing arising from the piece submitted by your fellow fan was that Darron would appear to have not described himself as a Protestant before now. From other reports, it would appear that Darron is well able to dish out stick as well as taking it.
As a perceived victim of media misrepresentaion, it is therefore illuminating that you have nonetheless chosen to stick the boot into the GAA early doors
“From other reports, it would appear that Darron is well able to dish out stick as well as taking it.”
Can you elaborate ?
Realist we don’t want to be united with YOU, we want our national territory back again in a unified, indivisible form. I don’t care that this boy is out, do the GAA really want the son of the member of a Brit death squad playing anyway? deep down i know they don’t and I’m glad.
Ask Aiden McAnespie’s family if they want him or any other Prods playing I think I know the answer you’ll get. we catholics spend too much time talking about wanting to get on with Prods when we all know thats nonsense..there’s no reforming those people they are beyond the pale. let’s keep our organisations of which we are proud pure of them, any true GAA fan who claims they want it any other way is lying, and they know it’s safe to say when it’s never going to happen. the prods should simply give us back our land and if they stay here abide by the wishes of the majority..the gaelic way of life is not something you can opt to pursue, it is a birth right. leave the rabble to their sordid marching season its all they’re good for at the end of the day.
Yeah Chewnic – there’s a fair bit of innuendo in your last couple of posts.
From other reports, it would appear that Darron is well able to dish out stick as well as taking it.
Chewnic
Any links?
“there’s no reforming those people they are beyond the pale….”
Intentionally ironic or not that made me laugh.
My first post merely reflected the views of a NI soccer fan on the ‘ Our Wee Country’ site.My second post was drawn from a GAA site in which like most players of a tough sport, Darron was described as being more than able to hold his own on the physical and verbal sides of the game.
All unsubstantiated I know. My point being that media reports on this are equally unsubstantiated as only Mr. Gibson’s views were sought by the media.
“As a perceived victim of media misrepresentaion, it is therefore illuminating that you have nonetheless chosen to stick the boot into the GAA early doors”
I believe the boot should be stuck into the sectarian bigots within it – metaphorically speaking.
To those within the GAA who strive to eradicate sectarianism, bigotry and intolerance from within it’s ranks, I stand shoulder to shoulder.
The radicals within the GAA will realise that one cannot “unite” Ireland by alienating a section of the people of Ireland.
They will be deeply angry and hurt at this news today.
It seems that some Gaels in Fermanagh cannot even bear to have a “Prod” (or half a Prod, as the case may be!) about the place.
I would suggest to you that they will never “unite” Ireland – they merely ensure that it will never be “united”.
My point being that media reports on this are equally unsubstantiated as only Mr. Gibson’s views were sought by the media
Well, no, that’s not actually the case.
Both his club and the county secretary are quoted in the report- they say they were unaware of any sectarianism directed towards him.
Sorry Chewnic must have missed something – who is Mr Gibson ?
Realist,
You are right in saying that sectarian attitudes and behaviour in sport serve only to alinate those on the receiving end of the abuse. NI soccer supporters once had a very poor reputation in this regard. However thanks to good work done by true NI fans, this problem is greatly reduced and hopefully will be eradicated soon.
I have no doubt that the true Gaels within the GAA will deal severely if sectarian abuse against this man can be proven.
apologies meant, Darren GRAHAM
chewnic – it looked suspiciously as though you were trying to smear Darren Graham.
Cruimh,
As stated previously,I merely conveyed the views of a source that would not be sympathetic to the GAA.
‘To those within the GAA who strive to eradicate sectarianism, bigotry and intolerance from within it’s ranks, I stand shoulder to shoulder.’
Realist
How can you say that when you stand shoulder to shoulder with thousands of bigots chanting ‘no surrender’ at Windsor Park ?
“As stated previously,I merely conveyed the views of a source that would not be sympathetic to the GAA. ”
With what intent ?
“it looked suspiciously as though you were trying to smear Darren Graham”
Cruimh,
It’s interesting that the bigots within the Northern Ireland support who brought shame on the majority of our fans used the “sure Lennon was no angel himself” excuse when justifying their actions – even tho there was irrefutable evidence on video to show that Lennon was no angel.
