Rugby vs. Politics

Ireland have beat England 43-13 in a Six Nations rugby match played at Croke Park, a setting steeped in the history of Irish-British relations.

It was here, in November 1920, that British forces fired into the crowd during a Gaelic football match in what was thought to be a retaliation for the killing of several members of the Cairo gang (a group of British Intelligence agents) by the IRA. These deaths, along with several shootings in Dublin later that evening and the death of some Irish prisoners at the hands of British guards, is why November 21st became known as Bloody Sunday.

The recently refurbished Croke Park, home of the Gaelic Athletic Association, has only hosted national sporting events (Gaelic football and hurling) up until this year. The Irish rugby union and soccer teams have been granted permission to use Croke Park while their sporting ground, Landsdowne Road, undergoes construction. The first international game was against France two weeks ago, and unfortunately for the Irish, France won by 3 points.

The historic Ireland-England game follows several key events in the Northern Ireland Peace process in the last 18 months. In September 2005, the IRA decommissioned all of its weapons; this past January, Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, voted to support the Police Service of Northern Ireland ; and on March 7th we will see elections for the Northern Ireland Assembly which has been suspended since October 2002 following allegations of Republican spying. This is all leading up to the March 26th deadline for devolution (Irish home rule).

Just as in the political sphere, the rugby game was not without tension. There was much discussion as to whether or not England’s national anthem, God Save the Queen, should be sung before the match. The expression of English pride was perhaps not appropriate in light of the former Croke Park events, however the anthem was sung and the Irish fans were respectful. It was, though, an emotionally charged game for the Irish team and some players had tears in their eyes as they lined up at the beginning of the match.

Victorious, perhaps on several levels, the Irish team shook hands with the English players at the end of the match. And so sport reflects the political climate. It has been a long and slow move toward peace in Northern Ireland, but if politicians can take inspiration from the Croke Park match, perhaps the different sides can meet, debate, and then shake hands at the end of it.

For more on Irish history, read my post on Ireland's Many Histories.