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EU Mythbuster: No. 1 - Windsor Park
Last week the GAA Tyrone County Board Chairman Pat Darcy, while playing down the significance of his organisation's practice of naming clubs and trophies after terrorist murderers, let slip a simple prejudice all to common among the GAA fraternity and often the wider population in general.
"Gaelic clubs were founded in Irish traditions. Both cultures have names that are associated with their traditions. That's the reality and we should all get on with it. We should accept it and stop making an issue of it.
... [snip]
Windsor Park is named after the British Royal Family, as is the Royal Victoria Hospital. We all have to tolerate these names."
Pat Darcy, Tyrone County GAA Board Chairman
Windsor Park - categorically NOT named after the British Royal Family
It's a pity Mr Darcy allowed his prejudice to overrule the general principle of finding out if something is true before stating it as fact. Windsor Park, which would go on to play host to Ireland and later Northern Ireland's national sides, opened in 1905, named after the area in which it was built - an area which currently contains Windsor Avenue, Lower Windsor Avenue, Windsor Drive and, yes, even a street called Windsor Park. Off Windsor Park (which connects the Malone Road to the Lisburn Road) you'll also find the presumably newer streets of Windsor Mews and Windsor Court.
Oh - and the Royal Family didn't adopt the name Windsor until 1917 - just the 12 years after Windsor Park was opened. Oops!
Follow up:
Then again why bother with the truth if you're going to have a go at a "sport for protestants", especially when your own sport is being exposed for celebrating terrorists like Sam Maguire of the IRB. Scottish Conservative MSP Bill Aitken called for the GAA's Sam Maguire trophy to be banned from Celtic Park when he heard of plans for holders Tyrone to parade it before Celtic's match this Saturday. Celtic FC have apparently refused to comment. This is the same Celtic FC who said just days ago:
"Celtic Football Club stands firmly against bigotry in all its forms and will continue to be a Club for all. People who indulge in sectarian behaviour, or in the promotion of paramilitary organisations, have no place within the Celtic family."
Celtic FC Press Release
Why? Because some of their "bhoys" had been filmed singing sectarian songs while supporters inserted chants of "Sinn Fein" and "IRA". It seems hyporcritical for Celtic to disown "the promotion of paramilitary organisations" while they allow the parade of a trophy named for a terrorist murderer around their ground. I know, lets deflect attention away from all that by telling porkies about how Windsor Park got its name.