GAA accused of burying sponsorship deal debate

Former All Ireland-winning captain Peter Canavan has accused the GAA of burying the debate around its sponsorship deal with Allianz under the carpet.

The GAA's annual congress at Croke Park was disrupted on Saturday by a protest calling for the association to cut ties with the German company.

Some people have called for the GAA to end its 30-year association with Allianz after a report from a UN special rapporteur last year claimed the German company has profited from Israeli forces being in Gaza.

Former Tyrone all-star Canavan, who was one of the protesters outside Croke Park, said the sponsorship deal should have been up for discussion at the congress.

Canavan said: "As a former player I was more than happy to be there to voice my disapproval of the sponsorship.

"We've an opportunity as an association to do the right thing.

"If this sponsorship wasn't as huge in terms of the financial aspect, then I've no doubt that the GAA would have dropped it," he told Irish broadcaster RTÉ."

BBC News NI has contacted the GAA for a response to the comments by Canavan.

In December the GAA opted to maintain its association with Allianz, after the issue was referred to the GAA's ethics and integrity commission (EIC).

The GAA's deal with Allianz was not one of the 25 motions on the agenda on day two of congress on Saturday.

"The burning issue at the minute is this sponsorship, for many people they felt it was side-lined and put under the carpet," said Canavan.

"That's not good enough.

"The GAA palmed it off to the EIC, they should be big enough to make the decision themselves."

After protesters declined GAA president Jarlath Burns' request for them to leave on Saturday, he adjourned congress for lunch before proceedings resumed shortly after 14:00 GMT.

After congress had resumed, Burns hit out at the protesters saying they had "crossed a line".

Referring to an attack on a bar by the UVF unit known as the Glenanne Gang in his home town of Silverbridge 50 years ago, the GAA president said he "didn't need any lessons on illegal occupation having grown up during the Troubles".

"I don't need any lectures or people shouting in my face about what it's like to go to bed at night fearful that somebody would barge into your bedroom and riddle you with bullets because that was my lived experience when I was young," he said.

The Armagh man's friend was killed in the attack by the loyalist paramilitary group.

Canavan called that a "strange comparison".

"There were a lot of atrocities went on, and what kept us going was the GAA," he said.

"We had something to do, something to be part of, and for a lot of us it was the GAA that saved us. There's thousands of children that aren't getting that opportunity.

"Jarlath is still sore from something that happened 50 years ago, and rightly so.

"He mentioned that there were no convictions on those killings. That was 50 years ago. Why? Because so many people buried their head in the sand, and didn't want to know what was going on."

When asked about his role as RTÉ pundit for the GAA National Leagues, which are sponsored by Allianz, Canavan said: "I'm employed to give my opinion on the game and that's what I'm doing. It may not go down well in some quarters but I'll say what I think."

On Friday the GAA's director general Tom Ryan addressed the sponsorship issue.

"We need to bear in mind where our responsibilities begin and end as an organisation," said Ryan.

"We are motivated by the right things and we do want to do the right things and we are a force for good in communities, and all that is really important.

"I know there are other issues in the world and they are actually more important issues than whether we play an All-Ireland final in August or July [one of the motions put forward to congress], there are a lot more important things to be considered.

"But there are other organisations and other agencies society trusts in managing those issues. Those are the agencies with the expertise and the authority to take action in those areas, we don't."