Pubs across Ireland refuse to screen Israel match in protest over Gaza

More than 140 pubs and bars in Ireland and abroad refused to screen the Republic of Ireland’s Nations League match against Israel on Sunday night, as a grassroots protest against Israel’s war in Gaza reached a scale its organisers say is unprecedented.

At Peadar Browns in Dublin’s historic Liberties area, a usually packed match-day crowd gathered with the televisions deliberately switched off. Owner Aidan Brown told Al Jazeera he had compiled a list of 140 venues refusing to show the fixture, and expected the number to rise.

“We committed about a month ago not to show any of the upcoming Nations League fixtures until Ireland made a stand against Israel,” Brown said. “We didn’t show the Kosovo game, and we’ve absolutely no intention of showing the Israel games.”

A poll of Irish football supporters found 76 per cent opposed the fixture going ahead, while 63 per cent of Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland members voted against playing, Al Jazeera reported.

The boycott follows a week of turmoil inside the Ireland camp. Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu told teammates on Saturday he did not want to play; the squad voted to fulfil the fixture, with Bazunu the only player who ultimately refused.

Daniel Lambert, the Bohemian FC chief commercial officer who proposed the Football Association of Ireland’s November motion to seek Israel’s suspension from UEFA competitions, praised Bazunu’s stand: “To do that on your own in a group of 25 players is staggering courage.”

The FAI has another Nations League game against Israel scheduled next week, with the pressure to boycott set to intensify.

Sources

• Al Jazeera, “Pubs in Ireland refuse to screen Israel match in protest over Gaza genocide” (27 Sept 2026): https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/9/27/pubs-in-ireland-refuse-to-screen-israel-match-in-protest-over-gaza-genocide?traffic_source=rss