FORMER DUBLIN FOOTBALLER Michael Darragh MacAuley says the GAA must be “more careful” about the NFL’s links with US military ahead of the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Croke Park.
The US military continues to support Israel’s offensive in Gaza, condemned this week as “genocide” by a UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry. MacAuley says staging an NFL game at GAA headquarters is essentially “planting a flag of America in Ireland.”
The eight-time All-Ireland winner also indicated that there will be pro-Palestinian protest action outside Croke Park on the day of the game.
The Dublin clash on 28 September will be the first ever competitive NFL game to take place in Ireland, and has been lauded as a celebration of the Irish links with the participating teams. Minnesota’s head coach Kevin O’Connell is of Irish heritage while the Steelers’ Irish roots run back to the club’s foundation in 1933 through the Rooney family whose ancestors originate from Down. The game will also be screened by Virgin Media in Ireland.
MacAuley is part of the Irish Sport for Palestine campaign group, and has been vocal on Irish sports stories that are linked with the Gaza conflict. In 2024, he called on the Ireland women’s basketball team to boycott their European Championship qualifier with Israel.
He accepts that people will attend the Steelers-Vikings gam and has watched an NFL game in London in the past. But he also encourages spectators to be more informed about the broader issue of the NFL’s military undertones before heading to Croke Park.
“I’m nearly laughing at myself when I hear some dissenting voices here saying sport and politics doesn’t mix. Try to say that to the NFL and the military,” he says to The 42.
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“We’re so proud of the GAA as an organisation. It is hard to beat in terms of what it brings in to grassroots, and values that it holds. When we’re bringing in an organisation like the NFL, and I heard it being quoted saying that we have shared values with the NFL, I just don’t believe that.”
Expanding on his view that the morals of the NFL and the GAA are not aligned, MacAuley pointed to the treatment of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in more recent times. Kaepernick’s career gradually dwindled after he refused to stand for the national anthem in protest against police brutality and racial inequality.
“I think this is this is an organisation that doesn’t hold a high moral bar to anyone,” he says.
“For it to be to be brought over here, it’s not planting a seed, it’s more planting a flag of America in Ireland. And I think we just need to be to be careful about, about who we share our food with when it’s on the dinner table.
“When you look at the GAA code of ethics, the first thing is that members are respected, treat everyone with respect, regardless of race, religion, gender, or ability. Can the NFL say that? That’s laughable. It doesn’t wash with me.”
The GAA has already come under pressure over its partnership with the insurance company Allianz, which has been linked with Israel’s occupation in Gaza.
A report recently published on the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the UN listed Allianz among the companies that purchase Israeli treasury bonds, which, the report argues, play a “critical role in funding the ongoing assault on Gaza”.
Michael Darragh MacAuley after Dublin's All-Ireland victory in 2019. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
A letter was submitted to Croke Park, containing the signatures of MacAuley and some 800 current and former players from Gaelic football, hurling, camogie and women’s football calling for the GAA to sever its links Allianz. The GAA subsequently announced on 7 September that the matter has been referred to the association’s Ethics and Integrity Committee.
The 42 contacted the GAA for an update on the referral but did not receive a response at time of publication.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” says MacAuley. “There’s big money at play here, we’re well aware of that.
“But I suppose we can’t speak out of two sides of our mouths when we try and hold up our moral bar with one regard and not to another. It’s just something to be cautious of when we’re kind of opening these doors.
“If anyone’s ever seen a [NFL] game on the telly, we’ve seen the military jets and the flyovers, we’ve seen all the salute to service. They don’t try and hide their patriotism for their American army.
“I’m not here to point fingers. It’s early stages. We’ve probably just got into bed with the NFL and I think we just need to ask those questions. Is this who we want to kind of share a room with?
“I think it’s a very dubious one to, at least to get involved with. We’ve all seen what America have done. We’ve all seen them fueling the Israeli army. We’re all disgusted with it.
“I think we just need to just be careful.”
