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v1 78 SPORT GAELIC GAMES The Irish Mail on Sunday June 14, 2020 June 14, 2020 The Irish Mail on Sunday GAELIC GAMES SPORT 79 GAA TOO BONDED TO THEIR PAST Association must revisit the historical links to white supremacist and slavery advocate, INNoceNT parties: It is unfortunate GAA clubs like Magheracloone (main) and Castlebar Mitchels (above), as well as a number of others across the John Mitchel country, are burdened by their naming association with John Mitchel (inset) understand the full story behind given fresh impetus in the past him, especially now that we live in a week, none of the clubs have had multi-cultural society and the GAA time to discuss what their name SPECIAL are reaching out to the new com- means. munities in our country, it behoves ‘If you sit down and begin this anyone to be aware of what Mitchel process of whether certain clubs REPORT stood for – white supremacy,’ should be renamed, you have to be Dungan suggests. clear about what your purpose is in By Mark Gallagher Many club names stand as an illus- doing it,’ Rouse suggests. tration of how the association ‘What is the purpose of the name sprung from the Irish Nationalist of the club and what message do N January 1959, a number of movement in the 19th century. you want to send out? like-minded individuals came Think of all the clubs named Na ‘Michael Cusack published anti- together with the intention of Piarsaigh, or the 18 that are named semitic views, do we go back and forming a hurling club in after Robert Emmet. However, rename the Cusack Stand, take Dalkey, Co Dublin. what particularly made John down his statue in Croke Park, When a name was Mitchel so popular? rename Cusack Park in Ennis and needed, they delved into the ‘When the GAA was founded in Mullingar because of that or do we Ipast. Back in the 1890s a 1884, the Young Ireland rebellion accept it was of its time?’ team called Glasthule was still fresh in the minds of many This past week, Cork County Michels represented the people, it had only happened less Board chairman Tracey Kennedy area and so Dalkey than 40 years before,’ points out his- reaffirmed their commitment to Mitchels was born. torian Paul Rouse. The story went that ‘Thomas Davis and William Smith Dalkey Island was John O’Brien, two others involved, had ‘people at Mitchel’s final sight of clubs named after him. The thing the old sod as the Young about Mitchel is that he was a great THose clUBS Irelander was being propagandist.’ transported to Van Die- Brian Hanley reckons it also came maY HAVE NO men’s Land in 1848. down to what was fashionable and Dalkey Mitchels won a Arthur Grif- cist,’ Dungan points out. the pitch, the question must be that those clubs who are named awful lot of people. But I think it ple at those clubs who have no idea place in Mayo last March. clubs mimicked each other. IDea WHO JOHN Dublin junior title during their f i t h , w h o ‘Even in his support for the Con- asked: should 10 GAA clubs be hon- after Mitchel aren’t named after would be timely to start a discus- who Mitchel was, even his contribu- However, perhaps they also need ‘There has always been a fashion brief existence before being sub- called Mitchel ‘a federate side, he thought that Jef- ouring a man who held such abhor- him because of his views on slavery sion on Mitchel and all he repre- tion to Irish history, so we should to grasp the nettle of clubs being when it comes to naming GAA clubs mitcHel Was’ sumed into Cuala a decade later. fearless speaker of ferson Davies was too soft and too rent and repugnant views on race and race,’ says historian Brian sented. start that discussion now.’ named after a white supremacist. – Mitchel was this huge personality It wasn’t just in south county Dub- truth.’ But there was another side moderate.’ and slavery? Hanley. ‘It is the clubs themselves who The GAA have made great strides ‘In the same way that I believe it in the 1840s, 1850s, celebrity almost, eliminating the Confederate flag lin that new clubs were honouring to John Mitchel, one that is too often As chants of ‘Black Lives Matter’ With a petition to remove the ‘They are named after him because should be having that discussion. It in attempting to eliminate racism behoved Cork supporters to be so when new clubs were founded in from their supporters, although Mitchel. glossed over in popular discourse. ring out around the world and GAA statue of Mitchel in his native he was a nationalist hero and is not simply enough to tell them to on the playing field with