DUBLIN FOOTBALLER DAVID Byrne has reiterated the call for Allianz to be dropped as a GAA sponsor, insisting it’s “important that players organise themselves to speak out” on serious moral issues.
Offaly GAA this week passed a motion that “the GAA should begin the process of ending all commercial involvement with Allianz Insurance”.
A United Nations report published in July identified Allianz’s German parent company, through its subsidiary PIMCO, among the companies and corporations which hold Israeli war bonds.
Back in August, Byrne was among 800 or so current and former GAA players who signed an open letter to the GAA asking for an end to sponsorship deals with Allianz.
The global insurance giant has financially backed the National Leagues since 1993, and the current deal runs until 2030.
Allianz has been a GAA sponsor since 1993. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
The GAA referred the issue to its Ethics and Integrity Commission for consideration. In an update issued to RTÉ on Thursday, the Association said that “the Ethics and Integrity Commission (EIC) has initiated an investigation into the GAA’s relationship with Allianz”.
“The EIC’s investigation will require consideration of material and engagement with relevant stakeholders.
The EIC will conclude its investigation as soon as possible.
Advertisement
Eight-time All-Ireland winner Byrne, who also spoke at a Dubs for Palestine rally last July, is committed to another season with Dublin and said it’s ‘disappointing’ that he’ll feature in a National League competition sponsored by Allianz.
“People say to keep politics out of sport, and sport out of politics, and I do believe that, I don’t think sport should be getting involved when it comes to local elections or politics like that,” said Byrne at the launch of Dublin GAA’s new jersey.
“But when it’s a human rights issue and we in sport are in some way connected to the funding of a genocide, I think it’s important that we do speak up against it.
“We have a little bit of a platform. We are not huge celebrities, like big international soccer players or anything like that. But we do have a bit of a platform and a voice within our own community.
And I think the GAA itself has such a brilliant ethos and such a brilliant reputation. And if we see something that we don’t agree with, that’s socially a bit wrong or morally a bit wrong, it’s important that players organise themselves to speak out against it.
Byrne, right, in action for Dublin during the 2025 All-Ireland Championship. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Byrne acknowledged that the “people who are running Croke Park are good people” but he feels it is wrong to continue with Allianz, despite the tentative ceasefire currently in place in the region.
“I believe it’s still the Allianz League that we’re all going to be playing in, right?” said Byrne.
“So to that degree, that the overall goal of the campaign was to drop Allianz, for the GAA to drop Allianz, and it seems like they haven’t listened to us, or haven’t listened to the people in that campaign, that’s been disappointing.
“There obviously is a ceasefire now, I don’t think that changes anything that happened pre-ceasefire. There is still a lot of relevance there.
“I haven’t heard anything from the GAA, or I haven’t heard anything from Dave (Hickey), who would have told me if the GAA had said anything, but it looks like we are all going to be playing in the Allianz Leagues, which I think a lot of players who would have signed that petition wouldn’t be too happy about.”
- Elder statesman -
Byrne will be a key figure in new Dublin manager Ger Brennan’s setup for 2026, as the third-oldest member of the squad following the retirement of John Small and Stephen Cluxton’s move from player to selector.
News of his availability for 2026 is a boost to Brennan as the Naomh Olafs man skipped the 2024 campaign, taking a year out to travel to Australia, before returning and lining out in all of Dublin’s League and Championship games in 2025.
Byrne confirmed for the first time that he underwent ACL surgery whilst in Australia, having suffered the injury in 2022. His decision to avoid surgery and to play on was viewed as something of a test case at the time.
“I played a year and a half of successful inter-county football and then when I landed in Australia, two weeks in, my knee absolutely buckled on me and I ended up having to get surgery on it,” revealed Byrne, the All-Ireland winning minor Dublin captain of 2012.
It turned out I can do a year and a half of inter-county football without surgery — but not a five-a-side game of astro football over in Australia!
Ultimately, he probably would have missed out on the 2023 All-Ireland win if he’d got the surgery in 2022. Or wouldn’t have played such a leading role at least?
“Yeah, definitely, yeah,” nodded Byrne. “I injured it in ’22, and I came back in that Championship. I played against Cork and Kerry, and the following year, I played without surgery, and we won it that year. I would have played pretty much almost every minute.”
As for Dublin’s ambitions for 2026, Byrne said they find themselves in the position of chasing down a number of teams ahead of them.