The latest episode of The42 FM explores this topic. Have a listen to the conversation between Gavin Cooney and Sinéad O’Carroll here
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'It's planting a flag of America in Ireland. We need to be careful' - Michael Darragh MacAuley
FORMER DUBLIN FOOTBALLER Michael Darragh MacAuley says the GAA must be “more careful” about the NFL’s links with US military ahead of the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Croke Park.
The US military continues to support Israel’s offensive in Gaza, condemned this week as “genocide” by a UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry. MacAuley says staging an NFL game at GAA headquarters is essentially “planting a flag of America in Ireland.”
The eight-time All-Ireland winner also indicated that there will be pro-Palestinian protest action outside Croke Park on the day of the game.
The Dublin clash on 28 September will be the first ever competitive NFL game to take place in Ireland, and has been lauded as a celebration of the Irish links with the participating teams. Minnesota’s head coach Kevin O’Connell is of Irish heritage while the Steelers’ Irish roots run back to the club’s foundation in 1933 through the Rooney family whose ancestors originate from Down. The game will also be screened by Virgin Media in Ireland.
MacAuley is part of the Irish Sport for Palestine campaign group, and has been vocal on Irish sports stories that are linked with the Gaza conflict. In 2024, he called on the Ireland women’s basketball team to boycott their European Championship qualifier with Israel.
He accepts that people will attend the Steelers-Vikings gam and has watched an NFL game in London in the past. But he also encourages spectators to be more informed about the broader issue of the NFL’s military undertones before heading to Croke Park.
“I’m nearly laughing at myself when I hear some dissenting voices here saying sport and politics doesn’t mix. Try to say that to the NFL and the military,” he says to The 42.
“We’re so proud of the GAA as an organisation. It is hard to beat in terms of what it brings in to grassroots, and values that it holds. When we’re bringing in an organisation like the NFL, and I heard it being quoted saying that we have shared values with the NFL, I just don’t believe that.”
Expanding on his view that the morals of the NFL and the GAA are not aligned, MacAuley pointed to the treatment of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in more recent times. Kaepernick’s career gradually dwindled after he refused to stand for the national anthem in protest against police brutality and racial inequality.
“I think this is this is an organisation that doesn’t hold a high moral bar to anyone,” he says.
“For it to be to be brought over here, it’s not planting a seed, it’s more planting a flag of America in Ireland. And I think we just need to be to be careful about, about who we share our food with when it’s on the dinner table.
“When you look at the GAA code of ethics, the first thing is that members are respected, treat everyone with respect, regardless of race, religion, gender, or ability. Can the NFL say that? That’s laughable. It doesn’t wash with me.”
The GAA has already come under pressure over its partnership with the insurance company Allianz, which has been linked with Israel’s occupation in Gaza.
A report recently published on the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the UN listed Allianz among the companies that purchase Israeli treasury bonds, which, the report argues, play a “critical role in funding the ongoing assault on Gaza”.
A letter was submitted to Croke Park, containing the signatures of MacAuley and some 800 current and former players from Gaelic football, hurling, camogie and women’s football calling for the GAA to sever its links Allianz. The GAA subsequently announced on 7 September that the matter has been referred to the association’s Ethics and Integrity Committee.
The 42 contacted the GAA for an update on the referral but did not receive a response at time of publication.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” says MacAuley. “There’s big money at play here, we’re well aware of that.
“But I suppose we can’t speak out of two sides of our mouths when we try and hold up our moral bar with one regard and not to another. It’s just something to be cautious of when we’re kind of opening these doors.
“If anyone’s ever seen a [NFL] game on the telly, we’ve seen the military jets and the flyovers, we’ve seen all the salute to service. They don’t try and hide their patriotism for their American army.
“I’m not here to point fingers. It’s early stages. We’ve probably just got into bed with the NFL and I think we just need to ask those questions. Is this who we want to kind of share a room with?
“I think it’s a very dubious one to, at least to get involved with. We’ve all seen what America have done. We’ve all seen them fueling the Israeli army. We’re all disgusted with it.
“I think we just need to just be careful.”
The latest episode of The42 FM explores this topic. Have a listen to the conversation between Gavin Cooney and Sinéad O’Carroll here
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Croke Park GAA NFL uneasy