Palestine GAA club's planned tour of Ireland ‘under serious threat' due to visa delays
A West Bank GAA club's planned trip to Ireland 'is now under serious threat due to visa delays', representatives have said.
At least 33 young Palestinian players are to arrive in Ireland in July to play a series of competitive matches against GAA clubs around the country and to take part in a cultural exchange.
GAA Palestine, the organisation behind the tour, said it faced 'new requirements introduced during the [application] process', such as English-language birth certificates for Palestinian players and for coaches born in the West Bank.
It further said the Irish embassy in Tel Aviv had closed its public office since Iranian missiles hit the Israeli capital and it was 'not prioritising visa applications ... halting all progress'.
READ MORE
A total of 46 people, including players, coaches, officials and one doctor, were due to arrive in Dublin on July 18th as part of planned trip by Ramallah-based Moataz Sarsour GAA club.
GAA Palestine chairman Stephen Redmond said the new requirements in the visa application process had increased the expected processing time from four weeks to eight after, he said, it was given a 10 week pre-departure time frame to submit all necessary paperwork.
It had officially submitted the visa applications on May 19th. Co-founder of GAA Palestine Claire Liddy said 'the embassy responded three weeks later, on Monday, June 9th, with a list of additional required documents'.
She said the Irish Representative Office in Ramallah 'refused to accept the original documents' on June 13th. She said as local team members were Palestinian, they were 'banned from travelling to Tel Aviv', so club officials outside the region 'had to scan and send the original documents digitally on Monday, June 16th'.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said: 'The department cannot comment on individual visa applications, but all visa applications are processed in line with established procedures for consideration by the Department of Justice.'
The spokesperson said the Irish embassy's public office in Tel Aviv and representative office in Ramallah 'are presently closed due to the security situation and staff are working remotely. The public offices will reopen when circumstances permit'.
Mr Redmond criticised what he labelled 'bureaucratic nonsense' and he called 'for common sense to prevail so these young people can step on to a GAA pitch'. He said the group had requested an expedited processing of their application, but that this had not taken place.
'With co-operation from the Department of Foreign Affairs, there is still a chance to issue these visas in time,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
I'm Irish skater hoping to qualify for my first Winter Olympics – my previous bid led to me learning whole new language
LIAM O'BRIEN'S mam and dad — from Cavan and Meath respectively — met at a GAA club in Australia. And that is just about the only conventional thing about the speed skater's sporting story. Advertisement 3 Liam O'Brien is targeting the 2026 Winter Olympics Credit: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile 3 He missed out on Beijing due to injury Credit: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile 3 Winter Olympic athletes, back row, from left, Sean McAnuff, Liam O'Brien, Cormac Comerford, with front row, from left, Elle Murphy, Elsa Desmond and Thomas Maloney Westgaard Credit: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile Many of us took up hobbies during Covid-19. O'Brien? Well, he learned Korean, as the only way of staying in the country to train in a bid to qualify for the He was bidding to emulate his sister Danielle who he had watched represent O'Brien explained: 'I moved to South Korea , in Seongnam just outside Seoul, and was stuck there during Covid, so I ended up going to Dankook University . Advertisement Read More on Winter Olympics 'I didn't choose it. When Covid hit, there were no visas and so my only way to secure a visa was through study and I decided to learn Korean. 'I wanted to train out of Korea and to qualify for the Beijing Olympics and that was my only option, to learn Korean and be there training. 'It's not the normal route, but yeah, I'm fluent in Korean now.' That, unsurprisingly, took time after being thrown in at the deep end. He recalled: 'That course was taught purely in Korean, and I hadn't actually learned the language up until that stage and was given 24 hours before I had to do my first exam. Advertisement Most read in Other Sports 'I knew how to sound things out, but I didn't know how to write them, so I spent 24 hours learning the alphabet and how to put them all together because it's different symbols where it forms one character. So that was an interesting afternoon.' He has since followed his coach Lee Kwang Soo to Tianjin outside Beijing but has ruled out trying to master another language. Meet snowboarding's Mia Brookes - the metal-loving record-breaking champ targeting Winter Olympics gold Making himself understood was not the only challenge he faced during a lockdown in a foreign country. He explained: 'I think everyone around the world was a bit isolated there with the quarantining and the masks and not being able to go outside a certain radius. Advertisement 'And you weren't actually able to buy masks. 