Sports summer camp cancelled as Orange lodge raises ‘significant concerns’ over children from GAA club
Orange lodge among those opposed to cross-community sports event due to ‘perceived move of the GAA into the local community’
The 15-a-side games will be held in Rathmines, Glasnevin and Howth.
The inclusion of children from a GAA club in a cross-community sports event led to opposition from a local Orange lodge and some residents in Comber.
By Paul Ainsworth
July 15, 2025 at 7:44pm BST
A cross-community kids’ sports event in Co Down has been cancelled after the hosts faced a backlash over the involvement of a “small group of children from a GAA club”.
North Down Cricket Club planned to host the Sport Summer Camp at their grounds in Comber on Friday, but have axed the event over concerns raised about young participants from East Belfast GAA.
The opposition to Gaelic football and hurling-playing children has been made by a local Orange lodge, along with some Comber residents on social media.
In a statement, a spokesperson for North Down Cricket Club said it “has been an important part of Comber since 1857 — the oldest sporting club in the town, with deep roots, proud traditions, and a strong sense of identity".
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“We reflect the best of our community and our Ulster-British heritage — confident, welcoming, and grounded in respect," they said.
North Down Cricket Club's grounds in Comber, Co Down. PICTURE: NORTH DOWN CRICKET CLUB/FACEBOOK
North Down Cricket Club's grounds in Comber, Co Down. PICTURE: NORTH DOWN CRICKET CLUB/FACEBOOK
“This club wasn’t just built by Comber families — it’s still made up of them. For generations, people from this town have given their time and care to something bigger than themselves. What they passed on wasn’t just facilities — it was a culture of decency, community and quiet pride. That’s the tradition we’re proud to continue."
They continued: “It’s often been sport that’s brought people together when little else could: shared pride, shared joy, shared ground.
“The Sport Summer Camp was created to give young people from different backgrounds a chance to enjoy cricket, try something new, and simply have fun.
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“The plan was to involve ten different local sports and community groups — including organisations supporting ethnic minority communities — with the aim of building friendships through shared activity. A small group of children from a GAA club was just one part of that broader mix.
“As reaction to the event grew, we felt the spirit of the camp was at risk of being lost. With regret — and out of respect for all involved — we chose not to proceed."
The club spokesperson added: “But let’s be clear: openness is not a threat. Respect is not surrender. And our culture is not so fragile that it can’t be shared.
“We are a strong club, in a strong town. That’s why our gates will always remain open — and why we’ll keep showing others what we’re about: sport, community, and quiet confidence in who we are. That’s what this was about."
In a statement posted to social media, a spokesperson for the Comber-based Goldsprings Loyal Orange Lodge said residents in the town “had expressed significant concerns regarding the proposed or perceived move of the GAA into the local community”.
“Whilst the promotion of sport and youth engagement is widely supported across all sectors of society, many local residents have raised reservations about the GAA’s cultural and historical affiliations.
“Specifically there is unease regarding aspects of the organisation that have, in the past, celebrated or commemorated individuals associated with paramilitary activity.
“For a shared and peaceful future, such actions are viewed by some as divisive and incompatible with a truly inclusive society.
“Residents have made it clear that until the GAA takes meaningful steps to ensure it is fully inclusive and sensitive to the history and identity of the Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist (PUL) community, its presence in Comber would be viewed with regret and opposition by many in the Comber area.”
They added: “This issue is not about about opposition to sport, but about ensuring that all organisations operating in shared spaces demonstrate respect for all traditions and work proactively towards reconciliation and mutual understanding.”
One poster on a Comber-based Facebook page opposing the involvement of children form a GAA club said her grandfather “would be turning over in his grave”.
Ards and North Down SDLP councillor Joe Boyle, who also chairs the Ards and North Down Sports Forum, told the Irish News he felt “extreme disappointment” at the opposition to children from a GAA club taking part in the event.
“It’s a real pity that some people have this level of dislike towards the GAA, when it has made tremendous steps over the years to offer a welcoming hand to anyone of any background to take part,” he said.
“I hope those opposing children from a GAA background can reflect on this.”
by PostScarcityWorld
38 comments
Sad, insecure bigots.
Pathetic.
Can’t believe what I’m reading. The irony of preaching about inclusivity and respect and at the same time not letting some young ones play cricket. Pathetic.
Bigots will be bigots.
OO need to be banned as an organisation. Sectarian to the core.
Suppose you wouldn’t want your wains to be associating with people within Irish culture if you need more OO scum in future. Can’t have them realise they are more alike than different, can’t make new bigots.
Fucking hell, there is no hope with that attitude still around. Absolute wankers
Imagine being a member of this fucking embarrassment of an organisation in this day and age
Much like the time (now former) UUP councillor and MLA Adrian Watson stood at the gates of Antrim Grammar waving a union flag in protest at the new (taig) technology teacher offering to teach the rugby lads a bit of Gaelic football for transferable hand/eye skills.
Let your grandfather spin away ya bigoted bitch
They should be made spell out the significant concerns. So they can be fully addressed.
This is yet another example of a pure failed state.
> “Specifically there is unease regarding aspects of the organisation that have, in the past, celebrated or commemorated individuals associated with paramilitary activity.
>
> “For a shared and peaceful future, such actions are viewed by some as divisive and incompatible with a truly inclusive society.
>
> “Residents have made it clear that until the GAA takes meaningful steps to ensure it is fully inclusive and sensitive to the history and identity of the Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist (PUL) community, its presence in Comber would be viewed with regret and opposition by many in the Comber area.”