Sectarianism is wrong – whether it’s a Protestant or a Catholic on the receiving end.
It is the enemy that needs to be destroyed – not the GAA, not the IFA.
The main problem I have is the utter refusal by some to be allowed judge the GAA and some of it’s it’s followers by the same criteria they judge us as Northern Ireland football supporters.
The bravery of Graham is to be admired – I’m quite sure he will face the wrath of many of the more bigoted/fascist element within the ranks of Fermanagh Gaels in consequence of these revelations.
With the intent of highlighting a different angle to the story from an unusual source-don’t shoot the messenger…
Realist, to be fair, I do give due credit to NI fans for the good work done. I was not aware that there was still a problem with the ‘No Surrender’ chants at Windsor. Can you confirm that I am indeed right on this one.
Cruimh,
Going back to your earlier question regarding immigrants playing the sport,
They do if they started in the primary schools, probably not if they came to the country and started in secondary, and not least the problem that it takes years to develop the skills needed to complete for the various teams.
Even seasoned hurlers need a few months to get back to proper hurling after the winter layoff in clubs…
In Graham Norton’s autobiography he said it really was worse being protestant than being gay, growing up in the part of Ireland he came from.
Realist – I’ve said it before – people here demand that their community be judged by it’s best and that the other community be judged by it’s worst.
chewnic,
“I was not aware that there was still a problem with the ‘No Surrender’ chants at Windsor”
Regretably, a sizeable minority of Northern Ireland fans continue to bastardise the National Anthem of the United Kingdom Of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with a “No Surrender” add on in the middle of it.
As an avid reader of the OWC fans site, you must have noticed the numerous threads (some very lenghty) on the subject?
Akin to the minority of ROI fans who tarnish “The Fields” with political/sectarian add ons.
Wholly inappropriate.
Back on track tho – I hope the incidents referred today today give the GAA hierarchy a kick up the backside regarding the work they need to do within their organisation to eradicate bigotry, intolerance and sectarianism.
A disease of wider Northern Irish society that has found it’s way into sport.
“people here demand that their community be judged by it’s best and that the other community be judged by it’s worst”
So very true Cruimh.
To happy to hide behind sectarianism by pointing the finger at “the other side”, rather than tackling the enemy that cripples both communities – sectarianism.
Realist,
I haven’t been to an NI game before but I will be attending the Leichtenstein game in a few week along with a friend from work who is an avid fan.
I am looking forward to a good game in a non-sectarian environment and I’ll be cheering for a home win.
Cruimh: ” people here demand that their community be judged by it’s best and that the other community be judged by it’s worst. ”
Are you suggesting your feet aren’t made of the same clay?
A more honest assessment is that a communities are judged on the most obvious and memorable members of their community — the negative is more memorable than the positive and the obvious more memorable than the subtle.
Realist: “To happy to hide behind sectarianism by pointing the finger at “the other sideâ€, rather than tackling the enemy that cripples both communities – sectarianism. ”
On the other hand, there are those who wish “the other side” to believe “their” sectarianism is limited to a few bad actors within otherwise fine upstanding institutions whilst “themmun’s” sectarianism is deep in the core identity of that community and its institutions.
Just as the argument cut both ways, there is little chance that even individuals of good-will will take “advice” about sectarianism from folks who are wholly uninterested in the problems in their own community.
“Are you suggesting your feet aren’t made of the same clay? ”
No,
You’ll have to try harder mo chara!
But It’ll have to wait for a response as now I am off for a night of utter debauchery.
chewnic,
That’s great to hear.
I hope you thoroughly enjoy the occassion, and that you witness another three points in the bag for Northern Ireland.
If you’re perturbed about the Anthem, with the disrespectful add ons, just stay outside until it’s over.
Maybe you would be so good as to come back onto Slugger and relate your experiences after the game?
I’m very concerned about my bank balance to be honest – what with trips to Latvia, Iceland, Sweden and Spain coming up before Christmas.
Worth every last penny tho, to see players from both communities representing this little part of the world with pride and passion – against the odds!