No Croke Park 'gestures' by Hain

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has reacted sharply to speculation about his role at next week's Ireland versus England…

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has reacted sharply to speculation about his role at next week's Ireland versus England rugby match at Croke Park.

Mr Hain insists he "never proposed doing anything other than attend and watch the match" at the specific request of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British prime minister Tony Blair.

Following initial reports last weekend, Mr Hain confirmed to this newspaper's Washington correspondent that the British government was considering a symbolic gesture to mark the killing of 14 civilians by British security forces at Croke Park in 1920.

Mr Hain had declined to speculate on the nature of any possible act of commemoration.

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However, the possibility of such an act prompted a hostile editorial in yesterday's Sun newspaper. Headlined "A Croke Joke" and reporting that Downing Street had "stamped on the wreath-laying plan", the newspaper was scathing about what it called Mr Hain's "crass publicity stunt".

The Irish Timesalso reported that Mr Hain appeared to censured after Downing Street had insisted it was "unaware of any plans for any ceremony" at the match. Mr Hain said yesterday he would be attending Croke Park in his individual ministerial capacity.

"Despite the excited speculation around the Ireland/England rugby match at Croke Park, let me be clear: I have never proposed doing anything other than attend and watch the match at the specific request of the Taoiseach and Prime Minister."

Mr Hain said he would be there "as a guest" on "an historic occasion" he hoped would see "a great game of rugby".

"As for which team I'll be cheering on, I represent the people of Northern Ireland in the cabinet - so it's right and proper, at this match, that I back the boys from Ulster playing in this game."