Ger McTav- aware of what the Confederate flag the 1880s, he was still a big figure in thankfully it has been a rare sight Thirteen years earlier, long-stand- ‘John Mitchel is two different peo- players such as Westmeath’s Boidu Newry having collected thousands idolised by the likes of Pearse and change their name, but show the ish, its inclusion and diversity stands for, if any of them decided to Irish society. on big match days involving the ing rancour between two teams in ple,’ suggests Myles Dungan, who Sayeh, Kerry’s Franz Sauerland and of signatures, it feels like the time is Griffith. He was a huge figure in volunteers and those involved at the officer, developing an educational bring it to a match supporting their ‘Other clubs just followed that Rebels for some years now. the Monaghan parish of Maghera- presents The History Show on RTÉ Antrim ladies footballer Lara now for the GAA and the clubs to 19th-century nationalist politics and club who this man was and what he awareness campaign with work- footballers or hurlers, I think it fashion. It is the same with clubs Perhaps, in the current climate, it cloone was ended as they came Radio 1. ‘It is the same as Oliver Dahunsi have recently shared their examine Mitchel’s full legacy. it’s sometimes under-estimated just stood for. shops being rolled out across the behoves anyone who is involved in a named after Patrick Sarsfield or St is time for the GAA to have a dia- together as one club. At the meet- Cromwell. In Britain, Cromwell is experience of racism suffered on ‘I think it is important to point out how big he was. He influenced an ‘There are probably plenty of peo- country, the first of which took club named for John Mitchels to Patrick. And there was a time after logue about why so many of their ing, it was proposed that the new seen as a democratic hero, who has the Boer War when a number of clubs are named after an Irish cub be called John Mitchels in his statue outside Parliament in clubs in Ireland were named nationalist hero who was also memory of the famous Irish nation- Westminister but we have a slightly after heroes from that war, you unapologetic about his reprehensi- alist who had received shelter in the different perspective of Cromwell had the likes of Tuam Krugers ble views on race and slavery. area while on the run, according to over here. and hurling clubs in Tipperary ‘When these issues come up, it can local legend. Earlier this year, the ‘It’s the same thing with Mitchel. A life story of stubborn pride and extreme prejudice... and Galway named after General end up being part of a culture war,’ club were in Croke Park contesting In Ireland, he is remembered as De Wet. Interestingly, all of their Hanley says. an All-Ireland intermediate final. someone involved with Young Ire- JOHN MITCHEL was cause. He joined the to New York in 1853. flogging or other needful advocating the legal ignoramus and a boor; not in 1875 after 27 years in names have since changed,’ ‘It shouldn’t be that. We should There are over 1,600 GAA clubs landers, and this patriot and nation- born on November 3, Repeal Association, got While in the US, Mitchel correction. We wish we emancipation of the Jews, an apostle at all; no grand exile and won a UK Hanley points out. have a discussion about John on this island and at least 10 of them alist hero, but in the US, they might 1815 near Dungiven in involved in the Young edited a number of had a good plantation something he believed reformer, not so much as Parliamentary seat in It’s not simply in the GAA where Mitchel, what he stood for and why are named in honour of John take a different view of him.’ Co Derry, the third son of Ireland movement and in newspapers and well-stocked with healthy was against the will of an abolitionist, except by Tipperary, although the clubs are being asked to consider people idolised him. Mitchel. From Castlebar, with their After escaping from Tasmania Presbyterian Minister February 1848 launched regularly championed the negroes in Alabama.’ God. accident – a man of very result was contested on the implications of what their ‘And then, we need to recognise 31 Mayo SFC titles, to Tralee, where with his family in 1853, Mitchel set- John Mitchel and Mary the United Irishman rights of slave-owners He also stated it was his When the American small account in every the grounds that Mitchel name means. There has been a that there may be people playing they met in the Young Ireland tled in the American south, where Haslett.

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