Irish football authorities urged to meet the IRA victims being hurt by 'up the Ra' sentiments

Victims' group SEFF said the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has ignored repeated requests to meet with victims of IRA violence – to hear first-hand how such behaviour negatively impacts those worst affected.

The latest request for a meeting follows the display of a Irish tricolour, with added republican imagery, at a Women's World Cup game in Australia earlier this week.

The custom-made flag features Ireland manager Vera Pauw wearing a black beret, commonly associated with the IRA, with the slogan “Ooh Ah Up Ve-Ra, Say Ohh Ah Up Ve-Ra."

A photograph of the flag was posted on the social media account of the Peadar Browns pub Dublin, along with a claim that Fifa officials had “removed our flag at today’s game”.

In December last year, Uefa fined the Irish women's team €20,000 after a video appeared online, showing the team members celebrating qualification for the World Cup by singing 'Ooh ah, up the Ra'.

Apologising for the pro-IRA chanting at the time, team manager Vera Pauw said there was "no excuse" for the hurt that had been caused.

In a statement released by the FAI, Pauw said: “We apologise from the bottom of our hearts to anyone who has been offended by the content of the post-match celebrations after we had just qualified for the World Cup."

SEFF director Kenny Donaldson said his group has made several requests to meet with FAI representatives and will continue to do so.

“Again, we ask for the eighth time, will the FAI meet with representatives of our group, inclusive of individuals who are citizens of the Republic of Ireland and supporters of the national team?” he said.

“We only had to ask the GAA and the Orange Order once to meet with us and they obliged, and engagement followed. Why does the FAI feel it has no requirement to meet with those who have been impacted by the actions of players and some fans?

“Are you actually prepared to demean victims/survivors to the extent where they would feel obliged to congregate together in protest outside FAI buildings or another linked FAI resource? Belatedly do the right thing and meet us."

Following media coverage of the claim that Fifa officials objected to the display of the customised tricolour, the pub’s Facebook page posted the message: “The tabloids run a story about our little flag down under during the World Cup while our national flag was burned all over the North only 3 weeks ago but the mainstream media up and down the country completely ignores that.”

While a number of people responding expressed support for the pub’s patrons in Perth, many others were not impressed.

One person posted a reminder that the IRA “killed kids,” while another said: "Free publicity at the expense of the team. As if the team would want to be associated with any of this or be seen in this light."

The FAI has not yet responded to a request for comment.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​