“Sport has tremendous potential to bring communities together..”

What had previously been a personal opinion would now appear to be the ministerial view as the Northern Ireland Sports Minister, officially, “encourage[s] the GAA to carry out a full investigation into the activities of 16 August at Galbally and to make a full statement as soon as possible.” That would be the activities noted here and not necessarily the activities noted here.. ANYhoo.. [Adds BBC report]. The Irish Times report adds

When contacted GAA headquarters referred the matter of the commemoration at its ground in Galbally to the organisation’s Ulster Council which said it had no comment to make on the matter at this time. GAA sources acknowledged, however, that holding the commemoration on its ground in Galbally is contrary to rule 7 (a) of the organisation.

A similar situation arose in 2006 when a major commemoration was held in Casement Park in Belfast on the 25th anniversary of the hunger strikes. The instruction from Croke Park not to hold the commemoration in Casement Park was ignored. Subsequently, the GAA refused to make tickets available to senior Sinn Féin members for the 2006 hurling and football All-Ireland finals, a decision Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness described as “childish”.

Updated below the fold.Update From the BBC report

The GAA are to investigate a hunger strike commemoration held at a GAA club in County Tyrone.

The GAA’s Ulster Council said it has had no involvement in the affair, however, the body’s central council has asked it to establish what happened.

Pete Baker