MORE than 160 high-level athletes have signed an open letter to the Irish senior men’s national soccer team urging them to act collectively with conscience and refuse to participate in their upcoming games against Israel.
The representatives of more than a dozen sports include Ireland female soccer stars Louise Quinn and Savannah Kane, Gaelic football legends Colm O’Rourke and Philly McMahon, GAA dual stars Rena Buckley and Kieran McKeever, Olympic athlete Ciara Mageean, boxers Tyrone McKenna and Eric Donovan, and rugby icon Tony Ward.
Ireland’s Ciara Mageean (Jane Barlow/PA)
The open letter calls on players to seize the moment and boycott Israel as this is a moment bigger than sport.
Organised by Irish Sport for Palestine as part of the ‘Stop The Game’ campaign, the letter remains open for more athletes to add their name to it.
The letter states that the FAI, UEFA, and the Irish government have failed the players and should never have put them in this position, adding:
“We have been unequivocal in our call to cancel the two upcoming UEFA Nations League games because we believe playing Israel legitimises a genocidal regime and gives cover for statute violations, apartheid, and war crimes.
“We refuse to let sport be used in this way.
“We have maintained pressure on decision-makers because no player should be put in this position.”
The letter is an appeal from athletes who understand what it takes to reach the highest level of sport, including representing Ireland.
The value and importance of that last subject is also spelled out in the open letter:
“This is a significant moment and with this moment you have an opportunity to do the right thing.
“Putting on the Irish jersey and representing your country means something.
“But the Ireland we want represented is the one that remembers its roots in anti-colonial and anti-imperial resistance, which Irish sport played a large part of.
“This moment symbolises something deeper, it is bigger than sport. But in a way this IS sport.
“Not playing the game would be the most sporting thing you could do.
All Ireland winners and former footballers Colm O’Rourke, Meath. and Peter Canavan, Tyrone, attend a protest march outside Croke Park in Dublin as the 2026 GAA Annual Congress was in progress. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile (Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE/SPORTSFILE)
“Through your leadership and courage it would show the power of sport to unite, remind us of the shared values that connect us all, and have an impact far beyond the game.
“We urge you to meet the moment and Stop The Game. Ireland is behind you on this.”
Sports represented include: Soccer, Gaelic games, boxing, basketball, athletics, hockey, table tennis, cycling, rugby, triathlon, badminton, swimming, rock climbing, surfing, kayaking, and ultimate frisbee.
A selection of sportspeople who have signed include:
Irish rugby: Tony Ward (who boycotted Irish rugby tour of South Africa), Trevor Hogan, Jenny Murphy, Claire Molloy, Sharon Lynch, Paula Fitzpatrick, Lynne Cantwell, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird, and Grace DavittIrish athletics: Ciara Mageean (Olympian), Maisy O’Sullivan, and Iseult O’DonnellIrish football: Louise Quinn, Savannah Kane, Luke ByrneIrish para athletes: Mark Rohan, Jack Squibb, Jamie Wall, and Alan Dineen (who boycotted his fixture against Israel May 2026)Irish boxing: Tyrone McKenna, Eric Donovan, Séan McComb, Fergal McCrory Irish basketball: Rebecca O’Keeffe and Jessica ScannellIrish surfing: Easkey BrittonIrish cycling: Paul NortonCamogie: Sinéad Wylde, Claire Coffey, and Jane AdamsLGFA: Valerie Mulcahy and Nodlaig Ní BhrollaighDual players: Rena Buckley and Kieran McKeeverGAA: Padraig O’Hora, Joe Brolly, Colm O’Rourke, Gary Coleman, Davey Byrne, Killian O’Gara, Michael Darragh Macauley, David Hickey, Philly McMahon, and Colm McAlarneyHurling: Timmy Hammersley and Ciarán Herron, Ultimate Frisbee: Stephen Jones (who boycotted his fixture against Israel August 2026)
Dara O’Shea of Republic of Ireland during the international friendly match between Republic of Ireland and Qatar at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin
PICTURE: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile (Tyler Miller / SPORTSFILE/SPORTSFILE)
OPEN LETTER:
To the Irish Senior Men’s National Team,
As athletes, we’re taught that all players are equal and everyone is bound by the same rules on a level playing field.
