GAA tree planting for Stormont

The tree will be planted at Stormont near the statue of Sir Edward Carson

The 125th anniversary of the GAA is to be marked with the planting of a tree at Stormont, close to the statue of the unionist Sir Edward Carson.

A mature ash tree will be planted on 12 November during a ceremony attended by GAA President Christy Cooney.

There are also plans to plant 1,000 ash saplings on the Stormont estate.

Ash was chosen because it is used to make hurling sticks, and every Gaelic club in Ulster is being asked to buy five saplings at a cost of £25.

Each tree is expected to produce enough ash to manufacture 25 hurls, representing 125 hurls for every club.

Sinn Fein assembly member Barry McElduff said Sir Edward Carson may be a symbol of unionism, but he played hurling for Trinity College Dublin.

Celebrations

He said the tree-planting was a "helpful" move towards making Stormont a more welcoming place for nationalists and republicans.

"The symbols and emblems throughout the Stormont estate tend to be solely unionist and British in their origin - for example I would drive up the Prince of Wales Avenue, past the Carson and Craigavon statue to get to my office.

"Culture and heritage belong to everyone and as we move forward, people are increasingly curious about each other's cultures.

"The GAA has been making huge efforts to reach out to non-traditional areas."

A series of celebrations have been held this year to mark the founding of the GAA in on 1 November 1884.

The organisation was founded amid a resurgence in Irish language and culture in the late 19th century.