A ROW has erupted in the North of Ireland after a unionist politician said that the GAA is “intertwined with terrorism”.
Timothy Gaston, a North Antrim councillor for the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) party, made the comments at a meeting of his local council on Monday night.
The 26-year-old told his fellow councillors that he believes the GAA should not receive local funding because it is an organisation “intertwined with terrorism” – with Sinn Féin’s Patrice Hardy labelling his comments “appalling and offensive”.
Cllr Gaston, the Deputy Mayor of the council, defended himself by citing the example of a Derry GAA club – the Kevin Lynch Hurling Club in Dungiven – which was named in honour of Lynch, a key Republican figure who died in the Hunger Strikes.
Cllr Gaston, who said that Lynch was involved in ‘knee-capping’, issued a statement about his comments last night.
“What sort of sport names its clubs after someone who engaged in an activity which can deny people the ability to ever walk again, never mind play GAA or any other sport?” he said.
“Secondly, just a few years ago Galbally Pearses Club in Tyrone gave out medals with the picture of a dead IRA terrorist to children under 12. If there are people uncomfortable with these facts being pointed out they should take the matter up with the GAA.
“Does Cllr Hardy deny that this is the case? Indeed, does Cllr Hardy even believe it was wrong? TUV has always been clear when it comes to violence and murder. There would be a great many more people alive in Northern Ireland today if Sinn Féin/IRA could say the same.”
His comments were shot down by Cllr Hardy, who said: “As Deputy Mayor Timothy Gaston is supposed to represent everyone in the borough. It is very clear that once again Mr Gaston has failed in this regard.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Gaston received a lot of backlash on social media.
@citybeatnews timothy gaston needs to wake up n stop the bigotry n maybe get involved with a gaa club then he'll c the great work done
— Ciaran (@csmyth_ss) July 7, 2015
@citybeatnews @dmcbfs Pathetic backward thinking
— CregganDerry (@CregganDerry) July 7, 2015
