Loyalist band: GAA star Greg McCartan’s IRA chants were especially offensive

A loyalist band which was subjected to a “disgusting verbal assault” by a former Down GAA star says it is interested to see if nationalist politicians or local GAA officials have anything to say on the matter.
By The Newsroom
Published 18th Sep 2019, 07:30 BST
A critical social media reaction to Greg McCartan's actions in NewcastleA critical social media reaction to Greg McCartan's actions in Newcastle
A critical social media reaction to Greg McCartan's actions in Newcastle

Ex-Down GAA star Greg McCartan posted a video on social media in which he appeared to hurl abuse, including ‘Up the Ra’ and ‘black b*****ds’, as bands paraded through Newcastle on Saturday night.

He later tweeted: “Apologies to anyone who took offence to my tweet the other night folks. Lesson learned should never have happened. Alcohol no excuse.”

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In a statement, the Star of Down Flute Band has now said: “The footage clearly shows Mr McCartan verbally abusing young male and female band members as they pass. His chants about the IRA are especially offensive because many members of the local band community lost loved ones due to the actions of the murdering terrorists of the IRA in South Down.”

The shouting about the IRA was “clearly an attempt to provoke a reaction” but the band “prides itself on our high standards of music and decorum” and band members should be “praised for the restraint they showed in not reacting in the face of blatant antagonism and provocation” it said.

It was especially disappointing, it said, that a former senior GAA player “cannot show any degree of tolerance to the cultural identity of his neighbours”.

The matter has been reported to the PSNI as a hate crime, it said, and it will be “interesting to see if the leaders of political nationalism or the local GAA have anything to say on the matter” the band added.