GAA president Jarlath Burns has criticised protestors who disrupted the organisation's Annual Congress at Croke Park on Saturday over its sponsorship deal with Allianz.
According to UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, the insurance firm's parent company has links to Israel.
However, following a meeting of the GAA's Coiste Bainistíochta to assess a report on the issue from the Ethics and Integrity Commission (EIC), the organisation opted to continue the link-up.
Speaking after the protest saw Congress adjourned, Co. Armagh native Burns said he didn't 'need any lectures' from the protestors on illegal occupation.
A demonstration against Allianz, attended by All-Ireland winners Peter Canavan and Colm O'Rourke, took place outside Croke Park before several protestors entered the building.
GAA legends Colm O'Rourke and Peter Canavan outside Croke Park (Image: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie)Amid chants of 'Allianz out', the protestors held up signs describing Allianz's sponsorship as blood money.
When the demonstrators refused to leave the building, the meeting was adjourned and upon its resumption, Burns criticised those involved.
Citing his own experience growing up in Silverbridge, where his friend was murdered by the UVF's Glenanne Gang in the 1975 attack on Donnelly's Bar, he said he knew what it was like to live in fear.
"It's a bit ironic that people who are protesting against illegal occupation will come in and illegally occupy our building," said Burns.
He added: "Fifty years on, justice still hasn't been served for the 120 innocent Catholics who were murdered by the Glenanne Gang in a four-year period in my area, in my community.
"I don't need any lectures about what it's like to feel the pressure of illegal occupation.
“I don't need any lectures or people shouting in my face about what it's like to go to bed at night fearful that somebody would barge into your bedroom and riddle you with bullets because that was my lived experience when I was young.
"So, whenever this came onto our table in the GAA, we did it the way the GAA does it."
The protestors on their way to Croke park (Image: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie)Burns also said that those within the GAA who endorsed the actions of the protestors needed to reflect on their allegiances.
"I would urge people within our own association who might have aligned ourselves with some of the people who have come in and illegally occupied our building today and tried to disrupt Congress by assaulting our staff members and the people who are here to protect us, just to examine their own consciences and to work out, are they doing the right thing?
"Because we went through a process, we have our Congress to go through, and I would not be bullied or intimidated by anybody who would come in here and try and do so.
"As I said last night, we are answerable to the people in this room. You are answerable to the members of the GAA.
"We have made our decision and Congress goes on."
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