FORMER IRELAND rugby international Trevor Ringland has threatened to resign from the Ulster Unionist Party if new leader Tom Elliott fails to be more open to the GAA.
Mr Ringland said yesterday that he would leave the party if Mr Elliott did not pledge to attend next year’s All-Ireland final should an Ulster team qualify.
“I really do hope he will take up the offer if I can find two tickets for next year’s final,” he added.
Mr Ringland, who unsuccessfully stood in East Belfast in the Westminster elections in May, expressed frustration at Mr Elliott’s refusal to unequivocally say he would attend a GAA match, and his reluctance last week to support Down in the All-Ireland final.
Mr Ringland said Mr Elliott, who was comfortably elected the 14th leader of the UUP in succession to Sir Reg Empey on Wednesday night, should demonstrate that he supported the concept of a shared future for everyone in Northern Ireland.
"If I am to be going around selling the Ulster Unionist Party at doorsteps, I need to know where Tom stands," Mr Ringland told The Irish Times.
Mr Ringland, who is involved in various cross-community anti-sectarian projects, said he admired Mr Elliott as a decent man who had “loads of good values”, but recent comments had caused him concern. Mr Ringland said there were people in the GAA and other groupings who were reaching out to unionism, and these gestures required reciprocation. He said he hoped to meet Mr Elliott soon to discuss the issue.
Fermanagh-South Tyrone Assembly member Mr Elliott, who defeated Lagan Valley MLA Basil McCrea for the leadership, said he was disappointed that Mr Ringland made his comments publicly rather than speaking to him first.
Mr Elliott said he was involved in local behind-the-scenes initiatives that involved GAA clubs and other bodies. “I have to say, I am not involved in tokenism,” he told BBC Radio Ulster.
“People know in the community that I come from, and this is something I need to get out to the wider community, all the work I do with communities, including GAA clubs, behind the scenes . . . and I will continue to do that work.
“Now that I am party leader I will assess all those issues. I am not anti-GAA, but there are still huge difficulties in the community about the GAA. And I accept, as someone who is an Orangeman, there are difficulties with parts of the community in Northern Ireland with the Orange Order,” said Mr Elliott.
There were several messages of congratulations to Mr Elliott on taking over as UUP leader. DUP leader Peter Robinson, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie wished him well, as did Taoiseach Brian Cowen, who said: “I look forward to working with Tom and his colleagues for the mutual benefit of all of those that we represent”. He also paid tribute to outgoing UUP leader Sir Reg Empey.
