The Five Demands

Il leader dell’UUP si è incontrato con il Segretario dell’ Ulster Council of the GAA, appena due mesi dopo aver dichiarato che non avrebbe mai assistere ad una partita di sport gaelici.

Tom Elliott ha rifiutato di riferire se avesse cambiato o meno la sua posizione sulla GAA (l’associazione che gestisce ed organizza gli sport gaelici in Irlanda); tuttavia da ambo le parti l’incontro è stato definito ‘positivo’.
“Io lascio sempre le mie opzioni aperte”, ha detto Elliott  a UTV. “Quello che farò è, ovviamente, esaminare ogni invito e portare rispetto per l’organizzazione.”
Ha poi aggiunto: “Penso che sia importante tendere la mano a tutti nella società, ciò è quello che ho sempre fatto – ma quello che non faremo è ovviamente cambiare i miei personali punti di vista.
E questo significa che rispettando altre tradizioni, mi aspetto lo stesso rispetto da loro e questo”
Il segretario della GAA per l’Ulster, Danny Murphy, ha definito l’ incontro importante per coloro che non avevano ancora capito come l’organizzazione operi: “Abbiamo conosciuto le nostre posizioni”, ha detto, aggiungendo che un’ipotetica partecipazione di Elliott ad una partita GAA è un fatto esclusivamente privato: “Non credo che, se vogliamo lavorare per costruire il rispetto e la comprensione, dovremmo dire alla gente quello che deve o non deve fare o viceversa”, ha detto.
“Se vuole partecipare a una partita, si può assistere ad una partita. Se non lo fa, non gli sarà chiesto di partecipare ad una partita contro la sua volontà”.

La tregua tra Elliot e la Gaelic Athletic Association (Video)

UUP leader meets with GAA (UTV)
The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party has met with the Secretary of the Ulster Council of the GAA, just two months after declaring he would never attend a GAA match.
While Tom Elliott refused to be drawn on whether or not he would change his stance, both men described the meeting as positive.
“I always keep my options open,” Mr Elliott told UTV. “What I will do is obviously look at every invitation and give respect to the organisation.”
The UUP leader added that he and the GAA shared a respect for each other and that he had worked with the organisation in Fermanagh on a number of occasions
I think it’s important that we reach out to everyone in society and I have always done that – but what I will not do is obviously change my own standards or respects.
“And that means that I respect other traditions and I ask for the same respect from them and that’s what life’s about here. That doesn’t mean that I’ll become an ardent supporter or ardent fan of that particular organisation, but it does mean is that I have a respect for them.”
Ulster GAA Secretary Danny Murphy told UTV he thought it was an important meeting for those who hadn’t previously understood how the organisation operated.
“We discovered where our positions are,” he said. “And I think we’re better acquainted with the position of the Ulster Unionist Party with regard to the GAA, and they probably have a better understanding of where we’re coming from.”
Mr Murphy added that the question of attendance or non-attendance at a GAA match was a private one for Mr Elliott.
“I don’t think that, if we are going to work at building respect and understanding, that we shouldn’t be telling people what they should or shouldn’t do or vice versa,” he said.
“If he wants to attend a game, he can attend a game. If he doesn’t, we won’t be asking him to attend a game against his wishes.”
Mr Elliott’s previous comments about not attending a GAA game, made during his leadership campaign, led to the resignation of prominent party member Trevor Ringland.
Earlier this month, the former Irish rugby international received a standing ovation when he addressed the Ulster GAA conference in Armagh.
Representatives from the IFA and IRFU also attended Wednesday’s meeting with the Ulster Unionist leader. Together with the GAA, the sporting bodies briefed the party on proposals to upgrade Windsor Park, Ravenhill and Casement Park.
Concerns were also raised about how the three sports could be affected by proposed changes to the Justice Bill.