I gclár faisnéise nua Gaeilge uair an chloig do RTÉ, fiosraíonn Gráinne McElwain an dóigh ar chuidigh CLG ar fud na hÉireann na scoilteanna searbha a tháinig as Cogadh na gCarad 100 bliain ó shin a leigheas agus an bhearna eatarthu a shárú.
In a new one-hour Irish language factual documentary for RTÉ, with support from Northern Ireland Screen's Irish Language Broadcast Fund, Gráinne McElwain explores how the GAA across Ireland helped to heal and bridge the bitter divisions created by the Civil War, 100 years ago.
The Civil War tore Ireland apart. Families were ripped in two, brothers turned against brothers and communities were irreparably damaged. It impacted all aspects of life in Ireland, but unlike other national organisations, the GAA refused to split during these years of division.
During the period of 1914-1921, the GAA embodied the emergence of a new, radical and culturally aware Ireland which was keen to break free from the shackles of British rule. Those who were at the cutting edge of the new revolutionary movement were also those who helped forge the GAA into a national organisation with a club in almost every parish. Therefore, when the revolutionary movement split, it impacted heavily on the GAA.
Stróic Cogadh na gCarad Éire as a chéile. Stróiceadh teaghlaigh ina dhá chuid, cuireadh deartháireacha i ndeabhaidh a chéile agus rinneadh dochar do phobail nárbh fhéidir a chur ina cheart. Bhí tionchar aige ar gach gné den tsaol in Éirinn, ach dhiúltaigh CLG scaradh i mblianta sin na deighilte, ní hionann agus eagrais náisiúnta eile.
📣 'A Revolutionary Era: The GAA and The Civil War'
— ImagineMedia (@ImagineMediaTV) May 5, 2023
📣 ‘Ré Réabhlóide: CLG agus Cogadh na gCarad’
🏐 Catch it on @RTEOne - Thurs 11th May @ 10:15pm
📺 Caithigí súil air!@grainnemac3 @rte @officialgaa @Kerry_Official @OfficialCorkGAA @GaaClare @CavanCoBoardGaa @AontroimGAA pic.twitter.com/K4gKrWtRKG
Le linn thréimhse 1914-1921, ba léiriú é CLG ar Éirinn nua radacach a bhí eolach ar a cultúr, agus fonn uirthi a bheith saor ó laincisí sin riail na Breataine. Ba iad na daoine céanna a bhí chun tosaigh sa ghluaiseacht réabhlóideach nua agus a chuidigh eagras náisiúnta a dhéanamh de CLG, agus cumann i mbeagnach gach paróiste. Mar sin, nuair a scoilt gluaiseacht na réabhlóide, ba mhór an tionchar a bhí aige sin ar CLG.
Well-known GAA sports' presenter Gráinne McElwain unpicks the fascinating story of how the GAA managed to stay the course and emerge as a vehicle for reconciliation and healing which has enabled it to grow to become the organisation we know today. She travels the length and breadth of the country to explore the rivalries which continue to exist between certain GAA clubs, some 100 years on. Using the framework of the Association she examines rifts and hostilities of the past and discovers how, despite the enmity, the GAA has had a remarkable healing influence in counties north and south.
This reconciliation is demonstrated through one particular post-Civil War Kerry team which included Republican volunteers and a Free State officer. Some of the worst atrocities were in Kerry - Knocknagoshel, Ballyseedy, pro-treaty against anti-treaty. Yet despite the brutality of the war, Con Brosnan, a Free State officer, was made captain of the Kerry football team by way of the most incredible of gestures from his anti-treaty team-mate, John Joe Sheehy. They fought each other during the week, but put their differences aside to represent Kerry, with Brosnan arranging safe passage for Sheehy so that he could line out to play alongside him.
One of the most striking aspects of the film is how the Civil War impacted on the Association in the six counties, where it wasn’t fought. As an Ulsterwoman, Gráinne is keen to unpick the impact this bloody period of history had on her neighbours. The intense rivalry which exists between Belfast clubs O’Donovan Rossa and St. John’s has its roots in the Civil War. Rossa founding member, Joe McKelvey, was executed by a Free State firing squad in Mountjoy Jail, whilst early St. John’s teams included former Free State army officers.
Gráinne will also look at how the Civil War impacted on the naming of trophies. For example, the South Derry football trophy, the Larkin Cup, is named in memory of Ballinderry native, Sean Larkin, who was executed by the Free State on 14 March 1923 at Drumboe in County Donegal. And she examines why, still to this day, there is no cup or club commemorating either Michael Collins or De Valera.
The programme explores how the opening of Cavan’s Breffni Park during the worst ravages of the war brought pro-treaty and anti-treaty sides together, all sharing a platform with the then President of the Association.
