Irish venues withhold screens as pressure over Israel fixtures grows
A pub owner’s list counted 140 venues refusing to show Ireland’s Nations League match against Israel, as scrutiny of the FAI’s decision to proceed reaches the team.
Pubs and bars in Ireland and overseas declined to screen the Republic of Ireland’s Nations League match against Israel, in protest over Israel’s war in Gaza. Aidan Brown, owner of Dublin’s Peadar Browns, said his list had 140 venues at his last count and he expected it had grown by kick-off.
The refusals came amid calls for Ireland’s team and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to boycott the scheduled fixtures. The dispute has centred on the governing body’s decision to proceed despite earlier opposition within its membership: 93 per cent voted in November to seek Israel’s suspension from UEFA competitions, while an FAI vote in July backed playing the fixtures.
The July motion passed 75 votes to 32, with three abstentions. The FAI cited possible consequences for Irish football if the matches were not fulfilled, including points deductions.
The decision then became a point of division within the squad. The report says players voted to play the fixture, with eight reportedly voting against it. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu ultimately refused to play. The account does not include an official breakdown of the players’ vote.
Public and athlete opinion was also reported as opposed to the match: a poll found 76 per cent of Irish football supporters against it, while 63 per cent of Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland members voted against playing. Those figures sit alongside the FAI’s institutional decision and the players’ reported vote, rather than resolving the competing pressures on them.
A second Ireland-Israel Nations League match is scheduled for the following week. The venue boycott and the squad’s internal disagreement have kept attention on how football authorities and players respond to calls for sporting action over the Gaza conflict.
