High profile GAA figures including Tyrone manager Mickey Harte have launched a campaign urging people to vote ‘No’ in the upcoming abortion referendum in the Republic.
The 'GAA Athletes for a No Vote' campaign intends to release a series of videos from GAA players explaining their reasons for voting 'No' in May’s referendum on the eighth amendment.
The amendment protects the life of the unborn and if removed would clear the way for abortion to be introduced south of the border.
Mr Harte, who has led Tyrone to three All-Ireland senior football titles, was joined in Dublin for the launch of the campaign by several other high profile GAA figures including Derry and All Ireland winning club camogie captain Aoife Cassidy and Antrim footballer Patrick Gallagher.
Galway ladies star Anne Marie McDonagh and Meath footballer Joe Sheridan have also backed the campaign which was launched at Ballyfermot Sports Centre in Dublin at the weekend.
During the launch a football/hurling skills coaching session was held for local children.
In a statement the new group said: "Working together, we become one team, one society, one nation, and one human race. Those are our principles - inclusiveness, compassion, respect, dignity, teamwork.
"In keeping with those principles, we are coming together today to ask the Irish people to vote No on May 25th.
"The proposal the government has put forward is not inclusive.
“It specifically seeks to exclude one group of people, the unborn, from our society.
"It strips them of rights, it declares that they are not on our team."
The campaign group also said that the proposals "would allow abortions up to six months of gestation”.
"It would allow healthy babies, of healthy mothers, to be killed for any reason," he said.
"The proposal is not respectful.
“It would compel hospital porters, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to take part in abortions even if they believe, in the deepest pits of their being, that they were being asked to do something terribly wrong.”
Mickey Harte's involvement in the 'No' campaign has sparked debate on social media and drawn both criticism and support for his position.
In a statement local GAA club, Ballyfermot De La Salle CLG, distanced itself from the campaign.
“It would be wholly inappropriate for the club to be associated with the launch as the GAA and its clubs do not become involved in political matters,” it said.
It also said that no GAA or club facilities were used during the launch.
It emerged last night that the GAA is to write to each of its 32 county secretaries informing them that the association should have no involvement in the referendum.
According to RTE the association is expected to review whether senior figures who have voiced support for either ‘no’ or ‘yes’ are in compliance with its rules.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has urged people taking part in the referendum to vote yes during the official launch of his party’s campaign on Saturday.
"I am calling for a Yes vote because I trust women,” he said.
