Some detail on that abuse…
The Irish Independent has more detail on the specific abuse that Darren Graham took in the course, primarily, of his senior playing career as the only Protestant playing GAA in Fermanagh.
Darren, who works as a joiner with local firm the Clarke Group, stressed he got on well with those within his own club and with people in his local community. “It just came to a head. Something bad (was said) on the field: ‘You’re a black c***.’ Then another ran by and said: ‘It’s the truth, you’re nothing but that’.”
And
Mr Graham, whose two-year-old daughter is being raised as a Catholic, said: “I’ve been getting it from opponents and supporters. It’s been happening up through the ranks but not really bad until I got to senior level, when I was 18.
“It’s definitely because I’m a Protestant. No-one else on the pitch would get it half as bad. I’ve been told Protestants shouldn’t be allowed in the GAA. I know it’s a minority, but it’s happening. Everybody knows it, but I never pushed it any higher. What’s the point? Nothing is going to be done about it.”
“In the main, yes – but a further complication is the support for/ perceived links with physical force reublicanism.”
Why should it though? I would like there to be a situation where, for example, I could attend the 12th of July parades. I’m not British, and I have no aspiration to Unionism but I don’t see why if the problems I have with the OO were resolved (and I felt safer), then I couldn’t attend and enjoy it.
Is the mere presence of a tricolour and the Irish language so offensive in itself?
Would Unionists be happier if even more GAA and camogie members were killed during the Troubles. Just how many dead sportsmen would satiate the lust?
Turgon, they were saying to you that Antrim are so shit that an influx of Harryville nun kickers could not make the situation worse for Antrim footballers. Adams’ son played for Antrim but I am not sure about Stakeknife’s progeny.
Joe,
What on earth was that in response to?
“Is the mere presence of a tricolour and the Irish language so offensive in itself? ”
It’s so complicated.
I’d broadly put it into two overlapping categories
1) The Nationalist imperative means that “it’s not our sort of thing”. It’s “something for the other side”.
2) The Physical force dimension – real and perceived – engenders a degree of active hostility ( not referring to attacks here – which I deplore)
Another overlap that I know that GAA people in the ROI don’t seem to understand – what are seen in their eyes and the country as symbols of nationalism – Tricolour, National Anthem, Irish Language – are not so much nationalist in the eyes of my community as hardline republican.
Ohhhhhh….The strangers came and tried to teach us their ways, they scorned us just for being what we are.
What ho old chaps? Much better to jolly along wot?
Cruimh
I can understand the active hostility with regards to the physical force republicanism. However, does the first engender indifference or hostility? If, as suggested, you’d refuse to go and support your friends, that seems to me being the latter rather than the former.
The Tricolour, GAA and Irish language aren’t extreme Republican here either – they encompass the entire Nationalist spectrum, and if that is the perception then it is one that needs correcting.
“However, does the first engender indifference or hostility?”
Ken – best expression I can give is what is represented as the old attitude pre-troubles re OO/AOH – seen as something the other side do.
“You have your sports, we have ours”, You have your social structures, we have ours. (plug for ending segregated education here )
“The Tricolour, GAA and Irish language aren’t extreme Republican here either – they encompass the entire Nationalist spectrum, and if that is the perception then it is one that needs correcting. ”
I think most of us know that they do actually encompass the entire spectrum – it’s a similar thing to the discussons we have over nationalist reactions to the OO.
So speaking for myself, gut reactions – Tricolour is the flag draped over the Shankill bomber’s coffin, carried by G Adams. Irish Language is TAL and the grating dissonance of SF spokesmen as talked about by Brian Feeney a few weeks ago. Amhran is a provo Anthem. Those are gut reactions that I would expect many in my community to share.
They may not be right but I can put forward a reasoned argument to explain my reactions.
I don’t know how damage done by the extremists can be undone by moderate republicans and nationalists. I suspect that changes will come as people of my generation die out – and a good reason to argue for integrated educaton so as to speed things up.
Ther’s a similarity with my parent’s generation attitude towards Germans and Japanese people Post WW2. My generation have some of it the generation after have even less and it will disappear with time. I don’t think old wrongs and hurts can be reasoned around.
there’s another point – there’s a generation lag. The movers and shakers, the senior politicians, the senior churchmen, the media types are all of the troubles generation. It’ll be what, another 20 years before those who weren’t around in the 60s, 70s and 80s start to run this place – and it will be a lot longer before those born post GFA or post ceasefire become important.
Mr Rumsfeld wades in with……
“At the risk of being controversial, Mr Graham seems a little confused. He’s quoted as saying he’s the only “true Protestant†on the team , yet he’s bringing up a child as an RC – not a sectarian point but if you are a dedicated member of a church you presumably want to have your family belong to it”
Controversy suits you Darth!
Mr Graham would appear to have an identity problem, if not a full-blown crisis.
What’s this? Scots border name in Norfolk-planted county? Plays hurley? Calls himself a Prod? Raising a Taig?
And any Taig raising a Prod and playing cricket would be just as much an oddball.
Sad, innit?
what in the name of fuck is a protestant doing in that bunch of murder gang apologists aka the GAA??
One prod from fermanagh is one prod too many
Kensei,
“”I do not think the GAA will ever attract significant unionist support and in a way I do not think they need to.â€
Have you ever seen Antrim play? Perhaps there are some unionists out there who are half decent. They couldn’t be much worse, anyway. ”
I have been away from the computer for a while but need to apologise. I failed to understand your comment and thought you were saying something you were not (ie we were not nice rather than maybe we were ok at sport). I am neither a nice person nor good at sport so in my case the comment is probably correct. My apologies for accusing you of an attack when it was not.
Aaron,
I’m not sure why a sporting organisation needs to be quite so fixated on an Irish 32-county political identity, rather than a cultural identity which would not be quite so hostile to the other community, whether you identify them as protestants or unionists.
Is it, and should it be, about the National Identity of a 32 County Ireland, or is it about promotion of Gaelic Games?
Surely you don’t have to believe in bending over backwards to ask whether promoting the sport is less important than commemorating dead terrorists or freedom fighters.
You can, of course, try to promote the sport as well as celebrating the armed struggle – but celebrating terrorists, through hungerstrike events, names of grounds, and otherwise, does severly limit the appeal and spread of the sport.
And failing to get to grips with the sectarian abuse a protestant player suffered, or minimising it, or condoning it, is both morally wrong, and incredibly stupid, if the GAA are serious about moving out of the ghetto.