Sport's role in building respect in North stressed

SPORT IS far ahead of politics or politicians in building a society based on mutual respect in Northern Ireland, the Parnell Summer School in Co Wicklow was told yesterday.

Opening a debate on Sport and Leisure in a Divided Society, Dr David Hassan of the University of Ulster School of Sports Studies said sport was embedded in the identity of both the main traditions in Northern Ireland. But he said the separate identities featured different sports.

Dr Hassan said it had been suggested there might be a move away from “grandiose displays to more subtle symbols” in a bid to encourage integration. But he posed the question: “Is the end goal an integrated society, or is the end goal respect for difference?”

Ryan Feeney, a full-time official of the Ulster GAA, answered emphatically that respect for other traditions, for fellow players, for each other and for themselves was the end goal. Progress in accepting diversity would be made by respecting each other’s traditions, rather than “neutralising them”, he said.

Working in Tyrone, he was aware there was hope the county team might win the next all-Ireland final and return with the Sam Maguire Cup to be feted in a sea of Tyrone colours “in the typically understated way”. But he added: on July 12th “that same space would become a sea of Orange, which was a difference that all the community had to respect”.

He said sport was critical in suicide prevention in rural areas. It organised bereavement support and provided the halls for family occasions, even offering employment opportunities through accredited sports courses.

As a GAA civil servant, he did not wish to be controversial, but he said there needed to be a debate among the GAA “on how we can adapt our organisation to become more welcoming”.

Michael Boyd, head of community relations at the Irish Football Association, said the organisation engaged actively in courses to deter homophobia, racism and sectarianism and had seen a new pride emerge in supporting teams that were neither from Southern Ireland nor England, but from Northern Ireland.