The Cork County Board last night condemned use of the Confederate flag by Cork supporters at last weekend's All-Ireland hurling semi-final against Waterford at Croke Park.
A symbol of slavery, hatred and white supremacy which dates back to the American Civil War, it was spotted flying in the Hill 16 end of Croke Park on Sunday. The flag has a long history of use by Cork supporters but its visibility at games has decreased in recent years.
The flag being spotted at the game came less than a day after a woman was killed following violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia where Confederate flags were in use.
Speaking at a meeting of the County Board on Tuesday evening, chairman Ger Lane, quoted by the Irish Examiner, said that Cork GAA condemns all use of the flag - whether it be in ignorance of its history or not.
The flying of the Confederate flag in Croke Park on Sunday is something which must be addressed.
Now, it must also be taken in the context of there being 72,022 people there and only a few flags. That said, people bringing flags into the ground, maybe some do it in ignorance, maybe some do it not in ignorance. The Cork County Board would advise anybody with any knowledge of people with these flags not to bring them in, education is needed.
The board and the executive condemn outright the use of the Confederate flag and ask people to refrain to bring it to any ground in the future.
The only flag is the red and the white one with the Cork emblem on it.