Ré Réabhlóide discovers how the GAA helped to heal the very bitter divisions of a fledgling nation, taking the strain and trauma through the years of strife and violence, to allow former protagonists to come together. But it is the value that ordinary people attached to the games – as a spectacle, as an affirmation of local identity, as a social event – that Gráinne finds is the key to understanding why the GAA held firm in a time of major upheaval.
Cíorann an láithreoir spóirt mór le rá Gráinne McElwain scéal iontach fán dóigh ar éirigh le CLG leanúint air agus a theacht chun tosaigh mar ardán don athmhuintearas agus don leigheas, rud a d'fhág ar a chumas fás ina eagras mar is eol dúinn inniu é. Siúlann sí ó cheann ceann na tíre leis an iomaíocht atá ann ar fad idir cumainn áirithe de chuid CLG, céad bliain ar aghaidh nach mór. Scrúdaíonn sí achrann agus doicheall an ama atá caite ag baint úsáid as creatlach an Chumainn, agus an dóigh, in ainneoin an naimhdis, a raibh tionchar an-leigheasach ag CLG i gcontaetha ó thuaidh agus ó dheas.
Tá an t-athmhuintearas seo le sonrú ar fhoireann iarchogaidh ar leith as Ciarraí, foireann ar a raibh óglaigh Phoblachtacha agus oifigeach de chuid an tSaorstáit. Is i gCiarraí a bhí cuid de na hainghníomhartha is measa - Cnoc na gCaiseal, Bailte Ó Síoda, iad siúd a bhí ar thaobh an chonartha in aghaidh na muintire a bhí ina choinne. Ach in ainneoin bhrúidiúlacht an chogaidh, rinneadh captaen ar fhoireann peile Chiarraí de Con Brosnan, oifigeach de chuid an tsaorstáit, trí bhíthin beart dochreidte ar fad óna chomhimreoir frithchonartha John Joe Sheehy. Throid siad a chéile le linn na seachtaine, ach chuir siad a n-easaontas i leataobh le hionadaíocht a dhéanamh ar Chiarraí, agus chinntigh Brosnan coimirce aistir do Sheehy le gurbh fhéidir leis dul amach a imirt leis.
Ar na gnéithe is suntasaí den chlár, tá an dóigh a ndeachaigh Cogadh na gCarad i bhfeidhm ar an Chumann sna sé chontae, áit nár troideadh é. Mar Ultach mná, tá fonn ar Ghráinne an tionchar ar bhí ag an tréimhse fhuilteach seo sa stair ar a cuid comharsana a fhiosrú. Is i gCogadh na gCarad atá fréamhacha na dian-iomaíochta idir na cumainn sin i mBéal Feirste, Ó Donnabháin Rosa agus Naomh Eoin. Cuireadh Joe McKelvey, ball bunaithe de chuid Chumann Uí Dhonnabháin Rosa, chun báis roimh scuad lámhaigh i bPríosún Mhuinseo, agus ar theacht ar ais go Béal Feirste dóibh tar éis an chogaidh, chuaigh iar-oifigigh de chuid an tSaorstáit le Cumann Naomh Eoin ar bunaíodh i 1929.
Amharcfaidh Gráinne fosta ar an tionchar a bhí ag Cogadh na gCarad ar ainmneacha na dtrófaithe. Mar shampla, tá trófaí peile Dheisceart Dhoire, Corn Uí Lorcáin, ainmnithe i gcuimhne ar fhear de chuid Bhaile an Doire, Seán Ó Lorcáin, fear a chuir an Saorstát chun báis ar an 14 Márta 1923 i nDroim Bó i gContae Dhún na nGall. Agus scrúdaíonn sí an fáth nach bhfuil corn ná cumann go dtí an lá inniu a dhéanann comóradh ar Michael Collins nó ar Éamon De Valera.
Fiosraíonn an clár an dóigh ar thug oscailt Pháirc Bhreifne i gCabhán le linn an chuid ba mheasa den chogadh an dá thaobh le chéile, iad siúd a bhí in éadan agus ar thaobh an chonartha, ar aon ardán le hUachtarán na linne ar an Chumann.
Faigheann Ré Réabhlóide amach an dóigh ar chuidigh CLG scoilteanna searbha stáit óig a leigheas, ag glacadh leis an teannais agus leis an tráma i mblianta na streachailte agus an fhoréigin, ar mhaithe le ligean do shean-laochra comhraic teacht le chéile. Ach is é an luach a bhí sna cluichí do ghnáth-dhaoine - mar thaispeántas, mar dheimhniú ar fhéiniúlacht áitiúil, mar imeacht sóisialta - a fhaigheann Gráinne amach a bheith in a eochair i dtaca le tuiscint ar an fháth ar sheas CLG an fód in aimsir aimhréidh mhór.
An Imagine Media Production for RTÉ, with support from from Northern Ireland Screen's Irish Language Broadcast Fund.
Ré Reabhlóide, RTÉ 1 ar an 11 Bealtaine 2023 ar 10.15pm
