The Irish Sign Language version of the Irish National Anthem will be performed at the All-Ireland hurling final in Croke Park
The Irish national anthem will be performed in Irish Sign Language as part of the opening for this year’s GAA All-Ireland hurling final on Sunday August 19.
The event will mark the first time ever that sign language has been officially included at a major sporting event in Ireland. While logistics are still be determined, it is expected that Darren Byrne, the Chairperson of the Council of Irish Sign Language Interpreters, will be signing Amhrán na bhFiann at Sunday’s big match in tandem with the Artane band.
Read More: Ireland’s national anthem performed for the first time in Irish Sign Language
The GAA Director of Communications Alan MIlton said "All-Ireland final day is about inclusivity. While not everyone can get tickets for the game, we do want to make it as inclusive as possible for everyone in the stadium and all those watching at home.”
"This is a further example of the GAA trying to cater for as many people as possible on All-Ireland final day."
Fianna Fáil senator Mark Daly, who led the charge on the Irish Sign Language Recognition Bill, said to RTÉ: "This is part of the long process of treating all citizens equally and ensuring the 50,000 members of the Irish deaf community now have an official version of the National Anthem."
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Senator Daly began his efforts for the legislation after a Cork student said he felt excluded as there was no official sign language version of the Irish National Anthem.
Senator Daly added: "This is the first performance of the National Anthem at a sporting event in sign language. It is important as the GAA is one of our key sporting institutions.”
"We would hope that other sporting organisations would follow their lead."
The GAA All-Ireland hurling final will take place this Sunday August 19 in Croke Park, Dublin. Galway and Limerick are set to battle it out for the championship.
Watch the first ever official Irish Sign Language performance of the Irish National Anthem here:
WATCH: The historic first ever public performance of the new Irish Sign Language version of the national anthem Amhrán na bhFiann (In full) pic.twitter.com/BTbl0dfey3
— RTÉ Politics (@rtepolitics) July 17, 2018
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