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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
'A blatant disregard for fairness': GAA Palestine outraged after Irish visit postponed over visa refusal
The organisers behind an upcoming trip to Ireland for 47 Palestinian children and coaches to play hurling have expressed their outrage over the likely cancellation of the visit. GAA Palestine issued a statement on Monday evening, saying that despite numerous attempts to engage with the Department of Justice, it was now clear the trip could not go ahead. Over the weekend, both All-Ireland football semi-finals saw protests urging the Department of Justice to 'Let Them Play,' with the tour originally set to begin on Friday. In the statement, GAA Palestine said: "We are also troubled by the fact that other agencies have successfully brought children from various countries to Ireland on similar tours, and their travel has been permitted without issue. "Yet, it appears that because these children are Palestinian, our government is refusing to allow them to come." They called the situation "deeply concerning" and said it raises questions about the "fairness and impartiality of the process." On Monday, the GAA Palestine executive travelled to Dublin to seek clarity and resolution. They say they initially met with a Department of Justice secretary, who assured them a senior officer would meet them. However, at 4.38pm, they say received an email dismissing their concerns and directing them to an appeals process. This process, they were told, would take an indefinite amount of time, effectively preventing the team from travelling on July 18. The executive will remain in Dublin for the coming days in an effort to seek a resolution. "We are hopeful that in the final 24 hours, a resolution can be found. We genuinely want to come together and work constructively to remedy this situation. We are ready and available to engage in meaningful dialogue and to explore any options that might allow our players to participate. "It is deeply disappointing that common sense and fairness have been ignored. Our government's decision to hinder our players' travel is unjust and unacceptable. We call on the Irish authorities to reconsider their stance and facilitate the safe and fair travel of our team." Bas O'Curraoin with Children from GAA clubs across the country joined forces in Croke Park to appeal to the Irish government to let the 33 children into Ireland for their GAA Palestine Irish tour next week. Picture: ©INPHO/Tom O'Hanlon GAA Palestine founder and chairman Stephen Redmond said, "We are deeply disheartened and outraged by the Department of Justice's outright refusal to allow our team to travel to Ireland. "Despite providing all necessary documentation and engaging in good faith, we have been met with dismissiveness and an appeals process that, in reality, guarantees our trip will not happen. "This is not just a logistical setback; it's a blatant disregard for fairness, transparency, and the spirit of sport that unites us all." The Irish Embassy in Tel Aviv's requirement that flights be purchased before visa approval resulted in a €38,000 loss on non-refundable tickets for the club. The statement added: "This reckless requirement, combined with the visa refusals — despite some members having previously travelled to Ireland this year without issue — raises serious questions about transparency and fairness. "Our players deserve better, and we will continue to fight for their right to participate and showcase their talent. We remain committed to finding alternative solutions and will not be deterred by this unjust treatment."
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Croke Park demonstration in support of Palestine kids denied entry for GAA tour
Children from GAA clubs across the country joined forces with Bas O'Curraoin in Croke Park on Sunday to appeal to the Government to let 33 Palestinian children into Ireland for their GAA Palestine Irish tour. Earlier, the Department of Justice refused visas to the group of Gaelic football players from Palestine. A lack of compliance with visa application criteria is the reason given for the visa denials. GAA Palestine, which had planned to bring the 33 Palestinian children and young teenagers to Ireland, has vowed to appeal against the decision and said the setback would not 'deter' them. The team of children and 14 of their mentors were to travel to Ireland later this week for a tour, but were denied entry. The tour was scheduled to begin on July 18, with more than 100 Irish families volunteering to host the Palestinian group, and numerous GAA clubs fundraising to support the visit. In a statement, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration said the visas were rejected due to a lack of compliance to visa application criteria.
