THE GAA had consistently supported and promoted the Northern Ireland peace process, GAA president Christy Cooney told Queen Elizabeth on her visit to Croke Park yesterday.
Referring indirectly to the Bloody Sunday shootings at Croke Park in 1920 when 14 persons were shot dead by British forces, he said it was one of many tragedies in the history of the Anglo-Irish relationship.
“In our shared history there have been many tragic events which have inflicted hurt on us all.
“While acknowledging the significance of the past and honouring all those that have lost their lives, including those that died in this place, the GAA has consistently supported and helped advance the peace process in Northern Ireland.”
In particular, he said, the association had “encouraged the reconciliation and mutual understanding which have so successfully flowed from the Good Friday agreement and its endorsement in referendums”.
He added: “Your Majesty’s state visit, at the invitation of President McAleese, will result in a further important underpinning and advancement of this process, which I firmly believe is now irreversible,” Mr Cooney said.
The GAA president told the Queen that last month he had attended “the tragic funeral of our murdered young member from Co Tyrone, PSNI constable Ronan Kerr”.
However, he added that he was “very heartened by the utter and united determination of people and political leaders across the island, and across the whole community, to stand together against violence and hatred”.
The GAA, for its part, would “continue to try and build new relationships and to reach out in particular to members of the unionist community”.
“Today above all it is in a positive spirit that we welcome your majesty and your royal highness to Croke Park. Your presence does honour to our association, to its special place in Irish life, and to its hundreds of thousands of members. Today will go down in the history of the Gaelic Athletic Association,” Mr Cooney said.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh met GAA players from different counties: Tipperary hurlers Lar Corbett and Pádraic Maher; Meath footballer Joe Sheridan; and Dublin footballer Kevin Nolan.
The Abbeyknockmoy Set Dancers from Co Galway performed for the royal couple, who were accompanied by President Mary McAleese and Dr Martin McAleese.
Sitting on the sideline in front of the Hogan Stand the visiting party watched a video about the history of the GAA on the public screens and were treated to a performance of Wim Laseroms’s musical composition Play Away by the Artane Band.
The visitors were shown the Sam Maguire cup for the all-Ireland football champions and the Liam McCarthy cup for the all-Ireland hurling winners, as well as a collection of the sporting medals of the late taoiseach and Cork GAA star Jack Lynch.
Asked to comment on reports that some Northern counties had boycotted the event, a GAA representative said: “I don’t have a checklist of who turned up and who didn’t.”
However, the GAA said that Ulster GAA chairman Aoghan Ó Fearghail had been in attendance. “We didn’t keep a list.”
A spokesman for Co Derry said their representative was not present, but refused to comment any further than to say that a member of Derry County Board was in attendance but only in his capacity as a member of the Croke Park management committee.
Counties Tyrone and Armagh also confirmed they did not have representatives present.
An official from Tyrone said his county did not receive an invitation from GAA headquarters.
A spokesman for Co Armagh said he was “not aware” of any invitation, and said the matter had not even been discussed by the county board.
Fermanagh’s representative was unable to attend due to work commitments, while representatives from Down and Antrim could not be reached for comment.
A GAA spokesman said invitations were extended to all delegates on the central council, a committee consisting of representatives of county boards, and he said all counties would have received an invitation.
Asked if it were the case that an Ulster footballer had refused to meet the Queen, the GAA said the group was chosen in co-operation with the Gaelic Players’ Association and was “selected on availability”.
“Some players may not have been able to attend because of reasons of work, travel or logistics,” the spokesman said.
Among those attending the function at Croke Park were British foreign secretary William Hague, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan TD and Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring.
Also present were British ambassador to Ireland Julian King, Irish Ambassador to Britain Bobby McDonagh, and senior officials and former presidents of the GAA, including Seán Kelly MEP.