GAA pledges 'warm welcome' for Queen
The Queen will be steeped in the traditions and history of the Gaelic Athletic Association in an historic visit to Croke Park.
The GAA pledged to give her a warm welcome to the 82,000-seater stadium – the scene of the massacre of 14 civilians by British soldiers in 1920.
The GAA, established up in 1884 to promote Irish culture, language and sports, said it wanted to showcase the world-renowned arena.
“We believe that this request reflects and acknowledges the special place of the GAA in the life and history of the nation,” the organisation said.
“We are confident that this historic visit to Croke Park will be welcomed by those who play, administer and support our games, at home and abroad, including of course throughout Britain.”
The GAA also said it hoped the visit would foster greater interest in its ancient games from unionists.
The landmark stadium on Dublin’s northside is a world renowned symbol of the strength of an amateur organisation with a presence in every village and townland in Ireland.
Its famous terrace, Hill 16, is also rumoured to have been built with the rubble from the 1916 Easter Rising.
History was made at Croke Park four years ago when the stadium opened its turnstiles to tens of thousands of Irish and English rugby fans for a Six Nations clash.
Gaelic grounds had been closed to so-called “foreign sports” for decades.
While the host team thrashed the visitors, the rendition of 'God Save the Queen' by the Garda band in the iconic home of Gaelic games was respectfully observed.
There were weeks of public debate over whether the British national anthem should be played at the game and concerns the match would be disrupted by hardline republicans but there was no trouble.
GAA members were also barred from serving with the British army or police in the North under the controversial Rule 21 which was rescinded in 2001.
The GAA said that for more than 100 years it has embodied and taken its stand with the mood of the Irish people, culturally, socially and politically.
This was highlighted further yesterday as officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and GAA players and members stood shoulder to shoulder in the Co Tyrone village of Beragh to pay their respects to Pc Ronan Kerr – a Gaelic footballer and Catholic policeman murdered in a dissident republican booby trap bomb last Saturday.
“In the best traditions of our Association, we will extend a warm welcome to Croke Park – a Cead Mile Fáilte – to Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, accompanied by the President and Dr (Martin) McAleese,” it said.
The Association said the visit would give its President, Christy Cooney, the opportunity to convey to the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh a sense of its history and values and its unique and leading place in Irish society.
The full statement from the GAA reads as follows:
The Gaelic Athletic Association has for well over a hundred years embodied and taken its stand with the mood of the nation, culturally, socially and politically.
In unity with our players, administrators and supporters throughout the island and abroad, we were strongly committed advocates of the peace process, and we have welcomed, supported and celebrated the developing reconciliation which has resulted from the Good Friday Agreement and its endorsement by the people, North and South, in referenda.
We now welcome the further development of this process, and the consequential deepening of relationships, which will flow from the invitation by President McAleese to Queen Elizabeth to pay a State visit to Ireland.
The GAA is pleased to have been asked to receive Queen Elizabeth, accompanied by President McAleese, at our headquarters in Croke Park and to showcase our stadium and facilities to the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and their accompanying party. We believe that this request reflects and acknowledges the special place of the GAA in the life and history of the nation.
We are confident that this historic visit to Croke Park will be welcomed by those who play, administer and support our games, at home and abroad, including of course throughout Britain. We hope also that it will encourage a greater interest and participation in our games by our fellow Irishmen and women of the Unionist tradition.
The visit to Croke Park will provide the Uachtarán of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael with the opportunity to convey to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh a sense of the history and values of the Gaelic Athletic Association, and its unique and leading place in Irish society.
In the best traditions of our Association, we will extend a warm welcome to Croke Park - a Céad Míle Fáilte - to Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, accompanied by the President and Dr. McAleese.
The GAA will be making no further comment."
