Groundswell against GAA rule change
By Ned Kelly
How can one take an oath of allegiance to the British Queen,
indeed take up arms to promote British interests in Ireland and
at the same time profess to be a true Gael, loyal to the
objectives of theGAA?
SF Councillor Mickey McAnespie
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The executive of Fermanagh County Board GAA has been forced to
issue a statement denying it had made a decision to support GAA
president Joe McDonagh's move to scrap Rule 21 prior to internal
consultation.
Rule 21 bans members of the crown forces from joining the
association. It will be debated at an extraordinary GAA congress
on 30 May.
Fermanagh SF councillor Robin Martin has confirmed that despite
the rumours that the Fermanagh County Board would move to back
the leadership's call at an extraordinary county meeting on
Monday, ``ordinary members are against any change''.
Roslea SF councillor Brian McCaffrey has spoken to people from
different clubs across Co Fermanagh. He has said that people are
``concerned that the move is being considered too soon''. McCaffrey
said ``only one or two clubs are in favour but most say that the
first thing needed is for a look at the RUC before this rule can
be changed.''
Eilish McAnespie whose brother, GAA man Aidan McAnespie was
gunned down by the British Army in cold blood ten years ago on
his way to a football match in Aughnacloy Co Tyrone, has
condemned the move as premature. She said, ``Aidan was constantly
harassed by the British Army before they murdered him. The family
is absolutely disgusted at this coming up now, it is totally
premature.''
Eilish who carries on the GAA tradition as a member of the
Aghaloo club said her objection to lifting the ban was based on,
``the RUC and British Army responsibility for the deaths, the
harassment, the shoot-to-kill, plastic bullets and the collusion
with the UDA and UFF. All of which was highlighted in a recent UN
report.''
Eilish McAnespie pointed out that the day the crown forces
accepted that the GAA actively promotes the Irish language, has
no recognition of partition and plays under a tricolour and
stands to the Irish national anthem she, ``would have absolutely
no problem lifting the ban.''
This was reiterated by Mrs Ann Sands, the first woman to hold the
top GAA job on the Derry city GAA board. She stressed that, ``many
GAA activists are still being intimidated because of their work
to promote Irish culture and until that is a thing of the past
then, perhaps, this rule [21] should be kept.''
Ms McAnespie also said that human rights organisation Relatives
for Justice would be calling for a meeting with the GAA Ulster
Council (nine-county) and the All-Ireland Committee. She said,
``the onus is on the GAA to listen to the views of nationalists
who have suffered first hand.''
In a statement the Relatives for Justice group called for
``members of the GAA to retain the ban until a police force that
is acceptable and representative of the whole community is in
place. We ask members of the GAA to retain rule 21 and only
accept change when justice and human rights have been seen to be
done - not some vague promises for the future.'' It went on to
say, ``any change before this is in place would be premature. We
need guarantees that security force human rights violations are
never repeated.''
Mid Tyrone SF Councillor, Mickey McAnespie, an uncle of Aidan
McAnespie, said this week that he can sense ``a growing
determination among GAA members in Tyrone to support the
retention of Rule 21''.
Councillor McAnespie, a strong supporter and member of the GAA,
said that Rule 21 ``amounts to common sense''. He said, ``How can
one take an oath of allegiance to the British Queen, indeed take
up arms to promote British interests in Ireland and at the same
time profess to be a true Gael, loyal to the objectives of the
GAA?
``To be truthful, and to call a spade a spade, the RUC and British
Army will never be acceptable to nationalists. British forces
will have to give way to security forces which we all can have
confidence in. People should stop trying to reconcile the
impossible.''
A County Down GAA member told An Phoblacht, ``every player I've
talked to from the senior teams around Kilcoo and Castlewellan
was very unhappy with the [proposed] rule change.'' Pressure from
the rank and file has forced the County Board to allow the clubs
to decide on the issue.
GAA members from Crossmaglen are also angry that the lifting of
the ban on RUC, RIR and British Army personnel has been linked to
the return of the occupied Crossmaglen Ranger's pitch in County
Armagh. A spokesperson for the Crossmaglen Rangers said, ``we
should not be used as a trading tool - we have been the victims
of injustice for 26 years.'' Demanding that the issue of
Crossmaglen and rule 21 should not be linked he said, ``rule 21 is
a matter for the association in general.''
Following reports in the Sunday press it also seems unlikely that
the British military will abandon the Crossmaglen site,
regardless of Bertie Ahern or Marjorie Mowlam's show of support
for the GAA leadership.
Meanwhile, the reality of life for GAA members in the Six
Counties was seen on Sunday evening 19 April. Following an
incident that occurred the day after the GAA president backed an
end to rule 21, the Shane O Neill's GAA club in Camloch is to
officially complain through the Armagh GAA County Board about
treatment handed out to players and club officials as they
travelled to a game.
A car containing players and club officials was stopped at a
British Army checkpoint just outside Scarva as they travelled to
an Armagh County League clash with Eire Og in Craigavon. All
those in the car including an under 14 player were forced out of
the car and searched. Thier details were noted, the car was
rigidly searched and two of the party were verbally abused. They
were held for 30 minutes. After the incident, club spokesperson
Pat McGinn said, ``those in the car explained they were travelling
to a football match and were as co-operative as possible but they
have been subject to uncalled for harassment and delay.''
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