Bernard Brogan, James McClean, Joe Brolly and Keith Earls among over 200 sports stars to call for ceasefire in Gaza
Irish sports stars past and present have come together to show solidarity with the Palestinian people
by Staff reporter · Irish MirrorOver 200 Irish sports stars have signed an open letter calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza to show solidarity with the Palestinian people.
They also request that the illegal siege in Gaza is lifted, for humanitarian aid to be delivered, and for no further forced displacement of Palestinians.
Their open letter highlights what they call 'the decades-long persecution of Palestinian athletes and destruction of sporting facilities by the Israeli regime'.
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The group wants Ireland's sporting federations like Sport Ireland, the Olympic Federation of Ireland and all relevant sporting bodies to call for an international investigation into what they see as Israel’s violation of the Olympic charter and impose sanctions.
The letter also advocates for sports clubs, spaces, fan groups and communities to sign up to become Apartheid Free Zones and boycott Israeli products.
The Irish Sport for Palestine group is also calling for members of the sporting community to attend this Saturday's (January 13) Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign march in Dublin (Garden of Remembrance, 1pm) in solidarity with the people of Palestine.
Speaking as he put his name to the open letter, former Ireland and Lions rugby international John Robbie said: “Selfishly, I toured apartheid South Africa with both the Lions and Ireland in the 1980s, and I have had to live with it ever since.
“As such I am proud to add my name to this important project. A just settlement will free Israel from the stigma of the present, just as the new South Africa, for all its faults, has freed white South Africans."
The Irish Sport for Palestine open letter reads:
"We have come together as members of the Irish sporting community to show our solidarity with the Palestinian people and to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
"For over three months, we have watched in horror as over 22,330 Palestinians, more than 9,000 of them children, have been murdered, and countless thousands more catastrophically injured, while 90% of the population in Gaza have been forcibly displaced.
"We ask: How many athletes, sports people, trainers, and those children aspiring to be, have been murdered or displaced by the horrific Israeli violence?
"For decades, Israel has targeted Palestinian sports people, preventing them from travelling to competitions, shooting and maiming them, killing them, and destroying their facilities.
"Israel continues to target Palestinian athletes, especially footballers, many of them children and youths, and has destroyed sporting facilities in Gaza and the West Bank.
"Israeli occupation forces last month turned Gaza's Yarmouk Stadium into a detention centre, where Palestinian men, youths and children have been held without charge, terrorised, and abused. The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) has called on the International Olympic Committee, FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), international and continental confederations and all relevant bodies “to take urgent measures to end the gross violations of the Israeli occupation against the Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza, and to subject it to legal accountability.”
"The PFA has appealed for an international investigation into the treatment of Palestinian athletes and sports facilities amidst reports of Israeli forces violating the Olympic charter by targeting sports clubs.
"What is happening in Gaza is genocide. A system of Apartheid - a crime against humanity - is being imposed on Palestinians. Despite criticism by the UN, respected international organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, International Rescue Committee and Medecins Sans Frontieres, and many more, Israel has made clear its intention to continue to violate international law.
"We encourage all sports people across the island to join our call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, for the illegal siege to be lifted, for humanitarian aid to be delivered, and for no further forced displacement of Palestinians.
"We advocate for sports clubs, spaces, fan groups and communities to sign up to becomeApartheid Free Zones and boycott Israeli products.
"We call on Sport Ireland, the Olympic Federation of Ireland, and all relevant sporting bodies to call for an international investigation into Israel’s violation of the Olympic charter and impose sanctions.
"We call on the Irish government to enact the Occupied Territories Bill, and the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill. We urge them to support the investigation of the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court into the situation in Palestine and submit a case of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza to the International Court of Justice, as South Africa has just done.
"After 75 years of racist oppression, Palestinians deserve freedom, justice, and equality. This is a crucial moment for humanity. The time to act is now. We must stand together, and we must not fail."
The list of signatories includes names from right across the Irish sporting community.
These include: From the GAA community, Joe Brolly and members of recent All-Ireland winning Dublin teams; from the rugby community, former Ireland internationals Keith Earls, John E Murphy and Jerry Flannery; from the football community, former Ireland manager Brian Kerr and former internationals Kevin Moran and James McClean; boxers including Tyrone McKenna, and former Olympian David Gillick.
