Paul Murphy
Meath GAA says that a demand by Colm O’Rourke and others to cut the Allianz sponsorship it gives to the organisation’s National League won’t be discussed at county level. A county spokesperson told Meath Live that the matter was considered to be a national one to be considered by the central council. The county delegate there is Conor Tormey. The spokesperson said the matter would not be on the agenda at county board level.
In his column in the Sunday Independent last Sunday titled “Small act would send a message that we care” O’Rourke said that he was part of a delegation that delivered a letter to Croke Park authorities last Wednesday requesting that the GAA immediately end the sponsorship of the National League by Allianz.
He quoted the United Nations special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese as saying that what was happening in Gaza at the moment was “genocide” but also listed many big companies who were profiting greatly by their investment in Israeli bonds and through other associated companies which were involved in the “instruments of war”. Allianz was one of those, it was stated.
Colm O’Rourke wrote “Allianz has been described as principal institutional shareholder in Elbit Systems, one of the main suppliers of drones to the Israeli military These weapons are used to kill women and children and have caused the greatest number of amputations in the world. So the blood of Palestinians is on the hands of Allianz.”
As a community, the GAA prided itself in following as sort of moral code which was not perfect but nevertheless had standards of decency, honesty and respect and while it might take some time to break from Allianz because of contractual arrangements, the company should not be sponsoring next year’s league, he said.
It comes at a time when former EU and national ambassadors are calling on tougher action, as of 22 August a man made famine now exists in Gazza with starvation prevalent to over a half a million people. Colm O’Rourke had been joined by other leading Gaa personalities and former greats in calling for action by top brass.
in 
