PSNI make history with Croke Park GAA match

[leeside]

The PSNI Gaelic football team and their Garda counterparts are set to make history with their first match at Croke Park in Dublin.

The Northern Ireland police team has played the Garda team every year since 2002 but Friday's match will be the first at GAA headquarters.

The teams play for the McCarthy Cup, named after 19th century policeman Thomas St George McCarthy.

McCarthy, a Royal Irish Constabulary officer, helped found the GAA in 1884.

The GAA's Rule 21, which banned British security forces from playing Gaelic games, was lifted in 2001.
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We have been training hard and I am optimistic that we will be able to put our tactics to the test”

Supt Gerry Murray PSNI GAA committee member

PSNI Superintendent Gerry Murray, a GAA committee member, said the two police forces had a "very good relationship".

"This is a wonderful occasion for both the Police Service of Northern Ireland and An Garda Siochana teams to be able to play at Croke Park, the headquarters of the GAA," he said.

"Both teams have met on a number of previous occasions and this game will give us another opportunity to test our skills and abilities. We have been training hard and I am optimistic that we will be able to put our tactics to the test."

The PSNI GAA club has also recently taken part in the Police Gaelic Football Tournament in New York which saw teams from the New York Police Department, London Metropolitan and An Garda Siochana compete for the Tom Langdon trophy.




Great to see. Thats progress in action.

[Wasp]

I have mixed feelings on this, you know my views on the sectarian terrorist loving gaa in N.Ireland but I cannot say the same for the gaa in the south. Most southern gaa supporters that I know or speak to go from saying the gaa grounds/tournaments dediacted to terrorists in N.I are wrong to down right shockingly offensive which is good to hear.

I think its great both forces partake in various sports including irish national sports. Without wanting to be negative on something that is important to some I cant help but feel suspicious about trying to cozy upto eachother considering the failure of the garda to prevent/capture/extradite those who murdered their counterparts for years.

[collina]

WASP, the Gardai have no say in who is extradited; it's a judicial process.

Also Portloaise prison had thousands of IRA men locked up (in far worse condidtions than the Maze) during the troubles. Remember too that unarmed Gardai were shot and murdered by IRA cowards. Believe me, the overwhelming majority of Guards hate Sinn Fein/IRA. Its a mistake to see the instutions of the ROI through the prism of sectional hatreds that exist in Northren Ireland. As I remember Britain's record on the extraditition of criminals was often slow to non existant.

Agree on the naming of GAA grounds after terrorists. It's wrong and I wouldn't attend a match at a club/county ground where terrorism is glorified.

[Wasp]

WASP, the Gardai have no say in who is extradited; it's a judicial process.

Would they not have some kind of input into the process which would be normal for any state police force?

Also Portloaise prison had thousands of IRA men locked up (in far worse condidtions than the Maze) during the troubles. Remember too that unarmed Gardai were shot and murdered by IRA cowards. Believe me, the overwhelming majority of Guards hate Sinn Fein/IRA. Its a mistake to see the instutions of the ROI through the prism of sectional hatreds that exist in Northren Ireland. As I remember Britain's record on the extraditition of criminals was often slow to non existant.

The extradition issue is something that people of no or little political views find hard to come to terms with, like a missing full stop could prevent extradition so from that it was obvious that extradition papers were thoroughly scrutinized to prevent extradition.

Agree on the naming of GAA grounds after terrorists. It's wrong and I wouldn't attend a match at a club/county ground where terrorism is glorified.

Fair play to you Collina and your statement shows that you are no different from many people here who opposes such grounds/tournaments.