'They had them on the shelves at first and they were all sold out and then they released that you could only buy five per week. 'You'd have to line up and buy them. But if there were none left, then there were no masks. 'Other places were giving them out, however you needed the Korean visa ID card and at that stage I hadn't gotten the card so there were a few months there where I was without masks. Advertisement 'My girlfriend at the time actually, her mother had bought some online, and she gave me a handful of them so I was using those.' 'There was an Under-16s Cricket World Cup, I think it was in Dubai at that time and I was thinking of coming across. But with skating and everything else, it just never worked out.' The hope was that all of those sacrifices and challenges would be rewarded with a spot at the Olympics but this particular chapter does not have a happy ending. He said: 'I was progressing really well. Unfortunately, nine weeks before the qualifiers for Beijing, I tore my ACL. 'So that was a big setback. I tried to keep myself entertained and not think about it at first. Advertisement 'I was given 12 weeks of no sport whatsoever, no walking, nothing. However, I was back on the ice within four weeks. 'And that was after being in a brace with my knee and not able to walk. I was unlucky. I missed out by one spot in the end. So there were 36 qualified for the 1500m and we placed 37th.' He is hoping for better luck this time around as he bids to book his spot for Milano Cortina but the route there is not straightforward. Although he prefers longer distances and Seán McAnuff, the other Irish skater competing at that level, favours shorter ones, they are competing for the one place and O'Brien is not sure what criteria will be applied if they post comparable results. But he remains undeterred, fuelled by wanting to follow in the grooves left by his sister, nine years his senior, as he first did as a toddler. Advertisement He recalled: 'She went to a birthday party at an ice rink and just loved skating and kept hassling mum wanting to go back. 'And so she started ice figure skating and someone said, 'Would you think about doing ice dance?' 'So she went into ice dance and when I was born, I was just born into an ice rink, so I started skating at the age of three, figure skating, and then slowly moved into speed skating. 'At the age of ten I gave up figure skating, it wasn't for me, so it was purely speed skating.' Advertisement PARTNER IN THRIVE When Liam was 15, he travelled to the Russian city and watched his sister and partner Gregory Merriman — who welcomed their first child Myla Grace last month — come 20th. He said: 'After watching her compete at the Olympics, it really drove me to want to become an Olympic athlete as well. 'It was only after that that I'd really seen the goal and that target there in short track speed skating as well and really went for it then.' It meant ditching other sports. Although he dabbled in He said: 'Growing up, I was always playing football or cricket . Advertisement 'I actually went to a school for cricket, a sports school there and I was playing great cricket at the same time. I was a wicketkeeper batsman. I tended to bat at the top of the order but I wasn't very good at working the ball around. 'There was an Under-16s Cricket World Cup , I think it was in Dubai at that time and I was thinking of coming across. But with skating and everything else, it just never worked out.' Initially, he represented Australia too but, as proud as his folks were of their daughter's achievements, he admitted his mother Mary takes particular pride that he now competes for his ancestral home. He said: 'She loves it. Mum's always joked about — I wouldn't say joked about it, she was quite serious — but she always wanted Danielle to represent Ireland as well. However, growing up in Australia, we never saw that connection — not the connection but there was never an association to start with when we were there.' Advertisement A meeting between his dad Seán and Karen O'Sullivan — chief executive of the Ice Skating Association of Ireland, established in 2007 — helped provide the pathway. He said: 'We've kept in contact ever since and when the opportunity came up to switch across to Ireland, I took that chance and Danielle and mum and dad were all very supportive and well, they loved it.' He is the only non-Chinese athlete in his training group and with McAnuff based out of Hungary , their paths rarely cross as they engage in a long-distance contest for an Olympic spot for which the rules are not entirely clear. O'Brien said: 'I've no idea. That's all to find out.' Advertisement
