DUP mayor defends denying Antrim camogie civic reception

Antrim defeated Armagh 5-05 to 0-14 to win the All-Ireland premier junior camogie final

A Democratic Unionist Party mayor has defended his decision not to host a civic reception for the All-Ireland winning Antrim junior camogie team.

Ivor Wallace was criticised for not celebrating the team's success after they defeated Armagh on Sunday.

The mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens rejected claims he was not being inclusive and said "he had a finite budget to spend".

Mr Wallace said that he would spend the budget "however he saw fit".

The proposal for the civic reception was put forward to the mayor's office by Sinn Féin councillor Leanne Peacock.

Ms Peacock said the proposal was rejected by the mayor and that she was not given a reason for the decision.

'Not my intention to offend'

In a social media post on Thursday evening, mayor Wallace said "cross-community groups will be his focus" during his term.

"I have absolutely no intention of having a reception for any organisation wedded to one side or the other," he said.

"I won't be offending the many people who have contacted me in recent days, encouraging me not to be bullied into making a decision I'm not happy with. It is not my intention to offend anyone.

"We need to get beyond the them and us. We need to accept each other for who we are but we also need to understand we have differences that we need to work through."

Mr Wallace said his focus this year "will be on the many community and voluntary organisations who provide advice and support in our borough".

This is the third civic reception relating to a GAA team that the mayor has denied since taking up the role, the mayor's office confirmed to BBC News NI on Thursday.

Antrim defeated Armagh 5-05 to 0-14 to win the All-Ireland premier junior camogie final

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle on Friday, All-Ireland winner Oisín McConville described the mayor's decision as "a backward step".

"We in the GAA feel as if things have come a long way, the GAA have moved in that regard and in particular the Ulster Council.

"This is not something that, when you cross the border, is any sort of issue - things like this just don't happen.

"The general GAA public will be widely disappointed by this, but not shocked."