There has been massive media interest, which is still continuing, into our front page story last week regarding 25-year old Darren Graham, from Lisnaskea who vowed never to play either gaelic football or hurling ever again until something was done about sectarian remarks he claims to have been getting from individuals within a handful of clubs for the past number of years.
This is a selection of some of the comment.
Croke Park - In a joint statement , the President of the GAA, Nickey Brennan and the President of the Ulster Council of the GAA, Tom Daly re-stated the GAA's position in relation to the issue of sectarian abuse. They have reiterated that such conduct is unacceptable to the Association and that, as per the Official Guide, the GAA reaffirms that it is a non-sectarian and non-party political organisation.
"Any allegations made will be vigorously investigated and disciplinary action shall be taken where deemed appropriate".
Sport against Racism Ireland:
'All people who are working for cultural and social inclusion must be appalled by the news that the Gaelic footballer and hurler, Darren Graham has resigned from his club, Lisnaskea, over sectarian abuse.
'Sport against Racism Ireland calls on the GAA to deal immediately with this case using Rule 7(b) of it's Constitution ('the Association shall be non-sectarian'). We further encourage the Ulster Council of the GAA to follow the example of the Irish Football Association in it's battle against bigotry and to join forces with them and other sports governing bodies to develop a sports-wide campaign against sectarianism and racism.
Brookeboro caller to 'the Herald.'
'Disgraceful. There is a Ward in Enniskillen hospital where there are old people about to die, and you could do that there. You have put the whole GAA down. I was at that game, and the player in question was acting like a thug from the start to the finish, and you have put him into a saint.
'Things happen on pitches and I am not condoning if anyone called me names, but I would think the Erne hospital deserved more of front page headlines than that.
'To me, it seems a kind of a thing against the GAA or against Brookeboro Club in particular'.
(At this juncture, the caller was reminded that our story didn't mention Brookeboro at all).
'But it's not the first time there have been headlines about Brookeboro. I am aware of another incident in Enniskillen which made very bad headlines as well and never saw the totality of the incident.
'How come no other person at this game saw that this happened? All sides should be allowed tell their story. I would be very disappointed in the 'Herald' altogether.
It has managed to put the other side of the community against the GAA in what they are about. It will just continue in that.
'We have Protestant players in Brookeboro Club and they're treated the same as everyone else, in fact even more so for we're trying to encourage them into the area, for example into our U-12's. They're trying to get Protestant members to come in and, yet, here we have this splash in the 'Herald' and a Ward in Enniskillen closed due to MRSA, and no headlines anywhere.
'I will guarantee you; tomorrow in the 'Impartial' there will be no headlines.
Talkback
The popular BBC Radio Ulster 'Talkback' Show, which runs from 12 noon on weekdays until 2pm, with a break for the news at 1 o'clock, devoted the first half hour to the Darren Graham story, during which people rang in, texted, or e-mailed their reaction.
Firstly, the presenter, David Dunseath ran a pre-recorded interview with Darren, that included an extended piece from Deirdre Donnelly, the Press Officer for the Fermanagh County Board ('unless things are done officially, we cannot take action, but the abuse of any player is not acceptable and will be dealt with seriously').
Eddie (Belfast) - It's a pity he didn't report to the referee the first time it happened. If he had done, it would have been dealt with and dealt with severely. It's a pity it didn't get to the officials at an earlier stage. It is a sad loss to the GAA. I hope he rethinks and gives it another chance.
Brian - I remember a player at Casement Park and somebody hurled abuse at him and the other supporters turned round and ordered him out of the ground and the team told: the next time we get abuse, we will all walk off. It is a great sport and I got great enjoyment out of it. It was never a sectarian sport.
Robert - What should happen in any sport, where there are any kind of remarks made to a player: immediately go to your captain who would then asked the referee to stop the game immediately. That is the only way to stamp this out. That goes for every sport. That's the way to sort it out.
Michael (Armagh) - If I was him, I wouldn't stop playing. Who do you think Sam Maguire was, religion-wise? (Dunseith - That doesn't stop people on the terraces screaming abuse. A former President was a Protestant, but that's not the point. Here is a young man who loves his sport and he has been turfed out of it by sectarianism).
Seamus - I am not surprised by, first of all, the abuse he has been taking by these other plonkers and, possibly, at officials as well. I am disillusioned by the GAA but they have got to take a hard line on this. There is no way that sort of abuse should be targeted at any of our players and club officials.
When Dunseith noted that Darren had stated in his radio interview that 'other people knew it was happening', Sean asked, 'why don't they do something about it? As for the GAA in Antrim, the clubs aren't getting enough young hurlers and footballers coming forward because they're disillusioned as well. It doesn't bode well for the future of the GAA. Croke Park don't give a damn about the clubs.
Dunseith - That's a very strong statement and they're not here to defend themselves. If there were more people from the other side of the house involved with the GAA, that would help a lot.
E-mails received gave varying opinions. One caller said it was time that the Northern Board and the county boards opened their eyes and realised there was a sectarian element and ignorance within the Northern Provinces Board in not allowing club facilities to be fully accessible to people from the Protestant faith. The GAA need to have measures fully developed. It is time they dealt with allegations from members that Protestants are not welcome.
Gael - Don't expect the County Board to back him up. They have been given evidence of abuse and very little has been done.
Ian - I am surprised the BBC covered that story. You have refused to tackle bigotry from that quarter for many years.
Dunseith - It deserves the odd pat on the back. You will get morons no matter where you go.
Enniskillen Gael - Referees have ignored this sort of abuse.
Other contributors, some of them ex-GAA players from the Protestant tradition, recalled their own experiences. Michael told Talkback that his club always had Protestants and 'never one drop of bother': 'They have always been very welcome here. In actual fact, there are two fellows play on the senior team in south Down'.
When David Dunseith suggested there was a problem in one particular quarter, Michael agreed but he said in his own club, 'we have to stand together against sectarianism and weeded it out'. He went on: "We never found any problem in 40 years and we have had a lot of Protestant fellows coming to us in that time. I don't think it's as big a problem as people think. My advice where sectarian language is used is, stamp it out the first time it happens'.
Liam, from Lurgan, said his club played (with) Protestants all the time and there had never been any hassle.
Another Brian said the allegations made by Darren Graham were very serious. They should be investigated by the County Board and those responsible, players, club and spectators, should be banned from the GAA or attending anything to do with the GAA.
"If the (Fermanagh) County Board are not prepared to do anything about it,, I believe the club should go straight to Croke Park and, if they must close down the County Board in Fermanagh, so be it".
Gordon said it was a shame this had happened to a young fellow. His own experience was, he said simple enough: his brother and he played for Downpatrick (where Dunseith lives) in the 1970's and won senior championship medals: "I went to an under-age soccer match recently and I listened to one fellow slobbering and I said to him, 'he's only a 17-year old and I told him to shut it'.
Dunseith - Downpatrick is not the worst place in the world when it comes to sectarianism and things of that nature!
Gaelic Players Association - Its spokesman s aid his organisation hoped that, with the support of his club and the Fermanagh County Board, Darren 'might reconsider his decision to walk away from the game': "He has already displayed great courage and fortitude by pursuing Gaelic games to a very high standard in difficult circumstances. This type of behaviour cannot be tolerated within the GAA".
Belfast Telegraph (opinion piece excerpt) - 'This behaviour is not unique. We know how Catholic footballers have been treated by partisan Protestant crowds in both Glasgow and Belfast when they have played or Northern Ireland. When they so much as touched the ball, a chorus of boos was to be heard from the bigots. Sad but true'.
