By 
Following Saturday’s dramatic events at Congress, a number of leading Tyrone GAA figures have called on clubs across the county to persist with protests over the association’s controversial sponsorship arrangement with Allianz.
Two high-profile and widely respected former Tyrone footballers, Eugene McKenna and Pascal Canavan, addressed a meeting of the county committee on Tuesday. Their stance was supported by ex-intercounty players Damian O’Hagan, Ronan McGarrity and Brian Gormley.
Both Canavan and McKenna, who have been heavily involved in ongoing campaigns supporting the people of Gaza, expressed appreciation to Tyrone GAA for unanimously supporting a motion to Annual Congress, despite it not being debated on the Congress floor, and for permitting them to speak at the monthly meeting.
Canavan circulated leaflets on behalf of Tyrone Gaels against Genocide in Gaza, urging clubs to continue to row in behind the anti-Allianz campaign. The leaflet criticised the absence of substantive debate at Congress in Croke Park, describing it as unjustifiable at a time of heightened concern over international law and human rights.
“It is time for Tyrone Gaels to be clear and unequivocal that the game and the association that we love and are immersed in cannot fund ongoing atrocities,” the leaflet read.
The campaigners are seeking a vote among the county’s 53 clubs on the Allianz sponsorship deal at the next County Board meeting.
“Clubs could have their say publicly by voting to accept or reject this deal. It is time for Tyrone Gaels to find our voice,” the statement continued.
“As Gaels we are now all too aware of the relationship between our national game and our sponsor. We can attempt to ignore the elephant in the room, but we cannot claim to be unaware of it.”
