Independent Dublin City Councillors Ciarán Perry, Kevin Breen and Nial Ring have submitted an emergency motion to Dublin City Council calling on the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to boycott the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel in September and October 2026.
If passed, Dublin City Council would become the first local authority in Ireland to formally condemn the scheduling of the fixtures and call on the FAI to withdraw from them.
The councillors said the motion reflects the massive public outcry surrounding the games, recent protests by supporters at the Aviva Stadium, and growing demands for political and sporting leadership.
The motion notes and supports the comments of Republic of Ireland captain Seamus Coleman, who stated that this moral dilemma should never have been placed “on the toes of the players”, and argues that the burden of international diplomacy and human rights advocacy must not be forced onto individual athletes.
Councillor Kevin Breen said:
“Some will say this is merely a symbolic gesture. But history teaches us that symbolic gestures matter.
“Irish people remember the courageous stand taken by the Dunnes Stores workers during apartheid South Africa.
“What began as an act of conscience became part of a global movement.
“I utterly condemn the genocide being carried out in Gaza and the ongoing violence and illegal occupation in the West Bank.
“We cannot, in good conscience, expect our national football representatives to line up and shake hands with representatives of a state that is inflicting such untold horror and suffering.
“If Dublin City Council becomes the first local authority in Ireland to formally call for these fixtures to be boycotted, it could be the beginning of a much wider movement. Ireland has led before on questions of international justice. We should not be afraid to do so again.”
Cllr Breen added:
“It shouldn’t be up to the players. The FAI should have the balls to boycott the game.”
Councillor Nial Ring said:
“Ireland has never been afraid to take a principled stand. We did so in relation to Yugoslavia in 1999 and we should do so again now. The Government and the FAI cannot continue to wash their hands of this issue and pretend there is no alternative.”
Councillor Ciarán Perry said:
“Seamus Coleman was absolutely right. This burden should never have been placed on the shoulders of players. Footballers should not be forced to choose between their careers and their conscience. That responsibility lies with the FAI and political leaders.”
The councillors pointed to Ireland’s decision in 1999 to cancel the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2000 qualifier against Yugoslavia following the Irish Government’s refusal to grant visas to the Yugoslav team in response to the conflict in Kosovo, arguing that Ireland has a proud history of taking principled stands in the face of grave humanitarian crises.
The emergency motion calls on the FAI to take full institutional responsibility, demonstrate moral leadership and boycott the fixtures, accepting any regulatory or financial consequences imposed by UEFA rather than placing the burden on players and supporters.
The councillors also welcomed the recent call from members of the FAI General Assembly for an Extraordinary General Meeting to consider a motion seeking withdrawal from the fixtures.
In a joint statement, Councillors Perry, Breen and Ring said:
“There is no logistical workaround for a moral question of this magnitude. While the FAI claims it has ‘no choice’, the people of Palestine are the ones who truly have no choice. Ireland has built an international reputation as a voice for human rights and justice. We cannot abandon those values now.
The FAI and the Irish Government must do the right thing, or risk being remembered as having stood on the wrong side of history.”
The emergency motion will be debated at the next meeting of Dublin City Council.