‘This broke my heart’ - Louth TD opens up on removal as Drogheda United chairperson
Sinn Féin TD Joanna Byrne was removed from her position at the club in February
Louth TD Joanna Byrne has opened up on her removal as Drogheda United chairperson during a speech in the Dáil.
The Sinn Féin TD was removed from her position at the club in February, after she voiced her opposition to Ireland playing Israel in the UEFA Nations League in September.
Speaking during a discussion on the Government’s investment in football, Deputy Byrne addressed the recent controversy.
She stated: “I wish to touch on comments made recently by me in my capacity as Sinn Féin's spokesperson on sport opposing Ireland playing Israel in the upcoming UEFA Nations League match.
“This, as everybody is aware by now, came at huge personal cost to me and led to me being removed from my role as chairperson of the football club I have grown up in and spent my life loving.
“Although this broke my heart and is something I am still trying to process and rebuild, I proudly and staunchly reiterate Sinn Féin's opposition, and my own, I might add, to Ireland playing Israel in this fixture.”
Deputy Byrne went on to explain the reasons behind her opposition to the game being played.
“Israel is an apartheid state which has engaged in ethnic cleansing and genocide. Its slaughter of footballers and bombing of football pitches cannot be accepted and normalised.
“Front-line Israeli soldiers with blood on their hands lining out against our international team cannot be accepted or normalised.
“Sportswashing cannot be accepted or normalised. I am proud to have stood up and to speak up despite the consequences.
“Any representative of this Government who endorses this game proceeding needs to give themselves a good shake and be aware that they are going down on the wrong side of history.”
She also addressed the controversy surrounding the damaging of Dundalk FC’s new astroturf pitch during February’s Louth Derby.
Deputy Byrne criticised Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan’s response to the actions of a small number of Drogheda United supporters.
She stated: “We are here solely as a consequence of the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan's public denigration of the League of Ireland and its fans in recent weeks.
“His solo run, plague upon all their houses, collective punishment, sneering and classist approach to the League of Ireland after the Dundalk versus Drogheda match was utterly shameful.
“Regrettably, the new pitch was damaged by significant scorch marks caused by a small minority of fans throwing flares onto the pitch, which Drogheda United paid to repair in full.
“The Minister's response was to mete out collective punishment by announcing a pause in all astroturf funding for League of Ireland clubs.”
Deputy Byrne added that while she did not condone what happened, the Minister’s comments had “vilified” League of Ireland supporters.