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Conor Counihan of Cork, left, and Pat Gilroy of Dublin are two of the managers listed as patrons of Alliance for Ireland. ©INPHO/Cathal Noonan
Referendum

GAA distances itself from managers' Yes campaign

Brian Cody, Conor Counihan and Pat Gilroy are patrons of the recently-launched Alliance for Ireland movement.

THE GAA HAS distanced itself from the upcoming fiscal compact referendum after a number of the Association’s top personalities joined a civic movement campaigning for a yes vote.

All-Ireland winning managers Brian Cody of Kilkenny, Conor Counihan of Cork and Pat Gilroy of Dublin are patrons of Alliance for Ireland, which is urging voters to ratify the compact on 31 May.

Ex-Wexford hurling manager Liam Griffin and former GAA President Christy Cooney are also listed as patrons of the group directed by Pat Cox, a former MEP and President of the European Parliament from 2002-2004.

In a short statement released this afternoon, the GAA stressed that it is a non-political organisation as set down in Rule 1.11 of the Association’s official guide and reaffirmed its neutrality in the upcoming vote.

However, there is no regulation preventing individual members from expressing their own political views.

“The GAA is a non-party political organisation whose individual members may, of course, decide to take positions on political issues in accordance with their own personal views and commitments,” the statement read.

“As an Association, however, the GAA does not take a position, or comment in any way, on either elections or referenda.”

Former Ireland rugby international Denis Hickie is also a patron of Alliance for Ireland, which launched its campaign in Dublin last weekend.

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