Cork GAA double down on stance banning the Confederate flag

"It has no place in our grounds or in supporting Cork teams..."

In 2017, the then Cork county board chairman Ger Lane came out strongly against the flying of the Confederate flag at Cork GAA games.

"The Cork county board ask people to refrain to bring it to any ground in the future," he said in a board meeting.

On Friday, in a statement to the Irish Times, the current Cork county board chairwoman Tracey Kennedy doubled down on that stance from her county board, claiming that the flag is banned from GAA grounds and that the it will be confiscated from anyone who attempts to bring it into a stadium with them. [caption id="attachment_212134" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A selection of Confederate flags flown in the Hill 16 by Cork fans ahead of 1999 All-Ire hurling final.[/caption]

"I’m happy to make that position explicit and say it’s banned from our grounds. It has no place in our grounds or in supporting Cork teams. We’re a community association and every part of the community is welcome in the GAA," said Kennedy.

The flag originates from the time of the American Civil War when it was used by the pro-slavery Confederate states. The confederate states were those who warred against the United states during the American civil war, and has since been flown by elements of the far right in the US. As seen in the above photo, Cork GAA fans bring a host of flags with them to games, with some bringing Turkey, USA and indeed Confederate flags. While the use of the Confederate flag has dwindled in recent times, it is still often seen at Cork GAA games. In recent days, the spotlight has been shone on the confederate flag on the back of race tensions in America, with NASCAR deciding to ban it from all of their events.