Current signatories:
David Hickey (GAA, Dublin)
Michael Darragh MacAuley (GAA, Dublin)
Rebecca O'Keeffe (GAA, Meath)
Eoghan O'Gara (GAA, Dublin)
Killian O'Gara (GAA, Dublin)
Mark Brady (GAA, Dublin)
Micheal McCarthy (GAA, Dublin)
Bobby Doyle (GAA, Dublin)
Odhran McGlone (GAA, Derry)
Dara Lee (GAA, Derry)
Cathal McGinn (GAA, Galway)
Johnny Corcoran (GAA, Dublin)
Philly McMahon (GAA, Dublin)
Sarah McCaffrey (LGFA, Dublin)
Mick Fitzsimons (GAA, Dublin)
Mark Brady (GAA, Dublin)
Johnny Hughes (GAA, Galway)
Alan Larkin (GAA, Dublin)
Joe Brolly (GAA, Derry)
Aisling Reilly (GAA Handball, Antrim)
Paddy Riley (GAA, Dublin)
Bobby Doyle (GAA, Dublin)
Jim Óg McAuley (GAA, Antrim)
Ross McConnell (GAA, Dublin)
Dean Kelly (GAA, Dublin)
Paddy Cunningham (GAA, Antrim)
Seamus Corr (GAA, Antrim)
Jane Adams (Camogie Association, Antrim)
Andrew McGowan (GAA, Antrim)
Michael Byrne (GAA, Antrim)
Peter Healy (GAA, Antrim)
Eamon Fennell (GAA, Dublin)
Michael Hickey (GAA, Dublin)
Kevin Moran (GAA, Dublin/Football, Manchester United)
John McCarthy (GAA, Dublin)
Frank Murray (GAA, Dublin )
Tommy Drumm (GAA, Dublin)
Brian Crawford (GAA, Down)
Colm McLarnon (GAA, Antrim)
Paddy McAleer (GAA, Antrim)
Ciaran Duff (GAA, Dublin)
Eoghan O'Gara (GAA, Dublin)
Rory O'Caroll (GAA, Dublin)
Anthony Keogh (GAA, Dublin)
Michael McCarthy (GAA, Dublin)
Michael Mangan (GAA, Dublin)
Craig Dias (GAA, Dublin)
Sinéad Wylde (LGFA, Dublin)
Leah Caffrey (LGFA, Dublin)
Karl O'Connell (GAA, Monaghan)
Bernard Brogan (GAA, Dublin)
Paul Flynn (GAA, Dublin)
Niamh Ferguson (LGFA, Meath)
Gearóid Adams (GAA, Antrim)
Conor McCann (GAA, Antrim)
Jonathan Fogarty (GAA, Wexford)
Padraic Collins (GAA, Clare)
Hugh Daly (GAA, Down)
Sean Finn (GAA, Limerick)
Padraig Byrne (GAA, Dublin)
Ryan Murray (GAA, Antrim)
Patrick Mc Bride (GAA, Antrim)
Paudie McLaughlin (GAA, Antrim)
Luke Mulholland (GAA, Antrim)
Oran Downey (GAA, Antrim)
Daniel McNicholl (GAA, Antrim)
Conor Hand (GAA, Antrim)
Conhuir Johnston (GAA, Antrim)
Declan lynch (GAA, Antrim)
Jim Hughes (GAA, Antrim)
Eabha O Riordan (GAA, Galway)
Joshua Robb (GAA, Antrim)
Shay Mc Glinchey (GAA, Galway)
Gary Sice (GAA, Galway)
Louis Boyd (GAA, Antrim)
Stephen Beatty (GAA, Antrim)
Aaron Douglas (GAA, Antrim)
Eoghan McCabe (GAA, Antrim)
Niall Burns (GAA, Antrim)
Daithi Regan (GAA, Offaly)
David Seale (GAA, Laois)
Timmy Hammersley (GAA, Dublin)
Darragh O'Donovan (GAA, Limerick)
Conor Brown (GAA, Laois)
Ciaran Burke (GAA, Laois)
Conall Gough (GAA, Antrim)
Conor Stewart (GAA, Antrim)
Damien Comer (GAA, Galway)
Seamus Ruttledge (GAA, Mayo)
Kevin Daly (GAA, Armagh)
Neil McManus (GAA, Antrim)
Cillian McCormack (GAA, Wicklow)
Billy Memery (GAA, Dublin)
Kieran Lillis (GAA, Laois)
Dominic Mcenhill (GAA, Antrim)
Ashling Thompson (Camogie Association, Cork)
Matthew Mallon (GAA, Antrim)
Brian White (GAA, Antrim)
