Irish athletes urge ROI squad to boycott Israel games
In a quiet Dublin office, a sheet of paper bearing more than 160 signatures circulates among athletes, urging the Republic of Ireland senior men’s team to act with conscience and refuse the upcoming fixtures against Israel.
The open letter, drafted by the Irish Sport for Palestine Group, tells players to “seize the moment” and boycott the Israel games, while accusing the FAI, UEFA and the government of abandoning them and placing them in an impossible position.
Who has signed the appeal
Among the signatories are rugby icons Tony Ward – who previously boycotted an Irish tour of South Africa – and Lynne Cantwell, Olympian Ciara Mageean, former footballer Louise Quinn, boxers Tyrone McKenna and Eric Donovan, and a host of GAA figures including Padraig O’Hora, Joe Brolly, Colm O’Rourke, Michael Darragh Macauley, Philly McMahon, Valerie Mulcahy and Rena Buckley. Para‑athlete Alan Dineen and ultimate‑frisbee player Stephen Jones also added their names, having each boycotted Israel‑related fixtures earlier this year.
“This is a significant moment and with this moment you have an opportunity to do the right thing,” the letter reads. “Putting on the Irish jersey means something, but the Ireland we want represented is the one that remembers its roots in anti‑colonial and anti‑imperial resistance, which Irish sport played a large part of.”
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FAI’s response
Last week the FAI held a series of media engagements to defend its decision to play the matches in Hungary and Serbia. CEO David Courell said the association does not wish to act unilaterally and is lobbying UEFA to ban Israel from international competitions, adding that the body has been placed in a “really difficult position”.
Earlier in the week, director of football John Martin urged critics not to blame the players, stating, “People like me and David Courell made this decision, not the players. We need to protect the players and look after the players because we shouldn’t find a situation where they’re being criticised.”
The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to face Israel on 27 September and 4 October, and the letter argues there is still time for the FAI and the government to reverse that course.
By framing the boycott as a moral stand rather than a sporting protest, the signatories hope to demonstrate the power of sport to unite people, remind them of shared values and create an impact that reaches far beyond the pitch.