Pubs in Ireland refuse to screen Israel match in protest over Gaza genocide — SkimNews
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- Aidan Brown's Peadar Browns pub in Dublin's Liberties led a refusal to screen the Ireland-Israel Nations League match, with Brown's compiled list reaching 140+ venues in Ireland and abroad also boycotting the broadcast.
- Irish public opinion ran strongly against the fixture: a poll found 76% of football supporters opposed, while 63% of Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland members voted against playing.
- The Football Association of Ireland voted 75 to 32 (3 abstentions) in July to proceed with the matchups—despite 93% of FAI members having voted in November to seek Israel's suspension from UEFA competition.
- Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu told teammates he didn't want to play; the squad voted to fulfil the fixture, leaving Bazunu as the only player who refused, a move Daniel Lambert of Bohemian FC called 'staggering courage.'
- Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said some players were 'really uncomfortable' after more than 160 Irish sportspeople signed an open letter calling on the squad to boycott the fixtures.
- Players faced agent pressure over potential career consequences for refusing to play, while Susan Shalabi, vice president of the Palestinian Football Association, told Al Jazeera FIFA and UEFA should never have allowed the dilemma by failing to consistently apply their own rules.
Why it matters: The FAI overrode its own November membership vote—where 93% backed seeking Israel's UEFA suspension—and ignored 76% of polled Irish supporters to proceed with the Israel fixture, leaving goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu as the squad's lone refusal. With 140+ pubs boycotting the broadcast and a second Israel game scheduled, the FAI next faces a Dublin home crowd that largely wants the match called off.
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