Gaza, Garvaghy, Armagh & Croke Park

Right folks. Please take time to read this as I feel strongly about this.

Its been a long time since I posted a comment on this site, although I regularly link in to read all the various insightful (and some less insightful) contributions about our county players and county team's performances.

I thoroughly enjoyed the game last night and the result and also the Monaghan/Kildare match - I even found myself cheering when Monaghan scored their first goal!

Anyway, most of you will be familiar with the big "Garvaghy Road Orangemen On Tour" banner which the Breen brothers from Portadown have taken to Armagh matches all over the country for the past decade and and half. It has appeared at McKenna Cup matches, N/League matches, and Championship matches. You name the ground - that banner has been there - especially not far away from the goal end-lines where it has been seen on TV on countless times. The lads and their banner have seldom missed a game.

As genuine county fans, they have followed Armagh through the glory years and the lean years.

What many people do not know is that each time before they leave for an Armagh game, they go to St John's cemetery to place the Armagh flag over their brother's grave. He was an ardent Armagh fan who died too young.

That said, I don't know how many of you saw or noticed the incident involving the Breens in Croke Park at Saturday's match. The lads had spread their banner across several rows of empty seats in the old Canal End (now the Davin stand).

Given the ongoing and horrific events in the Middle East, the Breen brothers had added four words to their banner -"We Stand With Gaza" - along with a Palestinian flag.

At half-time, Croke Park officials - not the stewards, but the well-paid men in green jackets - sought to remove the banner. When the Breen's refused, 'the men in green jackets' threatened them with the Gardai.

The Gardai dutifully arrived and threatened them with arrest.

Sitting at the far end of the Cusack Stand, myself and a number of other fans were too far away to help the lads.

Clearly, such a banner was deemed by 'the men in green jackets' as possibly upsetting to some SKY viewers.

After a lot of arguing, the lads reluctantly removed the banner.

However, during the second half, when all "officialdom" had left the area in the belief that the brothers had been cowered, they again spread their banner out once more where it stayed until the final whistle. And at the final whistle, they raised aloft the Palestinian flag.

Next Saturday, Armagh are back in Croke Park - its been a long time since we've been there two weekends in a row!!

The Breen bothers will also be back with their banner.

Yes, I know there are those who say you shouldn't mix sport and politics.

But opening up Croke Park to other games was done for political as well as financial reasons.

Inviting and hosting the British (or as our Celtic cousins in Scotland would say) the English Queen to Croke Park was done for political as well as 'national reconciliation' reasons.

Putting "We Stand With Gaza" on a banner may be political to some, but given the civilian death toll and the hundreds of children slaughtered there, it is also a very basic humanitarian sentiment shared by tens of thousands of ordinary GAA members, players and supporters.

Saturday's 'Irish News' (2/9/14) had an article on page 7 stating that the Michaela Harte Foundation had launched an appeal to help those children suffering in Gaza. Michaela's widower, John McAreavey, was quoted as stating that he had been "horrified by the death and destruction in Gaza".

I have no doubt that, at some time in the near future, John and the Michaela Harte Foundation will most likely seek to promote that cause in Croke Park.

Just like the Breen brothers who have also been horrified by the death and destruction in Gaza.

Hopefully, the Breens will stand with their banner behind the Goals in Hill 16 next week.

All I am asking is that Armagh, Donegal, Dublin and Monaghan fans all stand firmly beside the Breen brothers next week in case 'the men in green jackets' try to stop their banner's message from offending the sensitivities of some SKY viweres.

If we all stand together, 'the men in green jackets' will not be as keen in enforcing their petty censorship.

http://www.armaghgaa.net/forum/threads/gaza-garvaghy-armagh-croke-park.3655/

 

Good post. I'm from Portadown myself and know the family, plus the other fellas, they're fully worth the support. This is the first I've heard of this, though. I would like to think Tir na Nog would've put something out about this, but I guess not. Will have to pass it on to the Facebook page.

 

At the lenister final I spotted 4 big ones in the hill didn't notice anybodys. Getting taken down and with hill 16 full to the brim which seems likely I can't see stewards risking going into the hill

 

Hopefully they have a massive one up for the games at the weekend.
I shall be there.

 

Seen the banner a lot over the years didn't know anything about the story behind it. I did see a couple of Palestinian flags being held aloft on the hill during the cork mayo game on Sunday. Good luck to the lads with it on Saturday.
Not at all surprised to hear the suits trying to remove it, if the stadium became any more corporate it would be a bank.

 

http://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/24294

 

I have got a Palestinian flag for the game today, i am also near the front of the hogan, so should be interesting if they are going to try and remove the flag.

 

Up Donegal!!!!

Good on the lads. There was one or two Palestine flags at the Ulster final and there's definitely a few going from Donegal today. They won't be able to remove them all

 

Place will be full of Palestinian flags today.

* raging i am still * up from last night and missed my lift.