Presbyterian congregations hit out over sport on ‘Lord’s Day’

Newry presbytery of the Irish Presbyterian Church has backed the decision of Kilkeel Hockey Club to withdraw from an all-Ireland tournament because of having to play on Sunday, after a diktat from the sport’s authorities.

The presbytery supports the Kilkeel club and said it is “very concerned” about increasing use of Sunday for organised sporting activity.

The presbytery, in a statement, asserted: “We certainly approve of our young people and young adults engaging in all kinds of sport, believing that this involvement is good for character-building and teamwork. However, we are deeply concerned at the increasing use of Sunday for youth development in sport. We believe that Sunday is the Lord’s Day and ought to be kept special.

“More and more of our young people are being drawn away from our Sunday schools and church services because of a desire to be involved in competitive sport,” added Newry presbytery, which represents 24 churches and 3,000 families in the South Down/South Armagh area.

The sport’s governing body, Hockey Ireland, said it dealt with the situation as per its rules. This means all teams representing a club must take part in any all-island cup competition on Sundays. The presbytery said it fully supports the Kilkeel club.

“Parents are often left with a dilemma – wanting to encourage their children in sporting activity, but also wanting to encourage spiritual understanding and development in church activities on Sunday. Our young people not only need to be physically fit, but need a moral, spiritual foundation for their future lives,” said the presbytery.

Three Presbyterian churches are located in the Kilkeel area - Mourne, Kilkeel and Annalong, with Mourne among the largest in Ireland.