‘I’m not aware of any clubsnamed after terrorists’

Nelson McCausland at a GAA match between the Garda and the PSNI in 2010, during his tenure as Sports Minister.

Former Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Tom Elliott asked the Minister if any changes have been made to the grant-making arrangements for Sport Northern Ireland (Sport NI) referring to comments made by Mr McCausland four years ago.

He referred to Mr McCausland’s statement on September 29, 2009, that Sport NI funding programmes have an equality clause as a standard condition of their grants.

He promised officials would review funding for clubs named after republicans. After these comments former East Londonderry Sinn Féin MLA Francie Brolly said Dungiven’s Kevin Lynch Hurling Club - named after an INLA hunger striker and hurler who died in the Maze in 1981 - was honoured to retain his name, which reflected his captaincy of the U16 county hurling team, which won an All-Ireland in 1972.

Four years on Mr Elliott has asked for an update on the proposed funding review.

But Ms Ní Chuilín replied: “I am not aware of any sports organisations that are named after any deceased person whom all sections of the community label as having been a so-called terrorist.”