GAA detractors ‘living in a time-warp'

Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly has hit out at politicians in the North who criticised last week’s awarding of a 2013 European Citizens prize to the GAA.

Mr Kelly, a former GAA president, nominated the association for the award on the basis of its contribution to cross-border peace and volunteerism, but the move has provoked anger among some unionist politicians who have described the GAA as a “divisive and provocative” organisation.

Ulster Unionist Party MEP Jim Nicholson said the award was “ill-judged and ill-timed” and “could be seen as the EU giving legitimacy to the GAA naming their grounds after IRA criminals.”
“It’s a further insult to the victims of terrorism and may in fact harm the peace process,” said Mr Nicholson.

However MEP Sean Kelly slammed his comments, claiming that “for a lot of these people, the timing would never be right”.

“They’re referring to to things a long time ago; they don’t realise that the GAA has moved on considerably. We are an all-island, all-inclusive, anti-sectarian, anti-racist society. We have embraced change, notably when we reached out to what used to be considered as the ‘foreign sports’ of soccer and rugby and brought them into Croke Park. The Rugby World Championships are now going to be held at Croke Park. In the North, we have outreach programmes at community level that have been received very positively by many in the Unionist community,” said Mr Kelly.

The GAA will receive its special medal at a European Citizens Award ceremony in Ireland later this year, becoming the first Irish recipient of the prize which honours groups or individuals that promote integration.

But many Unionist politicians remain unconvinced, including DUP MEP Diane Dodds, who said, “while the GAA has made some changes in recent years, they have still a long road to travel.”

Original story here.