Pride in the shirt: GAA jersey designed in solidarity with LGBTQ+ community

A GAA jersey featuring LGBTQ+ Pride colours has been unveiled as a mark of respect to “equality and diversity”.

The University of Limerick GAA club jersey is believed to be the first GAA jersey to display the Pride rainbow colours.

GAA president Larry McCarthy said: “I’m delighted to see the mantra of the GAA, ‘where we all belong’, is manifested in the ethos and redesign of the jersey of UL GAA club.

“Sport, like a university, is a natural home of equality where neither class, nor creed, nor colour, nor orientation, nor ability, should impact on participation.

“Playing the game quickly eliminates barriers between teammates and teams, and the GAA is proud of its philosophy that sport is indeed for all.

“I commend the UL GAA club in being to the fore in propagating the GAA mantra.”

Mr McCarthy is a graduate of the university and a former member of the UL GAA club.

He was joined at the launch by the university’s president, Professor Kerstin Mey, who said a university is “the natural home of equality”.

Prof Mey said: “The UL GAA club has been in existence since the 1970s and I am very proud that our club jersey is the first in Ireland to feature the LGBTQ+ pride colours.”

The rainbow colours will be a permanent feature of the jersey, which also features the logo of JIGSAW, a free, confidential mental health support service for young people.

The club was established in the National College of Physical Education in the 1970s.

It grew and developed via the college’s transformations from Thomond College to the National Institute of Higher Education, to the University of Limerick.

The club now fields 17 teams and has around 1,000 members.