GAA puts a stop to political campaigns
Tyrone chief Harte at Vote No event over weekend
Branches told not to get involved ‘Club facilities must not be used’
THE GAA is set to write to all 32 county secretaries to instruct them that it will not be involved in the upcoming referendum on the repeal of the Eighth Amendment on abortion.
It follows an event held near a Dublin GAA club on Saturday, which involved wellknown GAA personalities campaigning for a No vote in the May 25 poll.
The event featured a photo opportunity for the No campaign, alongside hurling and Gaelic football training for children.
Tyrone GAA manager Mickey Hart attended the event which was organised by GAA Players for No, a group which is associated with the pro-life Save the Eighth campaign.
The GAA is now issuing the letters to reiterate that it does not get involved in politics, and that no club facilities could be used to endorse either side of the campaign.
The event took place near Ballyfermot De La Salle GAA club, but not on the club grounds.
The club distanced itself from the campaign ahead of the event over the weekend, issuing a statement on their Facebook page stating that they were not associated with it.
The statement read: ‘As the local GAA Club in the community where this launch is to take place, and in response to queries raised by our own members, the Club wishes to make the following clear: the Club is in no way associated with today’s launch. It received no communication in advance from anyone involved with the launch and, in fact, the Club only became aware of the launch from press reports this morning.
‘It would be wholly inappropriate for the Club to be associated with the launch, as the GAA and its clubs do not become involved in political matters. No GAA and/or Club facilities are being used for today’s launch.’
It added: ‘A decision on whether or not to participate in the football/hurling skills coaching session that is being held as part of this launch is a personal matter for each parent/guardian to decide for their own child.
‘Ballyfermot De La Salle GAA Club felt it was important to clarify the above matters. As the Club has no involvement whatsoever with today’s launch, it will not be making any further comment.’ The Save the Eighth campaign group did not comment on the issue when contacted by the Irish Daily Mail.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin was asked yesterday if he would campaign in the abortion referendum. He announced earlier this year in the Dáil that he was in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment.
Yesterday, he said: ‘First of all, since my speech in the Dáil, I have been on a number of programmes and articulated my views and belief that there should be a repeal of the Eighth Amendment. That I think as a legislator it’s very important that we take on board the views of all of the people, and we don’t force our own personal views on everybody else.’ Mr Martin said that he feels there is ‘a mood out in the country for change in relation to the Eighth Amendment itself and I will continue to advocate for that’. He continued: ‘In terms of doorstep campaigning, my own sense is that a lot of people want to be left to their own decisionmaking on this; that they are not overly enthusiastic about politicians coming and trying to tell them what to do.
‘But I will use public fora to articulate my own views. As indeed those within the party who have different views to mine will also be on public platforms articulating their views.
‘To be frank, I think the situation will harden up in terms of formation of opinion in the last two to three weeks of the campaign, as it always does.’