But these universal values are incompatible with the reality of sport where oppressive and discriminatory structures are reproduced.
And nowhere is this more obvious than in Palestine, where fairness and equality are denied by the Israeli occupation and then enabled by sporting bodies.
We have been unequivocal in our call to cancel the two upcoming UEFA Nations League games because we believe playing Israel legitimises a genocidal regime and gives cover for statute violations, apartheid, and war crimes. We refuse to let sport be used in this way.
We have maintained pressure on decision-makers because no player should be put in this position.
The FAI, UEFA, and the Irish Government have all failed you by not taking decisive action and taking this out of your hands.
They should have refused to play based on clear legal, moral, and political grounds – their own precedents, ongoing statute breaches regarding Israeli teams playing on occupied Palestinian lands, a brutal system of apartheid, and now, acts of genocide.
Instead, they have doubled down on playing, ignored the wishes of members, acted cowardly and dishonestly by moving the games, and have disrespected the majority of players, fans, and communities across Ireland.
So now we appeal to you, as athletes, to act collectively with conscience.
We have all competed to the highest level of our respective sports, and some of us have even represented our country, so we understand what it takes to get here – the time, dedication, and sacrifice.
We also know what it takes to uphold the values of sport and act with fairness, equality, and respect which is why we call upon you, as a team, to refuse to participate in the two games against Israel.
This is a significant moment and with this moment you have an opportunity to do the right thing.
Putting on the Irish jersey and representing your country means something.
But the Ireland we want represented is the one that remembers its roots in anti-colonial and anti-imperial resistance, which Irish sport played a large part of.
This moment symbolises something deeper, it is bigger than sport. But in a way this IS sport.
Not playing the game would be the most sporting thing you could do. Through your leadership and courage it would show the power of sport to unite, remind us of the shared values that connect us all, and have an impact far beyond the game.
We urge you to meet the moment and Stop The Game. Ireland is behind you on this.
Yours in sport,
Chris Tighe Athletics
Tara Hayes Athletics
Scott Gibson Athletics
Maisy O’Sullivan Athletics
Iseult O’Donnell Athletics
Terry Brady Athletics
Kieran Regan Athletics
Eddie O’Connor Athletics
Michael Stuart Athletics
Martin Tyrrell Athletics
Colm Turner Athletics
Ciara Mageean Athletics
Shane Bracken Athletics
Georgina Eastaugh Athletics
Rebecca O’Keeffe Basketball
Jessica Scannell Basketball
Farouq Raheem Basketball
David Doran Basketball
Tyrone McKenna Boxing
Lee Gormley Boxing
Peter Weatherall Boxing
Sean McComb Boxing
Eric Donovan Boxing
Feargal McCrory Boxing
Danny Glynn Boxing
Paul Norton Cycling
Michael O’Connor Football
Louise Quinn Football
Omar Dreidi Football
Vaibhav Vishwanath Football
Luke Byrne Football
Stephen Carslake Football
Gilbert Steele Football
Craig Doyle Football
Patrick Murdiff Football
