Ben Lowry, the editor of the Belfast News Letter, has claimed that there is "nothing integrated about the GAA". Lowry was speaking on RTÉ Radio One's Today with Claire Byrne show about the opposition to additional funds being allocated for the redevelopment of Casement Park. The GAA stadium, which has been derelict since 2013, has been named as one of the prospective venues in the joint UK and Ireland bid for Euro 2028.
"We need to be realistic about this, in the same way that the Orange Order isn't seen as a cross community institution, the GAA is not seen as a cross community institution," said Lowry.
"It's seen as deeply imbued in a republican culture that it doesn't in any way spurn - it's entitled to be that as well as a sporting organisation."
Asked by host Claire Byrne if he was saying "the GAA is as segregated as the Orange Order", Lowry replied: "I think the GAA is deeply segregated, yes, deeply segregated. There's nothing integrated about the GAA and there's no effort or attempt for it to be. It is deeply, deeply associated with one side of the community."
"So you're saying that the GAA is as segregated as the orange order?"
This morning, @TodaywithClaire spoke to Ben Lowry, Editor of the Belfast Newsletter, about proposed redevelopment of Casement Park in Belfast to potentially host Euro 2028 matches.
Think it's a good idea? pic.twitter.com/OOEz0Fr3Fm— RTÉ Radio 1 (@RTERadio1) October 5, 2023
Deirdre Heenan, professor of social policy at Ulster University, said "Maybe Ben needs to get out of Belfast more".
"I live in a rural area and my GAA club in Annaclone, for example, has a Young at Heart programme which is cross community for all older people," she continued.
"It also has a bowling league which is cross community. It encourages cross community [integration] and has many migrants involved in GAA. Perhaps his view of GAA is somewhat outdated.
"We know that there's now a GAA club in East Belfast. Yes, of course, the majority of people from the GAA community have a background in the Nationalist community but does that mean it can't change? Surely we want to move on, progress and say this sport is open to everyone."
It was reported on Thursday that the GAA is unlikely to increase its original £15m contribution to the redevelopment of Casement Park despite costs increasing.
11 June 2020; A general view of Casement Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Located on Andersonstown Road in the west of the city, Casement Park serves as the home ground of the Antrim football and hurling teams. The stadium is currently closed and in a state of dereliction, with redevelopment plans pending now for several years. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
"I supported the idea more than a decade ago of a single stadium in Northern Ireland for rugby, football and GAA. That isn't what happened. We went down the route of upgrading three stadiums," said Lowry.
"Yes, the GAA is associated with one side of the community in Northern Ireland - that's not controversial. There might be some people somewhere from a Protestant background who play GAA but it's very associated with one side of the community.
"The idea of Euro 2028 being played in Northern Ireland is wonderful and widely supported. We have ended up in a situation where the main soccer, football stadium, Windsor Park, is not big enough to host it. It's a strange state of affairs.
"It is very strange that an organisation like the GAA will be hosting these main games and it's particularly strange when strange when costs have ballooned. They haven't just gone up a fair amount, they have ballooned.
"The game is going to have to go to the upgraded Casement Stadium. We've reached a point of no return on that. There has to be some sort of recognition that the costs have ballooned and that's a factor for the GAA as well."
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