Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Connor Lynch

East Belfast primary school 'intimidated' following children's GAA event

A primary school has been intimidated following a GAA event for young children on its grounds.

Strandtown Primary School in East Belfast has received a number of "intimidatory comments" on social media and via email following an event held by East Belfast GAA on its grounds on Saturday, March 25.

The "taster sessions" that were held for nursery and primary school aged children were held in an effort to allow young people to have an experience with Gaelic games.

Read more: Work to install GAA pitch at Victoria Park in East Belfast "halted" pending further discussions

However, following a backlash on social media and via email, the school has told the GAA club that it has had to end any future arrangement with the club in the interest of the school's safety, telling it that it was "exceptionally disappointed" to be put in this position.

In a message sent to the club and seen by Belfast Live, principal Victoria Hutchinson said that they were "exceptionally disappointed" to find themselves in this position and felt that it didn't reflect the ethos of the school.

However, due to the "level of intimidatory comments directed on social media and directly emailed to the school", it could not ignore the intimidation especially after it had caused concern among parents.

In order to protect the school, which the principal said had "poor security access", the school informed the club that it couldn't' "sustain the arrangement" and that it was concerned about negative attention that has been generated in "the belief that this was a one off event."

East Belfast GAA have been contacted for comment and Strandtown Primary School have declined to comment.

READ NEXT:

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.