Donaldson pays tribute to Crossmaglen Rangers following hard-fought win
Crossmaglen man and UUP Party Officer Kenny Donaldson has congratulated local GAA side, Crossmaglen Rangers upon their momentous win over Kerry side, Dr Crokes in the All-Ireland Club Final replay held in Portlaoise on Sunday last.The win means that Crossmaglen Rangers have won the All-Ireland Club Championship four times in the last decade.
In a statement Mr Donaldson said: “I would congratulate Crossmaglen Rangers, the players and all the backroom staff. Their unique spirit, determination and will to win has saw them clinch their fourth All-Ireland Club Championship in a decade – that is a considerable sporting achievement and is testament to all involved.
“In any sport it is too often the headline clashes between major teams that draw all the media attention - too little attention gets paid to the important work of building up our sporting potential at club and local level. In particular, I know that in Gaelic Football it takes an immense level of skill, dedication and commitment for any club team to advance to an all-Ireland final. Crossmaglen Rangers have proved again and again that they have what it takes to win the big games and claim the top silverware.
“As a Unionist I acknowledge that the GAA have taken significant steps in recent years to reach out and demonstrate respect for the tradition to which I belong. I would hope and expect that the organisation will continue to move forward in a progressive and inclusive manner. I would urge the unionist community to display tolerance and respect for Gaelic Games and the important role they have for thousands of Northern Irish citizens.”
“After the moving experience of hearing God Save The Queen played and respected by 80,000 Ireland fans in Croke Park and living through the heroics of our Northern Ireland football team as they climbed to the summit of their European Qualifying Group in what was termed; ‘the group of death’ and the groundswell of support the team has received from across the community, there can be little doubt that sport has immense potential of building reconciliation within our community,” concluded Kenny.