DUP man berated over GAA remarks

The leader of the group of Sinn Féin councillors on Armagh City and District Council, Paul Corrigan, has accused DUP Councillor Paul Berry of "deliberate publicity seeking". Councillor Corrigan was responding to recent statements from Berry attacking displays of support for the Armagh county football team.

"This is the second consecutive All-Ireland final that Armagh has reached and as with last year, Councillor Berry has issued statements criticising the colourful displays of support for the team and claiming that it is deliberately offensive," said Corrigan. "To justify his remarks, he has tried to make links between the GAA and republicanism. The reality is that the GAA is a sporting and cultural organisation that enjoys a considerable amount of support throughout Ireland. It is hardly surprising that when your county team makes the final of the All-Ireland, that supporters will want to show their appreciation of that achievement. However, this display of support seems to be offensive to Councillor Berry. He assertion that places of work and schools should in the interest of equality not display such emblems is an effort to disguise his true motive. He singles out GAA supporters in his remarks but makes no mention of other forms of 'regalia'.

"Councillor Berry's yardstick for categorising culture is somewhat strange. Two years ago, when loyalists erected a 'No Pope' sign at Edenavey's, Councillor Berry defended this sign, describing it as an expression of culture. Yet, according to him the support for a sporting achievement is somewhat offensive and provocative. What, therefore, for Councillor Berry is a legitimate expression of culture or an expression of sectarian offence?

"But there is another aspect of Paul Berry's comments that needs to be addressed. In recent months there has been an increasing number of sectarian attacks on nationalists in Armagh City. I wonder what Councillor Berry's opinion is on these sectarian attacks. To date I haven't heard him comment on these attacks. While I do not accuse Councillor Berry of supporting these attacks, his verbal attacks on the GAA and lack of comment on these sectarian attacks is to say the least irresponsible."