Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom fáilte Uí Cheallaigh a chur roimh an uachtarán agus roimh an chlann seo aige, Barbara, Conor, Shane agus a chuid deirfiúracha chomh maith, chomh maith lenár n-aíonna go léir atá linn sa Ghailearaí inniu. A uachtaráin, there is no denying those are your sisters, because you are all very alike and I know how important family is in the GAA family. I welcome the clear, steadfast and unambiguous support of the Gaelic Athletic Association for the redevelopment of Casement Park in my native city, Belfast. We all understand and appreciate the transformative impact on Gaelic games the redevelopment will have not just for the city of Belfast and the province of Ulster, but for the entirety of the nation.

I was in New York the morning after the night before. I went to Calvary Cemetery in Queens to speak at an Easter commemoration and there were quite a few heavy heads there on the day, though they were all immensely proud and delighted by the achievements. Quite a few of them were panicking because they were not sure how many tickets they had booked online during the celebrations in Gaelic Park the night before.

I wish to touch quickly on my own club at home, Laochra Loch Lao. It, like all GAA clubs, is unique, but it is especially unique because its members live their lives and do their business entirely through the medium of the Irish language. I welcome all efforts and moves by the GAA to promote the language, leis an teanga a chur chun tosaigh. Is saol trí Ghaeilge atá uainn agus tá an t-ádh orainn go bhfuil cumann ar nós Laochra Loch Lao agus na Gaeil Óga anseo i mBaile Átha Cliath ag déanamh é sin. Táimid chomh bródúil as an méid atá bainte amach ag Laochra Loch Lao agus iad ag imirt i Spórtlann na hÉireann, ceann de na háiteanna is fearr sa tír.

I also hope the geoblocking of games on RTÉ via satellite is a thing of the past. The uachtarán rightly spoke about and criticised the abuse many people in the GAA family get online on social media. However, nothing generates more genuine, authentic frustration than when people sitting in counties Derry, Antrim or Down cannot watch a game on RTÉ because the rights to broadcast games have been sold on a basis antithetical to the GAA, namely, that we are not an all-Ireland people.

It is a big day for Bishopstown GAA Club. It is right to be proud. Far be it from me to get invested in the internal dynamic of Cork GAA, but I want to reflect on a happy visit I had when I was Ardmhéara of Béal Feirste back in 2012. I went to Cumann Na Piarsaigh - forgive me, a Chathaoirligh. You will know the historic emblem of Na Piarsaigh is an lámh dhearg, but of course the thumb is missing. The thumb will not be replaced on the emblem until such time as partition ends. I welcome the fact Gaels all over the country and beyond, like many more in Irish life, are playing a central role in the live, dynamic, positive and inclusive debate about our constitutional future and a new united Ireland. I commend them on that. I also encourage and look forward to the GAA playing a leading, central and equally positive role in that process, going forward. The GAA, as the uachtarán knows and has articulated so well here, represents the very best of us and represents the very best of us in all our diversity and inclusively. I am confident it will be a welcoming and embracing place for everyone, no matter who they are, where they come from and how they identify, and that is a good thing.