The GAA has been exposed as naked over its Allianz links |
HANS Christian Andersen was not one of the founders of the GAA. The Danish author died nine years before the seven men met in Thurles in 1884 to establish the organisation.
However, Andersen left a literary legacy which is as relevant to the GAA today as anything written by its founding members.
His folk tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes, is perhaps the most appropriate work to describe the GAA’s current state of denial.
The story is about a vain ruler who was fooled into buying what he was told was a wonderful new suit, which was invisible to those who were incompetent or stupid.
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Not wishing to appear foolish, everyone said he was fully clothed, until one child pointed out that the emperor was in fact naked.
Today, the GAA is emperor in Irish sport and as in Andersen’s tale, it claims it is wearing a beautiful suit of clothes, tailor-made by Allianz, the German insurance company.
Allianz sponsors the GAA’s national football and hurling leagues.
The UN special rapporteur on human rights in occupied Palestine, Francesca Albanese, has identified Allianz among 48 global corporations which, she said, is “profiting from genocide in Gaza”.
Francesca AlbaneseShe wrote that........