Hahahahahahahahahaha
Truly showing how welcoming they are. And the values of community and joy.
I have significant concerns about the OO
Gaelic games were played by people long before people of this type of thinking came to our island and will be played long after this type of thinking rightly disappears and all communities on our island are secure in their identities
How anyone can go out and watch this shower of cunts marching on the 12th is beyond me.
They are at the core of half of the problems in the North and the sooner they are banned or fade into oblivion the better.
Culture my backside. They’re a shower of sectarian bigots whose sole reason to exist is to try and create division.
>We are a strong club, in a strong town
No one would say this if they didn’t make such weak as piss cowardly decisions.
>Specifically there is unease regarding aspects of the organisation that have, in the past, celebrated or commemorated individuals associated with paramilitary activity
There you go, if you don’t accept Orange doctrine you aren’t welcome. Don’t worry about all those OO members who got involved in paramilitarism though.
1970s dogma making Comber look absolutely stupid.
There it is folks. There’s the place for Irish people in the union. Thats our welcome. No Irish language, no Irish sports, no Irish names. We belong on our own land only if we remove every scrap of our culture. Not sure what Ulster-British heritage is exactly, but since it seems to involve depriving children of some fun, I don’t want to know what it entails to be honest. Waiting for the ‘whatabout…’ or ‘Bobby Sands was in the GAA’ or the usual such shite. Looking forward to the justification for this one. But then, this sub is a hotbed of republicanism, so the poor PUL won’t get a fair hearing.
That’s pretty shitty for the cricket club who were obviously trying to do something decent and for all the kids involved (not to mention the parents who may have been relying on the bloody summer scheme for childcare!!)
May be a daft question but at what point does this sort of abuse or behaviour based on someone’s background (e.g. playing for a GAA team) turn into a legal issue? Is this sort of pressure from the OO allowed legally?
“Spinning in his grave….” = Grandad was a bitter protestant bastard who couldnt bear even looking at a catholic
This is genuinely one of the most pathetic things I’ve ever read. What an embarrassment.
This is the inclusivity they spoke about last week. Pathetic myopic bigotry from those who have 0 understanding of the GAA.
The Goldsprings lodge have a picture of Oliver Cromwell, famously known as a gentle soul during his time in Ireland, on their banner. They march with Goldsprings True Defenders, who recently took part in the glorification event in honour of the terrorist Trevor King. But imagine 3 or 4 kids who happen to be members of a GAA club coming to play cricket with kids they might not normally get to meet. Disgrace.
Doesn’t Comber seem like a lovely place to never visit
Depressing. Another generation exposed to the OO’s sectarianism.
Can you imagine this balls in Britain or ROI?
It’s mental how people defend the OO. They are Sinn Féins biggest recruiter.
Fuck them. Absolute dinosaurs! Children looking to play another sport with children from another community. If you support these twats you are part of the problem and are part of the reason that this place will never move forward.
What a pathetic shower of inbred bastards the OO are. They deserve absolutely no respect, no consideration, and no public funding whatsoever.
Any other organisation in the world would be disbanded and branded an extremist organisation.
Utter fucking cunts.
These communities only survive by isolating their members. When these kids realise that the “other side” isn’t really that much different than their own it’s harder to keep divisive traditions.
Growing up as Integrated schools were becoming established and shows like The School Around The Corner did a lot for cross community relations in my generation.
Call their bluff, run the event anyway. There is too much implicit threatening going on nowadays when some actions are borderline illegal. When they arrive to disrupt it with intimidation and see the community having fun with a range of different activities, they’ll be committing a hate crime.
As a parent of young kids who really enjoy playing Gaelic football and Camogie I find the stance of those opposing this highly offensive. When kids come together and play our games, they don’t do as catholic kids or Protestant kids they just want to have fun you knuckle dragging bastards. The same goes for cricket and any other sport, just let the children enjoy themselves for fucks sake.
I genuinely detest this backward shithole
Well there you have it. They can spin it as culture, ‘everybody welcome, family fun days out for all’ etc… but when the cards are on the table, this is what the Orange Order are all about; bitterness, fear and intolerance.
What a bunch of smelly, horrible cunts.
It’s incredible that anyone could even try to present the history of this place as one where nationalists are the bad buys – even in this day and age, we’re still dealing with this shit.
Too many people are afraid to say it because it breaches their morality of “both sides-ism”, but their is a cancer within the Loyalist community that no one is willing to treat, and it ends up making everyone it touches ill.
Jesus the comments on the local Facebook groups are wild. These people think they represent the town. It’s all ‘this place is 100% protestant and we dont want the GAA/IRA’ or ‘my granda set up that club and he would turn in his grave’.
I fucking live in comber and almost everyone I know here is completely appalled by this horseshit. The only ones I know who would be against it are the cringe-Lords that operate the fleg shop and the mouth breathers in the orange order lodge.
And what about the orange order being a sectarian organisation?!
“Specifically there is unease regarding aspects of the organisation that have, in the past, celebrated or commemorated individuals associated with paramilitary activity.”
Sorry, is this coming from the ORANGE FUCKING LODGE?! The cunts putting up UVF flags every summer?!
Could it get more pathetic?
Time to remove every cent of funding. It’s time Mehole Martin grew a pair
For the Orange Order to be concerned about the “GAA’s cultural and historical affiliations” is the epitome of the pot calling the kettle black.
Once again, the OO shows who they truly are, not proud of their own culture, but merely frightened of the one closest to them.
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