By Niall McCoy

EAST Belfast GAA have confirmed to Gaelic Life that Linda Ervine will the first President of the newly formed club.

It is, the club hopes, a symbolic appointment and one that clearly demonstrates the club’s cross-community ethos.

A Presbyterian, Ervine has become a visible language rights activist in east Belfast and has strongly promoted the learning of Irish.

Ervine, the sister-in-law of the late PUP leader David Ervine, received many well wishes on social media when the appointment was reporteed by Gaelic Life.

The club announced its arrival at the weekend and have already received over 100 requests to join from all sides of the east Belfast community.

After discussions with Down GAA, they are aiming to enter a team into this year’s Down Junior Championship with information on facilities to follow this week.

Dave McGreevy, one of the founding members of the club, has confirmed that the language rights activist has accepted the role.

He also said that they have been inundated by well wishes from neighbouring GAA clubs, sporting associations and a number of high-profile Unionist councilors since announcing their intentions to form a club.

“Our key aim is to be cross-community, that’s non-negotiable.

“A few integrated primary schools have gotten in touch too and they want to set up a link with the club.

“I’d say that 80 percent of the people who have been in contact have never been part of a GAA club before. The other 20 percent used to play, haven’t played for a while, but live here and want to get involved with a club.

“Richie Maguire (fellow founder) has a link to Linda and we asked her. She wasn’t sure what a President does in a GAA club but she was delighted to accept.

“As a figure head she could really show just how much of a cross-community club this is going to be.”

McGreevy, the Teconnaught man who has previously played for London, explained how the idea for the club came about – and the incredible reception it has received.

“It’s myself and another fella Richie Maguire who have been working on it,” he said.

“We both live in east Belfast and we were chatting about how there was no GAA club here. We talked about maybe setting one up.

“We said we’d send out a tweet and if we got any team at any age-group put together then we would chuck them in and see how it goes. That could be the start.

“But now we have over 100 members. A load of people have gotten in contact wanting to play football, others have maybe had kids who want to play hurling.

“There has been interest in camogie and ladies’ football looks like it’s going to be another thing for us. A lot of people want to learn how to play these games.

“A lot of people are just getting in contacting and saying ‘how can I help?’”

It’s been a whirlwind couple of days but McGreevy has thanked the likes of Down and Antrim as well as local clubs like St Paul’s, Carryduff and Bredagh who have all offered their assistance.

He said that Down secretary Sean Og McAteer has been crucial in helping them deal with the massive interest levels.

“They’ve all been in contact and said that if we need help just to give them a shout,” he said. “Paul (Donnelly) from Gaelfast has been in contact as well to offer his help too.

“Sean Og has been fantastic. Whatever he can do for us, he said he’d do for us. He has been brilliant.

“The plan was maybe to put a team in Down next year but he said if we have the numbers this year to get involved this year.”

McGreevy also confirmed that the club name is not set in concrete. It may remain, but they also may opt to eventually name it after a famous face from the area.

To register an interest in the club, email EastBelfastGAA@gmail.com.

n.mccoy@gaeliclife.com