The Ancient Order of Hibernians has released a statement supportive of the Irish American Baseball Society and its raising of questions as to why there was no Irish team in the recently concluded World Baseball Classic.
Said the AOH in a statement: "The Irish American Baseball Society has raised serious concerns about a quota policy imposed by Baseball Ireland that limits the number of Irish dual citizens permitted to compete for Ireland’s national baseball team.
"Under this policy, players who meet international eligibility standards, including Irish Americans who have obtained Irish citizenship through a parent or grandparent, are prevented from even trying out for the team or are restricted in how many may appear on the field.
"Over the past year alone, more than fifty such players at the college, minor league, and professional levels have reportedly been denied the opportunity to compete for roster spots.
"The players being sidelined are not opportunists seeking a convenient jersey. They are Irish citizens, often dual Irish-American nationals, recognized as citizens by the Irish Government who meet the eligibility standards of international baseball and stand ready to represent Ireland with pride.
"Yet they are subjected to an arbitrary policy by Baseball Ireland that effectively asks whether they are 'Irish enough.'
"For centuries, Irish nationhood endured not because of territory, but because of people. Through more than eight hundred years of foreign rule, penal laws, famine, exile, and forced migration, Irish identity survived across oceans. It did not disappear when our people emigrated; it expanded.
"Ireland’s foundational document, the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, acknowledges directly 'Ireland’s exiled children in America.' That line reflected a simple truth: Irish identity has never been confined by geography.
"None of this suggests that any player is entitled to a place on Ireland’s national team. Selection should always be based on skill, preparation, and commitment. But imposing structural barriers on Irish citizens simply because they reside outside the island is not meritocracy. It is exclusion.
"Ireland’s relationship with its diaspora has never been one of exclusion. It has been one of partnership: in culture, in public life, and in the nation’s shared development. Irish citizens abroad who meet international eligibility standards should therefore have the same opportunity as any other Irish citizen to compete for the honor of representing Ireland. Irish identity has never been confined by borders. It should not be so now."
