President of the GAA Nickey Brennan has invited a Protestant Gaelic footballer and hurler to Croke Park for a major championship game after he said he would leave the sport because of sectarian abuse.
However, Ulster secretary of the GAA Danny Murphy insisted that the local organisation could not say or do anything until it received an official complaint.
"There has been no allegation yet, not that I am aware of," Mr Murphy told The Irish Timeslast night.
Darren Graham (25), from Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh, whose UDR father and two uncles were shot dead by the IRA, said he was hounded because of his religion.
The player responded to the invitation by saying the offer was a positive move, but only if the real problem was dealt with. "I would be pleased about that as long as they will recognise that the intimidation is going on for so long and that they are trying to get it out of the sport," he said.
"As long as people know and they [ the GAA] are going to do something about it.
"If I was the stepping stone towards it I wouldn't mind, if they are going to try and get help for people like myself and what we have been going through I welcome it." Mr Brennan said Mr Graham had suffered more than enough in his life. "I'd be more than happy to meet with the young man and in fact to invite him to Croke Park to one of the big games coming up and let him see that we want all religions, including Darren's religion, to be part of the GAA," he said.
He also told RTÉ Radio that the Ulster Council had done a huge amount of work to enhance community relations in Northern Ireland.
Mr Graham said he was no longer prepared to put up with name-calling by some players and spectators on account of his religion.
Asked how the complaints procedure works, Mr Murphy explained that any issue of alleged sectarianism would be dealt with effectively at county level, but that this can only happen once an official complaint is lodged.
"It doesn't have to go to Croke Park," he said. "They [ the county authority] will take the complaint and apply the penalty. And it can be appealed if necessary."
He said rule 8 of the GAA rulebook clearly prohibited sectarianism.
Mr Graham said he felt angry over what had happened as it sent out the wrong message to his fellow Protestants and had undermined his position as a county player in both sporting codes.
He told a local newspaper: "As regards Protestants playing Gaelic, I think I am the only one throughout the county that I know is Protestant who is playing that sport.
"Don't get me wrong: there are plenty of other players who have a Protestant mother/father, but were brought up as Catholics, but I think I am the only true Protestant."
He told the Fermanagh Herald: "At the end of the day, this is happening, so why should I get that sort of abuse when I am trying to recognise that this is a sport for both religions?
"This, after all, is what the GAA is trying to encourage, but why should other Protestants take it on when they're getting that sort of abuse?"