Down cricket club cancels summer camp amid opposition to GAA involvement
A cricket club in Co. Down has been forced to cancel a cross-community sports summer camp after loyalist opposition to the involvement of a "small group of children from a GAA club".
North Down Cricket Club, which is based in Comber, has planned to host the event for children from different backgrounds, including some from East Belfast GAA, last Friday. However, following opposition from a local Orange Lodge and a backlash on social media to inviting the children from the GAA club, the cricket club decided not to proceed with the event.
"Cricket is a global game made up of many faiths and cultures, and that is reflected here at the green. What unites us is the game," the club said in a statement.
"The sport summer camp was created to give young people from different backgrounds a chance to enjoy cricket, try something new, and simply have fun.
"The plan was to involve 10 different local sports and community groups - including organisations supporting ethnic minority communities - with the aim of building friendships through shared activity.
"A small group of children from a GAA club was just one part of that broader mix."
The cricket club said as "reaction to the event grew, we felt the spirit of the camp was at risk of being lost".
"With regret - and out of respect for all involved - we chose not to proceed,"
First Minister Michelle O'Neill posted on social media that the development is "deeply worrying and unacceptable".
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