“At the end of the day, Louth are Leinster champions,” he said. “And Meath knocked us out of Leinster. And Kerry won the All-Ireland. So definitely we’re the team that’s chasing this year. We’ll look at what they all did last year and see can we take anything from it to improve.”
'It seems like they haven't listened to us': Dubs star Byrne renews call for GAA to end Allianz partnership
DUBLIN FOOTBALLER DAVID Byrne has reiterated the call for Allianz to be dropped as a GAA sponsor, insisting it’s “important that players organise themselves to speak out” on serious moral issues.
Offaly GAA this week passed a motion that “the GAA should begin the process of ending all commercial involvement with Allianz Insurance”.
A United Nations report published in July identified Allianz’s German parent company, through its subsidiary PIMCO, among the companies and corporations which hold Israeli war bonds.
Back in August, Byrne was among 800 or so current and former GAA players who signed an open letter to the GAA asking for an end to sponsorship deals with Allianz.
The global insurance giant has financially backed the National Leagues since 1993, and the current deal runs until 2030.
The GAA referred the issue to its Ethics and Integrity Commission for consideration. In an update issued to RTÉ on Thursday, the Association said that “the Ethics and Integrity Commission (EIC) has initiated an investigation into the GAA’s relationship with Allianz”.
“The EIC’s investigation will require consideration of material and engagement with relevant stakeholders.
Eight-time All-Ireland winner Byrne, who also spoke at a Dubs for Palestine rally last July, is committed to another season with Dublin and said it’s ‘disappointing’ that he’ll feature in a National League competition sponsored by Allianz.
“People say to keep politics out of sport, and sport out of politics, and I do believe that, I don’t think sport should be getting involved when it comes to local elections or politics like that,” said Byrne at the launch of Dublin GAA’s new jersey.
“But when it’s a human rights issue and we in sport are in some way connected to the funding of a genocide, I think it’s important that we do speak up against it.
“We have a little bit of a platform. We are not huge celebrities, like big international soccer players or anything like that. But we do have a bit of a platform and a voice within our own community.
Byrne acknowledged that the “people who are running Croke Park are good people” but he feels it is wrong to continue with Allianz, despite the tentative ceasefire currently in place in the region.
“I believe it’s still the Allianz League that we’re all going to be playing in, right?” said Byrne.
“So to that degree, that the overall goal of the campaign was to drop Allianz, for the GAA to drop Allianz, and it seems like they haven’t listened to us, or haven’t listened to the people in that campaign, that’s been disappointing.
“There obviously is a ceasefire now, I don’t think that changes anything that happened pre-ceasefire. There is still a lot of relevance there.
“I haven’t heard anything from the GAA, or I haven’t heard anything from Dave (Hickey), who would have told me if the GAA had said anything, but it looks like we are all going to be playing in the Allianz Leagues, which I think a lot of players who would have signed that petition wouldn’t be too happy about.”
- Elder statesman -
Byrne will be a key figure in new Dublin manager Ger Brennan’s setup for 2026, as the third-oldest member of the squad following the retirement of John Small and Stephen Cluxton’s move from player to selector.
News of his availability for 2026 is a boost to Brennan as the Naomh Olafs man skipped the 2024 campaign, taking a year out to travel to Australia, before returning and lining out in all of Dublin’s League and Championship games in 2025.
Byrne confirmed for the first time that he underwent ACL surgery whilst in Australia, having suffered the injury in 2022. His decision to avoid surgery and to play on was viewed as something of a test case at the time.
“I played a year and a half of successful inter-county football and then when I landed in Australia, two weeks in, my knee absolutely buckled on me and I ended up having to get surgery on it,” revealed Byrne, the All-Ireland winning minor Dublin captain of 2012.
Ultimately, he probably would have missed out on the 2023 All-Ireland win if he’d got the surgery in 2022. Or wouldn’t have played such a leading role at least?
“Yeah, definitely, yeah,” nodded Byrne. “I injured it in ’22, and I came back in that Championship. I played against Cork and Kerry, and the following year, I played without surgery, and we won it that year. I would have played pretty much almost every minute.”
As for Dublin’s ambitions for 2026, Byrne said they find themselves in the position of chasing down a number of teams ahead of them.
“At the end of the day, Louth are Leinster champions,” he said. “And Meath knocked us out of Leinster. And Kerry won the All-Ireland. So definitely we’re the team that’s chasing this year. We’ll look at what they all did last year and see can we take anything from it to improve.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Allianz Criticism David Byrne GAA Dublin none