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Late goals flatten Ireland as Spain come back in Antwerp
Two late goals in the final quarter were the difference in Ireland's second-last match of the FIH Pro League against Spain today. Ireland led on two occasions, with Johnny McKee opening the scoring after just three minutes, and Lee Cole restoring Ireland's lead from the spot in the second quarter. A trio of goals in the final quarter, a brace from Nicolas Alvarez and a penalty corner from Pepe Cunill saw Spain secure the win with a late comeback. A calm and composed start from Ireland set the tone, holding onto the ball. With their first attack of the game, Jeremy Duncan drove down the left and playing the ball into Johnny McKee to deflect past Rafael Revilla in the Spanish net to break the deadlock inside three minutes. Spain's response was swift, driving into the Irish half from the restart. They forced a save from Luke Rolleston and found the back of the net from the goal mouth scramble, but the goal was chalked off by the video umpire, and Ireland maintained their lead. Ireland's effective attacking continued, Jeremy Duncan having a shot on goal with Ireland's next entry into the Spanish half, but his reverse stick shot was wide of the post. Spain threatened again immediately after, picking the Irish pocket and slapping the ball just wide of the post. A late penalty corner in the first quarter for Spain gave them a chance which Bruno Avila took to level the scoring. Spain's intensity continued into the second quarter, where they found a way into the Irish circle from the restart, but Ireland scrambled well to clear. Luke Roleston was called into action a few minutes later, his save falling to Nicolas Alvarez on the back post. With the goal gaping Alvarez struck at goal, but Adam McAllister was on hand to block the shot. Back-to-back penalty corners for Spain forced Ireland to defend, blocking both efforts and clearing to keep the game level. Ireland continued to weather a Spanish storm, with Roleston again making no mistake. A break away from Ben Nelson offered Ireland a chance to attack, forcing a save from Revilla. From the long corner, Johnny McKee won a penalty corner which Spain saved. Another counter-attack soon after ended in a penalty stroke, Louis Rowe being shoved in the back inside the circle. Lee Cole stepped up to calmly slot the stroke into the net and restore Ireland's lead just before half-time. An even beginning to the second half saw few clear chances come for either side, with the sides cancelling each other out in their respective defensive quarters. A late attack from Spain provided one of the few chances of the third quarter, with Jaime Carr, who replaced Luke Roleston in the Irish net, alive to the threat to clear. Spain made an ideal start to the final quarter, Nicolas Alvarez capitalising on a moment of luck to drive down the right flank and squeeze the ball into the Irish net from a tight angle. Ireland continued to have to absorb pressure, with a yellow card for Peter Brown meaning Ireland had to do it a player down. A breakaway from Ben Nelson yet again saw him go one on one, taking the ball around Revilla and draw contact from the keeper. The ball went wide but Ireland used their referral believing the contact was enough to warrant a second penalty stroke. The video umpire didn't agree, and Ireland lost their referral. A chance from nothing for Spain in the final three minutes saw them go a goal up, a hopeful ball into the circle evading the Irish defenders and getting a deft touch Nicolas Alvarez to take it past Carr. A penalty corner one minute late put the game to bed, Pepe Cunill flicking into the net. Speaking after the match, captain Kyle Marshall said: 'We started well and came out of the blocks nice and aggressive. We didn't get the rub of the green with decisions at pivotal times in the game, and that maybe took the wind out of our sales a bit. We were definitely in the game for large parts, we will try and bring that energy into tomorrow.' Discussing the potential penalty stroke, Marshall said: 'Ben Nelson isn't a diver. He was disadvantaged by the contact. I don't know why that decision can't just be given on the pitch straight away. Even before that there was a penalty corner.' Ireland will again play Spain in their final FIH Pro League game tomorrow, June 22, at 09:30 Irish time, with the game available to watch live on the TG4 Player.
