Prominent athletes from Belfast have joined a call urging the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to boycott the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches between the Republic of Ireland and Israel.
The open letter, initiated by the Irish Sport for Palestine Group, was endorsed by West Belfast boxers Tyrone McKenna and Sean McComb.
Other notable Irish sports figures also signed the letter, including runner Ciara Mageean, former Dublin Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) stars Michael Darragh MacAuley and Philly McMahon, as well as former Ireland rugby fly-half Tony Ward.
The letter states: “As athletes, we are taught that all players are equal and subject to the same rules under equal conditions. However, these universal values clash with the reality of sport, which often reproduces structures of oppression and discrimination. Nowhere is this more evident than in Palestine, where the Israeli occupation violates principles of justice and equality, with sporting organizations complicit in this.”
The authors explicitly call for the cancellation of the two upcoming UEFA Nations League matches, arguing that playing against Israel legitimizes a regime they accuse of genocide and serves to cover up violations of legal norms, apartheid, and war crimes.
They also directly address the players, urging them to demonstrate collective awareness. “Wearing the Republic of Ireland jersey and representing your country means a great deal. But we want Ireland to be represented by a nation mindful of its roots in anti-colonial and anti-imperialist struggles, in which Irish sport played a significant role,” the letter reads. It suggests that refusing to play would be “the act most in keeping with the spirit of sport. We urge you to show principle at this critical moment and stop the game. Ireland supports you in this.”
It is worth recalling that the Republic of Ireland football team is scheduled to face Israel twice in the UEFA Nations League: first on 27 September in Hungary, followed by the return fixture on 4 October in Serbia.