Aisling Maher (Camogie Association, Dublin)
Orla Gray (Camogie Association, Dublin)
Aoife Deegan (Camogie Association, Dublin)
Grace O'Shea (Camogie Association, Dublin)
Aisling O Neill (Camogie Association, Dublin)
Abby Ryan Camogie Association, Dublin
Aoife Heffernan (Camogie Association, Dublin)
Lauryn Campbell (Camogie Association, Dublin)
Eile O'Ceallaigh (Camogie Association, Dublin)
Jennifer Moore (Camogie Association, Dublin)
Niamh Gleeson (Camogie Association, Dublin)
Siobhan Earley (GAA, Dublin)
Tony Griffin (GAA, Clare)
Gerry Spollen (GAA, Offaly)
Ronan Conway (GAA, Cork)
Conor Swaine (GAA, Wexford)
Alan Moore (GAA, Roscommon)
Colin Regan (GAA, Leitrim)
Jake Morris (GAA, Tipperary)
Kevin Tobin (Rugby)
Barry O'Connor (Rugby)
Father Denis Hooper (Rugby)
John Weakliam (Rugby)
Duncan Casey (Rugby)
Steven Hennessy (Rugby)
Trevor Hogan (Rugby)
Ian Keatley (Rugby)
Cathal Sheridan (Rugby)
Denis Hurley (Rugby)
Jay Delaney (Rugby)
Jerry Flannery (Rugby)
Ciara Rohan (Rugby)
Ian Dowling (Rugby)
Barry O'Mahony (Rugby)
Darragh Hurley (Rugby)
Luke O'Dea (Rugby)
Michael Sherry (Rugby)
Ian Nagle (Rugby)
Peter Clohessy (Rugby)
Marcus Horan (Rugby)
John Lacey (Rugby)
Keith Earls (Rugby)
Tommy O'Donnell (Rugby)
David Wallace (Rugby)
Paul Neville (Rugby)
John E Murphy (Rugby)
Damien Varley (Rugby)
Andrew Thompson (Rugby)
Barry Murphy (Rugby)
Des Clohessy (Rugby)
Tony Ward (Rugby / Shamrock Rovers)
Joe Brady (Rugby)
Willie Downey (Rugby)
Mick Quinn (Rugby)
Tony Ensor (Rugby)
Donal Spring (Rugby)
Fergus Aherne (Rugby)
Kevin Toner (Rugby)
Ray Sloan (Rugby)
Michael Kearney (Rugby)
Chris Moore (Rugby)
Alex Nankivell (Rugby)
John Robbie (Rugby)
Patrick Campbell (Rugby)
Oisin Fagan (Boxing)
Patrick Hyland (Boxing)
Jim Rock (Boxing)
Patrick McCafferty (Boxing)
Ralph McKay (Boxing)
Brendan Irvine (Boxing)
Eric Donovan (Boxing)
Sean McComb (Boxing)
Helen Matthews (Boxing)
Edward Hyland (Boxing)
Sean Duffy (Boxing)
Karol Geraghty (Boxing)
Suzanne Barnwell (Boxing)
Tyrone McKenna (Boxing)
Daragh Evans (Boxing)
Patrick Tracey (Boxing)
Paul Kierans (Boxing)
Peter Weatherall (Boxing)
Thomas McCarthy (Boxing)
Gerard Hawkins (Boxing)
John Paul Delaney (Boxing)
Jamie Conlan (Boxing)
Patrick Lavery (Boxing)
Feargal McCrory (Boxing)
John Mitchell (Boxing)
Richard Kiely (MMA & Kickboxing)
David Gillick (Athletics)
Abdel Laadjel (Track / XC)
James McClean (Football, Wrexham and Ireland)
Joanna Byrne (Football, Drogheda United)
Declan Devine (Football, Bohemian FC)
Brian Kerr (Football, Ireland)
Noel Hamill (Football, Ireland)
Michael McAllister (Swimming & Water Polo)
Fidelma Bonass (Basketball)
Scott Kinevane (Basketball)
Kate Delaney (Golf)
Emily Ryan (Tennis)
Hayley O'Connor (Horse Racing)
Neil Sands (Horse Racing)
Kerri Lyons (Horse Racing)
Gerard Lyons (Horse Racing)
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