Calling On TDs To Stop The Game

Glen of The Downs SAT6JUNE26

atest press release from Uplift Ireland, issued on Sunday, June 7th 2026…

In just over 48 hours, TDs will have 2 opportunities to vote on whether Ireland should walk away from the disgraceful Israel match. Make sure they hear from you first. Will you send an email to your government TDs today?

Because the Israeli army is slaughtering people and levelling Gaza and Lebanon to the ground, the vast majority of people in Ireland — including football clubs, players, and fans — want the game to be cancelled. Allowing it to go ahead normalises genocide.

Patrick O’Donovan, the Sports Minister, says he won’t stop it, but there are signs he’s feeling the pressure. Other members of the government are wavering too — a massive people-powered pile on, before the Dáil debates on Tuesday and Wednesday, could be enough to get them onside.

We need to take our message directly to TDs’ inboxes ahead of the votes on Tuesday and Wednesday to make clear what we want them to do. But we have to act fast and in large numbers if we want to influence how they’ll vote.

Can you email your local government TDs now?

Patrick O’Donovan is pretending his hands are tied but that’s not true. Back in 1999, the government blocked a Euro 2000 qualifying match between Ireland and Yugoslavia because of Serbian atrocities in Kosovo.

And when Poland, Sweden, and the Czech Republic refused to play Russia in 2022, European football chiefs were forced to cancel games.

The Uplift community stands up for what’s right. Just last year, we helped make sure that Ireland didn’t take part in the Eurovision if Israel were allowed to participate.

Now, together, we’re going to make sure this government does the right thing and refuses to allow a soccer match to be used to sportswash Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.

The more of us who email our local TDs the more pressure they’ll feel to support the call to block the Israel-Ireland game in October. Your email could make all the difference.

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