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians in ominous form before crucial showdown - what we learned from Friday's League of Ireland fixtures
Shamrock Rovers a cut above Cork City ... and probably over everyone else too Coming into the season, off the back of a title race that encompassed half the league, there was a romantic feeling of unpredictability about the Premier Division. Perhaps the table would be a fluid entity – in a constant state of flux, with positions temporary, ensuring unpredictability until the end. Unfortunately, despite a bunched-up middle pack, the gaps at the top and bottom are growing, emphasised by Shamrock Rovers ' blunt dismissal of Cork City on Friday night. Michael Noonan's athletic gifts have been evident from his earliest moments on League of Ireland pitches but, week on week, his tact and instincts are sharpening too. The game against Cork brought some of his finest moments to date. He twisted evasively in the box and finish neatly for his first goal before showing his pace and composure with a confident second. Despite Jack Byrne watching from the bench, Rovers added another set-piece goal to their growing catalogue through Pico Lopes. Rory Gaffney, who seems a helpful mentor for Noonan, slotted a deserved fourth. Cork City pulled a nice goal back through Alex Nolan and could have scored more with plenty of bright patterns in possession. At no point was the result in doubt though – the Leesiders' naivety in defence is a problem Ger Nash is yet to solve. READ MORE Thirty-two points now separate these two sides. Rovers have a heady gap of 11 to their nearest challengers, and a victory away at Bohemians on Monday would have many arguing the race is over. Galway United are going places directly If you were being harsh on Galway United , you could call their victory on Friday night a tale of two goalkeepers. Evan Watts, who may have fully displaced veteran Brendan Clarke, was outstanding between the home side's posts, producing showstopping, clawed saves to deny Mason Melia, Brandon Kavanagh and Seán Hoare at crucial moments. He even claimed a remarkable assist for Ed McCarthy's early opener, landing it on the Limerick man's toe from all of 80 yards. McCarthy, for his part, swivelled brilliantly and found the corner in one smooth motion. At the other end, the usually reliable Joseph Anang was at far from his best. Way out of his goal for Galway's second, he misjudged a corner kick for their decisive third, beaten too easily in the air by Rob Slevin. This alone does not explain Galway' scoring three goals for the first time in a game this season. Direct football is sacrosanct for John Caulfield, and when Galway attack with this considered intensity, they are a challenge for anyone. Though Anang was to blame, David Hurley's goal to double the lead was spectacular – showing opportunistic ruthlessness as the goalkeeper's loose pass bounced his way, Hurley lashed the ball from well inside his own half towards the vacant Pat's net. A strike measured to perfection, it exemplified the quality in a Galway side mainly known for their work rate. A Connacht derby win on Monday would have them right back in the mix for European places. Drogheda stay on track despite European expulsion It is an emotional time at Drogheda United , evidenced by Kevin Doherty's deflated post-match interview last Monday moments after a frustrating defeat at Shamrock Rovers, in a game scheduled to accommodate a phantom European fixture. There has been so much to like about Doherty's side this year. Second in the table on merit, they are a gritty, determined defensive unit with sharp transitional weapons in attack. Their winning goal over Sligo Rovers on Friday night came from one such transition. Warren Davis went foraging deep in midfield and broke away cleanly with the ball at his feet. His pass to strike partner Douglas James-Taylor was simple and the resulting finish was sublime, curled expertly into the top corner. James-Taylor may be leaving very soon, with his loan spell drawing to an end and no extension agreed. It would be another setback, but only the sort that comes with the territory for Drogheda. Doherty will hope that European expulsion galvanises his overachieving troops. Drogheda United manager Kevin Doherty celebrates with Douglas James-Taylor after the win against Sligo Rovers. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho Bohemians miss Seán Grehan already Seán Grehan returned to his parent club Crystal Palace this week after a colossal half-season in the centre of Bohemians' defence, and his absence was felt in a damaging defeat at Waterford. Though the Gypsies have grown more cohesive and settled in recent months, there were some unwanted reminders of the frailties they showed earlier in the season. Leigh Kavanagh's clumsy challenge on half-time allowed Pádraig Amond to convert from the spot. Seconds later, Kavanagh's miscontrol on the edge of his own box allowed Conan Noonan to steal in and finish beautifully on his left. Dawson Devoy, who may be Bohemians' best player this season, got his side back into it in the second half but the deficit proved insurmountable. It was a big victory for Waterford – their first in five games – and Alan Reynolds will be hoping it is not a sign of things to come for Bohs. Michael Duffy can make the difference in tight games Often, the key moments that separate evenly matched sides are either the product of real quality or an untimely error. For Derry City, 54 minutes into their game against Shelbourne on Friday night , it was very much the former. At one end, Evan Caffrey couldn't quite loop his half-volley over a retreating Sam Todd, covering for the stranded Brian Maher who had failed to sweep up a long ball behind his defence. It proved to be a sliding-doors moment as Derry piled forward and laid the ball out wide. Michael Duffy, one of the league's finest players this season, picked it up with very little to aim for. Edging forward and shimmying suddenly inside, Duffy ripped a ferocious left-footed strike high into top corner, far out of Conor Kearns's reach. His seventh goal of a talismanic season, it was a fitting way to settle a cagey game.