Eoin Walsh Football
Patrick Campbell Football
Shane Mulligan Football
Andrew Meehan Football
Colm Geraghty Football
Carmel O’Connor Football
Bernie Phelan Football
Frank Fleming Football
Savannah Kane Football
Mark Bonnick Football
Ciaran Cunningham Football
Brendan Caul Football
Grainne Lord Gaelic Games
Annette Parkes Gaelic games
Sinead Wylde Gaelic games
Jane Adams Gaelic games
Rena Buckley Gaelic games
Louise Walsh Gaelic games
Claire Coffey Gaelic games
Austin Smyth Gaelic games
Michael Blount Gaelic games
Conor McCann Gaelic games
Joe McMahon Gaelic games
Gary Coleman Gaelic games
Mark O’Hara Gaelic games
Joe Matthews Gaelic games
Jamie Devlin Gaelic games
Richard Rodgers Gaelic games
Tommy Reilly Gaelic games
Pat McCarthy Gaelic games
Paddy Molloy Gaelic games
Liam Hinphey Gaelic games
Rebekah Hurley Gaelic games
Gary Coleman Gaelic games
Joe McNally Gaelic games
Jamie Wall Gaelic games
Rory O’Carroll Gaelic games
Seaghan Kearney Gaelic games
Jim Hughes Gaelic games
Padraig O’Hora Gaelic games
Conor Stewart Gaelic games
Cormac O’Gara Gaelic games
John Donnellan Gaelic games
Dee Fennell Gaelic games
Patrick McBride Gaelic games
Hugh Daly Gaelic games
Jimmy McGovern Gaelic games
Karl Diamond Gaelic games
Philly McMahon Gaelic games
Davey Byrne Gaelic games
Michael Darragh Macauley Gaelic games
Colm O’Rourke Gaelic games
Killian O’Gara Gaelic games
Johnny Hughes Gaelic games
Liam Smith Gaelic games
Brendan Carey Gaelic games
Dermot McNicholl Gaelic games
Fergal McCusker Gaelic games
Patrick McAleer Gaelic games
Thomas Rodgers Gaelic games
Enda Gormley Gaelic games
Jim O’Connell Gaelic games
Kieran McKeever Gaelic games
David Hickey Gaelic games
Vincent Conroy Gaelic games
Michelle O’Malley Gaelic games
Willie Hughes Gaelic games
Conall Gough Gaelic games
Nodlaig Ní Bhrollaigh Gaelic games
Valerie Mulcahy Gaelic games
Niamh O’Gara Gaelic games
Joe Brolly Gaelic games
Bobby Doyle Gaelic games
Siobhán O’Malley Gaelic games
Thomas Drumm Gaelic games
BJ Mac Aoidh Gaelic games
Stephen Rooney Gaelic games
Kieran Duff Gaelic games
Colm McAlarney Gaelic games
Michael Doherty Gaelic games
Michael Byrne Gaelic games
Rebecca O’Kelly Gaelic games
Ciaran Twomey Gaelic games
Graeme Mulcahy Gaelic games
Ciaran Herron Gaelic games
Neil McManus Gaelic games
Matt Carlin Gaelic games
Timmy Hammersley Gaelic games
Leona O’Malley Gaelic games
Caroline Burke Gaelic Games
Sarah O’Meara Hockey
Mairéad Mahon Hockey
Neil Fleming Kayaking
Margaret McCarthy Mountain Climbing
Kenny Stills NFL
Mark Rohan Paracycling
Caro Vasseur Rock climbing
Marek Przybylski Rock climbing
Niamh McCormick Rugby
Jenny Murphy Rugby
Ailis Mardon-Egan Rugby
Heather O’Brien Rugby
Claire Molloy Rugby
Paula Fitzpatrick Rugby
Sharon Lynch Rugby
Chris Moore Rugby
Grace Davitt Rugby
Andrew Thompson Rugby
Deirbhile Nic a Bháird Rugby
Anna Caplice Rugby
Julia Bauer Rugby
Kelly O’Shea Rugby
Catherine Martin Rugby
Lynne Cantwell Rugby
Aisling O’Sullivan Rugby
Tony Ward Rugby
Rebecca Sullivan Rugby
Easkey Britton Surfing
Caimin Burke Swimming
Ciara Cunningham Swimming
Colm O’Brien Table Tennis
Jason Corbett Triathlon
Paul O’Reilly Triathlon
Jacinta O’Keeffe Triathlon
Stephen Jones Ultimate Frisbee
Donna Kiernan Volleyball
Jack Squibb Wheelchair Rugby
Alan Dineen Wheelchair Rugby