The GAA is at the centre of a sectarian storm after a Fermanagh dual intercounty player quit the game due to abuse he receives because he is a Protestant. Darren Graham is a former intercounty hurler and U21 footballer with the Erne County but has been forced to stop playing with Lisnaskea Emmetts at the age of 25 because of what he describes as 'heavy abuse'. When Darren was three weeks old his father Cecil, who was a member of the Ulster Defence Regiment, was shot dead by the IRA and two of his uncles were also murdered by the same people. Darren joined the Lisnaskea Emmetts club as a 12-year old and also played football with the local Catholic Primary School, even though he went to a different school. Employed locally as a joiner, Graham says that he has never encountered any problems within the Lisnaskea community, but abuse started to come his way during his underage days with the club footballers. "I got a wee bit of abuse through the ranks at U14, U16 and minors, but nothing really heavy till I hit the senior ranks. A couple of games, perhaps, somebody would mention something about my father or my uncles, but it wasn't that really. It was more, 'black bastard' and, 'you're a Protestant, you shouldn't be playing Gaelic sport," Graham told the Fermanagh Herald. "Obviously, no one in my own club calls me names, or in Maguiresbridge or Teemore. It's mainly from three clubs especially, although I think there could be several altogether where there is always something smart said along the way. I get it from their supporters as well." Graham feels that abuse such as the type he is receiving belittles the notion that the GAA is open to players from different religions and could put Protestants off becoming involved in the association. "As regards Protestants playing Gaelic, I think I am the only one throughout the county that I know is Protestant who is playing that sport. Don't get me wrong: there are plenty of other players who have a Protestant mother/father, but were brought up as Catholics, but I think I am the only true Protestant. "At the end of the day, this is happening, so why should I get that sort of abuse when I am trying to recognise that this is a sport for both religions? This, after all, is what the GAA is trying to encourage, but why should other Protestants take it on when they're getting that sort of abuse?" Barry King, chairman of Lisnaskea Emmetts, has said that the club had not had an official complaint from their player, but would not be happy if sectarian abuse was going on in the game. "There is a certain amount of chat goes on during the game and there are certain players involved in that. Is it sectarian? It is not for me to say but, if Darren is being subject to sectarian abuse, the club would definitely condemn it," said King. Fermanagh County Board have said they have not been informed that any abuse has taken place and said that any complaint should be forwarded through the club to the board. Tweet

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