SCOTLAND'S A COUNTRY - GAELIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION TOLD

The Celtic League General Secretary has asked the Gaelic Athletic Association to stop referring to Scotland as a 'County' and recognise its National status.

The matter was raised at the Leagues AGM in Dublin in 2008 by Scottish delegates - see below:

"Nickey Brennan President Cumann Lúthchleas Gael/Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) queries@...

Dear Nickey Brennan

Cumann Luthchleas Gael na hAlba

I am writing to you on behalf of the Celtic League, following a resolution that was passed by the General Council of the League in January 2009.

The General Council of the League passed a resolution, put forward by our Alba/Scotland Branch, which reads as follows:

"The General Council:

Calls on the GAA to stop calling Scotland a "contae" and to consider it one of the other two Gaelic countries."

We are aware that a GAA county or County board is a geographic region of control within the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and that for these purposes Scotland fits that definition. We are also aware that in Ireland the concept of the county is very strong and changing the county boundary is extremely controversial. However, as you know, Scotland is not a `County' and the Celtic League believes that the GAA should take this into consideration and try to accommodate this difference accordingly.

In our opinion to continue referring to Scotland as a 'County' regardless of its significance to the GAA stucture, undermines the status of the country as one of the three Gaelic nations of the Celtic world (Alba/Scotland, Eire/Ireland and Mannin/Isle of Man).

We look forward to receiving your views on this topic.

Yours sincerely

Rhisiart Tal-e-bot General Secretary"

(This article prepared for Celtic News by Rhisiart Tal-e-bot)

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

05/03/09