DUBLIN — The Guinness is flowing at Peadar Browns, a bustling pub in the historic heart of Dublin, as fans celebrate a big win for their beloved soccer team.But a closer look reveals there’s more than a love of the beautiful game and Ireland’s iconic pint that brings this crowd together.
At one table, a couple of fans wear jerseys emblazoned not with Celtic F.C.’s logo, but that of “GAA Palestine,” the Gaelic Athletic Association’s branch in the occupied West Bank, which organizes games for Palestinian children.At another table, a man surrounded by his family holds up a “Bank of Palestine” shirt.
The words “Saoirse don Phalaistín,” or “Freedom for Palestine,” adorn the wall outside the pub, along with a re-creation of Handala, a cartoon image of a boy that has long been a symbol of the Palestinian struggle.“The Irish people and the people of this pub have always stood firm with the people of Palestine,” said Aidan Brown, the owner of Peadar Browns, named in honor of his late father.
The images from Gaza during Israel’s yearslong military assault after the Oct.7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks were “sickening to see,” he said.
Many in the pub share this sentiment, saying they’re proud their local has become a hub of pro-Palestinian support.Aidan Brown, co-owner of Peadar Browns pub, inside the pub with a framed Celtic F.C.T-shirt behind him in Dublin, on Monday.Natalia Campos for NBC NewsThose feelings stretch well beyond Peadar Browns.
Pro-Palestinian flags, murals, signs and graffiti dot Dublin’s city center, reflecting a deep solidarity rooted in parallels many in Ireland see with their own experiences with British colonial rule, displacement, partition and struggle for self-determination.While Israel’s offensive that has devastated Gaza has prompted outrage in Ireland and around the world, the affinity felt between the Irish and Palestinians runs deep and predates the war by decades.
So it came as little surprise here th...