McCausland to attend GAA match
The DUP Sports Minister will attend his first GAA match in Northern Ireland tomorrow.
Nelson McCausland has accepted an invitation to the International Police Gaelic Football Tournament final at Newforge Country Club in Belfast, where the finalists will fight to lift the Police Cup.
It will be the first time the illustrious biennial tournament — comprising the New York Police Department, London Metropolitan Police Service, An Garda Siochana and the PSNI — has been hosted by the PSNI Gaelic Football Club.
Previously the event — which is enjoying its third outing — has been held in Dublin and London. Last night participating players from the four teams were officially welcomed by the new PSNI Chief Constable in the Great Hall at Stormont.
And, marking another first, it was Matt Baggott’s inaugural visit to Parliament Buildings on his ninth day in the job.
Speaking to the media ahead of the event, the new police chief joked about his team’s chances.
“The PSNI have every opportunity, and one of their first tests with me as chief is to win this tournament,” he said.
“There is some very good talent come over . . . and . . . well, as for the Met, I suspect they will probably finish bottom, but I think the PSNI have got a good chance this weekend.”
Mr Baggott — who will attend Saturday’s final at 3.30pm — also said this type of sporting event gave all four forces a positive arena in which to get together.
“We have a great friendship, a great camaraderie, we share stories, we give each other advice and doing it in a sporting venue is no better way of doing that,” he added.
The Sports Minister was absent from last night’s event at Parliament Buildings, but in a recent interview with the Belfast Telegraph Mr McCausland revealed he has already been to a GAA game of sorts — two months ago in Canada.
Just this week, however, he caused a furore by threatening to change departmental rules and withdraw funding from Gaelic clubs who named grounds or competitions after dead paramilitaries.
